There's been significant turnover behind NHL benches over the last two years. More than half of the league's head coaches have only been with their current team since 2023, and 13 are entering their first full season with their respective clubs. But there are still a handful of teams with head coaches who are far from comfortable entering the new campaign.
Here are the four coaches under the most pressure ahead of the 2024-25 season:
Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins
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Any head coach who misses the playoffs for two straight seasons with Sidney Crosby on the roster will be feeling the heat. Sullivan is also the second-longest tenured coach and works for a general manager (Kyle Dubas) who didn't hire him, so it's easy to see why many feel he's likely the next bench boss to be fired.
Sullivan has the respect of many around the league as a top-tier head coach. But stats can't be ignored: Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff round since 2018.
The Penguins are in a tough spot, but they're clearly still trying to be competitive in the twilight of Crosby's career. A lack of progression back toward the playoff picture could be the breaking point for Sullivan.
Derek Lalonde, Detroit Red Wings
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The Red Wings narrowly missed the playoffs in Lalonde's second season behind the bench. Detroit enjoyed an 11-point bump to tie the Washington Capitals for the final wild-card spot, only missing out because the former had fewer regulation wins.
Though that's positive year-over-year improvement, Detroit has now missed the playoffs in eight consecutive campaigns and hasn't won a playoff round in over a decade. Young stars Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond have graduated from cheap entry-level contracts to big-money extensions. It's time to take the next step.
After last season's push, the Red Wings have to break into the playoffs to call the campaign a success. GM Steve Yzerman isn't going anywhere and, with the roster's core largely in place, a disappointing year will put Lalonde's job at risk.
Andre Tourigny, Utah Hockey Club
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It's almost unfathomable that Tourigny is the NHL's fifth-longest tenured coach. Hired July 1, 2021, the Arizona Coyotes improved each year under Tourigny and were on the playoff bubble before things fell apart midseason after relocation rumors resurfaced.
Now settled in Utah with those distractions in the rearview, expectations are vastly different for Tourigny's team. New ownership has already put resources into the roster, thanks to the acquisitions of Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino. Dylan Guenther recently agreed to a long-term contract as well.
Tourigny has goodwill with the players and management, but the pressure will mount if Utah gets off to a slow start. Tourigny's security will wane should Utah fail to make a legitimate push for the playoffs.
Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning
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Never say never. We've seen how ruthless GM Julien BriseBois can be - he held a firm line in negotiations with Steven Stamkos and let the franchise icon walk in free agency.
After back-to-back first-round exits, the Lightning made efforts to reform the lineup by signing Jake Guentzel and re-acquiring Ryan McDonagh.
If Tampa loses in the first round again or falls out of the playoffs entirely, Cooper's seat will rise in temperature. It would be a gutsy move to let the league's longest-tenured coach go, but we've seen BriseBois make tough, unpopular choices already.
