It’s the midway point of the 2024-25 season, which is always a fun time to review how things have gone through the first 40-plus games and indicate what could transpire over the remainder of the schedule. So far, there have been plenty of storylines, including several teams that are both under and overperforming.
Related: 6 Most Surprising Teams Through First Half of the 2024-25 Season
While by no means the sole reason, a big part of certain teams overperforming based on preseason projections comes from the voice they have behind the bench. There are many coaches this season who have done an excellent job with their teams to date, and, if things keep up, they could find themselves in the running for the Jack Adams Award. Here are the five leading candidates to take home the Coach of the Year honours thus far.
5. Sheldon Keefe (New Jersey Devils)
The New Jersey Devils were expected to be better than they were a season ago, but many thought they may find themselves in a dogfight for a playoff spot down the stretch of the 2024-25 campaign. Barring a collapse over the second half, it doesn’t look as though they’ll have any sort of issue getting into the dance, as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with a 25-15-4 record.
Keefe deserves a ton of credit for turning the Devils around in his first season with the organization. They’ve had help in other areas as well, perhaps most notably in net thanks to the addition of Jacob Markstrom. Still, Keefe is quickly proving why he was scooped up so quickly after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
4. Ryan Huska (Calgary Flames)
Seemingly nobody had the Calgary Flames in a playoff spot before the season began, as most believed they’d be a lottery team. Granted, they aren’t in a spot at the moment, but trail the Vancouver Canucks by just one point for a wild card position. Ryan Huska has instilled a scrappy and relentless work ethic into this group which has made them a very difficult matchup for opposing teams.
What Huska has also done a great job with is helping develop some of the organization’s young players. Individuals such as Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, and even Jakob Pelletier appear to be making big strides under his guidance, which bodes well for the future of this team. If the Flames get into the playoffs, Huska has a strong chance at being…
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