NHL Coaches at Risk of Midseason Firing

The NHL season is barely a month old, but some coaches are already feeling the heat. While teams like the Penguins and Red Wings have surprised fans with strong starts, others are stumbling – and their coaches might pay the price.

Let’s look at three coaches who might be updating their resumes soon.

Andrew Brunette’s time in Nashville isn’t going as planned. After joining the Predators in May 2023, he’s struggled to get results despite having some serious talent on the roster.

The team went all-in last summer, bringing in stars like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. But it hasn’t clicked – they finished third-worst in the NHL last season with just 30 wins.

This year isn’t looking much better. The Preds are sitting at 4-5-2, good for 26th place. Their star pickup Stamkos has barely made a dent, with just one goal in 11 games.

Even worse? They’re dead last in scoring (2.45 goals per game) and their power play is ice cold at 11.8%.

In Buffalo, Lindy Ruff’s homecoming story might have a sad ending. The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs in 14 years – the longest drought in the NHL – and fans are getting restless.

After a brutal 0-4-1 start, they’ve shown some life by going 4-1-2. But they’re still on the outside looking in as American Thanksgiving approaches, traditionally a key milestone for playoff hopes.

There’s some hope with goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen back from injury. They’ll need him – their 3.10 goals against average isn’t doing them any favors.

Up in Minnesota, John Hynes is feeling the pressure too. The Wild have made the playoffs eight times in ten years, but they keep hitting a wall in the first round.

That’s not good enough when you’ve got Kirill Kaprizov locked up for eight years at $136 million. The Russian superstar is in his prime, and the Wild can’t afford to waste it.

Their 3-5-3 start has them near the bottom of the Central Division. They can’t score at even strength (a league-worst 15 goals) and they’re leaking goals at an alarming rate.

If these coaches can’t turn things around soon, they might be watching the rest of the season from their couches.