Rumour Roundup: Can Hurricanes keep coach Rod Brind’Amour?

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Rumour Roundup: Can Hurricanes keep coach Rod Brind’Amour?

As the Carolina Hurricanes‘ off-season begins earlier than expected, many questions remain unanswered.

But before anything can be done roster-wise, the future of coach Rod Brind’Amour likely needs to be addressed.

Brind’Amour is on an expiring contract and figures to be very desirable for other teams if he doesn’t come to terms with the Hurricanes, who were eliminated in Game 6 of the second round against the New York Rangers on Thursday.

On the 32 Thoughts podcast Friday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said he believes the most likely outcome is for Brind’Amour to remain in Carolina. But there are no guarantees.

“I think what Brind’Amour is going to have to prove is that he really wants to leave. That said, I think teams are going to ask,” Friedman said. “I think New Jersey will definitely ask, but I think everybody’s going to look into it. I think, immediately, they’re going to get questions (about) what exactly is the case here.”

Between the first and second rounds, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told The Athletic‘s Michael Russo he remained confident the sides would get a deal done.

“I have told you before the best source I have on this believes this is going to work out,” Friedman said. “But this person also can’t believe it got to this point and says it’s really a bad thing for the organization that it exploded between the first and second round of the playoffs. There’s no way to prove it but he really feels is it possible it’s not a coincidence the Hurricanes fell behind 3-0 in this series because this became a thing. His general feeling is no, but he doesn’t think it helped.”

An Ottawa native, Brind’Amour has been the head coach of the Hurricanes since the 2018-19 season and has led the squad to playoff appearances each year, including three divisional titles.

He signed a three-year contract extension in June 2021 and was given the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top head coach that same day.

In addition to his Jack Adams, Brind’Amour amassed numerous accolades during his time as a player, including two Frank J. Selke trophies for best two-way forward and a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 — the organization’s only championship. He played for the organization for 10 seasons, between 1999 and 2010.

Blue Jackets’ GM search

Like Brind’Amour, Waddell could be appealing to another team, too.

“The other thing I kind of wonder is, does Columbus, which is looking for experience (and has a vacant GM role), want to talk to a Don Waddell or something like that?” Friedman said.

“It’s also possible the Blue Jackets are looking to hire not just an experienced hockey person, but an experienced business person,” Friedman said. “Don Waddell knows how to run a business, too.”

Friedman said one person who won’t be going to Columbus is Montreal Canadiens executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, who worked with Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson with the Rangers.

“He’s not going to be leaving Montreal for Columbus. At the end of the day, I don’t believe permission was ever granted,” Friedman said. “He’s still in the process of rebuilding Montreal, and I think it was made pretty clear that the Canadiens were not in favour of the idea.”

Will Gallant land an NHL job?

32 Thoughts co-host Jeff Marek said former Rangers coach Gerard Gallant was on the radar of the Moncton Wildcats before the QMJHL team hired decorated University of New Brunswick coach Gardiner MacDougall this week.

Gallant, a Prince Edward Island native like MacDougall, is exploring his NHL options.

“The best answer I can give you is I believe he has spoken to Toronto,” Friedman said of the veteran coach. “You know my feelings on Toronto, which is, until I’m told otherwise, I believe (Craig) Berube is their guy. It’s just the matter of what the process is to get there.”

Friedman added he assumed Gallant has talked to other NHL teams, as well.

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