Fansided

3 possible candidates for New York Islanders’ head coaching vacancy

By Brad Berreman

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 02: New York Islanders head coach Doug Weight speaks at a post game press conference after a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Barclays Center on March 2, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 02: New York Islanders head coach Doug Weight speaks at a post game press conference after a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Barclays Center on March 2, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-Getty Images /

2. Dan Bylsma

After two disappointing seasons (68-73-23 record), and possibly with a push from young star Jack Eichel, Bylsma was fired as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres after the 2016-17 season. Prior to that he was head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins for five-plus seasons (2009-2014), with a Stanley Cup win in 2009 to end his initial partial season.

The Penguins never got back to the Stanley Cup Final in a full season under Bylsma, though, and a second-round playoff loss to the New York Rangers in 2014 was not good enough for a franchise with annual Stanley Cup expectations.

The extensive time Sidney Crosby missed during Bylsma’s tenure as coach in Pittsburgh is notable. Over a three-season span, from 2010-11-2012-13, Crosby played a total of 97 regular season games and he did not play in the 2011 playoffs.

So in total Bylsma had one of the best players of this era in the NHL for the equivalent of roughly three regular seasons (260 games) in a five-season span. That should not take blame completely away from Bylsma’s work behind the bench, but it would be tough for any coach to succeed at a high level with a great player out of the lineup so much.

Evgeni Malkin also played less than 70 regular season games three times (leaving aside the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign) during Bylsma’s tenure, including 43 games in 2010-11 when Crosby also only played 41 games. Yet the Penguins won 49 games (with 106 points) that season, and a division title, with basically one combined regular season from Crosby and Malkin.

A coach with a Stanley Cup on his resume and a solid regular season track record has to be a candidate for jobs in an NHL that likes to recycle coaches (this year’s hires mostly aside).

Bylsma hasn’t seemed to be a serious candidate for any of this year’s job openings, despite some people advancing his candidacy for a couple openings. But he should be on Lamoriello’s list of candidates for the Islanders.

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