The Anaheim Ducks remain without a head coach for the upcoming 2019-20 season, Dallas Eakins appears to be the front-runner, but reports say that Lane Lambert will be among those interviewed. Could he be a better fit than Eakins?
When teams are in the position the Anaheim Ducks currently are in, and start interviewing for a head coaching vacancy, most of the time their short-lists are populated largely by former head coaches in the NHL (the Flyers hiring Alain Vigneault.)
Another common situation is a coach who is having great success in the minors and they think they can replicate that success at the next level (Jon Cooper in Tampa.) Less often, an assistant coach piques the interest of General Managers and they’re considered for head coaching positions (Phil Housely off the top of my head.)
Lane Lambert is one of those guys, a mainstay among the NHL as a longtime assistant coach, Robin to Barry Trotz‘ Batman. Since 2011 he’s been the right-hand man of one of the most successful coaches in the NHL in Trotz.
Spanning 3 teams (Nashville from 2011-14, Washington from 2014-18, and New York Islanders for the 2018-19 season.) During his time as Trotz’ go-to-guy the teams he helped coach have gone to the playoffs 7/9 years, including a Stanley Cup victory last year with the Capitals.
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Lambert, prior to joining Trotz, was an AHL head coach with the Predators farm team, the Milwaukee Admirals, for 4 years. He led them to the playoffs all 4 years averaging around 44 wins a season which is certainly nothing to scoff at, including a 49-22 season in 2008-09.
By all accounts, Lambert has a fairly similar demeanor to Dallas Eakins, always respectful, cares about his players and wants them to succeed above all else. He’s seemingly done well at that, getting career years out of Mike Santorelli and Cal O’Reilly during that 2008-09 season, seeing both of them score over a point per game.
Similarly, he’s been credited with the emergence of Tom Wilson as a dynamic threat and was instrumental in leading to a comeback year for Evgeny Kuznetsov, which to this point is still his best season in the NHL.
Lane Lambert doesn’t have the lengthy NHL head coaching history that other candidates do, he doesn’t even have a lengthy AHL or other professional or amateur league as a head coach since taking the role of assistant coach in the NHL almost a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean he can’t succeed. Spending significant time with one of the best coaches in the game today, watching, and being around as he continues to lead his teams to success is an invaluable asset.
Lambert’s path to a potential NHL head coaching gig is not the one most traveled, but he’s certainly earned his chance. Should the Ducks feel that he can bring the passion and hard work that he’s preached for years to the teams he’s coached to Anaheim, who looked lackadaisical the majority of last season, Lambert could be a home-run hiring.
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