Seattle Kraken still have plenty of time to hire a head coach
Some Seattle Kraken fans are worried the team hasn’t hired a head coach yet. They shouldn’t; there is still plenty of time.
The Seattle Kraken have a new arena, general manager, a broadcaster and will select a team of players in July’s expansion draft. What the team doesn’t have is a head coach. Some fans are getting a little antsy about it.
There is no need to worry just yet. Vegas didn’t hire their first head coach Gerard Gallant until two months before the 2017 expansion draft. So there is still plenty of time until the Kraken draft their first set of players on July 21.
Already in play
According to reports, Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis is interviewing candidates for the job. Among the early favorites are Gallant, Bruce Boudreau, and Mike Babcock. Three experienced head coaches, but only one of them is right for Seattle.
Gallant, turned the expansion Vegas Golden Knights into a modern-day sports miracle. In their first NHL season, he took Vegas to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year of existence.
On the surface, both Boudreau and Babcock have impressive resumes. Neither man is particularly good with young players. Make no mistake, as much as Kraken management wants to repeat what Vegas did; there will be plenty of youth on the roster.
However, the smart money says that a current NHL team still employs the Seattle Kraken’s first coach. If Gallant hasn’t been hired already, Francis must still have some questions about bringing him on. Either that or he wants to keep his options open.
Not available… Yet
There are three coaches currently on the hot seat who might be good fits in Seattle. The first is New York Rangers coach David Quinn. Before heading to Broadway, Quinn was the head coach of Boston University. He did a great job with the rebuilding Blueshirts his first two seasons. Now the media and fans are getting restless because the team isn’t rising in the standings fast enough.
Detroit Red Wings bench boss Jeff Blashill was dealt a bad hand. Wings management dismantled his team, and he’s been trying to piece together a winner with a bunch of kids. After five years, it looks like a parting of the ways is imminent.
Finally, there is Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. After winning Stanley Cups in his first two seasons leading the Pens, the team has gone in the wrong direction. Additionally, Pittsburgh has a new president, Brian Burke, and GM Ron Hextall. They’ll likely want to put in their own coach.
Sit tight, Seattle Kraken fans. A head coach should be in place by May.
Who do you think should be the Seattle Kraken’s first head coach? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.