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5 NHL teams who should hire Gerard Gallant right now

By Dave Stevenson

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights takes questions during a news conference following the team's 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on October 27, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights takes questions during a news conference following the team's 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on October 27, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images /

For the second time in under five years, a team has shocked the NHL by parting ways with Gerard Gallant. He won’t be out of a job for long, as these five teams will likely come calling.

The Jack Adams Trophy curse has returned. This time, it has claimed former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant, who was removed from his position on Wednesday, Jan. 15, and replaced by former San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer. Gallant won the Jack Adams Trophy back in 2017-18 after leading the Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season.

This isn’t the first time Gallant has been fired. Heck, it isn’t even the first time a team firing him has shocked the NHL. Gallant was famously fired by the Florida Panthers back in 2016. The veteran of 541 regular season games behind the bench is back on the open market. Gallant might want to take his time to find a new team. But you can bet teams are interested in adding him right now.

It’s rare to see a Jack Adams winner (and one who didn’t just rely on comically high shooting percentages or save percentages) become available in the middle of a season. Gallant is one of the best coaches in the business. While the Golden Knights have underachieved this season, their issues are, in my opinion, roster related, not coaching related.

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Gallant will be available as long as he wants to be. If he wants to wait, teams will happily do so. But if Gallant wants to keep coaching, these five teams need to give him a call.

Honorable Mention: San Jose Sharks

I would love nothing more than for the San Jose Sharks and Golden Knights to effectively swap coaches. Gallant and DeBoer hate each other and I’m all for more pettiness in the league. Every Sharks versus Knights game would have the drama of Monday Night Raw during the WWE’s Attitude Era.

5. Seattle

Seattle’s NHL expansion team doesn’t have a name yet. They don’t even have a head coach yet. Heck, they’re not even a darn team yet and won’t be one for a little bit. But you can bet general manager Ron Francis has put Gallant on the top of his head coaching list. Coaching an expansion team is very hard to do. It requires a special person. Gallant is the kind of person.

He has the experience of turning an expansion team into an immediate Stanley Cup contender. Remember, Vegas was quick to pounce on Gallant when he became available. He was fired in November and was hired by April. Seattle should start talking to him because there couldn’t be a more perfect candidate to lead the NHL’s newest expansion team.

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