The 2024-25 NHL season is about a month and change old now and it’s definitely not panning out the way many were expecting. Sure, the early-season rust and chaos spun everyone for a loop, but as things have settled, there are a fair number of teams still performing more poorly than anticipated.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, for instance, have been one of the biggest disappointments of the NHL season so far. While we weren’t high on this version of the Penguins from the outset, Pittsburgh’s defense and goaltending are sinking this team faster than anyone could have imagined. And as such, calls for Mike Sullivan’s firing have escalated in volume over the last few weeks as the Penguins look to right the ship.
So, with Sullivan and the Penguins clearly in mind, let’s dive a bit deeper into the four NHL head coaches that are on the hot seat to begin the 2024-25 season.
Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins
Number one with a bullet on this list is by far Sullivan, whose miserable Penguins suffered their worst loss of the season yet on Monday in a 7-1 drubbing to the Dallas Stars. Things have gotten so dire that general manager Kyle Dubas has stated that anyone not named Sidney Crosby is on the trade block, and we’re not even at Thanksgiving yet!
There’s a lot of blame to go around in Pittsburgh for how disappointing things have been, and Sullivan did help the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups, but something has to give with the Penguins. It’s time.
Derek Lalonde, Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings nearly made the playoffs last season, so a 6-7-1 start is not what you want to see out of Detroit amidst an eight-year postseason drought. General manager Steve Yzerman definitely deserves some heat for his plan that has yet to fully manifest itself into tangible results, but the first domino to fall in Detroit if they deem this start unacceptable will likely be Derek Lalonde.
Is it unfair, given the lack of playoff talent on this roster? Perhaps, but head coaches don’t have a long shelf life in the NHL and Lalonde is in his third season with the club. A firing could be the spark the Red Wings need to get themselves on track again.
Andrew Brunette, Nashville Predators
The Predators swung for the fences in the offseason with their stunning additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei to their roster. And what has it got them? A 5-9-2 record — putting them in a tie for last in the NHL in points percentage — and just 23 combined points between their big name additions in 16 games.
Sure, we’ve seen talented rosters come back from the brink to make a playoff run, but Andrew Brunette might have to take the fall in Nashville if things continue to look grim.
Martin St. Louis, Montreal Canadiens
At the time in 2022, the Canadiens hiring first-time NHL head coach Martin St. Louis seemed like a poetic start to this new era in Montreal. The Canadiens’ youth would be fostered and nurtured by a young, promising head coach beloved by the fanbase as a whole. However, with the Canadiens starting out 5-9-2 this season, one has to wonder if the team needs a more experienced voice in the room to guide them.
St. Louis could very well be a great head coach when all is said and done, but the general rumblings out of Montreal seem to indicate that a veteran presence is needed to get this team back on task.
