Oddsmakers have Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green as most likely being the next NHL head coach to lose his job.
According to Bovada, Green is the +255 favorite when it comes to which NHL coach will be fired next. The Canucks haven’t had a great start to the 2020-21 season. As of March 4, the team has a 9-15-2 record and sit second-last in the North Division.
The slow start has been disappointing for Vancouver after making it to the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They lost in seven games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
However, Green is not the only coach at-risk of being fired. Read through Bovada’s complete list below.
Next NHL Head Coach To Permanently Leave Post
Odds via Bovada as of Thursday, March 4
- Travis Green +255
- John Hynes +500
- DJ Smith +600
- David Quinn +700
- Jeff Blashill +700
- Bob Boughner +800
- Rick Tocchet +1000
- Rick Bowness +1200
- Dallas Eakins +1400
- Ralph Krueger +1400
- Mike Sullivan +1800
Predators Could Fire Hynes (+500) Next
John Hynes was hired by the Nashville Predators in the middle of the 2019-20 NHL Season. He coached the Predators to a 16-11-1 record before losing in the qualifying round of the playoffs. Fast forward to this season. The Predators are sixth-place in the Central Division and have only been scoring 2.27 goals per game (28th). Meanwhile, they’ve been allowing 3.09 goals against per game (9th).
This lackluster start has Hynes’ odds of being the next NHL coach fired at +255.
Before joining Nashville, Hynes coached the New Jersey Devils for four-and-a-half seasons, making the playoffs once. The Predators haven’t missed the playoffs since 2013-14 and failure to do so this season could put Hynes’ job at risk.
Could Smith’s (+600) First NHL Head Coaching Job Be Over Soon?
When D.J. Smith was hired by the Ottawa Senators in 2019, it marked his debut as an NHL head coach. He knew it would be a tough job after a roster overhaul, so it wasn’t surprising to see the Senators missing last season’s playoffs. The team wasn’t expected to be that much better this year. But a 2-12-1 start to the season left fans calling for Smith’s job after playing aging veterans over younger players.
Since that rough start, the Senators are 6-4-0 but remain last in the North Division. If Smith can get Ottawa to continue this trend, maybe his job will be safe for the rest of the season. However, if the team reverts to how they played in January and early-February, the writing could be on the wall for Smith.
Krueger (+1400) Trying to Salvage Sabres’ Season
While it looks like Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger is a long shot for being the next fired NHL head coach, it may not be that unlikely. The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs in 10 years and fans are getting frustrated about it. Krueger began coaching in Buffalo last season, leading the team to a 30-31-8 record while missing the playoffs.
This season was supposed to be different after the Sabres signed former league MVP Taylor Hall. Instead, the Sabres are 6-11-3 and near the bottom of the NHL. Krueger has also frustrated fans by playing Jeff Skinner on the fourth line or simply outright scratching him from the lineup. The issue is that Skinner is making $9 million per year.
If Krueger continues being unable to create chemistry within his lineup and the team misses the playoffs again, the Sabres may have to look at backup coaching options.
