3 NHL coaches next in line to be fired

The Calgary Flames fired Bob Hartley on Tuesday, adding his name to the list of NHL head coaches to be relieved of their duties in recent weeks.

Also looking for work are Mike Yeo, Bruce Boudreau, and Dave Cameron after having been deposed by Minnesota, Anaheim, and Ottawa, respectively.

While the four teams mentioned above look to fill their vacancies, others around the league could or should be considering making a change behind the bench.

Here are three head coaches next in line to be fired:

Michel Therrien - Montreal Canadiens

Declared safe at the end of a disastrous regular season by Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, Therrien shouldn't get too comfortable about his long-term future in Montreal.

The loss of Carey Price to injury for much of 2015-16 is a handy fallback for a team that completely went off the rails following a perfect 9-0-0 start, but that's only part of the story in Montreal last season.

Not only did the Canadiens power play continue to struggle, but questions abounded in regards to Therrien's deployment of defenseman P.K. Subban and forward Alex Galchenyuk, both of whom are key pieces of the puzzle for the bleu, blanc, et rouge.

If the Canadiens struggle out of the gate next season with a healthy Price, replacing the coach should be the first step towards righting the ship.

Patrick Roy - Colorado Avalanche

Like Hartley, Roy is a recent Jack Adams Trophy winner (2014), having dined out on high save and shooting percentages recorded by the Avalanche during his first season as head coach.

Instead of taking further steps forward, and with luck no longer on their side, Colorado's growth has stagnated, a troubling trend from such a young and potentially dynamic group.

Last season, the Avalanche recorded a Corsi rating of 44.2 at even strength, dead last in the NHL. What that means is they regularly allowed more shot attempts against than they recorded, which is not a recipe for success. They ranked 29th in that category in 2014-15, and 25th during Roy's coach of the year season, so their inability to out-attempt the opposition is a clear, self-destructive pattern.

If Roy can't figure it out soon, Joe Sakic will have no choice but to axe the legendary former goalie.

Ken Hitchcock - St. Louis Blues

Yes, the St. Louis Blues are still alive and well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs under the guidance of veteran coach Hitchcock.

As good as the team has been since he took over the job in 2011 (regular-season record of 224-103-36), the Blues' playoff woes are well documented.

This is the second year he's been able to take the team past the first round, and the first time the Blues have won a second-round game under Hitchcock. Beating the Dallas Stars to advance to the Conference Finals, however, is certainly no guarantee.

Boudreau was let go by the Ducks for failing to win when it matters most, and if the Blues fail to make good on a prime opportunity to advance deep into the postseason, a change behind the bench is probably in order.