Three NHL coaches in danger of a midseason firing

The NHL season is just about a month in, with nearly every team having played 10 games so far. While several teams, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings, have exceeded expectations, many have fallen short.

A disappointing start means many coaches will face the ire of fans who call for their dismissal, fair or not. Which bench bosses are actually in danger of a mid-season firing? Let's take a look at three NHL coaches on the hot seat.

Andrew Brunette, Nashville Predators

After a brief stint as the Florida Panthers' interim head coach in 2021-22, Brunette was hired by the Predators in May 2023. So far, his results have been less than stellar.

After a first round exit in 2024, the Predators ramped up that offseason, adding big names such as Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. Brunette was unable to translate this into success, as the Predators finished with just 30 wins and the third worst record in the NHL.

This season, Nashville's struggles have continued, with a 4-5-2 record, good for 26th overall. Stamkos has just one goal and two points through 11 games and goaltender Juuse Saros sports a .905 save percentage, far below his career average of .914.

With a 30th-ranked goals for per game (2.45) and power play (11.8%), if the Predators don't turn things around, Brunette could be the first head coach let go.

Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres currently have the NHL's longest postseason drought at 14 seasons and have hopes of turning around their fortunes for the 2025-26 season. Ruff, who coached the Sabres from 1997-2013, returned to Buffalo for the 2024-25 season, which the Sabres ended in 26th place.

After a rough 0-4-1 start, the Sabres bounced back, going 4-1-2 in their next seven games. However, as of Thursday, Buffalo is still out of a playoff spot as the Thanksgiving benchmark looms. 

The Sabres will need to improve their 12th-worst 3.10 goals against average, which should be helped as starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has returned from injury.

While Ruff may have a little bit off leeway, come mid-season, if Buffalo doesn't project to play meaningful games in March and April, the Sabres may move on from the long-time NHL coach.

John Hynes, Minnesota Wild

Hynes' first two seasons in Minnesota have yielded subpar results: a sixth-place finish in 2023-24 and first round loss to Vegas in 2024-25. Although the Wild have made the playoffs eight of the past 10 seasons, they've yet to make it past the first round in any of those years.

With superstar Kirill Kaprizov committing to Minnesota with a record breaking eight-year, $136 million contract, the Wild and Hynes desperately need to capitalize on the winger's prime years.

A 3-5-3 start sees Minnesota in seventh place in the Central Division. They've struggled to keep the puck out of their net (fourth worst GAA in the league) and score at 5v5 (15 5v5 goals, worst in the league), leaving Hynes with some work to do.

If Hynes can't turn things around in the State of Hockey, a mid-season firing may need to happen to jump start the team.