Ranking the Best Available Replacement Options for NHL Head Coaches in 2014-15

At some point, NHL teams are going to start firing coaches. It happens every year, and with the salary cap making midseason trades difficult, it's often one of the few options at the disposal of teams looking to improve their results.

The question is always whether it makes sense to go with an internal candidate (an AHL coach or an NHL assistant) or to hire a currently unemployed veteran coach. We've ignored the in-house options here, because there's no knowing which team will make a move first, and instead concentrated on veteran coaches who aren't currently working in that capacity at the NHL level. 

In each case, we've included a brief list of career highlights and then mentioned some current relevant information. We've erred to the side of inclusion for coaches who currently have jobs in Europe; many of them may not have midseason out-clauses, but they're worth a mention anyway. Read on to see who is out there. 

10. Claude Noel

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Career accomplishments: Noel has a quarter century of experience as a head or assistant coach, running teams in the ECHL, IHL, AHL and NHL. He won the 2004 Calder Cup as the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) while with the Nashville Predators organization; it was his work in Milwaukee that got him his first NHL job under Ken Hitchcock in Columbus. In 201 games as an NHL head coach, his teams have gone 90-87-24.  

Analysis: Noel told Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press that he has no doubts he's capable of coaching in the NHL, but he'll likely have to work his way back. Lawless suggests that Noel lost the respect of his players; regardless of whether that's true, Noel's accomplishments are so formidable that he's a shoo-in for another NHL head coaching position. 

9. John Tortorella

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Career accomplishments: Tortorella's most notable achievements came in 2003-04, when he guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the team's first (and only) Stanley Cup win and won the NHL's coach of the year trophy at the same time. He's one game under .500 over a coaching career that spans just under 1,000 games and has won at every level.  

Analysis: It's amazing the difference a year makes. Tortorella was highly regarded enough to win a five-year contract with Vancouver, but after a disastrous campaign in which a bunch of weird stuff happened, he's somewhat toxic. He's a good coach, but it may take some time for him to work his way back to the NHL. 

8. Ron Wilson

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Career accomplishments: Wilson has coached more than 1,400 games in the NHL, breaking into the league while still in his 30s and finding success in Anaheim, Washington and San Jose, at least during the regular season. His career record sits right around .500 thanks to an unsuccessful stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Analysis: Wilson's bright and innovative, and if there's any doubt about that, one need only ask him. He's a career coach whose competence is not in question, but Wilson has been accused of losing teams in the past due to an overly abrasive coaching style.

7. Marc Crawford

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Career accomplishments: Another veteran head coach, Crawford's NHL track record spans four franchises and 1,151 games, accumulating a .556 winning percentage during span. He had a splashy start to his career, winning the Jack Adams Award as a rookie head coach and the Stanley Cup in his second season. He had long and successful stints with Colorado and Vancouver, but recent stops in L.A. and Dallas were more disappointing. 

Analysis: After a two-season absence from the NHL, Crawford got back to work overseas, winning a championship with Zurich of Switzerland's top league last season. He's a strong coach, but after five consecutive seasons with three teams outside the playoffs, some recent results were certainly in order. It's unknown if his current contract will allow him to take a midseason job. 

6. Jacques Martin

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Career accomplishments: Martin won a championship in his first season as an OHL head coach back in the mid-1980s, and that was the launching pad for a long NHL career that included head coaching jobs with four different teams as well as several seasons as an assistant or associate coach. The 1998-99 Jack Adams winner is 53 games over .500 over an NHL career spanning nearly 1,300 games. 

Analysis: Martin presently works as an executive with the Pittsburgh Penguins, so his availability for a coaching role is uncertain. There isn't much question he knows his stuff; his time with Ottawa showed that conclusively. He'd have a better reputation if he'd been able to translate that regular-season success with the Senators into playoff results. 

5. Andy Murray

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Career accomplishments: In more than three decades as a coach, Murray has seen it all, coaching at a variety of different levels but earning an NHL shot primarily thanks to his experience as a head coach internationally. He spent a decade as a head coach in the NHL, with his teams posting a 333-278-58-69 record on both sides of the 2004-05 NHL lockout. He presently coaches at Western Michigan University. 

Analysis: Murray's longest NHL stint was with Los Angeles, a team that made great strides after his arrival and collapsed following his dismissal, though his time with the Blues was somewhat less successful. He's a well-regarded career coach who pioneered the early goalie pull.  

4. Guy Boucher

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Career accomplishments: Boucher first came to prominence in the QMJHL, where in his third season as head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs he guided his team to a championship. The next season, he took a job in the AHL with Montreal's affiliate in Hamilton; that team posted a 52-17-11 record, and Boucher was in the NHL with Tampa Bay the next season. In parts of three seasons with that team, the Lightning posted a 97-79-20 record.  

Analysis: Boucher is currently coaching in Switzerland, so depending on his contract, it's possible he's not even available for midseason employment (SC Bern, his team, currently sits second in that league). He's well-regarded tactically, but there was a perception that he'd lost his veterans in Tampa Bay. Still, he's been successful at pretty much every level.    

3. Brent Sutter

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Career accomplishments: Sutter played more than 1,000 games in the NHL before transitioning to coaching, starting in the WHL. After just under a decade behind the bench of the Red Deer Rebels (during which time he won a WHL championship and a Memorial Cup), he moved to the NHL, first with New Jersey and then Calgary. In five seasons with so-so teams, his clubs posted a 215-146-49 record but never won a playoff series. 

Analysis: The last name pretty much sums it up. Sutter did pretty well given the tools at his disposal both with the Devils and the Flames. One caveat worth noting is that he left New Jersey with a year on his contract to coach the Flames in his native Alberta, which would certainly be a concern for some teams.  

2. Mike Keenan

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Career accomplishments: Everybody knows "Iron Mike" Keenan, the fiery and controversial coach who has won championships in the NHL, KHL, AHL and at the junior level. The 1984-85 Jack Adams winner has coached 1,386 regular-season games at hockey's highest level and been behind the bench in eight different NHL cities. Worth noting: He's better than 100 games over .500 on his career. 

Analysis: Famously aggressive, Keenan's combative style wore out his welcome in a number of cities, often despite excellent results. He's never spent more than four seasons with any of his teams and hasn't had much NHL interest since 2008-09. He won the KHL's Gagarin Cup in his first year overseas (last season) and may or may not be available depending on his current contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The kicker here is that he is successful; he may not last with any one team, but Keenan can get results during his tenure.  

1. Dan Bylsma

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Career accomplishments: Bylsma won a Stanley Cup in his first season as a head coach at any level, going from a successful half-season in the AHL (35-16-1) to the Penguins' bench and all the way to a championship. He was named the NHL's coach of the year in 2010-11. His Pens were consistently successful over his tenure, but ultimately, playoff failings ended his time with the team.

Analysis: The question with Bylsma is to what degree the Penguins' success should be credited to him and to what degree it should be assigned to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company. He's certain to get another chance somewhere else, and then we'll have a better idea. 

Statistics courtesy of EliteProspects.com, Hockey-Reference.com and HockeyDB.com.