No less than a dozen NHL clubs underwent a transformation during the offseason, outside of the player personnel.
Seven clubs, including the Flyers, made changes to their coaching staffs, while others saw an infusion of new faces in middle and upper management.
No coaching change was more dramatic than the “Babs Sweepstakes” of late May, which saw former Detroit coach Mike Babcock sign an eight-year, $50 million contract to handle the league’s richest franchise in Toronto.
Babcock will earn $6.5 million a year — double what Joel Quenneville earns in Chicago and all he’s done is win three Stanley Cups over the last seven seasons.
As good as Babcock is, he has just one Cup to his name.
To lend some historic texture to this, consider that the legendary Scotty Bowman won nine Cups as a coach, has 14 overall, given his various management duties, and only earned a fraction of what Babs was awarded from the Maple Leafs when he stood behind the bench.
Now what transpired on the management front, however, was even more fascinating, especially as it applied to New Jersey, and again, Toronto.
NHL
None was more intriguing than Lou Lamoriello, first stepping down as general manager in New Jersey with the arrival of Ray Shero and then leaving the Devils — a franchise that bore his image and philosophy in every way imaginable — to join Toronto.
Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan named Lamoriello to succeed Dave Nonis and then a month later, Lamoriello brought his longtime friend and associate, Jacques Lemaire, aboard as a "special assignment coach," whatever that means.
Also of note this summer, longtime Rangers GM Glen Sather finally faded into retirement, stepping aside for Jeff Gorton, signaling the end of an era on Broadway.
Here’s the scorecard:
Coaches
Buffalo — Ted Nolan fired; Dan Bylsma replaced him.
Detroit — Babcock contract up; Jeff Blashill replaced him.
Edmonton — Todd McLellan replaced interim coach Todd Nelson.
Flyers — Craig Berube fired; Dave Hakstol replaced him.
New Jersey — Peter DeBoer fired; John Hynes replaced him.
San Jose — McLellan mutual departure; DeBoer replaced him.
Toronto — Peter Horaschek fired; Babcock — highest paid NHL coach ever, making $6.5 million salary per year for coaching alone and the rest for assisting the GM, etc. — replaced him.
Management
Arizona — Claude Loiselle named hockey operations consultant.
Boston — Peter Chiarelli fired as GM; Don Sweeney replaced him.
Edmonton — Chiarelli named President of Hockey Operations replacing Patrick Laforge; GM Craig MacTavish resigned.
New Jersey — Shero named GM; Lamoriello re-signs but retains position as club president until late July, when he resigned to join Toronto.
New York Rangers — Sather resigned; Gorton takes over.
St. Louis — Marty Brodeur named assistant GM.
Toronto — Lamoriello a late summer replacement of fired GM Nonis; team president B. Shanahan. Later, Lamoriello hires Jacques Lemaire as “special assignment coach.”