The Bruins continue their process of finding their next head coach, and fans might need to keep a keen eye on the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Of course, Boston fans should be glued in on the Florida Panthers to see if they can fulfill the conditions of the Brad Marchand trade. But the teams in the second round of the playoffs could have candidates that might interest the Black and Gold.
General manager Don Sweeney spoke to reporters after the NHL draft lottery and revealed how far into the process the Bruins are in the head-coaching search.
“Ongoing. Have spoken to some coaches,” Sweeney said, per a team-provided transcript. “Haven’t done any in person interviews yet, but we’ve narrowed a list down, and we’re going to move forward with some Zoom interviews, and then in person interviews, in a very short manner.”
Sweeney confirmed when a reporter asked if a candidate was still in the playoffs. That offered insight into who might be or could be on Boston’s list.
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Marc Savard is an immediate name that came to mind. The 47-year-old is an assistant coach on the Toronto Maple Leafs and played five seasons in Boston. It would be a full-circle moment for the 2011 Stanley Cup champion to help bring back a title to the Bruins.
A candidate who should be on fans’ radars is Misha Donskov. The Stars assistant coach has over two decades of experience in development and hockey operations and analytics. He played a crucial part in the Vegas Golden Knights’ success and has been a key member of Pete DeBoer’s staff in Dallas. He’s also been pivotal in Team Canada’s success, and Sweeney’s connections with the national team mean he’s quite familiar with Donskov.
Sweeney noted that Joe Sacco and Jay Leach will be in the running. However, if the Bruins are interested in candidates still in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they’ll have to wait until they become available before naming a head coach.
