As both third-round series near a close, three teams that missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs are still searching for a new bench boss to lead them back to prominence.
In the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman provided his latest insight as to where the coaching search stands for all three teams.
The Penguins are in an unfamiliar spot after agreeing to part ways with long-time bench boss Mike Sullivan, who had coached the team since early in the 2015-16 season.
According to Friedman, the Penguins are just starting their in-person visits.
As for who’s on that list, Friedman had a few names he thinks the Penguins are considering.
“Mitch Love, I mentioned earlier this week, I think he was going to Pittsburgh this week,” Friedman said. “I’m thinking D.J. Smith, I’m thinking Jay Woodcroft … I’ll always admit I could be missing names, that there are things out there I don’t see. But I think those are three of Pittsburgh’s finalists.”
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Love, 40, spent the past two seasons under head coach Spencer Carbery with the Washington Capitals, working mainly with defencemen and helping lead the team to a top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Smith, 48, was a former assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs before he was hired as head coach of the Ottawa Senators prior to the 2019-20 season. He was fired by Ottawa midway through 2023-24 and is currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings.
Meanwhile, Woodcroft was last behind the bench as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He was fired early in his third season with Edmonton after the team got off to a 3-9-1 start in 2023-24.
After making the playoffs for 16 straight seasons from 2007-22, including three Stanley Cups, the Penguins have now missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.
Boston is looking for a new head coach after letting go of Jim Montgomery midway through the 2024-25 season.
Montgomery was replaced by Joe Sacco on an interim basis.
According to Friedman, he believes there are two serious contenders for the Bruins job.
“There were duelling reports on Monday. There was one report that Woodcroft was negotiating a contract or compensation with Boston, and there was another report that (Marco) Sturm was going to be the head coach,” Friedman said. “I have been on the Sturm train early … All I can tell you, as we record this late Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I’m under the impression Sturm is still supposed to visit Boston.”
Whether that visit is another interview or to be given the job, Friedman couldn’t say for sure. But he believes Sturm is still “very much in it” and has another visit lined up with the Bruins.
Friedman also believes that Woodcroft is a “legit contender for the job,” but couldn’t confirm the report that former Oilers head coach was in Boston negotiating a contract.
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Germany’s Sturm, 46, has led the Reign – the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings – for the past three seasons. He also coached Germany to a men’s hockey silver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
As a player, Sturm had 438 points in 938 career games with the San Jose Sharks, Bruins, Kings, Canucks (six games), Capitals and Florida Panthers.
Friedman also wouldn’t completely rule out two names who are already in the organization.
“I’ve heard Jay Leach’s name in there, and I’ve heard Joe Sacco’s name in there,” Friedman said. “So as we record this, I haven’t been given an indication either one of them have been told they’re out.”
Leach, 45, was an assistant coach with the Bruins during the 2024-25 season.
In the Pacific Northwest, the Kraken are back in the coaching search for a second straight season after firing head coach Dan Bylsma after just one year at the helm.
According to Friedman, he believes the Seattle job is going to come down to two names.
“No change since last pod where I mentioned (Lane) Lambert, (David) Quinn,” Friedman said. “I think Sturm and (Mitch) Love were in there too, but I just don’t know if they were the most likely candidates there because they had other options, too, and wanted to see how those situations play out.”
Lambert, 60, was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024-25. He was previously the head coach for the New York Islanders before the team replaced him with Patrick Roy midway through his second season in 2023-24.
Quinn, 58, was an assistant in Pittsburgh this season after three seasons as the San Jose Sharks’ head coach.
