(UPDATE 9:59 PM)– The Binghamton Senators picked up a huge overtime win in Game 5 to extend their series to a sixth game in Manchester. Kaspars Daugavins scored the winning goal. The SensChirp Bingo road trip dream lives on. Go BSens Go!
As a promised, a quick update on the Sens search for a new head coach. The plan remains unchanged. The club will in all likelihood hire someone during the month of May as they would like to have someone in place for the draft in June.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t started to think about possible candidates.
The Sens and General Manager Bryan Murray are obviously very early in the process. There are a few guys that are coaching teams in the first round that the Sens would definitely be interested in.
In fact, one contact suggested that the team’s preferred choice is still coaching in the NHL playoffs. There are obviously a few guys that fit that criteria including Lindy Ruff, Kirk Muller, Claude Julien and Dave Tippett.
Perhaps the most interesting name on this list is Lindy Ruff. He has been in Buffalo for more than a decade but does not have a contract beyond this year. The new owner in Buffalo has indicated he wants to bring Ruff back next season but no agreement has been reached as of yet.
Ruff is a long shot but definitely a guy Ottawa would be interested in if he was available.
Dave Cameron will definitely get an interview and that should come as no surprise although people seem to be talking about him as an assistant coach more than anything. Pete DeBoer is another name that has been tossed around but there does not appear to be any interest from the Sens on that front.
Still, the word is the Sens won’t “officially” begin their search until the first round of the playoffs ends. Will continue to update this situation as the off season progresses.
