Цитата:
ON THE HOT SEAT
NHL coaches, GMs feeling the heat...
NOW THAT THE NHL has incorporated a salary cap this season, there is increased scrutiny on the performances of the league's general managers and coaches.
After all, none of them can hide under the mantra, "We don't have enough talent to compete". Everybody can compete with the big boys, as long as they make the right decisions--both on the roster and on the ice during games.
Several coaches--and a few GM's--are feeling the heat as the NHL schedule heads towards its third month. Organizations have had time to evaluate proceedings, so not all 30 team owners will be pleased with current 2005-06 results. Here's a look at the coaches and general managers in need of victories in the weeks ahead to avoid the pink slip. These are the NHL men On the Hot Seat:
1. Mike Sullivan, coach, Boston
Sullivan has two strikes against him right now: Expectations are high in Boston following an off-season shopping spree, and Sullivan was coming off a Northeast Division title in his only season as Bruins coach. Moreover, the team's general manager (Mike O'Connell) is also on the hot seat, which may make Sullivan even more of a sitting duck. The Bruins have had injury woes so far in 2005-06, and don't appear to have enough quality defensemen to make a Stanley Cup run. That said, it may not stop the B's from making a coaching change--and soon.
2. Gerard Gallant, coach, Columbus
The Blue Jackets were expected to name another coach following the lockout, but GM Doug MacLean instead opted to bring Gallant back--after the latter went 16-25-4 as the interim coach in 2003-04. However, MacLean continues to raise expectations for his hockey club, after acquiring veteran center Sergei Fedorov last week. The addition of Fedorov, along with defenseman Adam Foote during the off-season, has changed the team's mentality. The Jackets want to win now, and failure to reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history will not be tolerated. Therefore, Gallant's days are severely numbered right now.
3. Steve Stirling, coach, NY Islanders
The Islanders record isn't bad so far this season, but there is the notion that it might have been a lot worse were it not for the stellar play of goaltender Rick DiPietro. Also, Stirling has been criticized for icing one of the NHL's 'softest' lineups. Simply put, the Isles are relatively easy to play against. This doesn't sit well with Islanders fans, who have witnessed hard-nosed, aggressive hockey for the majority of the team's existence. Despite reaching the playoffs in his only season behind the bench (2003-04, Stirling is now charged with getting his team to play at another level. If GM Mike Milbury loses patience, Stirling may not make it through 2005-06.
4. Eddie Olczyk, coach, Pittsburgh
Olczyk is well liked by both the media and his players, but he may not bring enough structure to be a successful bench boss. That shouldn't surprise anyone, since he came from the broadcast booth to the Pens head-coaching job, and not from the minor-league ranks. With the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins doing very well in the early going, Baby Pens coach Michel Therrien--former head coach of the Montreal Canadiens--has emerged as a strong candidate to replace Olczyk. However, Olczyk still has the backing of owner/captain Mario Lemieux.
5. Mike O'Connell, GM, Boston
If O'Connell doesn't fire Sullivan, it may be because the organization wants to shake things up even more. O'Connell has had big shoes to fill as the heir apparent to longtime Bruins GM Harry Sinden. That said, it's now been five years since O'Connell took over for Sinden and the organization is in a state of flux. O'Connell may try to keep his job by making major roster changes. He has already begun with the Dave Scatchard-David Tanabe trade of last week, but much more is required to turn things around. O'Connell spent a lot of owner Jeremy Jacobs' money in the off-season, so a bad result in 2005-06 will be deemed unacceptable.
6. Larry Robinson, coach, New Jersey
Robinson was reluctant to return behind the bench in recent years, despite the fact he won the Stanley Cup as Devils bench boss in 2000. Truth be told, he isn't really committed to being a head coach in the NHL. Rather, he decided to take over for the ailing Pat Burns because he's a great 'company man'. However, his team has failed to respond this season. What may be trouble for Robinson--a Hall-of-Fame defenseman in his playing days--is New Jersey's declining defensive game, which has been the team's staple for success. However, GM Lou Lamoriello may not make any coaching decisions until Burns' long-term health status is known.
7. Larry Pleau, GM, St. Louis
In Pleau's case, it's probably a matter of when (not if) he'll be replaced as Blues general manager. That's because the franchise is currently conducting a search for new ownership. Once that becomes settled, the new regime will almost certainly look for their own people to run the hockey operations. The situation in St. Louis is a mess right now, and unfortunately Pleau deserves some of the blame. He should have insisted on buying out players this past off-season, instead of taking the easy way out of their financial mess by dealing star defenseman Chris Pronger. That decision has led to an ugly cap situation, and even uglier results on the ice.
8. Mike Kitchen, coach, St. Louis
Kitchen is probably tied to Larry Pleau, his general manager, but might get the axe earlier if Pleau decides to jump-start the club by moving behind the bench. That's because the ownership situation in St. Louis will likely prevent the club from paying for another coach this season. However, Pleau hasn't coached in the NHL since the 1988-89 season (Hartford Whalers), so Kitchen may stick around for the entire season. He has a proven track record as an assistant coach, but may be in over his head as the main man behind the bench.
9. Craig MacTavish, coach, Edmonton
Oilers GM Kevin Lowe loves MacTavish, and the two are usually on the same page in terms of organizational matters. That said, expectations have increased this season with the arrival of Chris Pronger and Michael Peca. And then there's the pressure of knowing both Western Canadian rivals, the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, are considered Stanley Cup contenders this season--while the Oilers are not. If the media pressure starts to hound Lowe, he may make a radical decision to fire 'MacT'. However, any changes in Edmonton will probably occur next summer--if they fail to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
10. Pat Quinn, coach, Toronto
Quinn is a major long shot to get fired this season, especially since he's headed to Turin, Italy to serve as Canada's Olympic head coach next February. However, GM John Ferguson Jr. inherited Quinn as his bench boss, and will eventually want to put his own man there. Furthermore, Ferguson is dedicated to inserting homegrown talent to the Maple Leafs' previously aging roster. Quinn, on the other hand, clearly prefers veteran talent. The Ferguson-Quinn marriage may not last too much longer, but the veteran coach is probably safe for this year.
Занятный пассаж...
