Disgraced former head coach Dallas Eakins expected to get new NHL head coaching job

Prior to being hired as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, the professional coaching career of Dallas Eakins was on a trajectory that was unlike any other NHL head coach before him.

After retiring as a player, Eakins joined the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and worked his way up through the ranks to become the organization’s head coach of its top minor league affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. While with the Marlies, Eakins established himself as a bit of a hot commodity by using analytics, nutrition and science based coaching methods, rather than traditional coaching methods. He was on the radar of several NHL teams, including the Leafs before they managed to convince Mike Babcock to leave his position with the Detroit Red Wings, but ultimately Eakins decided to take an opportunity with the Edmonton Oilers. Well… we all know how that went…
 
After just one and a half dismal seasons behind the Oilers bench Eakins was banished from the NHL and eventually signed on with the Anaheim Ducks organization to become the team’s AHL head coach with the San Diego Gulls. Well… don’t look now but the Gulls are one of the best teams in the AHL and with the firing of Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle there’s suddenly an opening for a head coach in the NHL.

Of course, general manager Bob Murray has taken over for Carlyle but many, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, seem to feel that Eakins will be named the team’s head coach in the upcoming offseason.

Check out this quote from Friedman, taken from his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet:

He (Murray) is going to determine who creates a positive environment and who doesn’t. The betting is that whatever happens this season with 20-year-olds Max Jones, Sam Steel and Troy Terry, they will be in Anaheim for 2019–20 — with Dallas Eakins.

Makes sense, really. I’m willing to bet that Eakins has learned a LOT since his time with the Oilers, especially when it comes to dealing with the media. And with the Ducks transitioning to a young, faster team in 2020 and beyond it only makes sense to bring in a guy like Eakins who can relate to this upcoming generation of players.