The Coaching Carousel Goes On...

In the midst of the NHL playoffs that is currently going on, there are a few teams that are either looking for new head coaches or may very well be looking for one soon. Let's look at the teams that are looking and teams that could be or should be looking for new bench bosses.

• The New York Rangers were the first team to swing the ax on their head coach, as Alain Vigneault was shown the door the day after the Rangers' season ended. With what may very well be a youthful core combined with Henrik Lundqvist and rumors of the Rangers being front-runners for Ilya Kovalchuk, it's imperative that the Rangers get their coach right. Of course, they are also playing in New York City, so thick skin is a must.
• The Dallas Stars are looking, too, after Ken Hitchcock decided to hang it up and move on in a different role with the team. Word is that the Stars may be looking at Barry Trotz, as the Stars still need to improve their defense.
• Speaking of Trotz, he's on the hot seat and needs to get the Washington Capitals on a deep playoff run. Currently, it's not looking good, as the Capitals are down 2-0 in the series. If I were the Capitals, a new General Manager may also be one to look at, as Brian McClellan put the Capitals on the brink of Salary Cap Hell. TJ Oshie on an 8-year deal beginning with his age 30 season? And why wasn't Brooks Orpik cut before the season? It could have saved them the trouble of trading Marcus Johanssen.
• The Carolina Hurricanes are already looking for a new General Manager, as Ron Francis had been fired via promotion. That means Bill Peters is likely looking over his shoulder, as he could be canned if the new guy decides to go a different direction. A risk-taker is likely in the cards for both spots.

Among the teams that were thought to be looking for new head coaches, but declared themselves safe for the time being include Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa, and St. Louis. Chicago at least, deserves another year, as their championship run was fairly recent, but another season of anything less than the second round may be spelling the end of their regime. Their biggest fatal flaw has been unable to develop a quality goaltender since Corey Crawford came forward in 2010. Detroit is headed for years of mediocrity, as Ken Holland will still be General Manager for at least two more years while Jeff Blashill will remain coach. I would have canned Blashill, at the very least, as he's been shown to be in over his head on the NHL level. Guy Boucher is still coaching Ottawa for reasons unknown, as he lost the team midway through the season. He, along with Pierre Dorion, should have been given their walking papers. Doug Armstrong and Mike Yeo are still in St. Louis, and both deserve another year, provided that they identify a future starting goaltender and having a permanent AHL affiliation will help development, something that caused problems this season, as they were the odd team out this season. Montreal's never ending saga will continue, as Marc Bergevin and Claude Julien will remain in their roles. Be prepared for more misery, Montreal.