Dreger: NHL Teams not looking for experienced Coaches
 

Well the Habs maybe wanting to move Boucher up to the parent club after next season and reassign Mr. Martin to another position within the organization. According to Dreger, NHL clubs looking at hiring coaches aren't looking at ex-NHL experienced coaches.

Dreger has compiled a list of candidates for NHL jobs and has Boucher listed, and says he is a year or two away from the leap to the Big Leagues. Habs should at least make him an Assistant and then make the transition into the head position, this way Martin can do the full contract.

http://tsn.ca/columnists/darren_dreger/?id=318052

There is a nice list, but he maybe attractive to young teams like the Thrashers and Lightning.

No need to rush him, he needs to develop. You saw what happened to Latendresse, Pacioretty, Price, Sergei Kostitsyn, etc.


/:sarcasm:


But seriously though, maybe bringing him up as an Assistant may help. Not only can he have an immediate impact on the Habs, he can learn the trade at an NHL level.

When Martin gets fired (most coaches do), bring him up like they did with Lever, only this time, sign him at the end of that season.

I am willing to give Martin a pass on this season. He had a lot to deal with, but if we do not improve next season I say we cut bait.

I'd say we bring him up for next season to be an assistant coach so he can get the feel of coaching at the NHL level, and then if the Habs don't do very well under Martin again next year, he gets the axe and Boucher becomes the new head coach.

Boucher would be tempting for teams looking for a new coach, but hopefully Boucher stays in the organization for a while.

My only problem with that is I don't like the idea of an assistant replacing a coach for a firing. I just can't help but think it would create an awkward atmosphere.

Stay in AHL, coach our guys, if needed, bring him as assistant in NHL in 2 years.

They should hire Reggie and we could take Stamkos for Moen.

Lecavalier won't be traded, his contract is too much and there won't be any takers. And the Lightning don't have a top 5 pick this year, it goes (5) NY Islanders, (4) Columbus, (3) Florida, (2) Boston and (1) Edmonton. They do have a good pick at 6th overall though.

The assistant idea is stupid. I don't want Martin rubbing off on Boucher. Bring him up as full coach or not at all.

An Assistant isn't going to be influenced that easily. If they were they wouldn't make it pass the AAA Midget level.

I wonder, if the Dogs end up missing the POs next year, what will they all say of Boucher??..

The man needs to develop his coaching abilities as much as his players need to improve their skills.
He needs at least another year before even thinking of going up IMO. A third year would be ideal too, but this will depend on how he does in his sophomore year and how Martin is going with us as well.
One thing for sure, if he keeps improving there's no way I want to let him go.

That being said, even if he ends up being the greatest coach in the world, Gauthier has to provide him with the proper players for a Cup run.

If he has a really young team next year that could happen, but that may have more to do with inexperience on the player end and not the coach. The AHL is a builder and development league, so the coach on top this year may not be on top next as his line up maybe entirely different based on NHL promotion, trades and Free Agency.

I think the Habs need to talk to Boucher, and they probably have already. They need to say to him you are our coach of the future, we want you in Montreal in 2 more years as we will guarantee you the head coaching position. If we don't we will allow you to leave and seek opportunities elsewhere, but that isn't going to be an issue as we will see you in Montreal.

Hire him as the head and let him build his own coaching core in assistants.

They need that goalie though, and then there is the whole cap issue as I believe Marty is in his last year this season coming and Stamkos will be in the last year of his entry contract. Marty may have to be let go as he won't be able to be resigned because of Vinnie's contract and Stamkos being a 50 goal scorer already is going to command a mighty dollar already at this stage in his career, not to mention long term, probably 10-12 year deal.

I could see a Leafs/Lightning deal surrounding Lecavalier and Kaberle. The Leafs haven't had a true No. 1 center since Sundin left.

It is true that Lecavalier makes far too much money, and on far too long a term, to be a struggling team's No. 2 center. But he could be worth his contract (or at least close to it) on another team's No. 1 line.


I think why NHL teams aren't looking for experienced Coaches could be due to how guys like Pat Quinn and Ron Wilson really didn't work out all that well with their new teams. Perhaps the post-lockout era calls for a new style of coaching.

I guess that could very well be the case. But what he accomplishes with a poorer line up is still something that needs evaluating.

We'll have to see, I'm not doubting him but that's why I want him to stay in the AHL. Over three years, we'd really have a good idea of just how dominant he can be.

As much as the Lightning would want to get away from that contract, I think they would want more in return than Kaberle who is in the final year of his contract. The Leafs don't exactly have a deep cupboard of prospects or draft picks to offer either.

Maybe Kaberle and the rights to Jonas Gustavsson who is a RFA, plus something else like Grabovski?

Leafs wouldn't be hurting at replacing Kaberle on D, and a back up would be easy to find behind Giggy and with Bozak emerging he would be the new #2 behind Vinnie in Toronto. Only thing in Grabovski is that the Lightning probably are taking as much salary on in return, although shed Kaberle's the following year and they could potentially flip him in another deal or a deadline deal to get a return on him.

The guys on CKAC are saying that Boucher is the best paid coach in the AHL. If true, that would say a lot about what Montreal thinks of Boucher. They want it here. Not in Tampa.

If so that says a lot cause there are some long time AHL coaches down there, and former NHL players who are coaches as well.

They are making an investment financially, not only fundamentally.

Vinnie for Gomez+. Salaries are almost a wash for the short term.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Just to be clear, I never thought it would be Vinny straight up for Kaberle - just that those would be the centerpieces of a Toronto/Tampa deal involving Vinny.

Grabo is an Ok No. 2 Center (certainly good enough to play behind Stamkos), but he's not really good enough for any team's top line. And Kaberle would really help out the Lightning's defense.

Vinny for Grabo and Kaberle (and maybe Gustavsson) would make a lot of sense for T Bay, imo. And, if it's true that Kaberle doesn't want to play for Ron Wilson anymore, it makes sense for Toronto too.

Vinny is holding all the cards on who he plays for and who he doesn't because he has a NMC.

And if Vinny plays anywhere other than Tampa it will be a place of his choosing, not because Burke offers up Kaberle.

If he was going to play in Canada why would he want to play anywhere else but Montreal?

I think we are better off without Martin but he hasn't done enough bad or wrong to warrant being fired. I think he'll get another year.

I don't buy that, and teams like ATL and TB want coaches with no experience because they are cheap.

Boucher isn't going anywhere. His dream job is coaching the Habs and he's in the best position to do that right now. After a couple of years with the Dogs and some continued success, he 'll be the heir to the coaching job and be familiar with all our young talent. No need to rush and ruin the process.

I hope they don't lose Boucher but it'd be real low of the Habs to stand in his way if an NHL club wants him. And I doubt the Habs do that.

I'm hopeful that we'll see him with the Habs at some point. I wonder if they'd do the associate coach model, assuming the associate coach has more responsiblity than the assistant.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if some teams were itnerested in Muller. He is a great leader, a positive and smart guy.

I think he is also a prospective coach.