How many NHL coaches will be fired before July 1? You can bet on it with online bookmaker Bovada, which has set the over/under at 2.5 canned coaches.
So...who might get the ax?
Colorado’s Joe Sacco is one potential casualty. His Avalanche are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third straight time.
There’s more and more grumbling in Edmonton about the job Ralph Krueger has done with an Oilers team that was expected to compete for a spot in the postseason. New general manager Craig MacTavish didn’t blame the coaching staff when he was hired, but might he want his own guy in there?
Then there are the bench bosses that may need a good showing in the playoffs to survive. Vancouver’s Alain Vigneault, San Jose’s Todd McLellan and the Rangers’ John Tortorella come to mind.