What Went Wrong with Bruce Cassidy & Who is in Line to Replace Him

The Boston Bruins are an organization with the expectation to contend for the Stanley Cup every season, no excuses. Hence, they've fired Bruce Cassidy after the team made the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, fell in the second round in consecutive seasons thereafter, and faced elimination in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes this season. While some teams can't even sniff the postseason, the Bruins fired their head coach for lack of postseason success. But why did the Bruins part ways with a head coach many believe to be one of the NHL's best?

According to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, the Bruins front office simply felt a new, more forward thinking presence was necessary in the room. It was the belief of some, reportedly, that the Bruins' younger players possessed a significant fear of making mistakes. Some might call that 'discipline,' but playing the game scared is one way to ensure you will never win. If you are a GM, you want your team playing with confidence, decisiveness, & poise. Don Sweeney & Cam Neely felt as thought Cassidy's demanding, rigid coaching style applied too much pressure to the team's skilled players & cost them offense. And if you break down the Bruins' offensive metrics, outside of Marchand, Bergeron, Pastrnak, & Hall the team really struggled. The foursome each scored over 60 points while the next closest forward only produced 44.

While the team's defense was second to none, it was a simple matter of 'we need a change' for Bruins' leadership. Neely & Sweeney specified two deficiencies under Cassidy: optimal player performance, especially that of younger ones, and five-on-five offensive production. His demanding approach seriously wore away at some of the team's youngsters; so much so, that Jake DeBrusk formally requested a trade out of the organization.

Shinzawa's full Athletic piece available here:

In a separate piece, Shinzawa states that the Bruins' championship is closing fast. With the core of their 2011 Stanley Cup winning team (Chara, Rask, Marchand, Bergeron, & Krejci) 60-80% gone, it is unlikely the team can contend for long. Especially with their mediocre prospect pool, thanks mostly to the infamous 2015 Draft when the Bruins selected Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, & Zachary Senyshyn with picks 13, 14, & 15. The following three picks were Mat Barzal, Kyle Connor, & Thomas Chabot. I can only imagine the three of them on the Bruins the last seven years...

Per Shinzawa, the list of qualified candidates consists of five names as it stands today. Neely stated clearly that the team is looking to move in a new direction, thus eliminating any of the 'old guard' coaching free agents (Trotz, Babcock, Tortorella, and the like). He names Jay Leach, current Assistant Coach with the Seattle Kraken, as the leading candidate. Leach was Head Coach for Providence College for four seasons before landing his NHL job and has familiarity with several Bruins players, having coached them previously. Leach checks all the Bruins boxes & would be a nice fit there. Also mentioned is former NY Rangers HC David Quinn, who is currently employed by USA Hockey. Quinn has the appetite to coach in the NHL again & has ties to the Boston area, having coached at Boston University for five seasons. Nate Leaman is an interesting name to watch as well. Currently the Head Coach for the Providence College Friars, Leaman is highly regarded around the hockey world, and his employment in the NHL is all but imminent.

The Bruins will have many questions to address this summer, but perhaps none are more pressing than the future of reigning Selke Trophy winner & Captain Patrice Bergeron. His fate will likely determine the direction of the Bruins for the next few seasons.

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