Boucher fired

[Sean]

Someone is going to offer him an NHL job. He's not going to pass that up to be an assistant.

[ChaseSpace]

I can see Ruff being brought in for the balance of the season then replaced with Cooper and his assistants.

The bold move would be to offer the interim job to a junior/college coach whose team is currently eliminated. Hunter managed to do a decent job with Washington last year during his interim term.

[Sean]

Ruff deserves more than coming in to coach a failing team for 18 games and then get replaced by a rookie coach.

The ONLY way bringing in Ruff would be acceptable is if Cooper is locked down as an assistant with the intention of taking over after Ruff is out.

[Bolthed]

Relax, people. These moves had to happen. We've all been waiting for weeks to log onto BP and see this thread title. So lets read between the lines: the assistants are coaching the rest of the season because it is NOT saveable. We will be in full tank mode and the objective is Seth Jones. As for this Ruff stuff, don't underestimate how often team officials use the media. Could simply be that Yzerman is using Ruff to keep Cooper's contract as inexpensive as possible. Then again, maybe YZ wants a new approach. No one would deny that we need a new dedication to defense.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Bolthed

Relax, people. These moves had to happen. We've all been waiting for weeks to log onto BP and see this thread title. So lets read between the lines: the assistants are coaching the rest of the season because it is NOT saveable. We will be in full tank mode and the objective is Seth Jones. As for this Ruff stuff, don't underestimate how often team officials use the media. Could simply be that Yzerman is using Ruff to keep Cooper's contract as inexpensive as possible. Then again, maybe YZ wants a new approach. No one would deny that we need a new dedication to defense.

Great post.

[bassassin]

Originally Posted by Bolthed

Relax, people. These moves had to happen. We've all been waiting for weeks to log onto BP and see this thread title. So lets read between the lines: the assistants are coaching the rest of the season because it is NOT saveable. We will be in full tank mode and the objective is Seth Jones. As for this Ruff stuff, don't underestimate how often team officials use the media. Could simply be that Yzerman is using Ruff to keep Cooper's contract as inexpensive as possible. Then again, maybe YZ wants a new approach. No one would deny that we need a new dedication to defense.

No one would.

But that is part of Coopers system, brilliant offense (Crunch even with all the ups and downs lead the AHL in G/G).

And stifling defense (they have the 10th lowest GA/G).

I don't think this team with the personnel they have should ever play an overwhelmingly defensive style of play. But something like that, where you get great offense and respectable defense, would be one worlds better and two hopefully achievable.

[Hoek]

I'm sad it had to end this way, but here's hoping a great opportunity has opened up. It would make sense that Ruff is a misdirection. Since when has Yzerman been so open and clear about his intentions? He didn't give even a little hint he was thinking of firing Boucher this whole time.

[Jester47]

Originally Posted by Hoek

I'm sad it had to end this way, but here's hoping a great opportunity has opened up. It would make sense that Ruff is a misdirection. Since when has Yzerman been so open and clear about his intentions? He didn't give even a little hint he was thinking of firing Boucher this whole time.

This...

[ChaseSpace]

Originally Posted by Hoek

I'm sad it had to end this way, but here's hoping a great opportunity has opened up. It would make sense that Ruff is a misdirection. Since when has Yzerman been so open and clear about his intentions? He didn't give even a little hint he was thinking of firing Boucher this whole time.

This. It was mainly fans and media who were speculating on part of Yzerman. He never once came out and said he was upset or worried by the coaching, more than anything he would say the team was playing up to expectations.

[Donnie D]

The anti Kreskin here. After giving it some thought my take is that SFY has to decide whether he wants to swing for the fences with a high reward / high risk choice like Cooper OR a more proven commodity like a Ruff, a guy who had a consistent record but never won a championship in his 15 or so years.

SFY went with the young hot coach last time and it didn't work. He may be unwilling to go down that path again and play it safe.

I think most of us are hoping for Cooper, but as a GM, you only get so many chances to change coaches before management decides that you need to go (with the exception of Lou in Jersey proving the rule). So from that standpoint a Ruff, who didn't get tuned out for 15 years makes some sense.

If Cooper is the choice they still need to negotiate a contract and it would seem that Cooper, and perhaps SFY himself, would need to tell the team in person. Here's hoping that is the reason for the delay in naming a replacement.