Ranking the Best Coaching Candidates for the Las Vegas Golden Knights

The NHL's Las Vegas expansion team finally has a name (Vegas Golden Knights). Now, it needs a head coach. Candidates could come from the ranks of former bench bosses, such as ex-Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley. Former head coaches turned assistants, such as Kevin Dineen of the Chicago Blackhawks, could also merit attention. 

On Nov. 23, Golden Knights owner Bill Foley told Sportsnet's David Amber (via the Hockey News' Jared Clinton) that general manager George McPhee has a list of six or seven coaching candidates. Some of them are currently employed with other NHL clubs, meaning McPhee must seek permission from those teams to speak with them. 

Clinton also noted McPhee's interview with Amber's colleague Darren Millard, in which the Knights GM didn't rule out hiring someone without NHL experience. 

The following slideshow ranks the best eight coaching candidates for the Vegas Golden Knights. We'll examine the key factors that could put them in the running for the job. Feel free to express your opinions on this topic in the comments section. 

8. Sheldon Keefe

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Sheldon Keefe had a brief, unsuccessful NHL playing career. He's since found success as a coach at the junior and American Hockey League level. 

Keefe took over as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 2012. During his tenure, the Greyhounds won two straight Western Division titles. In 2014-15, he was named OHL coach of the year. He was also named top coach of the Canadian Hockey League. 

On June 8, 2015, the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs hired Keefe as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. In his first season, he guided the Marlies to a league-best 114-point performance and the Eastern Conference Finals of the Calder Cup playoffs. 

Keefe's teams tend to favor speed, skill and puck possession. If that's the type of roster the Golden Knights put together in the expansion draft, he could be just the coach to get the most out of that lineup. 

7. Travis Green

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After a 14-year NHL playing career, Travis Green turned to coaching. He's now in his fourth season with the AHL's Utica Comets and could be ready to return to the NHL as a head coach.

As per the July 11, 2013 edition of the Oregonian, Green's coaching career began in 2008 as an assistant with the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks. When head coach Mike Johnston received a season-long suspension in 2012-13, Green guided the Winterhawks to the WHL championship and the Memorial Cup Final. 

Green joined the Comets, an affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, in 2013. Under his guidance, they reached the AHL playoffs twice. In 2015, the Comets advanced to the Calder Cup Finals, falling to the Manchester Monarchs in five games.  

On May 4, 2016, NBC Sports' Jason Brough cited Green telling PostMedia he believes he's ready to coach in the NHL. The following day, Brough cited Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reporting Green was among the candidates to replace Bruce Boudreau as coach of the Anaheim Ducks. The job eventually went to Randy Carlyle. 

The Knights must get permission from the Canucks to interview Green, but he could be a good fit with this expansion club. Thanks to his playing career, he's familiar with working at the NHL level. He should relate well with their veteran players and help to develop their younger talent. 

6. Todd Reirden

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Like several on this list, Todd Reirden turned to coaching following his NHL playing career. Now the associate coach of the Washington Capitals, he has seven seasons of big league experience behind the bench. 

Reirden spent three seasons with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from 2008-09 to 2009-10, spending two years as their head coach. He was promoted to assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010, a role he held from 2010-11 to 2013-14. 

Hired by the Washington Capitals in 2014-15 as an assistant coach, Reirden was promoted to associate coach in July 2016. He's responsible for the club's defensemen and power play.  

Reirden is well regarded around the NHL. On Aug. 29, CSN Mid-Atlantic's Tarik El-Bashir reported he was a finalist for the Calgary Flames' head-coaching role and was considered for the New Jersey Devils' job the previous year. 

Given Reirden's credentials and experience, it's only a matter of time until he's hired as an NHL bench boss. The Golden Knights would be wise to move quickly. For an expansion team, a strong defense is important. Reirden could help them quickly build up a solid blue-line corps. 

5. Adam Oates

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Following his Hockey Hall of Fame playing career, Adam Oates turned his hand to coaching.  He has several seasons of  NHL experience in assistant- and head-coaching roles. 

Oates began his coaching career with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant in 2009-10. He was credited with improving their power play and played a crucial role in the development of Steven Stamkos into a scoring star. 

In 2010, Oates was hired as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils. He would help them reach the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.

Oates went on to spend two seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14) as head coach with the Washington Capitals and returned to the Devils as an assistant coach in 2014-15. 

During his tenure as Washington general manager, Golden Knights GM George McPhee was the one who hired Oates to coach the Capitals. There's a familiarity there that could work in Oates' favor. With a solid NHL coaching resume, he could be a good addition to the expansion Knights. 

4. Kevin Dineen

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A former head coach with the Florida Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Kevin Dineen could prove an attractive option for the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Dineen played 1,188 games as an NHL player from 1984-85 to 2002-03. After spending six seasons as coach of the AHL's Portland Pirates, he was hired to coach the Florida Panthers in 2011.

In two-and-a-half seasons (146 games) behind the Panthers' bench, he compiled a record of 56 wins, 62 losses and 28 overtime losses. In 2012, he guided them to the playoffs for the first time since 2000. 

In 2014, Dineen joined the Blackhawks under head coach Joel Quenneville. He was part of their Stanley Cup championship squad in 2015. 

Dineen, 53, would bring a considerable hockey background to the Golden Knights. Having played the NHL game, he has a solid understanding of what makes big league players tick. His coaching background in the minors and the NHL gives him the experience to shape a new roster into a cohesive unit. 

3. Gerard Gallant

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On Nov. 27, the Florida Panthers fired Gerard Gallant as head coach. This could prove fortuitous for the Vegas Golden Knights, giving them an opportunity to hire the well-respected Gallant. 

A former NHL forward for 11 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, Gallant successfully transitioned to the coaching ranks. He spent parts of three seasons (2003-04 to 2006-07) as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Gallant spent three seasons coaching the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, winning consecutive championships in 2011 and 2012. From 2012-13 to 2013-14, he was an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens, then moved on to coach the Panthers from 2014-15 until his recent dismissal. 

Last season, the 53-year-old Gallant coached the Panthers to franchise records in wins (47) and points (103) as they clinched the Atlantic Division crown. Gallant was named a finalist for the 2016 Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year soon after his firing, 

An old-school players' coach who works well with young players and veterans, Gallant could be just the right guy to guide the Golden Knights through their early years. 

2. Paul MacLean

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A former NHL head coach, Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Paul MacLean could be a good choice to run the bench for the Golden Knights. 

Joining the coaching ranks after his 10-year NHL playing career ended in 1991, MacLean returned to the big league as an assistant coach with the Ducks in 2004 under Mike Babcock. He followed Babcock to the Detroit Red Wings, winning a Stanley Cup in 2008. 

After six seasons with the Wings, MacLean took over the reins as head coach of the Ottawa Senators in 2011-12. In three-and-a-half seasons with the Senators, MacLean had a record of 114 wins, 90 losses and 35 overtime losses in 239 regular-season games. In 17 playoff games, he had a record of eight wins and nine losses.

MacLean did a fine job quickly turning a rebuilding Senators team into a playoff contender. For his efforts, he won the Jack Adams Award in 2013. Two years later, however, the Senators were struggling and relieved MacLean of his duties. 

Having returned to the Ducks as an assistant coach, the 58-year-old MacLean possesses considerable NHL coaching experience. With an Adams award on his resume, he could prove attractive to the Golden Knights. 

1. Bob Hartley

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Of the former NHL coaches available to the Golden Knights, Bob Hartley is the most experienced. With 13 NHL seasons under his belt, the 56-year-old would bring considerable coaching know-how to Las Vegas. 

In 944 regular-season games with the Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers and Calgary Flames, Hartley won 463 of them. In 95 playoff games, he has a record of 54 wins and 41 losses. 

Hartley also has a reputation as a winner. He guided the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2001. He also coached a rebuilding Calgary Flames club to a surprise playoff berth in 2014-15. For his efforts that season, he won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. 

Over his NHL coaching career, Hartley's proved he works well with experienced pros and promising young players. If there's a drawback, it's that his demanding style can start wearing thin over time. 

For an expansion team looking to ice a hard-working, competitive roster, few coaches come better qualified than Hartley. 

Coaching records and info via NHL.com and Hockey-Reference.com. Additional info via HockeyDB.com.