Seattle Kraken Franchise Debut Round Table
What are your thoughts on Dave Hakstol as the head coach?
Ciara Durant
I have mixed thoughts on the Hakstol hire. While he does have past NHL experience, he doesn’t have the experience or pedigree that other potential candidates did. When he coached the Flyers, they never made it past the first round in the two years they made the playoffs.
Even as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs, those teams never made it past the first round either. That doesn’t give me much confidence that Seattle could make it far if they do make the playoffs. However, I am trying to stay optimistic, although cautiously so.
Lucas Burrell
I was very surprised when the team announced that he was their choice as head coach. His reputation isn’t the greatest due to his time with the Flyers. But he did coach his team to the playoffs two out of his three seasons behind the bench. It will be interesting to see how he does with a blank slate and reasonable exceptions compared to the hot stove of Philadelphia.
Ed Stein
As a Rangers fan, I’m predisposed to not liking Dave Hakstol. Objectively, he wasn’t my first choice (I bet he wasn’t GM Ron Francis’s either) but he’s a good coach and teacher. He’ll have the Kraken ready to compete.