Some effective former NHL coaches could find work again in case teams make a change before the winter.
The NHL’s coaching business is a highly cut-throat line of work. The coaching carousel spins faster than ever, with multiple coaches each year finding themselves fired or out of a job in some fashion.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see that happening again in 2025-26. The Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators have had some early-season struggles despite their coaches being in the job for at least one year, and for all we know, another team may decide to shake things up.
Waiting in the wings are veterans who’ve had success at the NHL level.
The list begins with former Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer, who has yet to win the Stanley Cup but has advanced to the playoffs semifinals seven times and the final twice.
In the last 10 seasons, DeBoer's teams – the San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights and Stars – made the playoffs nine times. In three of those seasons, his team finished first in the division during the regular season.
The Stars fired DeBoer following a third-straight exit in the Western Conference final and questionable comments regarding Jake Oettinger's goaltending. But if a team's looking for someone just to jump the hurdle and not only get into the playoffs but win a round, DeBoer is an enticing option.
That said, DeBoer isn’t the only veteran coach available to be hired.
Longtime NHL bench boss Peter Laviolette is also a free agent. While it's unlikely the Predators hire Laviolette for a second stint with the franchise, he is only two seasons removed from steering the New York Rangers to the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s best regular-season team.
Laviolette is the first coach in NHL history to lead six different teams to a playoff spot, and the Sabres might consider his pedigree as a key factor in making him the ideal choice for Buffalo.
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Former Vancouver Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau is one such coach, even if he doesn’t have a Stanley Cup to his credit. Boudreau is known for instilling confidence in his players and giving his teams the new coach bump, so being tasked with doing the same in Nashville, Buffalo or elsewhere wouldn’t be out of his wheelhouse.
And although fellow Jack Adams Award-winner Gerard Gallant is coaching the KHL's Shanghai Dragons, you’d have to think he’d drop that gig to get back into the NHL if the opportunity arose. He's a player's coach who knows when to discipline players and promote high-tempo hockey.
There’s a reason why teams consistently have hired veteran coaches to turn things around – they’ve shown they can rise to the challenge of the high-stakes NHL game, and they’re banked on doing it again.
As a result, don’t be shocked to see Buffalo, Nashville or any struggling club to go with a familiar face if they do decide to make a coaching change. Whether it’s DeBoer, Laviolette, Boudreau, Gallant or someone else, experienced coaches have a proven appeal for teams looking for a change of message and messenger.
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