3 NHL head coaches with jobs on the line after Round 1 of 2024 Playoffs ft. Sheldon Keefe

By Ryan Gagne

Modified May 07, 2024 19:03 GMT

The Stanley Cup playoffs started with 16 teams; now we are down to eight. Of the NHL teams that were eliminated, some questions remain regarding the future of their head coaches.

This article will look at three NHL bench bosses who may be on the hot seat heading into the spring and summer. Whether or not their respective teams opt to move on from them is a mystery yet to be solved. However, their names will be in the headlines for weeks to come.

3 NHL coaches with jobs on the line after Round 1 losses

#3. Jim Hiller (Los Angeles Kings)

Jim Hiller has never been an NHL coach, aside from being named interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in February 2024.

Although the Kings finished 21-12-1 under Hiller in 34 games, they were a heavy underdog against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, losing in five games and getting outscored 22-13.

The Kings' upper management has not publicly stated their intentions regarding the head coaching position, only informing the media that they will meet with Hiller and see if the two sides can agree on a course of action for the NHL franchise.

Ultimately, coaching didn't let the Kings down. Instead, it was subpar goaltending and the inability of some players to reach their potential, like Pierre-Luc Dubois.

In the end, Los Angeles needs a game-breaking goalie like Linus Ullmark. The team should continue to call up its top prospects to aid veterans like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, who still have plenty of miles left to play.

However, Hiller may not be the right man for the job, especially if general manager Rob Blake can land a bona fide No. 1 goalie in the offseason. As a contending NHL team that can't seem to get out of the first round, the next coach of the Kings will be under much pressure to break through.

#2. Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Jon Cooper is arguably the greatest coach in the Tampa Bay Lightning's history. In 12 seasons as bench boss, he's won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles (2020 and 2021) while guiding the Lightning to the final in 2015 and 2022.

His record is 525-279-75, plus 87-63 in 150 playoff games. However, this season, Tampa Bay was no match for the Florida Panthers and was bested in five games.

As the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, Cooper's time as head coach may be winding down in Tampa Bay. Of course, he still runs a fantastic lineup, including Art Ross winner Nikita Kucherov, but the team has had two consecutive first-round exits, and the culture could change in the offseason.

Although Kucherov and other core players will be around for the foreseeable future, the franchise's best player, Steven Stamkos, is a free agent, and there are no guarantees he will return, meaning the club could be moving in a different direction.

Cooper didn't do himself any favors with a horrible postgame press conference where he said NHL goalies should wear skirts, insulting the progress of women's hockey.

The summer of 2024 will be intriguing to watch as the Lightning try to stay competitive and build for a future without their core players, who are closer to retiring than being rookies.

#1. Sheldon Keefe (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe has had a good run with the organization, leading the AHL Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup championship before ascending to head coach in the NHL.

However, Keefe has been unable to find playoff success with a lineup that features Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares. In five seasons, he only won a single playoff series (2023) while collecting a 16-21 record in the postseason.

In this case, management can't fire the players who make millions of dollars, so the coach and his staff usually fall on their swords.

Even though there's no definite proof that Keefe won't be back with the Maple Leafs in the fall, all indicators point to Toronto moving in a different direction. Considering that the city is the mecca of the hockey world, all eyes will be on the Original Six franchise to see its next move.