In Defense Of Kraken Coach Dave Hakstol

coach-hakstol

The fan & media drumbeat is growing. Torches are being lit. Pitchforks are being sharpened.

They’re coming for the head of Seattle Kraken coach Dave Hakstol. They might get it.

Asked about the status of his coaching staff at a Monday press conference, Kraken general manager Ron Francis side-stepped. “There’s a lot of things we have to look at and factor in. We’ll continue to do that in the next few weeks.”

Realizing that response would add fuel to the bonfire, Francis would only add, “You’re going to read into it one way or the other, but this is the process we do every year.”

Writing On The Wall

Here’s just two media examples from many suggesting Hakstol be made to walk the plank.

Mike Vorel, Seattle Times: “It’s difficult to argue Hakstol maximized his talent. It may be time for a new voice and system in Seattle.”

Jon Morosi, NHL Network: “They were not one of the more exciting teams. Whether it’s going to the collegiate ranks for a coach or just looking for others that have earned the opportunity, I think that’s what Kraken management has to look at.”

Okay. Since so many insist on playing “Can the Coach,” here’s a candidate who comes highly recommended. Check out the glowing testimonials below.

1. Current NHL Owner: “His achievements were remarkable, and his leadership skills and work ethic are admirable.”

2. Former NHL coach: “(He) does a really good job of spending time with everybody. He spends a lot of time in the room communicating and talking to players. He knows more about them than I think they know.”

3. Current NHL coach: “I was really impressed with the job (he) and his staff did, how hard that team played and how ‘as a team’ they played. They were relentless.”

4. Current NHL GM: “(He) and his staff have done a great job of creating a close-knit, team-first mindset and their work ethic helps set the tone. They were a gutsy group, a gritty group, and that’s a reflection on him and how he prepares and wants his teams to play.”

5. Current NHL Veteran Player: “He’s a huge reason of why we’ve done well. He’s done a really good job of bringing our group together and putting guys in situations where they can succeed and also identifying the strengths of our group and then playing towards that.”

Mystery Dream Coaching Candidate Is…

Perhaps you’ve realized that this is a setup. The quotes are from (1) Kraken co-owner Samantha Holloway, (2) Kraken assistant coach Dave Lowry, (3) Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer, (4) Kraken GM Ron Francis, and (5) Kraken forward Jordan Eberle.

And the man they were all speaking about in 2023 was Dave Hakstol, coming off a 46-win regular season, playoff series upset of Colorado, Jack Adams award nomination and contract extension.

So the suggestion here is for everyone to quell their knee-jerk reactions – unless you truly believe Hakstol managed to forget a significant portion of how to coach hockey since last summer.

You’re willing to grant Matty Beniers a goal-scoring do-over next October, right? Good wishes for Andre Burakovsky to stay healthy? For Philipp Grubauer to show season-long consistency?

Fans and Kraken management/ownership alike should be equally patient giving a quality bench boss an offseason to identify and correct mistakes he made in 2023-24.

If not, given the above quotes, perhaps it’s everyone else’s judgement which deserves scrutiny.