"Plenty of speculation swirled around Patrick Roy 's potential dismissal this summer. New GM Mathieu Darche could have swiped the slate clean, but opted to keep Roy. The Isles' coach will start his second full season with the team. After rallying the club to an unlikely playoff appearance in 2023-24, the wheels completely fell off last season. Much of it was not Roy's fault, as the insane number of injuries derailed the team's entire season."
"The future looked bright, with the club swinging for the fence during the 2024 offseason. That effort fell flat last season. The Preds were a bottom-dwelling team, missing the playoffs by a wide margin. The team still has a talented, veteran core. It also boasts elite talent in Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi, club all-time leading scorer Filip Forsberg, and Vezina candidate Juuse Saros."
Season-opening projections focus on NHL coaches at risk of losing their jobs in 2025-26. Some coaches could be dismissed after slow starts or consecutive poor seasons. Patrick Roy will begin his second full season with the New York Islanders after injuries ruined the previous year despite a 2023-24 playoff rally; offseason moves increase pressure to return the team to postseason contention. Andrew Brunette energized the Nashville Predators with a 2024 playoff berth and a Jack Adams nomination but oversaw a dramatic fall to the bottom of the standings; the club’s veteran core and elite players raise expectations that management may no longer tolerate underperformance.
Read at Puck Prose
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