Elliotte Friedman shares shocking news regarding the Kraken and Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan
The Seattle Kraken made a huge change this summer, and now it appears as though some in power were targeting Red Wings coach Todd McLellan.
In 2022/23, the Seattle Kraken made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in franchise history, but a year ago they took a major step back, with the question marks on their roster proving too much to overcome.
Then, the team decided to move on from first-ever Head Coach Dave Hakstol, with the team hiring AHL Head Coach Dan Bylsma, with the team once again staring down the barrel of a missed post-season.
Now, a report from Elliotte Friedman has revealed that this wasn't the first choice of General Manager Ron Francis, who was seemingly overruled by other people in power within the organization.
"I'm not convinced Francis thought [firing Hakstol] was the right answer."
"I think Ron Francis...wanted to hire Todd McLellan. And I think there were others in the front office who wanted to hire Dan Bylsma...and those people won out."
"I think Ron Francis...wanted to hire Todd McLellan. And I think there were others in the front office who wanted to hire Dan Bylsma...and those people won out."
According to Friedman, Francis was instead looking at Todd McLellan, who has since been hired by the Detroit Red Wings, with those in power preferring Bylsma, who had already found immense success with their AHL squad the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the years prior.
In 2024/25, the Kraken now sit at 18-23-3, putting them well below a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, and while that may not be all on Bylsma, it's safe to say that questions will now be asked about the way the Head Coach hiring was handled over the summer.
Ultimately, this roster has plenty of needs if they are to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so while Bylsma or McLellan may have not been able to change that, it's safe to say that if they don't make a run in the second half, big changes could be coming to the organization.
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