NHL Preview: The top coaches heading into the 2023 season

The NHL is about to drop the puck to get its 2023 season underway. Hockey devotees will be focused on the darting scorers and physical defensemen on the ice, but it’s also valuable to take a look at who is putting players in the best position to succeed. We’ll get to know the top coaches in the NHL as the campaign begins.

Ruff is the active coaching wins leader, and will begin his fourth season leading the Devils. After taking a couple of years to get New Jersey back into contention, Ruff was able to guide them to 52 regular season wins a year ago. It’s often said the hardest thing to do in sports is go from good to great, but that’s what Ruff is tasked with this season.

Depending on what happens this season, it’s possible that Maurice will pass Ruff in career victories. His work last season with the Panthers deserves praise, as he helped Florida find their stride when it mattered most. After an above average regular season, the Panthers logged upset after upset in the playoffs, and represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Laviolette is one of the most experienced coaches in the NHL, and is embarking on a new challenge with the Rangers this season. This will be his first campaign in New York, after spending the last three seasons with the Washington Capitals. Laviolette won a Stanley Cup back in 2005-2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Tortorella will be motivated to get Philadelphia back to the postseason, as the coach is used to competing for a title in April, May and June. He’s made a few stops throughout his NHL career, and has posted winning composite records for every franchise he’s worked for. The Flyers have some work to do, but have a seasoned leader on the bench.

Perhaps no coach’s image had a wider variety of commentary than Montgomery’s. He led Boston to a record number of regular season wins a year ago, only for the Bruins to be upset in the first round of the NHL playoffs. He deserves credit for developing Boston in a formidable squad, and will need to find a way to get them over the hump in the spring.

Brind’Amour has done a solid job in his brief coaching career. He’s led the Hurricanes for five seasons, and has made the postseason each year. Much like Montgomery in Boston, Brind’Amour has proven that he has a sustainable model for success in the regular season, but will need to find the right message to deliver come playoff time.

NHL coaches tend to bounce around from job to job, but the Lightning and Cooper have been supremely loyal to each other. The partnership has delivered for the franchise and the coach, as Tampa Bay has made it to the Stanley Cup three out of the last four years, including winning it all in two of those campaigns.

It would be a glaring oversight not to include Cassidy on a list of top coaches considering what he was able to do a few months ago. He guided the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup title, which did wonders for his perception. When he was head coach of the Bruins, Cassidy’s teams had a tendency to advance deep into the playoffs but not win when it mattered most.