Laviolette should have been a very strong candidate, but the Preds went on a disappointing run late in the season. No idea if that has any bearing at all. Either way, I don't think anyone would have had them leading the central (and the NHL) for a long stretch. Pretty good accomplishment.
Dejardins is a tough one. What were the Canucks last year? An under-performing team. Though we can safely assume that they were a team on the decline, they were not as bad as their record showed. Torts killed that team. What are the Canucks this season? I think they were still a bubble team. First year Dejardins 'righted' that ship and got them back to where they should have been - or perhaps a valid argument can be made that they slightly exceeded expectations.
Capuano did a great job with the Islanders, but perhaps Snow deserves more credit. Snow added a lot of depth and filled some glaring holes in the lineup. I for one had them picked to safely make the playoffs. In my opinion, I don't think Capuano has helped that team to exceed expectations, but he is definitely deserving of getting that team on the same page and working well. Definitely deserves some consideration from that aspect.
Cameron I think is deserving of a nomination. Sens were not expected to make the playoffs. Cameron stepped in after MacLean was fired in December. Their run late in the season was nothing short of impressive. I would find it difficult to argue that he doesn't deserve a nomination.
Maurice deserves a nod. However, the consensus had the Jets being a bubble team. By that definition, Maurice didn't do anything exceptional. However, he did get that team into the playoffs when they had every excuse not to. Definitely deserves some praise, but I am not sure I would really consider him a strong candidate.
Vigneault is (by definition) the most successful coach in the NHL this season. His team won the President's Trophy. That alone makes him a legitimate contender. I wouldn't call the Rangers a shoe-in to be the top team in the NHL, but they managed to get the job done. Everyone felt they would probably be the strongest team in the East, but few thought they would be the team with the best record in the entire NHL. Vigneault has definitely made that team into a bona fide contender, and I really do think he should be nominated.
Hartley I think is still the strongest candidate. At the start of the season, everyone (not named Ward) and their dog had the Flames battling it out with Buffalo for McDavid. Flames not only got out of the basement, but they made the playoffs. Not only did they make the playoffs, but they did so under strange circumstances - losing all those centers, losing your captain and most important defencemen, having injuries occur in net and playing a rookie goalie for a stretch, playing a system that is essentially against the grain of what many teams are trying to accomplish, and playing more rookies than I think any other team. Not only has this happened, but Calgary has become a fairly enjoyable product to watch outside of its' own fanbase.
There are a host of good stories this year for the Jack Adams. I really believe it is Hartley's to lose at this point, but if he loses, I wouldn't call it a travesty either. There really are a couple of very good cases. I personally feel - even taking off my homer glasses - that Hartley is the most deserving, but I do think there are other very deserving coaches.
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