NHL head coach hot seat tiers: Temperature check for all 32 teams

Craig Berube’s seat became too hot to handle this week, as the St. Louis Blues fired their longtime coach (with whom they won the Stanley Cup in 2019) on Tuesday night.

It wasn’t something GM Doug Armstrong wanted to do. But at a time when trades are hard to make due to parity and the salary cap, it can be the easiest remedy for a team’s ills — especially since the general managers that build these underwhelming teams won’t fire themselves.

Berube was the third coach dismissed this season — joining now-former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft and Dean Evason, dismissed by the Minnesota Wild — and might not be the last.

Here’s a temperature check on the NHL’s coaching hot seats for all 32 teams. Contract information is courtesy of CapFriendly and NHL sources.

Burning up

D.J. Smith, Ottawa Senators

The Blues firing Berube leaves Smith as the lone coach with the scorching seat. The “Fire D.J.!” chants at Senators games only confirm that.

The Senators entered Wednesday night’s slate with the fewest points in the Eastern Conference (22) but that was deceptive, as they had a higher points percentage than either the Buffalo Sabres or the Columbus Blue Jackets, with a few games in hand on each.

They’re ninth in the league in goals per game (3.39) and 17th in the league in goals against average (3.22), for a plus-5 overall in goal differential. Their penalty kill stinks (31st) and their goaltending has been middling (21st in team save percentage). Under the hood, they were 24th in expected goals differential and 19th in shot attempts percentage. They’re the poster children for mid.

This is Smith’s fifth season behind the Ottawa bench. They’ve missed the playoffs in the previous four seasons, and 2022-23 season was their first season over .500 (with a .524 points percentage). He has a club option for next season. The general manager that hired him, Pierre Dorion, was dismissed earlier this season in the wake of an NHL investigation that caused the team to forfeit a first-round draft pick.

This change at the top might actually work in Smith’s favor, for now. New owner Michael Andlauer wants stability. Steve Staios, the team’s president of hockey operations, is seeking to hire Dorion’s replacement. Why fire a coach before the next general manager gets a chance to fire Smith himself?

The Senators still have some runway to improve this season. Getting Thomas Chabot healthy and Shane Pinto back from suspension will help. But there’s no getting around that Ottawa is a disappointment. If Smith doesn’t start seeing results, he’ll see the door. Again, the Senators have that option this summer.

Hot in the summer

Rick Bowness, Winnipeg Jets
Dave Hakstol, Seattle Kraken
Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs
Lindy Ruff, New Jersey Devils
Pascal Vincent, Columbus Blue Jackets

Of these coaches, Vincent is in the most tricky position because his fate might be tie to the general manager that promoted him to head coach. Jarmo Kekalainen took the blame for the Mike Babcock mistake before the season, and it made it clear that his future with the organization was tied to the team’s success on the ice … which they haven’t located this season.

If Jarmo goes and a general manager outside the organization comes in, Vincent could be collateral damage after just one season.

Keefe is also dealing with a new general manager in Brad Treliving, who handed Keefe a two-year contract extension to help give the Maple Leafs some stability after the Kyle Dubas drama. The Leafs should make the playoffs, having an 89% chance to do so at the moment, per Money Puck. But the bar is set at “win a playoff series” after the last season, and any failure to clear it will spark speculation about Keefe. Treliving might opt to bring in his own hire to Toronto.

The “Fire Lindy” chants haven’t returned quite yet to The Rock. Plus, the Devils signed Ruff to a “multi-year” extension before the season. But the expectations are climbing for New Jersey after their playoff series win against the Rangers. They’ve added significant pieces to a brilliantly talented core. If they fall short of the playoffs? Maybe they find a goaltender before finding a new coach. But the experienced Travis Green is there as an assistant, watching and learning.

Like Ruff, Hakstol orchestrated a dramatic year-over-year turnaround for his team last season, who improved by 40 points. Unfortunately, he’s now overseeing a dramatic downturn for the third-year franchise, as the Kraken had nine wins in their first 30 games and a .417 points percentage.

Like Ruff, Hakstol also received a contract extension, as Seattle has him signed through 2025-26. One coaching source said that’s an important factor in his future. Usually, if a coach is fired with term, the expectation is that he’ll be hired quickly by another team to clear that salary off the books.

“I don’t think Hakstol would land a job right away. His salary would become a liability,” they said.

As for Bowness, the 68-year-old bench boss is signed through the 2024-25 season. He has the Jets in a playoff position as of Thursday, and Money Puck gives them around a 70% chance of making the cut.

In 2022, he was the clear second choice to Barry Trotz in the Jets’ coaching search but came aboard with a stern style aimed at motivating their complacent core. He got them to the playoffs last season. He’s fine if he does it against this season. If he doesn’t, then maybe there’s a conversation to be had about his future.

Broken thermostats

Lane Lambert, New York Islanders
Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins

On Nov. 11, Islanders fans chanted in support of head coach Lane Lambert’s firing. It was the Islanders’ fourth straight loss in a winless streak that would reach seven games.

“We have passionate fans,” Lambert said when asked about the chants. “I don’t listen to any outside noise, whether it’s good or bad. All we can do is prepare our hockey team the best we possibly can for each and every game and do our jobs.”

On Dec. 13, the Islanders were second in the Metro, having won five of six games and averaging roughly four goals per game offensively. But the chants haven’t stopped. Perhaps the greatest example of the confusing nature of the team’s sudden turnaround and the animosity towards its coach was when a “Fire Lambert” chant was interrupted by a game-tying goal against the Blue Jackets en route to a 7-3 win last week.

If the winning stops, the temperature will be immediately turned up again on Lambert. Lou Lamoriello has never hesitated to make a change behind the bench. But how long will Lou be at the helm of the Islanders if they don’t find playoff success?

Sullivan is in this ninth season with the Penguins, having led them to the Stanley Cup championship twice. Pittsburgh has one playoff series win since their last Cup in 2017 and missed the playoffs last season.

Typically, this might put a coach in perilous position, but the Penguins’ arrangement with Sullivan is anything but typical. The coach is in the final year of a four-year contract and will begin another three-year contract extension next season. He’s signed through the 2026-27 season, which means that Pittsburgh has Mike Sullivan under contract longer than it has either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

GM Kyle Dubas was hired both to maximize the potential of the current roster — Money Puck gives the Penguins a 37.5% chance of making the playoffs — and guide the Penguins into their next phase. He recently endorsed Sullivan in light of Pittsburgh’s struggles this season.

“Do I think that that he’s the right person for this job now and far to the future? I absolutely do,” Dubas said.

Getting warmer

Don Granato, Buffalo Sabres
David Quinn, San Jose Sharks
Martin St. Louis, Montreal Canadiens

Those who know the Sabres — and the thinking of owner Terry Pegula — swear that Granato is safe despite the fact that Buffalo might miss the playoffs for the 13th straight season.

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News recently wrote: “Granato is signed through 2026, so fans looking for a coaching change are going to be disappointed. Terry Pegula wants to get out of the market of paying guys not to coach. And the fact is the Sabres are in this mess because Pegula has been turfing coaches and GMs every couple of years for the last decade, a surefire way to get zero continuity in your organization.”

Harrington believes there’s a better chance the Sabres add to their front office — like a president of hockey operations — than subtract from their bench.

Still, the results aren’t there for Buffalo. Again.

“I don’t know how long Pegula is going to endure Don Granato’s ‘I need to teach these guys how to play and I’m the educator’ thing. They’re pros. Why are you still teaching people?” asked one source in the coaching community.

St. Louis is another coach in “teaching mode” at the moment, in his third season with the Canadiens. He had a 57-77-13 record through 147 games, but has Montreal around the .500 mark this season. He’s signed through next season. In many ways, he’s the face of the rebuild, and has served as a coach and father figure to the team’s young players. But again, at some point, there needs to be a level-up for the Canadiens.

Quinn is signed through the 2024-25 campaign. Obviously, there are little to no expectations for the Sharks to contend. The good hockey Quinn’s had them playing is frankly deleterious to their future success — they should be increasing their lottery odds, not decreasing them. He’s likely fine until relevance returns to Bay Area hockey.

Just seated

Drew Bannister, St. Louis Blues
Andrew Brunette, Nashville Predators
Greg Cronin, Anaheim Ducks
Ryan Huska, Calgary Flames
John Hynes, Minnesota Wild
Peter Laviolette, New York Rangers
Kris Knoblauch, Edmonton Oilers
Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals

These are the coaches who were hired most recently; or in the case of Bannister, promoted from the AHL within the last 72 hours.

Hynes and Knoblauch were the other two in-season hires. Hynes replaced Dean Evason after 19 games. Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft after 13 games. Both have seen their teams turn around under their watch, which we’re sure is all about their coaching acumen and not about the positive elasticity of goaltending and shooting percentages.

While the Rangers have hit a little hiccup lately, Laviolette has them right at the top of the Eastern Conference. Like any solid Jack Adams Award candidate, there are clear improvements between this team and last year’s Gerard Gallant team that can be credited to Laviolette’s influence.

Carbery and Brunette were both hired in the offseason. As of Thursday, the Capitals and Predators are both in playoff positions.

Huska has the Flames near the playoff bubble, although their minus-17 goal differential is indicative of their struggles. He was hired as a young coach (48) who can work with younger Flames players, and as part of an internal solution for the team along with GM Craig Conroy. It would be a surprise if Huska was one-and-done.

That also applies to Cronin, who was Pat Verbeek’s first hire as a general manager. Verbeek recently told “The Bob McCown Podcast” that he sees the Ducks being two years away from challenging for a playoff spot “if I’m being realistic and honest.”

He expects more young players to join the roster next season. Cronin will be tasked with getting them up to speed. In duck terms: It remains a winged migration rather than a short flight in Anaheim.

Long-tenured temp check

Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche
Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina Hurricanes
Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning
Todd McLellan, Los Angeles Kings

Bednar is in the last year of his two-year contract extension and will begin a new three-year deal next season. The Avalanche are atop a very competitive division. Even if things falter this season, one assumes he’s fine.

McLellan has the Kings playing great hockey to start this season with a .720 points percentage through 25 games. He’s got a deeply talented roster that’s finally matched results to the team’s fantastic underlying numbers. If the goaltending holds up, the Kings are a real contender. McLellan is finishing a five-year contract but has a one-year extension through next season.

Brind’Amour is overseeing an underwhelming start for the Hurricanes, who were outside of a playoff spot as of Wednesday. Their goaltending has been calamitous, ranking 32nd in the NHL in save percentage. Their underlying numbers remain stellar, including the best shot attempt share in the NHL on average. But their results have been frustratingly mid.

Whatever happens with the Hurricanes, it’s not likely to tarnish Brind’Amour’s reputation as one of the league’s top coaches. What could complicate things is if he seeks to be paid like one. Brind’Amour is in the last year of his contract with the Hurricanes. His salary is only $1.8 million. Brind’Amour himself said that it won’t be “an easy negotiation.” Stay tuned.

Then there’s Jon Cooper, the longest tenured coach in the NHL, having been hired on March 25, 2013.

The Lightning have made the playoffs in nine of the last 10 season and won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. But this season has been a challenge. A weird challenge. The Lightning thrived without goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the lineup. He came back, went 4-4-0 with a .894 save percentage, and the Bolts are basically a .500 team.

Meanwhile, the future of the roster is in question thanks to Steven Stamkos and his contract status.

“I don’t think that he’s there forever,” one coaching source said of Cooper. “If they don’t make the playoffs, I think all bets are off.”

Cooper is signed through next season.

Ice cold

Bruce Cassidy, Vegas Golden Knights
Peter DeBoer, Dallas Stars
Derek Lalonde, Detroit Red Wings
Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers
Jim Montgomery, Boston Bruins
Luke Richardson, Chicago Blackhawks
Rick Tocchet, Vancouver Canucks
John Tortorella, Philadelphia Flyers
Andre Tourigny, Arizona Coyotes

These are the coaches that can sit comfortably on their frozen thrones.

Some of them have experienced so much recent success that it’s difficult to imagine they’d get the boot: Cassidy just won the Stanley Cup; Montgomery won the Jack Adams after the best regular season in NHL history, and the Bruins’ encore has been strong; Maurice’s team played for the Stanley Cup and DeBoer’s was in the conference final.

Others are having strong 2023-24 seasons for teams that are building towards success, like Lalonde, Tocchet, Tortorella and Tourigny.

(It should be noted that Torts was hired by the Flyers’ previous general manager Cliff Fletcher. But he has two more years left on his deal and the team’s been competitive beyond expectations.)

Richardson, meanwhile, is the coach of a totally rebuilding team with no expectations beyond the continued progress of Connor Bedard.

Heck, guiding another team to the basement in order to get this Connor his own Leon Draisaitl-type would be the best thing Richardson could do.