As the Conference Semifinals continue in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, several teams, players, and coaches have already started to turn their attention toward the offseason.
After five win-or-go-home games helped send eight teams packing in the opening weeks of the 2022 postseason, there are plenty of questions to be answered. For some, the question that is top of mind is coach-driven.
Winning the Stanley Cup requires an elite roster on the ice, but if it doesn’t include the right person behind the bench, no amount of talent will be enough to claim the ultimate prize. For that reason, coaching is always a hot topic in the offseason.
We have already seen a few teams relive their coaches of their duties. The Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders wasted little time saying goodbye to Jeff Blashill, Mike Yeo, and Barry Trotz, respectively.
How many coaches could still lose their jobs?
The Vegas Golden Knights (for some reason) chose to wait a little longer but ultimately fired coach Peter DeBoer at the conclusion of the first round of the playoffs.
There are four clubs in total that do not currently have a head coach, though the Islanders are not one of them, as they promoted Lane Lambert following the release of Trotz. The Winnipeg Jets are the other franchise that is looking for a bench boss.
With that said, I don’t believe that that will be the extent of the list for long. Losing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs typically leaves a sour taste in the mouths of NHL organizations, and sometimes the fix is a change behind the bench.
For a few of the first-round losers, I think that could be the case. Some need to make a change, while some will feel compelled to do so as a result of the team’s recent history.
Here are three coaches that lost in Round One and are in a position to lose their jobs as a result.