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NHL coaching carousel: Vacancies down to 1 after multiple hirings

NHL: New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes
Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Since the end of the 2023-24 regular season, several teams have decided to make changes at the head coach position. While there were multiple vacancies, recent hirings have lowered that number down to just one remaining gig that’s open.

Provided there are no more firings, the San Jose Sharks are the only team without a head coach to this date. David Quinn was let go April 24 after they finished last in the NHL with a 19-54-9 record. Whoever replaces Quinn likely will get to coach celebrated top prospect Macklin Celebrini since the Sharks have the No. 1 overall pick and the Boston University center is the consensus top pick.

Here are the vacancies that have been filled since the end of the regular season:

Buffalo Sabres – Lindy Ruff (April 24, 2024)
Ottawa Senators – Travis Green (May 7, 2024)
Toronto Maple Leafs – Craig Berube (May 17, 2024)
New Jersey Devils – Sheldon Keefe (May 23, 2024)
Winnipeg Jets – Scott Arniel (May 24, 2024)
Seattle Kraken – Dan Bylsma (May 28, 2024)

In addition, the St. Louis Blues retained interim Drew Bannister to be coach, and the Los Angeles Kings did the same with Jim Hiller. The Carolina Hurricanes re-signed Rod Brind’Amour, whose contract was expiring.

Related: Early offseason signs point to Steven Stamkos staying with Tampa Bay Lightning

Sharks are only NHL team that has yet to hire coach

NHL: Minnesota Wild at San Jose Sharks
Credit: David Gonzales-USA TODAY Sports

Ruff returns to Buffalo after coaching them from 1997-2013. He will look to take the young Sabres team to the next level, as they appear finally ready to take the next step. They will look to break their 13-season playoff drought. As for Ruff, he bounced back quickly after being fired during the season by the Devils.

Ottawa brings in Green after he served as the interim coach for the Devils, following the firing of Ruff. Green coached New Jersey to a 8-12-1 record and is also the former coach of the Vancouver Canucks. He inherits an Ottawa team that ended up 26th in the NHL in 2023-24.

Berube is a big-time hire in Toronto. After winning the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, he and the Blues narrowly missed out on the playoffs this season. With the Maple Leafs moving on from Keefe after losing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again, they will look for Berube to get them over the hump and beyond the first round.

Keefe gets a “fresh start” with the Devils. After making the playoffs two seasons ago, New Jersey took a step back, failing to clinch a playoff berth. Keefe was unable to get Toronto deep into the playoffs, but will try again with the Devils, who are loaded with talent.

Arniel is a good hire for Winnipeg, which has filled its vacancy from within after Rick Bowness retired. Winnipeg was just unexpectedly eliminated in five games in Round 1 and will look to make a deeper run next year with Arniel, its former associate coach, at the helm.

Bylsma makes his return to the NHL for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The 2009 Stanley Cup-winning coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins will lead the Kraken, who look to return to the playoffs after missing out this season. Bylsma has spent the past two seasons leading Coachella Valley, Seattle’s American Hockey League affiliate.

The hirings take quite a few impressive names off the board for the Sharks, who still remain without a bench boss. Reportedly Jeff Blashill and Ryan Warsofsky are among those being considered by the Sharks.

Warsofsky is a Sharks assistant without head coaching experience in the NHL but is highly respected. If he’s hired, it’s in a similar vein as the Edmonton Oilers, who brought in Kris Knoblauch this season. He currently has the Oilers in the Western Conference Final after previously coaching the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

As the coaching carousel nears a stop, one piece remains to fill the puzzle.

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