Best NHL Landing Spots for Hershey Bears Head Coach Todd Nelson

His most likely landing spot in the NHL would be with a rebuilding team, one that isn’t expected to contend. However, Nelson will have a team playing above their weight and possibly in the playoffs after one season. It’s why the four remaining teams are all great fits for him, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken have a young roster. Matthew Beniers and Shane Wright are becoming cornerstones, while their defense has the players in place to be great at both ends of the ice, despite their inconsistencies, and they have an elite goaltender in the crease with Joey Daccord.

The Kraken have a lot of great pieces that just need the right coach to take them up a notch. Nelson would come in and give them identity while having them play great across the board. There’s a big gap between the elite teams and everyone else in the Pacific Division, and he could immediately make the Kraken a playoff team and build a winning culture.

There are two big problems, however. First, the Kraken took the AHL route when they hired Dan Bylsma, who coached the Coachella Valley Firebirds and, interestingly, lost to Nelson’s Bears in the 2023 and 2024 Calder Cup Finals. They fired him in the offseason, and when teams make one hire, they usually take the opposite approach the next time around.

That leads to the other issue, which is the front office. Yes, the Kraken made some changes. Ron Francis won’t be as active in the roster construction going forward, but the team is about to hire their third head coach in as many seasons. Moreover, this front office hasn’t put together a good roster over the years, and it’s why they are stuck in the middle of the Pacific. It makes this spot a tough one for any coach, even Nelson.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks, like the Kraken, are a young and rebuilding team. With Connor Bedard and a handful of prospects starting to make their mark at the NHL level, the Blackhawks are ready to take that next step. They want a younger coach who can make them a playoff team and have success from day one.

This explains why the Blackhawks heavily pursued David Carle, the University of Denver coach who has just about done it all at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) level. However, Carle is staying at the college level, so management must pivot. Nelson makes the most sense, considering he also knows how to get the most out of a young roster and make them competitive. More importantly, the Blackhawks would be a balanced team under Nelson, where they would play great defense and win from the net out. They have the talent up front, but they need structure on the defensive end, and he brings that.

The one thing that makes the Blackhawks a tough spot is the roster construction or the direction the front office might take. They are committed to the rebuild but will also try to add a few veterans to make a playoff push. During the 2024 offseason, they hoped to make a playoff push by adding multiple veterans. The push backfired, and ultimately, head coach Luke Richardson was the one who took the fall.

Nelson would be great for this job if the team is committed to the rebuild and is willing to work slowly toward becoming a playoff team. It’s also why he might not be a great fit, as the Blackhawks might want to hire a win-now coach to get them to the playoffs by next season.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are in no rush to hire anyone. It’s why they should give Nelson a call and consider bringing him in. If they are willing to wait for the Bears’ run to end, they can have Nelson coach the organization and retool on the fly.

The Bruins are in an interesting spot. They traded just about everyone on their roster who was heading to free agency, and the firesale made them one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. It also made them a younger team with a better prospect pool and more assets for the future, meaning a rebuild is worth considering. The problem is the Bruins aren’t interested in that, and with a handful of veteran core players, notably David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Nikita Zadorov, they will look to compete next season.

On the surface, the Bruins look like a team without a clear direction. Yet, Nelson would be a great fit. The Bruins are a stable organization with reliable ownership and, despite plenty of hiccups lately, a reliable front office. Nelson could have a team that wants to compete and make the playoffs, do just that. It’s not the splashy hire that many fans might be hoping for, but he’d bring out the best in a roster that underachieved last season.

Why the Pittsburgh Penguins Are the Best Spot

The Pittsburgh Penguins are transitioning into a rebuild. They moved on from Mike Sullivan with this in mind, and their GM, Kyle Dubas, is committed to starting over. At the same time, they have Sidney Crosby, who is still playing at an elite level, and other veterans that will prevent them from being a bottom-feeder.

It’s why Nelson is an ideal fit. Dubas is adding talent to the farm system and will continue doing so while also adding young skaters to the NHL roster. Nelson has prepared players on the Bears for that next step and can do the same with the Penguins. He can coach the young players who are just figuring out the NHL, while Crosby, Malkin, and the core continue to play at a high level to keep the team competitive. The combination could have a rebuilding team that makes a push for the playoffs.

The Penguins also make sense for Nelson, considering his history with the team and where he is as a professional. His hockey career began with the Portland Pirates, their AHL affiliate at the time, where he learned how to play under Barry Trotz. Nelson’s also settled down in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and it’s why a move to the NHL would be best if it were close. Enter Pittsburgh, the closest destination, making the transition easier for him and his family.

The Penguins might want a younger coach, one who is more suited for a rebuild. The Bears might also keep winning, while Dubas loses patience and hires another coach. However, if Nelson wants an NHL job, the Penguins make the most sense. He can make them competitive from the get-go but also set them up for long-term success.