What's the top NHL head coaching opening this offseason?

What’s the top NHL head coaching opening this offseason?

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 16: John Torchetti, head coach of the Minnesota Wild gives instructions to his team on the bench against the Dallas Stars in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on April 16, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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Ranking the best available and potential head coach openings in the NHL.

With the recent firing of Bob Hartley, there are now four head coach openings in the NHL with a number of qualified candidates available. There are also head coach opportunities that could open up sooner as opposed to later. With candidates like Bruce Boudreau, Marc Crawford, Guy Boucher, Mike Yeo, Randy Carlyle, and Ron Wilson available, those job openings should be filled pretty quickly. There are also assistant coaches around the league that could find themselves with an opportunity to get a head coaching job because of the job that they have done as assistant head coaches.

The Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, and Minnesota Wild each currently have a head coach vacancy. While the Colorado Avalanche currently employ Patrick Roy as their head coach, with so many quality candidates available, it wouldn’t be surprising if they decided to fire Roy and hire someone else. It’s an option that they will most likely at least consider as Roy hasn’t gotten the Avalanche to improve recently.

Which team is the most appealing to the plethora of candidates available? Here’s a ranking of the job openings, both current and potentially future, from worst to best.

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