The Seattle Kraken are planning a thorough search for their next head coach, someone who will commit to developing the young crop of players they have.
The first two head coaches the Kraken hired were David Hakstol and Dan Bylsma. Hakstol was the head coach of the University of North Dakota before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015. His stint with the Flyers ended in 2018, and he followed that with a job as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs for an additional two seasons. He joined the Kraken for three seasons, making the postseason just once.
Bylsma worked as the head coach of the Kraken for just one season, previously serving as the lead man of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres. He spent two seasons coaching the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken's AHL team, where he led them to two Calder Cup finals, losing both.
The next coach of the Kraken will have a lot of pressure weighing on their shoulders, meaning results will need to come very quickly. Here are five candidates who may be able to fulfill the organization's needs.
David Carle
No coach is better equipped to develop the young Kraken players than Carle. He's coached at the University of Denver for seven seasons, winning two national championships, and winning back-to-back gold medals as the head coach of Team USA's world junior team.
Players such as Zeev Buium, Bobby Brink, Massimo Rizzo, Cole Gutman, Carter Mazur, Jack Devine and others have had phenomenal seasons under Carle's tutelage and have gone on to play in the NHL or AHL. His ability to help his players become player drivers offensively while maintaining their awareness to the defensive side of the puck should bode well for players like Shane Wright, Matty Beniers and Berkly Catton.
Mike Sullivan
Sullivan was fired by the Penguins earlier this morning and has immediately become the prized possession of the head coach search. He coached the Penguins to two Stanley Cups during his 10-year tenure. Throughout his career, he's served as the assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks, while also spending a season as the player development coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.
He was the second-longest tenured coach behind Jon Cooper before he was fired, and was well respected by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, all of whom had phenomenal seasons while Sullivan was the head coach. His background as a scout and development coach, coupled with his success as a head coach fits the criteria of what the Kraken are looking for.
Breaking News: Seattle Kraken Announce Leadership Changes; Jason Botterill Promoted to GMSeattle, WA - The Seattle Kraken have made significant changes to their hockey leadership, just one day after parting ways with head coach Dan Bylsma. On Tuesday, April 22, the organization announced it has elevated Ron Francis to President of Hockey Operations and promoted Jason Botterill to Executive Vice President and General Manager.
Jay Woodcroft
Connor McDavid enjoyed the highest goal and point-scoring season of his career with Woodcroft behind the Oilers' bench. While it ended a bit sourly between the organization and Woodcroft, there was a lot to like about his coaching. Under Woodcroft, the Oilers were one of the best offensive teams in the NHL, dangerous on both the power play and at even strength. Defensively, the Oilers were poor at times, partially due to the lack of resources they had on the blue line.
A criticism some have bestowed on Woodcroft was that he was sometimes too lenient on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He would play them together whenever the going got tough, even though they did not have the depth to allow it, and allowed them to play the bulk, if not all, of the power play minutes the team had.
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Peter Laviolette
Laviolette might be the furthest off from what the Kraken are searching for, but hiring him would likely get them the results in the regular season that they have been craving.
The 60-year-old has coached the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Flyers, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and the Rangers during his career, winning the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes.
The relationship between Laviolette and Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko wasn't great, and it could be why the Kraken steer away from Laviolette. He doesn't have the greatest reputation for developing young players, as Kakko, Alexis Lafrenière, and Filip Chytil never hit the heights they were expected to.
Todd Nelson
Similar to Carle, Nelson does not have much experience in head coaching at the NHL level, but his experience at other levels is a good indication that he is worth a chance. Nelson first worked as an assistant coach of the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2008, before becoming the head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons in the AHL. He was appointed as the head coach of the Oilers in the 2014-15 season, working as the interim head coach, before coaching their AHL affiliate.
He then worked four seasons as the assistant coach of the Dallas Stars before going back to the AHL with the Hershey Bears. The Kraken organization knows far too much about the Bears, as the Firebirds lost in the Calder Cup finals twice to Nelson and the Bears.
The 55-year-old's experience working as a head coach in the AHL with young players checks off every box the Kraken are hoping for, and he could be a serious candidate for the job if both he and the Kraken are interested.
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