5 candidates to replace Bruce Boudreau as Minnesota Wild coach

1. Gerard Gallant

Amid a downturn in January, but literally only a week after the team was tied for first in the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights fired Gallant as their head coach with a 24-19-6 record. Under replacement Peter DeBoer, the Golden Knights are 5-3-2.

Gallant has never lasted three full seasons in a head coaching job, with Vegas added to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers. He was let go 22 games into the season following a division title in Florida, and leading the expansion Golden Knights to two playoff appearances (including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in the team’s first season) was not enough to get at least a third full season. But let’s call Gallant a victim of a general hiring and firing cycle the NHL takes to a level all its own in terms of short-sighted moves, and he’s hardly a bad coach.

Gallant is an easy candidate to be the next head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, with a deep tie to general manager Steve Yzerman from their time together playing for that franchise. Jeff Blashill will probably last the rest of the season, but he is surely in his last weeks behind that bench as the Red Wings are set to comfortably finish with the lowest point total in the league.

There will be plenty of competition for Gallant’s services, and his tie to Detroit’s front office may ultimately land him there. But he should consider all his options, and Minnesota can be added to the list now.