NHL Coaches on the Hot Seat: Changes Could be Made Soon

Bruce Boudreau - Vancouver Canucks

Bruce Boudreau may now carry a shelf, err, job expiration date. Reports suggest that the coach could be fired as soon as Monday. Some of these rumors have been marked on social media, then deleted, then put back on again. However, it is becoming more apparent that Boudreau may be the first to see a pink slip. 

Jim Rutherford regrets taking this job as President Of Hockey Operations. In retrospect, Boudreau likely feels the same way. Vancouver packs three weeks of drama in a year, and this season has probably taken a decade off of most people’s lives up there. 

Teams like Calgary and Edmonton are all but gone. Now, a dozen points out of a playoff spot means a likely end. Cue up that seat, as Vancouver will be the first team to pull the plug. 

Could Rick Tocchet be the coach that comes in next? It's been mentioned in several Canadian media outlets. Vancouver ownership has been a mess all season and their play shows. 

That is a bad sign when a recent game between Tampa Bay and Vancouver turned into a why Bruce Boudreau is still in this mess diatribe. Consider it came from the Tampa Bay feed. Now, that’s even more ominous. Everyone knows the end is near. Boudreau’s seat has been hot or burning since October. 

Paul Maurice - Florida Panthers

After a 6-3-1 stretch in their past 10 games, Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers are seeing their seats cool. Well, Maurice is for now. The Panthers have played 47 games already, but at least they are headed in the right direction. 

Now, can they make the playoffs? Because if Florida does not, Maurice is likely out of a job, and possibly Bill Zito (General Manager). 

Dallas Eakins - Anaheim Ducks

Dallas Eakins was gifted with a win against Anaheim this week which illustrates that maybe Anaheim does not have the worst team in the NHL after all. 

Eakins feels not long for this job, but again Pat Verbeek seems content with letting him coach out the year. 

D.J. Smith - Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators remain the definition of NHL mediocrity as they continue to stay right around .500. Currently, Ottawa is one game under, and D.J. Smith survives primarily because of the ownership situation. He was one of the most favored coaches to be fired even around Christmas, and that likely has changed little. 

That being said, Smith stays somehow. 

Brad Larsen - Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Brad Larsen hit a new low this week. Columbus went up by three goals over the Anaheim Ducks and then squandered the lead and game at home. That is all one needs to know about the Blue Jackets now. 

It does not even matter who is in the lineup. Columbus cannot win. The younger players are almost learning it is OK to keep losing like this. There has not been a peep about Brad Larsen’s job security in the press. Considering how badly the Blue Jackets have played this year, that is surprising.

Many experts and fans alike were skeptical of the Larsen hiring. Given his decision-making, they are seemingly getting proven to be correct. Some think this is tanking for Connor Bedard. Honestly, the whispers are growing louder and louder. Fans want a firing. The media may be warming up to this idea, too.

Andre Tourigny - Arizona Coyotes

With St. Louis playing better, Andre Tourigny has seen his Arizona Coyotes wilt in the desert winds. 

Unlike Chicago, which has won five of its last seven, the Coyotes have dropped nine of their previous 10 games. Now, Bedard and the sweepstakes are within their reach. Again, Tourigny is not cut out for this type of assignment. Then again, few coaches are. 

Fans Pleading For Nashville To Make Changes

Nashville fans have been pleading for change for some time. Even last season, Juuse Saros found a way to carry this team to the playoffs with help from Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. The problem is the system. What John Hynes is coaching and what David Poile has done to the organization have fans boiling over. 

The seats have been heating up for more than a year. Ownership wants to avoid making an in-season change. However, the off-season may finally be different. When fans start talking with their wallets, that might be the final straw.