By Shayna Goldman (The Athletic)
The NHL coaching carousel was particularly busy last summer, with nine head coaching changes in the offseason.
Measuring the impact of a new head coach is tricky because it’s not the only change those nine teams made. It’s a balancing act between player growth, personnel changes and tweaks to the support staff. So instead, let’s check the vibes around each team with a new bench boss to spot early differences, directions and trends developing over the first month-plus of NHL action.
Joel Quenneville, Anaheim Ducks
11-4-1 Record
Last year, it was Lukáš Dostál against the world in Anaheim. The defense was among the worst in the league, leaving him completely exposed on a nightly basis. And the offense, despite having a lot of potential, was bottom-10 in the league. That was a general theme of the Greg Cronin era, with many players’ progress stalling out.
That has already changed through the first month-plus of action. The Ducks’ defense, across 16 games, is still an issue, with the team allowing a league-high rate of 3.24 xG against at five-on-five. But to Anaheim’s credit, that has trended down over this last stretch of play, which has given the goalies more support.
The real story is the Ducks’ offense popping. That’s thanks to two things — natural progression from the likes of Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish and Beckett Sennecke, among others, after the offense was suppressed under the last staff, and strategic changes. Anaheim is incorporating more speed and pace into its attack, which is evident in how this team creates chances off the rush and pressures for turnovers.
It’s a more fitting playing style, considering the dynamic skill on this roster, and it’s helping this team outpace defensive mistakes. That has led to early wins over expected contenders such as the Jets, Golden Knights, Stars, Devils and Panthers.
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