A “new voice” behind the bench is what General Manager Ron Francis believes the Kraken need following a 25th-place finish in league standings, and that’s what he’ll spend the offseason searching for.
Monday, months away from the beginning of his two-year extension signed last offseason, the team relieved Dave Hakstol from head coaching duties. Additionally, the team announced assistant coach Paul McFarland would not be returning next season. Both coaches had been under contract with the organization since the inaugural season.
“We let a guy who’s a good coach and a really good person go, so it’s not easy,” Francis said at a press conference the same day. “We were looking at our organization and looking at the season, and I thought we were a little more inconsistent than we had been– a few too many losing streaks, and losing streaks of significant numbers. And it felt [like] it was time to try a new voice in here.”
Francis finalized the decision Sunday morning, a little more than a week removed from exit interviews, and notified Hakstol of the change at the Kraken Community Iceplex about an hour ahead of the announcement. Exit interviews did not play a role in the decision.
Refraining from detailed elaboration as to what exactly did factor into the firing, Francis instead cited inconsistency of effort, a slew of injuries, and a disproportionately high volume of slumping seasons as challenges the former head coach faced. As to how Hakstol handled the hardship, no comment was made. Notably, Francis maintained the locker room’s stance, stated in exit interviews, that Hakstol hadn’t lost the room.
“Dave is very thorough and his approach is very detailed. There were certainly some challenges where the roster probably fell short,” Francis acknowledged. “But, he’s the kind of guy that’s gonna roll up his sleeves and work and not complain, and I think he did that.
“We felt it was time to go in a different direction.”
Searching for that direction begins immediately– Francis declined to reveal what priorities he and the organization have in mind for potential candidates. Swift turnaround from the firing’s finalization and the announcement could explain why. Alternatively, comments from the GM allude to a preference to conceal the hiring process entirely to fend off suspicion regarding Hakstol’s shortcomings.
“I think if I answer that question, it’s going to be tied to what I didn’t think Dave was doing, and I’d rather not really do that.”
There is no definitive timeline for the hiring process.
Conclusion to the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs nears, the results of which could shake loose a bigger pool of potential hires– speculation is, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe could be one such example. But as of Monday, Craig Berube, Gerard Gallant, and Dean Evason are a few names with NHL coaching experience currently available for the vacant position.
Dan Bylsma, current head coach of the Kraken’s affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds, stands as another possibility, although he’s booked for the time being: the Firebirds debut in the Calder Cup playoffs May 3 versus the Calgary Wranglers.
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