With the news that Joel Quenneville has been kicked to the kerb by the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s safe to say bold suggestions are floating around for his next move. Maybe the Minnesota Wild could find him a spot?
Current Minnesota Wild General Manager, Paul Fenton learned the ropes in Nashville; a market that doesn’t exactly shy away from making brave moves – maybe it’s time he pulled out a bold move of his own and chat to the recently-fired Joel Quenneville.
Now, what I’m saying here isn’t to drop Bruce Boudreau. He has more than earned his place with the Minnesota Wild, what with six consecutive play-off appearances and a team that is looking, at least in the early going, quite impressive.
What I’m suggesting is the bold idea of reaching out to Joel Quenneville and offering him a partnership as assistant coach.
Fact is, he took the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups. That is the sort of person you want on your side of the bench!
Now, this is very bold. To suggest that a head coach with a 452-249-96 regular season and 76-52 play-off record with his most recent employer would take a step down from the lead role is certainly a reach.
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However, he has previously done so, albeit in the international arena during the World Cup of Hockey.
During that tournament, he was assistant coach to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mike Babcock.
Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t mind sharing the bench with Bruce Boudreau.
The big question here is whether the Minnesota Wild could stomach a big financial outlay on an assistant coach.
Joel Quenneville’s deal with the Blackhawks was costing them $6 million per year and you have to doubt, even in a reduced role, whether he’d be willing to take any less than that, especially given there will be teams around the league no doubt offering head coach spots.
Should this idea be rather a little too out there to fathom, maybe you look at his two assistant coaches who were also shown the door. They too know what it takes to coach what amounts to a modern-day dynasty.
Kevin Dineen and Ulf Samuelsson are also available; maybe they could add to the current coaching staff for the Minnesota Wild, rather than subtracting others.
All in all, it makes for an interesting situation in the Central Division, as the Chicago Blackhawks now have the youngest head coach in the league, Jeremy Colliton. Not only that, it creates intrigue as the St, Louis Blues are off to a slow start and may make a move.
Outside of the division, you’d have to figure the Los Angeles Kings make a play too; either way it means that the Minnesota Wild could well still suit up routinely against a Joel Quenneville-coached team.
That is, of course, unless Paul Fenton pulls off a remarkable deal!