Veteran, First-Year Coaches Already Preparing For Next Season

The 2013 Stanley Cup Finals aren’t even over yet, but for the 28 teams that have already shifted their focus to next season it is never too early to start thinking about the future. Ottawa Senators’ head coach Paul MacLean has already turned the page on a successful season after winning the Jack Adams award as the league’s best coach, and there are four key candidates that could very well follow in his footsteps next season as they attempt to raise the bar for their respective franchises.

One coach that will be aiming for a better end to his season is Dan Bylsma, the 2011 Jack Adams award winner whose team finished first in the Eastern Conference but was eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Boston Bruins. The Pittsburgh Penguins managed to lock up the top seed despite missing Sidney Crosby for most of the season, and if their captain can stay healthy there is no reason to think they will now be able to repeat as the first-place team in the East. Marc-Andre Fleury will need to bounce back and prove he can lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup, as Pittsburgh comes out with a new resolve next season.

For those interested in online betting at betonline.ag, there is one team flying under the radar right now that deserves a look as a potential sleeper pick. The Minnesota Wild finished eighth in the Western Conference last season after a slew of injuries really hurt their team, but with Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, and Jason Pominville all together for another year there is little doubt they could contend for a top-four seed. Mike Yeo will be in the spotlight as he looks to put his talent in the best possible position to succeed, and if he fails to lock up home advantage for at least the first round then there is a good chance he will be on the chopping block.

There are two new NHL coaches that could also make a huge impact after being signed recently, as Patrick Roy takes over behind the bench for the Colorado Avalanche while Dallas Eakins takes over for the Edmonton Oilers. The Avalanche have some quality young talent that could be on the verge of taking a major step forward with the addition of one or two key pieces, while the Oilers could be even closer with all of the top-five picks they have drafted in recent years. Roy will be given a little more time in Colorado and earning a playoff spot could be enough for him to be in the running for the Jack Adams. The expectations will be a little higher for Eakins, but he has more talent at his disposal right now and should be able to find the right mix to get Edmonton in to the hunt for a playoff spot as one of the favorites to make the playoffs at the www.betonline.ag/sportsbook site.

Author Bio:

Rick Tildor is an online sports betting pro and enjoys online betting at betonline.ag, one of his favorite sites to play at. For the best in-game betting options he recommends you check out www. betonline.ag/sportsbook