Will Don Waddell be looking for a new head coach in Columbus?
Daily Faceoff: Frank Seravalli when asked about the Columbus Blue Jackets and if they are going to be looking to hire a new coach.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Tyler Yaremchuk: “Speaking of Columbus, Don Waddell in charge there and Joe wants to know if they’re going to be looking for a new coach. Do you have an update there?”
Seravalli: “Not yet. That should be right at the top of Don Waddell his priority list. I would say I think they need one. I think they need a fresh start for all their young guys and the vets that were there.
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But I also think there was a lot of things that were working against Pascal Vincent last year, including getting the team, getting that job a few days before training camp opened.
But as John Goins and others have pointed out, Don Waddell does have a relationship with Todd Nelson going back to you know, previous stops and Todd Nelson has the Hershey Bears in position to repeat potentially as Calder Cup champs. So I’ve been saying for a while Todd Nelson is beyond, beyond time for him to get a shot at the NHL level. A full time shot I should say. And we’ll see if Don Waddell feels the same way.”
Which teams may be interested in taking on bad contracts with a sweetener?
Daily Faceoff: Frank Seravalli when asked about which teams could be interested in taking on bad contracts to get some extra draft picks.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Tyler Yaremchuk: “And one more for you. This one comes in from Brian Smeaton in the YouTube, he wants to know if San Jose will be one of the teams willing to take on bad contracts to get picks.
I mean, the usual dumping ground of the Arizona Coyotes is no longer there. So who are some teams that you think could be in the market, maybe take on bad deals to get some pics?”
Seravalli: “Um, I would say it depends on term but San Jose should be willing to do so, especially because they could use as many pics as they could get their hands on.
I would keep an eye on the Chicago Blackhawks. Although, it’ll depend on term. I don’t think they’re going to be taking much that extends into 2026 and beyond. But certainly, probably could be enticed into something that they might be able to use and package up later.
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And they haven’t really done it to this point. But why wouldn’t the Anaheim Ducks get involved in that mix? They’ve got $33-plus million dollars of space. You know if it means for the time being taking on a tough one, you should again be trying to do everything you can to improve.”