The Ideal Replacement for Every NHL Coach on the Hot Seat in 2015-16

When the Columbus Blue Jackets fired Todd Richards earlier this season and brought in John Tortorella to guide the team, they took one of the most credible names off of the coaching market.

Truth is, there is not a great deal of readily available and NHL-ready or proven bench bosses out there for midseason replacements. Yet there are a handful of coaches still on the hot seat with their teams playing poorly or well-below some lofty expectations.

Any of these guys could be the next coach fired.

But who replaces them? If not now, then in the summer when more names—guys already holding down assistant roles in the NHL or head-coaching gigs in other leagues—are available.

In some cases, one of the currently free coaches will do. In others, a move might be better left until the offseason to find the right fit.

In any case, here is a look at the ideal replacement for each of the NHL coaches still on the hot seat in 2015-16.

Boston Bruins

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On the hot seat: Claude Julien

What's going wrong: Paced by David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron, the Boston Bruins are among the top teams in offense but they are brutal defensively, giving up nearly three-goals-against on average. The defensive game is not what it once was and the team parted ways with its GM, which means the leash is short for the head coach.

Ideal replacement: Adam Oates

What he offers: Oates honed his coaching style in New Jersey, where teams without a ton of elite talent were able to achieve great success with a dedication to solid defense and capitalizing on offensive opportunities. The Bruins are not the Stanley Cup team of the past in terms of talent, and a new philosophy would serve them well. He's currently working as a private freelance consultant with some of the game's most talented players.

Calgary Flames

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On the hot seat: Bob Hartley

What's going wrong: Just months removed from being named the NHL's best coach last season, Hartley is struggling to get the Calgary Flames to play with anywhere near the competitiveness they managed as the surprise playoff team of the year in 2014-15. The new expectations may be unfair for a team that was expected to be near the bottom last year, but they're not outworking teams the way they did a year ago.

Ideal replacement: Todd Richards

What he offers: If the team does decide to shake things up—which I think is unlikely given the fact it's still a rebuilding group that used third-period comebacks to propel itself into the playoffs despite unsustainable underlying numbers—then a guy like Richards makes sense. When canned earlier this season, he left the Columbus Blue Jackets as the franchise's most accomplished coach, and the team was known for its work ethic.

Colorado Avalanche

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On the hot seat: Patrick Roy

What's going wrong: Goaltending is abysmal in Denver, and considering the fact the team's head coach is arguably the best that ever played, those struggles are unacceptable for the Colorado Avalanche.

Ideal replacement: Marc Crawford has already won a Cup with the Avalanche with Roy as his pupil at the time. However, he's employed in Europe at the moment and doesn't have an in-season outclause. So he would only be available in the summer.

What he offers: Crawford has had a knack in the past of working with young players who have loads of offensive talent and helping them play well-rounded games—from Peter Forsberg to Jamie Benn. He has Cup-winning experience and also claimed a Swiss league title in 2014.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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On the hot seat: Mike Johnston

What's going wrong: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby can't seem to get going, and the team is playing a lot of dump-and-chase hockey for a club that is so full of skill on the rush. The Pens are in a wild-card spot, but if they're not in contention for a division title with that roster, it's not good enough.

Ideal replacement: Benoit Groulx

What he offers: Groulx is currently coaching the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Gatineau Olympiques, so he isn't available right away. However, the fit would be interesting with Groulx having lots of experience facilitating offensive minds in the high-scoring Quebec league—of which Crosby is a product. Groulx coached Team Canada to gold in the last World Junior tournament and should get a shot in the NHL sooner than later.

Anaheim Ducks

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On the hot seat: Bruce Boudreau

What's going wrong: The Anaheim Ducks seem to have turned things around somewhat after a terrible start that saw both star forwards, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, unable to score and a lauded young defense struggling to keep pucks out of the back of its net. But Boudreau's hold on the job has been tenuous, and the organization is impatient about a return to the Stanley Cup Final. They're still averaging just two goals-for per game—the second-worst in the NHL.

Ideal replacement: Randy Carlyle

What he offers: Carlyle has won a Cup with the Ducks before and is familiar with the team's stars. The shake-up and demand for a more rugged effort might be just what the doctor ordered for the talented and beefy Ducks, who appear to be going through an identity crisis.

Minnesota Wild

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On the hot seat: Mike Yeo

What's going wrong: Yeo was close to being fired last season after a tirade in practice had people questioning whether he had the players' attention on a regular basis. The acquisition of goalie Devan Dubnyk saved his skin. A recent outburst in practice has that same wonder taking place this season with the team struggling recently and top player Ryan Suter panning the coach's defensive pairings, according to Chad Graff of the Pioneer Press.

Ideal replacement: Guy Boucher

What he offers: Immediate availability, for one, after being let go from his post in Bern, Switzerland, because of his desire to return to the NHL after this season. The former Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss was in the running for the Toronto Maple Leafs opening before Mike Babcock was hired. He's known for his 1-3-1 trap but preaches more than that gimmicky system. He has been AHL Coach of the Year and a winner at the junior level, and he guided the Bolts to Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Final.