Anaheim Ducks Expert Panel: Who Should Replace Randy Carlyle?
There is no question that Randy Carlyle’s time in Anaheim is fleeting. The question isn’t if, but when. Nevertheless, the bigger question is, who should be the next “big cheese” behind the Anaheim Ducks bench?
All roads to hell are paved with good intentions, and Randy Carlyle has a hot date with the devil. It’s no secret that Ducks Nation is ready to pull out their torches and pitchforks and chase our clipboard-wielding coach out of town for good. The Anaheim Ducks need a change in a bad way, and finding a new head coach is a good place to start.
Of course, we cannot place all the blame solely on Randy Carlyle. The players have a lot of kinks to work out as well. The only way to fix that might be a complete retooling of the roster. However, they have to start somewhere, and there’s no better person to start with than the man who has completely lost control of his locker room.
We all know that Carlyle being replaced is no longer a matter of if, but when. His system is old, his methods are stale, and his team is up a creek without a paddle. The more important question at hand is, who will replace him when he’s relieved of his duties?
Bob Murray is going to have to make a few tough decisions and a lot of phone calls to find his answer. That is a lot of work, and the least we can do is help him out a little bit in his quest to find the next head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.
I have gone on a quest to put together an expert panel who I feel is qualified to best answer this question and give Bob Murry some guidance. We’re here to help, and in the words of Paul McCartney, “I get by with a little help from my friends.”
Our expert panel consists of the staff here at Pucks of a Feather and a few of our friends. To keep this panel free of bias, you will be given the perspective of outsider and witty lifelong Detroit Red Wings fan, Bob Heyrman. To keep us sane, we will also receive a little comedic relief from the mastermind behind Totally Offsides, Chip.
All of us will state our case, make our arguments, and maybe, just maybe, when the feces hit the rotary oscillator in Anaheim, one of these men will actually be the new head coach in Orange County.
Jonathan Maxfield — Contributor, Pucks of a Feather
Who do I think the Anaheim Ducks next coach should be? I’ll be honest, I don’t think many are going to agree with my answer. I don’t think Dallas Eakins is the answer. I think he might be a decent coach, but his style still bleeds shots and I’m not convinced that will fly at the NHL level. His game would be much more entertaining than the games we have now, but winning should take precedence over how flashy they look while winning.
I also don’t think Joel Quenneville is a likely option. He’s a great coach, but he’s very expensive and in addition to that, if we do take on a coach like Quenneville, it’s very possible the team will end up in the doldrums that teams like Detroit and Chicago are in, where they forewent a rebuild in favor of milking every last bit of contention out of their teams.
It’s admirable, but a team like the Anaheim Ducks can’t forego a long period of terrible play. They’re not in a big enough market to be sustainable in that type of situation. I am also not a big fan of Rikard Grönborg being hired at this point in time as head coach.
Do I think he’ll make a marvelous head coach at some point in time? Yes. Do I think a couple of seasons as an assistant coach, in order to acclimate to the NHL style of game, would do him wonders? Also, yes. So, I wouldn’t be in favor of rushing him into a position on a team he’s not comfortable with, even if it will very likely come back to haunt us in the long run.
So, who? Who might be the answer? I have two answers. One is currently unemployed and the other is an AHL coach. The unemployed’s name is familiar with Quenneville. That would be Kevin Dinnen. A hard-nosed coach who is a very straight shooter is something that I think would be beneficial to a team like the Ducks. He’s not afraid to hold players accountable and, while that’s a slippery slope, it’s one that I think could be beneficial.
Dineen was hired as the head coach of the Florida Panthers back in 2011. He led the Panthers to their first, and only, a division title. He brought the New Jersey Devils to Game 7, all with a team who was led in scoring by Tomas Fleischmann. Outside of that, they didn’t really have any talent.
The Panthers didn’t fare well the following season, but that was a lockout season, which is synonymous with weird results. He was fired about a month into his second full season while at the helm for the Panthers. He’s been behind the Blackhawks bench as an assistant coach until his firing a couple of weeks ago. Oh, and a little tidbit of information. He also coached Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry during their stint in the AHL and lit up the league.
The AHL coach is one that I think would be difficult to pry away, but that is Sheldon Keefe. Quite possibly the best blue-chip prospect as far as head coaches go. Coach of the defending Calder Cup champions, he has a staggering .657% win percentage as head coach of the Marlies, entering the 2018-19 season. He did this all without a ridiculously stacked team.
They had talent, but not talent that would have you say, “wow, what a team!” No team has pried him from his job with the Marlies yet, but if Murray could be the one to do it, I think he would be the absolute best possible pickup as a coach. He’s an analytics style coach which I think Murray might not go for. That is the biggest downside, but if I had to pick anyone in the league to hire as a coach, Keefe would be the one.
Bob Heyrman — Site Expert, Octopus Thrower
As an “outsider” peering into the window of the Anaheim Ducks franchise, I realize Randy Carlyle is under pressure to get his team to perform. He has not been able to do so this season, and we have nearly reached the quarter mark of the NHL season. The Ducks are a franchise which currently sits a game under .500 and has a huge game Wednesday evening against the Vancouver Canucks.
I wonder if there is more to it than just the coaching that has the Anaheim Ducks being just average. They are missing a major scoring chip in Corey Perry. Although Perry is not what he once was, he is still good for 18-25 goals.
The Ducks are currently ranked 30th in the NHL with a touch over two goals scored per game. They are 31st in shots per game, at 26.6. Perry could help elevate these columns a little bit. It’s tough to lose a top 9 forward in this league. Losing Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm is flat out agonizing.
Ryan Getzlaf is trying to will this team, but he can only do so much. Rickard Rakell has gone cold over the last five contests, only recording one point. My point is, the issues seem to run deeper than just the head coach. However, if the team continues to underperform, along with the lack of development of its youth, I have a perfect head coaching candidate for you.
If the Ducks brass were to make a coaching change and they don’t have quite enough pennies to shake out of their piggy bank to pay Joel Quenneville, I would suggest Alain Vigneault. Vigneault was a victim of a rebuild with the New York Rangers.
Glenn Sather decided to clean up shop and sell off many of the team’s assets which led to Alain being relieved of his coaching duties. It was more of a situation of Sather being impatient and deciding to tear the house down rather than remodeling.
During his most recent five-year coaching stint with the Rangers, he led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals and the Conference Finals. Although the Rangers were unable to win, they remained constant contenders up until his final year behind the bench (last season.)
Vigneault has only had a below .500 winning percentage twice through his fifteen seasons as an NHL head coach. In addition to the rebuilding Rangers of last year, the only other time was back in 1998-99 with the Montreal Canadians.
Vigneault with his impressive resume lacks a championship at the NHL level, but he could be a “safe” reliable answer for the Anaheim Ducks in the short term or, who knows, longer. A head coach’s voice sometimes runs its course. If Randy is unable to get through to his group, Alain would be a nice option to consider.
Ciara Durant — Site Expert, Pucks of a Feather
I could write a list a mile long of men I believe could take over Randy Carlyle’s post as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. While I do believe that coaches like Joel Quenneville, Rikard Grönborg, and Dallas Eakins could possibly be the right fit as the Anaheim Ducks next head coach, I have a completely different person in mind.
It seems to me, and I could be wrong, that the Anaheim Ducks have lost their confidence in Randy Carlyle, and it’s hard to trust someone you aren’t confident in. This team has been the victim of broken promises for the past few seasons. The players haven’t been utilized properly, they’ve been promised a new system, and the new players who offer “speed” have given them anything but. Of course, they are are not without fault, but when a coach has lost control of his locker room, chaos ensues.
That is why I believe the Ducks need someone they already trust, someone who knows this team like the back of his hand, and someone who knows Carlyle’s system and is familiar with its flaws. The Anaheim Ducks just so happen to have someone like that in their system. Low and behold, his name will hang in Honda Center, starting in February, for as long as the Ducks reside there. Why not give Scott Niedermayer a chance behind the bench?
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Just because Scotty was a great asset to the Ducks back in the day, doesn’t mean he’d make a good coach. There is no doubt that Niedermayer has an impressive resume from the 18 years he spent in the NHL. Being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Four Stanley Cups, four All-Star appearances, a James Norris Memorial Trophy, and a Conn Smythe Trophy are nothing to take lightly. Nevertheless, this isn’t about Niedermayer as a player, this is about Niedermayer as a coach.
I think a lot of us tend to forget that Niedermayer has been connected to the Anaheim Ducks coaching staff since 2013 under Bruce Boudreau after spending the two previous seasons working on player development with the Norfolk Admirals.
He is great with player development and is currently works with as a Special Assignments Coach for the organization, spending most of his time working with the “Ducklings” down in San Diego.
Scott would be the kind of coach who is, in my opinion, perfectly balanced. He knows how to inspire people, he isn’t afraid to give constructive criticism, and he knows how to make the game of hockey fun again, which is something the Ducks have seemed to lack lately.
It also helps that he has personal relationships and has acted as a mentor to several of the vets that play for the Ducks. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry both played under him during his four seasons as the Anaheim Ducks captain. He also served as a mentor to Cam Fowler when he broke into the NHL.
Niedermayer has played under Randy Carlyle. Although the Ducks won their first Stanley Cup while he was behind the bench, Scott knows the in’s and out’s of Carlyle’s system. He knows all of the bad habits the players have formed under the “Carlyle Dynasty” and he could be what the Ducks need to break those habits.
He is someone the Samueli’s and Bob Murray already trust. So, why not give him a chance? The knowledge he has of the team, the friendships he already has throughout the organization, and his raw talent is reason enough. I cannot think of any reason why he wouldn’t be the perfect candidate to become the Anaheim Ducks next coach.
Chip — The Mastermind Behind Totally Offsides
After glaring problems at the end of last season bled over into this one, Ducks fans have long been suffering for a new coach. Definitely not in silence either. Go on Ducks Twitter and every other post is about Randy Carlyle. It’s now heard being chanted from the seats of Honda Center. Fans want a new coach at the helm and a dramatic death to the archaic system that is working less successfully than ever.
But, who should replace him? Coach Q? Eakins? Does Gritty have spare time? Ciara asked for my “expert” opinion, but since I am no expert, I’ll give you this suggestion.
Nubie.
I know you’re reading that name and thinking, “who the f is Nubie?” but trust me, you know him.
Remember the movie “Little Giants”?
Remember the “Annexation of Puerto Rico”? That’s Nubie. He’s the child mastermind that helped the misfit team led by Rick Moranis to victory over Ed O’Neill’s band of muscle-headed Cowboys. A child genius who also had the teachings of John Madden to guide him. That’s a pedigree worth pursuing.
I know that current complaint: old coach, old system. Okay, Nubie’s play-making workstation was made up of an Apple II and SNES. however, as old as it may be, Nubie’s system worked. It used the strength of the Giant’s smaller players to outsmart the bigger, stronger Cowboys. Sounds like the perfect parallel to the modern NHL to me.
Pick Nubie. It couldn’t get much worse.
Full disclosure, Nubie was played by my good friend and Totally Offsides podcast guest Mat McCurley. When I was asked to write this, the idea of nominating Nubie was too funny not to do.
Chris Bushell — Site Expert, Pucks of a Feather
The next coach for the Anaheim Ducks is dependent on what the Ducks want to be, and both options have their pros.
Should they decide to bring in Jole Quenneville they will play a hard-nosed relentless style but one that encourages fast puck movement and creativity. It will allow the veterans to be the vets and the young guys/rookies to be in positions where they will succeed. Quenneville’s time in Chicago proved he could have the perfect blend of veterans and youth.
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He also showed that he could win with Corey Crawford in net who is, in my opinion, an average goalie at best. Quenneville has been around a while, but he has evolved with the game and he could be exactly what the Ducks need right now, a proven winner that can bring that elusive second Cup to Anaheim.
Should the Ducks want to promote from within, Dallas Eakins deserves a shot. Has he lit the AHL on fire? No. However, the reason I want him here is his game plan, which is working wonders now with the skilled team he has right now. I think it would translate well to the NHL level.
Secondly, his player development ability. I think he would mesh with the vets. However, the young guns who have made the Ducks lineup over the last few years have played with him first and he has done wonders from them. He may not have the pedigree that Quenneville has to this point, but you have to start somewhere and both of these guys are vastly better than Randy Carlyle.
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What says you Ducks Nation? Do you have a different coach in mind, or are you standing behind one of our options? Let us know by leaving a comment below or finding us on Facebook or Twitter.