from Mark Whicker of the LA Daily News,

The Ducks’ search for a new coach should be no more complicated than your morning search for new socks.

Dallas Eakins has coached the San Diego Gulls to a 30-18-1 record, despite roster churn that’s worthy of a Maytag. He has brought along ex-Ducks like Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore, and future Ducks like Max Jones, Sam Steel, Kevin Roy and Troy Terry.

The Gulls will likely be the source of whatever playoff hockey Southern California will see, after an epic stretch from 2012 through 2017 that featured two Stanley Cup Finals and four Western Conference Finals. There is nothing more involving than an NHL playoff spring, so this will be a time of serious withdrawal.

The Ducks and Kings face massive coaching decisions. Eakins is the most obvious candidate in Anaheim.

The first question he would face is, “What happened in Edmonton?” although that’s not specific enough. Since the Oilers lost the Stanley Cup Final to Carolina in 2006, they have made the playoffs once and have required eight coaches.

Eakins was No. 6. He lasted 113 games and won 36. Bad goaltending can get anybody fired, and Scotty Bowman wouldn’t have won in Edmonton with Al Arbour by his side. But Eakins, in his fourth year with the Gulls, also cites himself.

“I was brought there to change a culture that wasn’t great,” Eakins said.

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