What’s the top NHL head coaching opening this offseason?
The Anaheim Ducks have a head coaching vacancy after firing head coach Bruce Boudreau. Whoever replaces him will be entering a great situation. Anaheim has an excellent core of forwards and a talented blue line. However, whoever replaces Boudreau will also need to be prepared to get results right away because the Ducks are all-in to get a Stanley Cup at this point. That was made quite clear when they extended Ryan Kesler and when they fired Boudreau.
There aren’t that many experienced NHL head coach candidates available, but that’s what the Ducks vacancy will likely demand. Paul MacLean is certainly an option, but he’s likely not experienced enough even with a Jack Adams on his resume. Anaheim most look at what happened to Washington after they fired Bruce Boudreau. It took the Caps three years to find a competent NHL head coach after firing him. Anaheim can’t afford to wait that long. Expect them to be aggressive in getting an experienced head coach one way or another.
Most Logical Candidate: Mike Yeo. Most experienced NHL head coaching candidate out there not named “Bruce Boudreau”. His defensive structure is not too different from what Boudreau utilized this season. Yeo’s a talented NHL head coach and the Ducks job makes a ton of sense for him.
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