Though Peter Laviolette is no longer the head coach of the Nashville Predators, he shouldn’t have to wait long to find a new job, according to the latest NHL rumors. Which teams could hire him?
Peter Laviolette is one of the most successful head coaches of the salary cap era. He has taken three different teams to the Stanley Cup Final, winning it in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes. Though Laviolette was recently fired by the Nashville Predators, the latest NHL rumors suggest he won’t have to look far for a new job.
Laviolette has a strong track record of turning teams around. Granted, history shows his voice eventually gets stale. But if you want to turn a team around and get immediate results, few people are better for the job than him.
Which teams should hire Laviolette? Let’s take a look at three teams who could make sense for him.
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3. Detroit Red Wings
Jeff Blashill is currently the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the NHL. That’s a pretty heavy statement, but it’s true. Blashill hasn’t seen much success with the Detroit Red Wings, as the team has only made the Stanley Cup Playoffs once under him.
It’s a bit surprising new general manager Steve Yzerman hasn’t gotten rid of Blashill yet. But maybe having arguably the worst season of the salary cap era will give him the proper incentive to make a change behind the bench.
The Red Wings might not be acting like it, but they are one of the wealthiest franchises in the NHL. It’s time for them to start acting like it. Hiring Laviolette could help expedite the Red Wings seemingly endless rebuild. Lavy is a man who welcomes challenges. There would be no greater one than turning around the Red Wings. And the Red Wings have the resources to tempt him.
2. New Jersey Devils
In the NHL, it’s not about how good you are. It’s all about who you know. Laviolette has a good relationship with New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero, so that’s obviously going to help his case. Shero is surely familiar with Laviolette’s ability to turn teams around and probably wants the Devils to do precisely that.
That said, I think the Devils should stay away from him. They need a head coach who can improve their offense. Laviolette isn’t very good at that. Virtually everywhere he has gone, the offense has eventually dried up.
1. Seattle
Seattle might not have a team name yet, but they already have a front office in place. It’s led by former Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis. Francis is very familiar with Laviolette, as the two worked together in Carolina briefly. Laviolette helped bring the Stanley Cup to the Hurricanes in 2006.
Also, this seems like a perfect job for Lavy. He had to take note of the control Gerard Gallant had when he took over the Vegas Golden Knights. Having that kind of control to build a team in your image is appealing, especially for someone like Laviolette.