Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The leash is short for NHL coaches.
Just four have been in their current positions since before the pandemic, and we’ve already seen in-season changes this year in Boston, St. Louis and Chicago.
Last summer, eight teams brought in new blood — a quarter of the NHL. For the Winnipeg Jets, the move was necessary after Rick Bowness decided to retire — and Scott Arniel’s second crack at the top job has turned out very well indeed.
For the other seven squads, the moves were all about improvement, whether that was climbing out of the cellar in the standings, returning to the playoff picture or taking the next step toward pursuing a championship.
Here’s how this year’s new crop of coaches has fared so far.
Top Tier: Levelling Up
Sheldon Keefe, New Jersey Devils
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Last Season: 81 pts, .494 points percentage
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2024-25: 43 pts in 33 games, on pace for 107 pts, .652
After a nightmare season that was riddled with injuries and shaky goaltending, the Devils charged Keefe with getting the group back to respectability while overseeing a revamped roster. He has done just that.
New Jersey successfully weathered early-season injuries to Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes on the back end. Since their return, the Devils have been rock solid with an elite puck possession game and the reliable goaltending tandem of Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen. All told, they’re allowing eight-tenths of a goal per game less than last year. And much like he did in Toronto, Keefe is overseeing a terrific power play, which is clicking at 30 percent.
Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose Sharks
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Last Season: 47 pts, .287
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2024-25: 27 pts in 33 games, on pace for 67 pts, .409
When a team bottoms out and wins the NHL draft lottery, there’s always a risk that the road to recovery will be rockier than expected. But San Jose got a gem in Macklin Celebrini, and once Warsofsky suffered through an excruciating nine-game losing streak that started his NHL head coaching career, his team has performed pretty well.
They gave the rest of the field a significant head start, but the Sharks are 11-10-3 since picking up their first win on Oct. 28, so they’re now five points out of the league basement. Over the full season, they’re scoring half a goal per game more while allowing half a goal less, and their penalty kill is in the top half of the NHL. Those are all positive signs that the players buy what Warsofsky is selling.
He’ll just have to ensure he doesn’t get fined $25,000 again, as he was on Tuesday…