Rick Tocchet is a hot name in Head Coaching vacancies this off-season, and now, two Metropolitan Division rivals are reportedly battling to land him.
There are many Head Coach vacancies in the NHL this off-season, and while Mike Sullivan has already filled the role in New York, the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins are all seeking their next bench boss.
According to recent reports, the latter two are now battling it out to land Rick Tocchet, who just walked away from a $25 million offer from the Vancouver Canucks, as he seemingly wanted to return to the East Coast and be closer to his family.
Both of these teams fit that criteria, and according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, a bidding war has begun between the two, with General Manager's Kyle Dubas and Danny Briere both desperate to land Tocchet, who has connections to both organizations.
"Dubas likes Rick Tocchet. He wanted him to coach for Team Canada in Sweden this month, in fact. Tocchet turned him down because he knew a storm was brewing in Vancouver.I do believe Tocchet has interest in Pittsburgh. He bleeds black and gold. He loves Crosby. He loves the city.
However, Tocchet also turned down a ton of money in Vancouver. He clearly wants to coach again next season. Philadelphia, as I've reported, wants Tocchet badly. So, how long can Tocchet wait on the Penguins? The timing isn't great."
Tocchet played for the Philadelphia Flyers for 11 years, but won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins as an assistant in 2016, so he has loyalties to both teams, and with both needing a long-term solution at Head Coach, expect to hear more about these two teams battling it out for Tocchet's signature this off-season.
