Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson should follow their rivals path and make a coaching swap
Photo credit: RDS
The St. Louis Blues quickly ended the coaching tenure of Drew Bannister, and Doug Armstrong decided to hire, former Bruins coach Jim Montgomery.
The Blues were 9-12-1 under Bannister and Armstrong had been eyeing Montgomery, and maybe there's a lesson to learn here for Kyle Davidson.
The Blackhawks are 7-12-2 and haven't looked like a competitive team with Luke Richardson's leadership.
Connor Bedard looked like a shadow of himself, as he has had only 2 points in 6 games and a multitude of linemates. The Nail Yakupov comparison is brutal, but BlackhawkUp goes there.
How bad is the coaching, if you're drawing those comparisons already in your second NHL season? Regardless, Luke Richardson's tenure has to be considered.
While not in the hot seat, his record isn't one of improvement with a 56-115-14 record in 185 games.
Fans have expected an improvement, in the amount of capital spent to bring in players like T.J. Brodie, Tyler Bertuzzi, Laurent Brossoit, and other NHLers.
But with poor results on the ice and a bold move from their biggest rival, it's time for Kyle Davidson to 'do something' the second another big-name coach is shown the door.
Jay Woodcroft
One head coach available that the Blackhawks could consider for the head coaching gig is former Edmonton Oilers bench boss, Jay Woodcroft.
He oversaw Connor McDavid, and the Edmonton Oilers for 133 games, with a 79-41-13 record. He also took the Oilers to consecutive playoffs during his short tenure with the team.
In 2021-2022, Woodcroft took the Oilers to the Western Conference Finals, and the following season to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Other Names Available
He's just one big-name coach who has been silently waiting for a new opportunity, along with Gerard Gallant who is an experienced and winning coach, and took the "misfit" era of the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup finals.
BlackhawkUp states it perfectly:
Could you imagine how much faster the process would speed up if the Hawks got someone behind the bench who actually knows what they're doing? Someone with credentials and a name that would rile up the fans? Because I can tell you right now, those fans over in Gateway City just got a lot more interested in hockey this season after watching their team flail for the first quarter of the season.
Previously on HawksInsider
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 24 | 87 ANSWERS Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson should follow their rivals path and make a coaching swap Who would you hire to coach the Blackhawks' Gerard Gallant or Jay Woodcroft? | ||
| Jay Woodcroft | 15 | 17.2 % |
| Gerard Gallant | 47 | 54 % |
| Neither, answer in comments | 25 | 28.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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