Seattle Kraken: First head coach Dave Hakstol is a good hire
Experience
While not a deal-breaker, NHL head coaching experience is a plus. The Seattle Kraken job isn’t really made for someone who has to feel their way around the league. Knowing the opponents and NHL referees makes it easier for the team. Even though he wasn’t a head coach last year, Hakstol kept his hand in the game as one of Sheldon Keefe’s assistants in Toronto.
For those who say Hakstol didn’t impress with Philadelphia, relax. There are plenty of coaches/managers who didn’t excel in their first go-around leading a team. Both Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll struggled before their careers took off. Belichick was 36-44 in five seasons with Cleveland. Then he went to New England and the rest is history. Closer to home, coach Pete put up a 33-31 record before coming to the Emerald City.
As far as the NHL goes, Scottie Bowman coached three and a half years in St. Louis before coming to the Canadiens in 1971. Al Arbour underwhelmed in St. Louis before leading the Islanders to four Cups. Even Gerard Gallant, who took the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Finals, started his head coaching career on rocky ground. From 2003-2007 he put up a 56-76-4-6 record in Columbus.
I could go on and on with stories of coaches such as Claude Julien, Alain Vigneault, and Jacques Demers. The point is that there aren’t many overnight successes. For any coach to succeed, he has to be the right man at the right time.