from Mike Johnston of Sportsnet,

Just like we do with players and teams in some way shape or form, we’ve decided to rank the NHL’s coaches. Instead of ranking them from No. 1 to No. 30 — who am I to say [insert coach’s name] is the worst coach in the NHL? — we’ve put them into tiers.

With that in mind, here’s how we have the 30 head coaches ranked heading into the 2015-16 campaign.

TIER 1: ELITE

Mike Babcock – Considered by many to be the best coach in hockey, Babcock is accustomed having a deep pool of talent to work with. He won’t have that luxury in his first season with the Leafs.

Joel Quenneville – The roster turnover he deals with is crazy, yet he keeps leading his teams to Stanley Cup championships. His winning percentage in Chicago is a remarkable .624 and his moustache should have its own display at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Barry Trotz - Trotz was able to turn one of the worst defensive teams in the league into a solid two-way squad that finished with the fifth-best goal differential in the NHL. Fans were worried that his defensive style would impact Alex Ovechkin…Ovi led the league with 53 goals.

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