2021 Free Agency: Coaches

[Kevin]

We're going to be kicking off coach free agency next weekend! If you plan on resigning your head coach from last season (as per the coach FA lottery video), please do so before the end of Friday! All AHL coaches whose contracts have expired are available on the open market. Teams who elect to re-sign their NHL head coaches must pay a minimum of a 10% increase over their previous (or rate-adjusted) salary.

Free agent coaches must be signed to a minimum of the stated yearly salary required, which is listed on the coaches page on our site -or- if you are re-signing your existing NHL head coach, please refer to last season's index if it is necessary for you to pay 10% above that salary.

To view which coaches are only eligible for NHL contracts and which are available at both levels, please check the particular coach's bio on the website and make sure it does not say "NHL Head Coach" in their status, if you wish to sign a coach to your AHL team. This info is also provided on the season index.


Teams must submit all contract offers through the e-mail address provided in the video and similar to the example below:

• Subject:
  Reg Dunlop -- $1,500,000 TCV

• Message:
  Phantoms offer for Reg Dunlop
  
  $500,000 for 3 seasons
  Total contract value: $1,500,000
  
  1st choice/2nd choice (if applicable)

Teams with a vacancy may offer contracts to up to two total coaches at a time, starting on Saturday, September 11. Please indicate which offer is your 1st and 2nd choice! If you hold the highest offer for one coach the end of a day, you may bid on one other coach if you would like. If you have offers for two NHL-level coaches on the table, you cannot bid on an AHL-level coach until one of those two offers is taken off the table, or vice-versa. Also, if you have had the highest offer for your "2nd choice" coach for two straight days but continue to make offers for your "1st choice," it will keep the coach "on the table" and eligible for offers from other teams.

Once the open market period begins, you will have until midnight ET on Sunday, September 12 to get offers in for the first offer processing.

The e-mail address provided should be used to submit valid contract bids only. If you need to correct an offer, please submit a new offer with **CORRECTION** at the end of the subject line before the next processing day.


Please also keep in mind that with this year's league expansion, if Seattle has the leading offer for an AHL coach on Day 1, that coach will be automatically signed -or- if Seattle has the leading offer for an AHL coach on Day 2 and beyond, they will have a 50% chance of immediately signing.

If you have further questions, please use this forum thread.


Reminder:
*Coaches may not be signed for more than 3 years.
*Coaches that are eligible to be re-signed must be given at least a 10% raise from their previous contract or the current listed price, whichever is greater.
*A current or previously-tenured real-life NHL head coach may not be hired for your AHL team.
*You must have a coaching vacancy in order to make an offer for a new coach.

[Kevin]

SEPTEMBER 13 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
Ian Laperriere // $450,000
Mike Van Ryn // $900,000
Travis Green // $4,800,000
D.J. Smith // $3,750,000
Gerard Gallant // $15,000,000
Rick Bowness // $7,500,000
Sheldon Keefe // $9,600,000
David Quinn // $4,400,000


Seattle hires an AHL coach with their lead offer on Day 1. Most teams seem to be in pretty good standing so far through this first round of offers, though there are still some teams who will either need to step up or wake up on Day 2.


Jay Leach signs a 3-year, $1,125,000 AHL contract with the Seattle Kraken.


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.

[Kevin]

SEPTEMBER 14 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
D.J. Smith // $3,750,000
Rick Bowness // $7,500,000
David Quinn // $4,400,000
Nolan Pratt // $600,000
Ryan McGill // $750,000
Jeff Blashill // $2,700,000
John Hynes // $3,750,000
Dave Hakstol // $3,000,000
Lindy Ruff // $2,000,000


Three 2nd-choice NHL coaches have gone back into the pool after today's signings. Anyone with an outstanding offer can pull it in favor of a new offer if it is indicated before the end of Tuesday.


Ian Laperriere signs a 3-year, $450,000 AHL contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Mike Van Ryn signs a 3-year, $900,000 AHL contract with the New York Rangers.
Travis Green re-signs a 3-year, $4,800,000 NHL contract with the St. Louis Blues.
Gerard Gallant signs a 3-year, $15,000,000 NHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Sheldon Keefe signs a 3-year, $9,600,000 NHL contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.

[Kevin]

SEPTEMBER 15 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
Nolan Pratt // $750,000
Jeff Blashill // $2,700,000
Dave Hakstol // $3,000,000
Joe Sacco // $1,800,000
Derek Laxdal // $1,500,000
Rick Bowness // $6,000,000


Hooray for ultra-late hockey. That's why the odd time of this post here when most people are sleeping. Things are starting to get interesting about 2nd-choice offers but I can't say anything more than that right now. So just two signings for this update.


John Hynes signs a 3-year, $3,750,000 NHL contract with the Seattle Kraken.
Lindy Ruff signs a 2-year, $2,000,000 NHL contract with the Arizona Coyotes.


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.

[Kevin]

SEPTEMBER 16 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
Nolan Pratt // $825,000
Jeff Blashill // $2,700,000
Trent Cull // $900,000


I'm a bit perplexed with the number of teams who are yet to make an attempt to fill their coaching vacancies but some teams have been able to capitalize on it.


Joe Sacco signs a 3-year, $1,800,000 AHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Derek Laxdal signs a 3-year, $1,500,000 AHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
Rick Bowness signs a 3-year, $6,000,000 NHL contract with the New York Rangers.


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.

[Kevin]

SEPTEMBER 18 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
none


Damn it! I wrote last night's processing as a draft instead of an actual post! There was one offer on Thursday. However, since no offers were submitted Friday, that offer is considered as accepted.


Trent Cull signs a 3-year, $900,000 AHL contract with the Arizona Coyotes. (9/17)
Nolan Pratt signs a 3-year, $825,000 AHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres. (9/17)
Ben Groulx signs a 3-year, $1,500,000 AHL contract with the San Jose Sharks.


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.

[Sweet_Doug]

Looks like the following three teams are going to go the Reg Dunlop player/coach approach in the AHL:

• Boston @BostonGM

• Colorado @KirkAvalanche

• Los Angeles @KingoftheWest

[Kevin]

SEPTEMBER 27 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan Craig // $600,000


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.

[Kevin]

SEPTEMBER 28 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
none


Well at least there's one fewer GM asleep at the wheel.


Ryan Craig signs a 3-year, $600,000 AHL contract with the Boston Bruins.


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.

[Kevin]

NOVEMBER 10 UPDATE

Coach // Current Best Offer (Total Contract Value)
------------------------------------------------------------
none


This is a retroactive post to an offer that was submitted back on October 24. It was thereafter confirmed as accepted by the coach.


Rocky Thompson signs a 3-year, $600,000 AHL contract with the Colorado Avalanche.


Teams have until 1am EDT daily to submit a higher qualifying offer (minimum 10% raise) on the coaches listed or offers to new candidates. If the current best offer remains on back-to-back updates, the coach will be signed.