from Kevin Allen of USA TODAY,
An oddity of the 2017-18 NHL regular season is that not a single coach has been fired. Five coaches were fired in-season in 2016-17.
It may mean that several coaching changes will occur in the offseason.
Here are six vulnerable coaches:
Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings have a personnel problem, not a coaching problem. The Red Wings have a new arena and selling tickets isn’t as easy as it once was. Firing a coach is viewed as a team embracing a new direction. No one is sure what is going to happen with general manager Ken Holland, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
If Blashill is fired, it will be under the banner that the team’s younger players need to listen to a different voice.
Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks: Quenneville has won three Stanley Cups since 2010. How could you consider firing him? You could if you believe the organization has grown stale and a fresh approach is needed. It isn’t fair, but it is the way teams conduct business. Wouldn’t he be a good fit as Connor McDavid’s coach in Edmonton? It would guarantee improved team defense.
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