5 NHL Coaches Who May Be Collecting Unemployment Come April

Coaching in the NHL is a difficult position. No matter how many injuries, bad breaks, and coach-killers in your locker room, your job is perpetually in peril, especially if you sign on to coach the Los Angeles Kings (who have had more coaches than playoff victories since GM Dean Lombardi took over). Which coaches are in jeopardy of becoming fry cooks this off-season? Let's examine:

Brent Sutter, Calgary Flames

The Flames are in desperate need of a rebuild. Their core is aging, the prospect pool has dwindled, and they have been ineffective under Sutter's reign. The Flames will need a big late-season push to make the post-season this season and GM Jay Feaster stood pat at the trade deadline earlier this week. Sutter will likely take the fall for the Flames shortcomings, as they haven't made the playoffs since Sutter took the job in 2009-2010. It's time for a shake-up in Calgary; a shake-up that could see long-time heroes Miikka Kiprusoff and Jarome Iginla on their way out the door. Likely to precede them, however, is Brent Sutter.

Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres

Lindy Ruff waving good-bye to his job in Buffalo?

No coach has managed to hang on to his job despite such limited success as Lindy Ruff. Yes, Ruff is a good NHL coach. He has been the Sabres coach since 1997, and usually when coaches stay in one place for 15 years they win something. Ruff has as many Stanley Cups as I do and for those of you who don't me too well I actually haven't won a Stanley Cup. But with new owner Terry Pegula's huge off-season spending coupled with the lack of on-ice success, it may be time for a change in philosophy in Buffalo. Pegula has stood behind his coach, but one wonders if and when patience will run short in Sabreville.

Randy Cunneyworth, Montreal Canadiens


Unfortunately for Cunneyworth, this may be out of his control. Canadiens fans are begging for a bi-lingual coach. Cunneyworth might want to hop on that Rosetta Stone if he wants to maintain his job. Cunneyworth is a good coach who deserves a shot somewhere. But the Canadiens are bringing up the rear in the Eastern Conference as I type this, and in a city with such deep hockey tradition as Montreal, that is simply unacceptable. Cunneyworth may be next on the chopping block, if not for the lack of success but for his monolingual tongue.

Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs


The Maple Leafs are in a rebuild--a perennial rebuild to some--and are in danger of missing the playoffs again. They haven't made the post-season since before the lockout and someone will have to take the fall. Ron Wilson is a great coach, but it's time to shake things up in Toronto. The Leafs have slipped to five points out of the playoff race, partial due to an inept penalty kill (29th in the league at 76.5%) and horrid team defense (28th in the NHL at 3.08 GA/G) and goaltenders with save percentages that look like good batting averages in baseball. As the Leafs look to remodel their future, it appears as though Ron Wilson may not be a part of it, especially when Air Canada Centre has given up on "Go Leafs Go" chants and replaced them with cries of "Fire Wilson".

Todd McLellan, San Jose Sharks


The Sharks are always an enigma, registering great regular seasons to follow it up with playoff disappointment. The Sharks have a three point lead on a playoff spot, which could disintegrate at any moment in a tight Western Conference. The Sharks will likely be on the road to start the playoffs and if the season ended today they would be matched up with Detroit, a likely first round exit. If the Sharks miss the playoffs or even if they are eliminated in the first round, it's likely change is imminent in San Jose. The Sharks PK is 27th in the NHL despite being shorthanded fewer than any other team in the NHL. To make matters worse, the Sharks have the 6th-worst record in one-goal games. The only teams worse are Edmonton, Los Angeles, Montreal, Columbus, and Carolina. If you're trying to keep your job, that's not a group you want to be in. With so much talent and so little results, heads will likely roll come April in San Jose.