Rod Brind’Amour doubts his future in Carolina

Rod Brind’Amour has been coach of the Carolina Hurricanes for six years. He’s identified with the franchise (he was captain during the 2006 Stanley Cup) and everyone there loves him.

However, the Hurricanes being… the Hurricanes, it’s never easy to settle the question of his contract.

While no team likes to see its coach lead on a final year contract, the Canes have done it twice. He’s been the coach since 2018 and signed a three-year contract in 2018 and another in June 2021.

Why is the club doing this? I don’t know. Maybe it’s Brind’Amour who wants to do this, but I have my doubts: he looks very well at home in Carolina.

The problem with acting this way? It opens the door to doubts. Look at what happened with Barry Trotz in 2018: he didn’t get a contract extension until 2018, won the Stanley Cup and left.

But it looks like the whole thing is about to backfire on the Canes. According to reports, the coach, who won a playoff round for the sixth year in a row, is hesitant/uncertain about his future. The News & Observer reports.

The club owner may say it’s all but settled , and the GM may say the same, but until Brind’Amour puts ink to paper, it’s not done.

I imagine that the coach, as good as he’s been in Carolina for nearly 25 years, knows full well that if he decides to wait a few weeks and is ready to move, he’ll have some crazy offers on the table.

In the MLB, the Chicago Cubs recently fired their manager to bring in Craig Counsell, who was free as a bird after finishing his contract in Milwaukee. I could see an NHL club doing the same for Brind’Amour.

Could the Kraken convince him? He knows Ron Francis well…

Right now, the Kraken, Sharks and Senators don’t have a coach. The Blues, Kings and Devils all have interim coaches… and the picture could change. Rumours have Mike Sullivan heading to New Jersey and Sheldon Keefe could be fired, for example.

Yes, Martin St-Louis could continue to climb “the list” in the near future…

Believe it or not, with the firing of Dave Hakstol, Martin St-Louis now ranks seventh in the NHL for longest tenure as head coach with his current team! pic.twitter.com/sLU8IlyuLD

– RDS (@RDSca) April 29, 2024

In gusto

– Really?

His moneyman is said to have planned meetings at $250,000 each during the racehttps://t.co/5594fSEEBz

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 1, 2024

– Can the Maple Leafs come from behind?[BPM Sports]

– Peter Laviolette versus Rod Brind’Amour will be… something.

– What do you think?

– Good question about Lane Hutson’s brother. Clubs might not want to pass him up.