NHL Coaches On The Hot Seat March 9 '23

March starts the play for your coaching lives next season. Here at gambling.com, we look at a few more coaches who could be in trouble as soon as April. Sometimes we cannot get into the minds of general managers, but we wish we could.

Coaches make moves with more trepidation and anxiety this time of year. Like NFL’s Black Monday, the NHL has its version of sorts. So before you check out the NHL betting odds, see how we break down what could happen.

Darryl Sutter - Calgary Flames

Despite winning consecutive games, all is far from quiet in Calgary. Sutter thinks his team might have turned the corner. They keep ticking off 10-game runs at or slightly above .500. That may not be good enough to get in the playoffs. Winnipeg will soon right their ship, and Nashville is close behind.

This type of hot seat does not seem fair for a two-time Stanley Cup winning coach. Sutter has made his bed and has had some bad luck. Calgary blew a two-goal lead again, then beat Dallas. Unfortunately, consistently inconsistent fits the Flames too well this season.

If Calgary cannot put a run together, Sutter may go to the farm literally.

Peter Laviolette - Washington Capitals

The end feels like it is nearing for Peter Laviolette in Washington. Some of that is cruel, but the nature of the business is what it is. Washington has lost seven of their previous 10 games, and though Alex Ovechkin is back, that matters little. Age was a concern going into this season, and honestly, Laviolette has run some guys into the ground. 

So does the general manager sack the coach? The dilemma is Washington may point to all the injuries (Tom Wilson, John Carlson, Nicklas Backstrom, etc.) and give Laviolette one more shot. Washington appears not to have another run in them, even healthy. Is it time to retool and bring in a younger coach?

Brad Larsen - Columbus Blue Jackets

Does anyone understand what Jarmo Kekalainen is doing in Columbus? The longer the general manager keeps Brad Larsen, the angrier his fanbase gets. Granted, the Blue Jackets are “tanking hard for Bedard.” Alternatively, there is losing, and then there is failing, like Columbus. The Blue Jackets were up 4-0 on the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the week. Then, they blew the lead and lost in extra time. 

Columbus is three points clear of San Jose for the worst record in the NHL, but the lack of development with their younger players is very glaring. The Blue Jackets appear to be doing more and more damage to themselves by the day. While injuries have taken their toll, younger players seem to be held back, while veterans continue to make most of the same mistakes anyway. Odds appear that Larsen may be the first coach to go, but maybe not.

Dallas Eakins - Anaheim Ducks

Though Anaheim is on a better run of late, that likely will not save the job of Dallas Eakins come April. Worse, the Ducks are ahead of the Sharks in the standings for the first time since October. While this may wind up being temporary, it still is telling. San Jose is bottoming out, while Anaheim still is horrendous defensively. Goaltending has kept the Ducks mostly competitive of late.

Anaheim could not sell much at the trade deadline and only shipped off John Klingberg. Little will matter as Pat Verbeek starts to rebuild this Ducks team. The first casualties are Eakins and probably part of his coaching staff. 

Craig Berube - St. Louis Blues

We quickly look at Berube because the luster of winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 is gone. The Blues are a mess, even after some trade deadline selling (trades of Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko). St. Louis has fallen below .500 and, worse, is 2-6-2 in their last 10 contests.

Even though the Blues were a lock to miss the playoffs since the All-Star Break, how the team looks from a media standpoint is most concerning. Players taking rips at the coach while the coach publicly squabbles with some players never looks good. Also, the play on the ice is inconsistent and degrading. A younger voice is needed and may come by the offseason.

That is it for now! Next week, we have a few March Madness-themed articles applied to the NHL landscape. It should be fun!