5 teams that should replace their current coach with Julien
After weeks of speculation, the deed has been done. The Boston Bruins fired head coach Claude Julien Tuesday, putting yet another highly capable coach on the open market.
While Gerard Gallant, Jack Capuano, and Ken Hitchcock are still available for the taking, Hitchcock may have already coached his last game and the other two can't hold a candle to Julien's resume, making the former Boston boss the hottest commodity.
Julien certainly seems like a slam dunk for the Vegas coaching job, but coaches of his caliber don't become available very often, so it certainly wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for a team to part ways with their current bench boss in order to gain an upgrade.
Related: Julien should lead Golden Knights' list of candidates
In such a situation, the business logistics can get messy, but nevertheless, here are five teams who should consider replacing their current head coach with Julien.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers baffled the hockey world when they abruptly dismissed Gerard Gallant back in late November.
The move proved there was a disconnect between the management team and the on-ice personnel. Tom Rowe has served as the team's interim head coach since the move, but the team has not fared much better under new direction.
Gallant coached the team to a 11-10-1 record before his dismissal, while Rowe has gone 12-9-9 since. Julien could help the Panthers save the season and gain direction going forward. But would management let him do his job distraction free?
Dallas Stars
Firing coaches is the hip thing to do these days - or so it seems.
For that reason - and the fact that the Dallas Stars are struggling mightily with a near-identical roster to last season - Lindy Ruff might be the next coach to go.
Whether that's the case or not, the Stars would be foolish not to inquire about Julien.
Like the Panthers, he could help the club save its season by hopefully getting Dallas back to the postseason. The team is in need of a defensive retooling, as the goaltending isn't giving the team any breaks and the offense isn't firing like it did last season.
Colorado Avalanche
This one is pretty obvious.
The Avalanche have lived up to their team name this season, plummeting to the bottom of the league standings.
The team appears ready to sell off their biggest assets as they look to rebuild for the future.
As Mike Babcock has proved in Toronto, a rebuild can be sped up with a clear system put in place for the young players. The Avalanche players have gone to bat for Jared Bednar this season, suggesting he isn't the problem. And while that may be true, maybe Julien could be an answer.
Calgary Flames
It's just Glen Gulutzan's first year with the Calgary Flames, but it could also be his last.
The team remains right on the cusp of a playoff spot, tied with the St. Louis Blues at 55 points but currently on the outside looking in due to more games played. Regardless, they haven't lived up to expectations this season.
To Gulutzan's credit, the team is giving up fewer goals per game than the previous campaign and the special teams have also been better than they were last season. Still, inconsistent goaltending has been the team's biggest impediment, and the Flames are underperforming given the talent on the roster,
Perhaps Julien could set them straight.
New Jersey Devils
Another recent hire in John Hynes may have to step aside.
The Devils are far from a championship-caliber team, but the addition of Taylor Hall this offseason should have pushed them closer toward the playoffs, and it has not.
Instead, the team remains in a similar spot - No Man's Land. The team is once again poised to finish outside the playoffs and without a top-five draft pick.
The Devils could use a coach who can reestablish them as a stingy, offense-smothering unit. New Jersey has some solid pieces in place, it just needs a Julien-type coach to help put it all together.