NHL Rumors: Elliotte Friedman names two candidates whom teams are considering as head coach replacements

Renowned NHL insider Elliotte Friedman dropped a bombshell revelation regarding the names being discussed as potential head coach replacements.

On the November 11 edition of the "32 Thoughts Podcast," Friedman discussed possible head coaching changes with co-host Kyle Bukauskas. Specifically, two names have surfaced as leading candidates: Todd McLellan and Joel Quenneville.

Friedman offered the following comments on the matter:

"I just feel that I've got a number of people just telling me that the chatter is starting to pick up, like you try to give your teams a month to sort themselves out if they're really struggling. And I think that we're kind of getting there in a couple of these situations.”

The comments allude to teams currently struggling in the standings. While Friedman did not name any specific teams, he did allude to clubs underperforming this season.

Additionally, Elliotte Friedman expanded how these matters are handled quite carefully.

“People are always careful about saying where, because I think they're sensitive. Like, coaches know, right? Like they know when it's real, and they know when it's not real, and they try not to pour gasoline on the fire, but it's out there.”

It’s hard to tell at this point which teams may be looking for a change behind the bench. It’s possible to infer which teams may be considering a change. But until there is a solid lead on teams looking to make a change, Friedman’s comments can be taken as nothing more than hearsay.

Elliotte Friedman points to McLellan and Quenneville as leading candidates

McLellan was a finalist for several head coaching positions this summer including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets.

While McLellan did not land in any of those openings, his name has not gone away. McLellan has 598 wins and led the San Jose Sharks to the Conference finals during his tenure there.

As for Quenneville, he last coached the Florida Panthers in 2021. He was replaced by Paul Maurice, who eventually led the Panthers to the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, Quenneville was a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks.

With those impressive resumes, Elliotte Friedman claims McLellan and Quenneville are the frontrunners for upcoming vacancies.

“You can really feel it," Friedman said. "Quenneville and McLellan names, I think those are among the names that people are starting to talk about."

It remains to be seen which teams are genuinely looking to make a coaching change. But if and when those changes happen, fans could see McLellan and Quenneville return to the NHL.