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With Gallant Out, Who Should Coach The Kraken

June 16, 2021, 4:02 PM ET [21 Comments]
Sean Maloughney
Seattle Kraken Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It sadly ended up making too much sense to have one of the original architects of the Golden Knights success in Gerard Gallant come and bring his same philosophy to the Seattle Kraken. Earlier this week Gallant signed a contract to coach the New York Rangers. It's a good move by Gallant, joining a team with tons of untapped potential.

That leaves the Kraken still looking for the person who will earn the title of first coach of the Seattle Kraken. Earlier today insider Pierre LeBrun posted that Ron Francis hopes to have a coach in place before the end of this month. That would then give the GM and new coach time to work together and map out their plan leading up to the Expansion Draft on July 21st.

We know that Rick Tocchet has interviewed for the position. Tocchet and Francis were teammates back in the 90's when both played for the Pittsburgh Penguins so clearly there is already a connection there. Tocchet appeared to be liked in the room in Arizona and he did not shy away from playing younger players. That would certainly be an asset for a team that will be building a young and budding core.

There are other big names out there that remain options. Paul Maurice could be a favourite for the position but both the GM and owner still seem quite enamored with Maurice and unless the coach himself wants to leave I expect him back behind the bench in Winnipeg next season.

Rod Brind'amour would be another excellent choice but it appears as though he and the Hurricanes organization are going to come to an agreement on a contract extension.

Hard pass on John Tortorella or Mike Babcock as an option. While an argument could be made for both coaches being skilled at getting the most out of a roster and ensuring a team game is played I don't think it is the style of hockey you want to try to sell to a new market. Seattle fans are going to want to have some excitement and something to cheer for. The negatives of both of these coaches far outweigh the positives in my opinion.

A bit of a dark-horse but I could see the Kraken reaching out to assistant coach Todd Nelson. Nelson most recently served as an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars and just a few days ago, interviewed for the HC job with the Coyotes. I am familiar with Nelson from his days within the Oilers organization and he was highly respected by the teams and he performed admirably with a young roster and budding prospects.

What say you TentaClan? Who is your choice for HC of the Seattle Kraken?
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