Next NHL Head Coach to Be Fired Odds

On Tuesday, the National Hockey League’s annual coaching carousel began to turn, kicking off with the Boston Bruins’ split from coach Jim Montgomery. The dismissal, albeit unsurprising considering the Bruins’ tight-lipped culture, underscores a forgotten truth. The head coach often bears the brunt when his team underperforms. After six weeks of the 2024-25 NHL season, a number of teams fit right into that category.

Boston is less than two years removed from winning the President’s Cup. The Bruins went 65-12-5 in 2022-23, ending with an NHL-best 135 points. You have to go back 18 seasons to 2006-07 to find the last Boston losing season. The Bruins finished 35-41-6 that season. They have made the postseason every season since. That’s the type of expectation there is in Boston. An 8-9-3 record after 20 games just wasn’t cutting it and Montgomery had to go.

The Bruins are not the only NHL team performing below expectations. Given the mounting dread among teams resistant to rebuilding, it’s likely that Montgomery’s dismissal won’t be the last before the Four Nations break in February. The question is, who’s next to get the boot off the hot seat? Let’s take a look at a few coaches who are sitting on some pretty hot seats.

Mike Sullivan – Pittsburgh Penguins

Mike Sullivan’s Penguins are sliding into a slump, with four losses in their last five games. The upcoming game is against the league’s hottest team, Winnipeg. The Jets have the NHL’s best record at 16-3-0. After the Jets, the Penguins get the expansion Utah Hockey Club and Vancouver. The only saving grace is that all three games are in Pittsburgh. Still, the pressure is mounting.

Sullivan’s team is leading the league in an unfortunate stat – goals allowed. Moreover, concerns are brewing in other areas, necessitating swift action. The Penguins also own the honor of leading the league with 28 goals allowed in the third period, which is why their fans’ are extremely frustrated. The Penguins continue to frequently squander leads. On top of these woes, the Penguins have conceded possession 327 times this season, second only to the Calgary Flames.

The Penguins’ aging core players – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin to name a few – impending trades, and mounting challenges are raising more questions about Sullivan’s future with the team. That is why Sullivan is given +400 odds at BetOnline.ag to be the next NHL head coach fired.

Derek LaLonde – Detroit Red Wings

Despite once being marked as potential contenders in the East, the Red Wings’ 7-9-2 record is a far cry from their ambitions. Lalonde, with two full seasons under his belt, led the team to a considerable improvement last season, taking them from a 35-37 record in 2022-23 to a 41-32 mark in 2023-24. Now, he’s listed at +500 to be the next NHL head coach fired.

However, recent losses to the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks are casting shadows over Lalonde’s leadership. In fact, Detroit has lost five of its last six games. The only win? Yeah, that came against Pittsburgh, whose troubles we already discussed. The Red Wings roster is really devoid of elite talent. Dylan Larkin is not the NHL elite goal scorer that the organization thinks. Larkin’s 8-year, $69.6 million contract is going to burden Detroit for years to come. In the immediate future, it will cost LaLonde his job.

Andrew Brunette – Nashville Predators

The Predators are currently in a peculiar situation. Expectations of a rebuild were rampant when Brunette was hired in 2023, a sentiment echoed recently by General Manager Barry Trotz. But, that kind of changed when the Predators made the playoffs last season after finishing with a 47-30-5 record. Now, Brunette is in a precarious position. He’s the favorite (at +300) to be the next NHL head coach fired.

Despite some bright spots, like Juuse Saros’s performance, the Predators are struggling, feeding suspicions that a shake-up is needed. Nashville is currently 6-11-3. The Predators have just two wins in their last nine games. Nashville is dead last in the NHL in scoring averaging just 2.30 goals per game. The defense is better, but they still rank 18th in goals against (3.20). 

Things won’t get much easier for Brunette and Nashville. Their next game is against Winnipeg (16-3). They also have upcoming games with New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Minnesota, all of which have winning records.

Patrick Roy – New York Islanders

Being a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender doesn’t always mean you will have success as a coach. He took his Colorado Avalanche to the postseason in his first NHL head coaching season in 2013-14. Then, he missed the playoffs two years straight and was out the door. 

Last season, Roy helped the Islanders reach the playoffs after taking over at midseason for the fired Lane Lambert. It doesn’t appear that the Islanders would make a change right away. The odds (+2000 for Roy to be fired at sportsbetting.ag) reflect that as well. They are 7-7-5 after 19 games, but if they continue their subpar play – 1-4 in their last five games – Roy could find himself in the same boat as Lambert was last season. 

This season under Roy has been a nerve-wracking one. Victories have been hard-fought and third-period collapses frequent. The team’s power play continues to falter and if that continues, Roy could be shown the door.