With the coaching carousel now in full spin -- another gig opened up today, as Bob Hartley was fired in Calgary -- GMs are actively seeking permission to speak with potential candidates.
Like in Minnesota, where Chuck Fletcher is working the phones.
Per the Star-Tribune, Fletcher -- who has reportedly reached out to Ducks GM Bob Murray about Bruce Boudreau -- is now also looking at Boudreau’s assistant in Anaheim, Paul MacLean, along with ex-Ducks and Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle.
More, from Mike Russo:
It’s believed on that same phone call with Murray, Fletcher asked about the status of Ducks assistant coach Paul MacLean. I’ve been led to believe Fletcher has yet to receive permission to talk with MacLean. If that’s true, it likely means MacLean, the former Senators head coach, is a candidate to replace Boudreau in Anaheim. That would make sense since MacLean was Murray’s hire in the first place.
In addition, as I reported in my Boudreau piece in Saturday’s paper here, sources told me that Fletcher did plan to contact Randy Carlyle. I don’t know if that contact has been made yet with the former Ducks and Maple Leafs coach.
Per TSN’s Darren Dreger, Fletcher is currently in California. Logic suggests he’s getting two interviews done for the price of one, as both Boudreau and Carlyle live in southern California.
As for MacLean, he’s certainly going to be a figure worth monitoring. One has to think he’s in line to replace Boudreau in Anaheim -- something predicted from the moment he was hired -- but that’s assuming Murray doesn’t clean house behind the bench.