As per a report by a couple of NHL insiders, there is talk that Florida Panthers’ current head coach Joel Quenneville could be the favorite to land the head coaching job in Seattle. Two respected NHL insiders touched on the rumors, and while the stories are months apart from the other, it’s interesting that Quenneville’s name is resurfacing in these conversations.
Dating back a while, Quenneville has been a name attached to the Seattle coaching gig. During 31 Thoughts back in October of 2020, Friedman wondered if Quenneville would wind up being the first head coach of the Seattle Kraken as he’s very tight with Ron Francis, he was hired by another regime in Florida, and he has a big salary. At the time, Friedman asked, ‘What if things don’t go well in Florida next season again?’ Clearly, Florida had a good season, which could be why the speculation quieted down.
This week, things picked up again. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Quenneville might be actively looking at the Seattle job and that the team has their eyes on Quenneville. It could explain why Kraken GM Ron Francis has moved so slowly to reach a decision on the team’s next coach.
Both insiders suggested that money could play a role here and Brooks adds that if Quenneville goes, there could be questions about whether or not the Panthers will re-sign captain Aleksander Barkov before his UFA eligibility next summer.
Quenneville Would Have to Break Contract with Panthers
One of the things that is important to keep in mind here is that Quenneville is still signed with his team and currently part of the NHL playoffs. His deal with the Panthers doesn’t actually expire until the 2023-24 season. He makes a league-high $5.25 million per season and he’d have to break that contract to join Seattle.
This could get legally tricky unless the Panthers let him out of that contract for financial reasons. Even still, one would think the coach would need to be incentivized properly to leave a playoff team that is paying him so well.
Even if the Panthers get bounced by the Lightning, he’s unlikely to be fired. He just led the team to their best regular-season performance in years.
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