Bruce Boudreau was fired today, as the Ducks lost yet another game seven to exit the Stanley Cup Playoffs early.
Between San Jose, Edmonton and Anaheim, the Pacific will have had three new coaches in the past year (albeit Todd McLellan just moving within the division) — and don’t rule out the Flames making a move. With Boudreau gone, who are the likely candidates to take over behind the Ducks’ bench? We’re glad you asked.
1. John Tortorella
No one is more disappointed than me that he’s off the board.
2. Patrick Roy
I know what you’re thinking, “wait, he’s still coaching the Avalanche!?” Listen, that ship hit its iceberg months ago and is slowly but surely sinking into the icy waters of the Atlantic. Or whatever large body of water is near those big-ass mountains in Colorado. He’s done for. Which means…he’s back on the market. Roy will mesh perfectly with noted jerks Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler and he’ll bring that edge Anaheim is known for.
3. Randy Carlyle
How did Randy slip this far? Because I was afraid if people saw him first they’d close this post before reading it because it would be so obvious. I’m absolutely, 100 percent, behind the #BringRandyHome movement. He coached the Ducks to their only Stanley Cup, primarily because of his coaching acumen and not at all because of the collection of hall of famers on the ice.
I think Carlyle can make Anaheim great again. He’d be huge for the season ticket holders, who quite frankly weren’t around for 2007 but heard it was freaking sweet. He’s the answer the Ducks are looking for.
4. Corey Perry as player-coach
Hear me out on this one. Perry may be a big baby on the ice sometimes, but he’s incredibly skilled and quite frankly, waht does an NHL coach even do? Make line combinations? Please, just get some nerd from MIT to do it for you and let Perry yell stuff at the dudes on the bench. He’ll have to play in a suit, obviously, but that probably won’t be a big problem for him.
5. Adam Oates
You know who hates fun? Adam Oates. Good thing, because the Ducks are all about serious business — taking care of it and all that good stuff. Oates hates Tomas Hertl more than anyone on this planet, making him the perfect fit to take over as the Sharks‘ coaching nemesis. He’s allegedly great at special teams stuff, which is great! Because the Ducks can’t seem to score 5v5, on the power play or on Toy Story Midway Mania at this point. It’s been a rough stretch.
Go ahead and vote in our poll and chime in with your pick for Boudreau’s replacement in the comments.
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