The Coyotes fired Don Maloney after the end of a disastrous regular season that saw the team not only miss the Playoffs, but also fail to garner a top five pick in the draft (lottery win excepting).
While some have and will say that the team was competitive and that that is better than losing, those people are wrong.
To wit: - The Coyotes were the third worst team in the NHL for score-adjusted Corsi-For %(of the teams that finished top-ten in Score-Adjusted CF%, 8 of them are still alive in the Playoffs and Chicago finished 11th).
- The Coyotes had the 8th best 5v5 save% in the NHL, and yet, they missed the Playoffs, suggesting that crazy-good goaltending was responsible for the success they did have. (Also, since their goalies are Smith and Domingue, and not Price or Lunqvist, this probably isn't something you can count on to continue).
- The Coyotes were 6th in the NHL in PDO, suggesting very good luck (and unsustainability).
- The Coyotes started the 6th highest amount of their shifts in their own end.
- The fourth-worst shots for/against differential.
When you add in the fact that Maloney failed to add any assets of significance at the deadline (perhaps hoping for an improbable, job-saving, run to the Playoffs?) and that objectively and inarguably the team has the worst combined pool of NHL and prospect defenseman in the league, it's pretty clear a change was needed.
But who will take over?
That is an interesting question in light of news that the Coyotes plan to go in a more firmly analytic based approach and that Dave Tippett will be more involved in personnel decisions.
So, if we take both of those things as facts, then a lot of guys are ruled out from the job automatically:
1) Anyone with an Old School approach (What? Dave Nonis won't even get an interview?!!)
2) Anyone who would want to hire their own coach and be 100% in charge.
Given the team's (supposed) new direction, that leaves most "big name" hires off the table (probably a good thing).
I would have supported the hiring of Dubas, just as I will support the hiring of John Chayka, who is 26 (I believe). Chayka was hired last year in an attempt by Coyotes' ownership to move in the direction that most of the rest of the league is already moving in (and which virtually all other non-sports business moved in decades ago).
Word is, however, that Maloney did not treat Chayka like an advisor, but more of an intern. It is said that he would completely ignore the advice or recommendations of Chayka and his staff. Who knows, though? It's all rumours. No one, to my knowledge, has come out and officially said that this is true.
But, if you look at Maloney's moves, it does kind of seem like it.
So he could be a guy the Coyotes hire, although I'll believe a 26 year old GM when I see it.
More likely is Dallas assistant GM Les Jackson, although he is rumored to be the first choice, obviously since Dallas is still alive in the Playoffs he can't be interviewed and as such no one would currently know if he is wanting to come to Arizona or be forced to hire keep and work with Tippett if he is.
I would think given his history (he was a GM briefly, with Brett Hull in '07 and hasn't gotten another chance) and his relationship with Tippett (Tippett was his coach then) that he's a likely candidate.
I would be shocked, frankly, if Jackson isn't the next Coyotes GM. But if he isn't, and they give it to Chayka, then I will be both shocked and delighted.
Thanks for reading.