NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Arizona Coyotes - Source: Imagn — NHL: Jay Woodcroft - Source: Imagn

NHL Rumors: Insider names favorites for Boston Bruins, Penguins & Kraken's vacant HC positions

Modified May 27, 2025 16:59 GMT

The NHL coaching carousel has been in full swing over the last several weeks. At one point, there were as many as eight openings around the league. That's slowly been narrowed down as five of the eight vacancies have been filled.

The New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks have all hired their next coach. Now, all that's left to be decided is who takes over behind the bench in Boston, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

All three of these teams missed the playoffs last season and are in retooling stages as a franchise, seeking a new leader to take them through their journey.

It's been fairly quiet on the coaching front of late. However, we received some new reporting on Tuesday morning. ESPN hockey insider Kevin Weekes shared the latest he's hearing on the remaining coaching vacancies on X (formerly Twitter).

"Per sources, Jay Woodcroft, Mitch Love, and Marco Sturm are among the favorites as potential hires for @NHLBruins, @Penguins, and @SeattleKraken," Weekes wrote.

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Jay Woodcroft has been mentioned as a candidate for all three vacancies. Mitch Love has been heavily linked to the Penguins, and Marco Sturm has been connected to the Bruins, having spent time with the organization during his playing days.

Jay Woodcroft making a return to the NHL is picking up steam

It's been almost two years since Jay Woodcroft was fired by the Edmonton Oilers in November 2023. The 48-year-old has been on the sidelines waiting for the right opportunity to emerge.

While he's been connected to all three openings that remain, reports are suggesting that Woodcroft heading to Boston is gaining momentum. NHL reporter Jimmy Murphy provided the latest on Tuesday morning on X.

"Yesterday, on the @sickpodnhl, I reported that Marco Sturm and Jay Leach were frontrunners to become the next HC of the #NHLBruins. That is still true, but I've since been told by two trusted sources that former #LetsGoOilers HC Jay Woodcroft is too and may be 'The Frontrunner,'" Murphy wrote.

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Woodcroft was quite successful during his time with the Edmonton Oilers, managing a 79-41-13 record in 133 total regular-season games.

Expect things to heat up on the coaching market throughout the next week or so as we close in on the busiest time of the offseason calendar.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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