Who will be this year's first coaching casualty?

[The Bottlenecker]

I asked this question last year as the season got underway, but nobody predicted Gerard Gallant.

Given Winnipeg's awful home opener last night, I'm putting money on Paul Maurice, but it is VERY early.

Guesses anybody?

[Moses]

Glen Gulutzan

Calgary is built for the right now. The team is full of veterans. Canada is a fishbowl.

A slow start or the team not jelling and the coach will be out the door.

[Invictus]

I think Gulutzan will be safe... Jagr will make sure of it

[Axeman33]

I can see guys like Dave Hakstol, John Hynes and even Bill Peters as potential candidates. Blashill in Detroit should be nervous too.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I have no idea who will go first but I'm hoping it's from the Jets because they badly need a new coach.

[Pengwin7]

Interesting Note: After Joel Quenneville, no coach in the NHL has more than 5 years coaching their current club. Crazy, huh?
Notable because usually a new GM wants to put their stamp on a club with "their" coach.
But I'm not sure there's a single GM in league that hasn't hired his coach.
When it's "your" coach - you give him some leash before saying that you made a mistake.

So, I'd speculate on an older-coach... and a new GM - maybe one who has no claim towards the hiring of that coach.

One of the longer ones is Alain Vigneault (NYR) - who got off on a bad foot with a loss last night vs. a bottom 2 NHL team.
The Rangers are defensively improved, but offensively... poor. They might have trouble scoring.
AV has been with the Rangers since 2013.
Gorton has only been official GM since 2015.
That makes AV... NOT a Gorton hire.
So...
AV for me. (on this logic)

[newfcollins]

I'm going to be bold and say no coaches are fired during the season.

We've had 10 new hires since January (not including Gallant), and five more since the end of the 2015-16 season. That means half the coaches in the league have been at their job for a full season or less. So they should be safe.

Another eight coaches have been hired since the end of the 2014-15 season. That's 23 teams with new coaches in two years or less.

Most teams that have had coaches for a few years aren't on the hot seat (ie- Chicago, Nashville, Tampa, Washington). Paul Maurice just signed an extension so I think he's safe unless the team loses 15 in a row.

The teams that could have coaches in trouble (ie - Detroit) know that they are bad teams and would probably wait until next summer to get a new coach when there could be potentially more coaches on the market.

My dark horse pick would be Bill Peters if Carolina has a slow start. But truthfully, it wouldn't surprise me if no coaches were fired this year.

[Kofax]

Did we ever find out how long the Winnipeg extensions were? I remember it was multi-year, but don't remember ever hearing a number.

For me Winnipeg needs the change, and Maurice should have been out of there a year ago, and I think most people are starting to come around on that. So for me, he's the one that should, and will, go first.

[hockeyrobot]

Ya gotta think Maurice is target number 1.

I thought about Blashill....buttttttttt it's not like they have expectations this year. Plus I'm sure Stevie will want to bring in a coach when he comes this offseason

[PenguinHunter]

Could it be Sullivan... after last night's performance... I highly doubt a 2 time defending Stanley Cup coach would be the first guy fired... but... IF the Penguins have a horrible Stanley Cup hangover and many more performances like last night... could Pittsburgh Management be quick to pull the trigger in hopes that hiring a new guy will enlighten the Penguins and bring them back to another Stanley Cup.

I know it is a reach... but just maybe.

[Murray Bannerman]

Ya gotta think Maurice is target number 1.

I thought about Blashill....buttttttttt it's not like they have expectations this year. Plus I'm sure Stevie will want to bring in a coach when he comes this offseason

100% in agreement with this. Maurice

[MasterByte]

Paul Maurice or Glen Gulutzan were my first thoughts. It would appear everyone is thinking along the same lines!

[tweetdrivr]

Bednar. Sakic is for the chop but he'll have to fire Bednar first to buy him some more time.

[Kofax]

Bednar. Sakic is for the chop but he'll have to fire Bednar first to buy him some more time.

Ya, Yahoo! posted the same sentiments, I think it was Ryan Lambert. It makes sense, but at the same time, there can't be any kind of significant expectations in Colorado.

The same article also echoed newfs sentiments that there are a lot of new coaches this year, 11 they said, probably your 10 including Glen.

[hockeyrobot]

Not looking good for Mr. Maurice.