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Christopher Boan writes for BetOhio.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
Columbus Blue Jackets Head Coach Candidates: Odds For Pascal Vincent’s Replacement
One of the NHL’s most woebegone franchises is in the market for a new head coach again. The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to replace Pascal Vincent, who was fired this week after a single season where he went 27-43-12, finishing last in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus is on a four-year postseason hiatus and looking up at every other team in the Metropolitan Division. It’s high time for a new coach to find the right groove and get the club back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020. BetOhio.com continues its Ohio betting sites coverage by breaking down a few candidates for the Blue Jackets’ head coaching opening.
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Columbus Blue Jackets Head Coach Odds
Coach | Position | Odds | Percent Chance |
Todd Nelson | Hershey Bears (AHL) Head Coach | +325 | 23.6% |
Todd McLellan | Former LA Kings Head Coach | +400 | 20.0% |
Kirk Muller | Washington Capitals Assistant Coach | +600 | 14.3% |
Jay Woodcroft | Former Edmonton Oilers Head Coach | +1000 | 9.1% |
Dave Hakstol | Former Seattle Kraken Head Coach | +1000 | 9.1% |
David Carle | University of Denver Head Coach | +1500 | 6.3% |
The Field |
| +500 | 16.7% |
Vincent took over in very difficult circumstances. Brad Larsen departed after the 2022-23 season with veteran Mike Babcock replacing him. But Babcock was the subject of an offseason investigation into inappropriate behavior, and the result was that he resigned without ever coaching a game for Columbus.
In stepped Vincent, who had been an assistant with the Blue Jackets since 2021. But the Jackets lost nine games in a row in November and never recovered, disappointing anyone betting on their futures at Ohio sportsbook apps.
Who Replaces Pascal Vincent in Columbus?
Right now, the man coaching the Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate through the Calder Cup finals is our top pick to be the next Blue Jackets head coach. Todd Nelson of the Hershey Bears is listed at +325, ahead of veteran coach Todd McLellan, who is listed at +600.
Nelson is the reigning two-time AHL Eastern Conference championship winning coach for Hershey. He led the Bears to a 44-19-9 record in the AHL this year after running the Grand Rapids Griffins from 2015-16 to 2017-18 and the Oklahoma City Barons from 2010-11 to 2013-14.
McLellan has been a head coach with the Sharks, Oilers and Kings. He was fired in Los Angeles after a 23-15-10 start to the 2023-24 season. Columbus has +20000 odds with Caesars Ohio Sportsbook to win their first Stanley Cup in the 2024-25 season.
Current Washington Capitals assistant Kirk Muller is at +600 odds on our board and two NHL head coaches (Jay Woodcraft and Dave Hakstol) who were fired in the past several months are at +1000 each.
David Carle, who has led the Denver Pioneers men’s hockey team to the 2022 and 2024 NCAA titles and two National Collegiate Hockey Conference championships between 2018 and 2024, is our longshot candidate to replace Vincent. The 16-year NCAA coach is listed at +1500 to make the jump to the pros this offseason.
Whichever candidate gets the job will have a tall task. Columbus looks to get back to the sport’s postseason for the first time in four years and turn the corner after a stretch of abysmal play in the state capital.
Check out the best Ohio betting promotions at BetOhio.com as this NHL season winds down.
Also, get ready for the NHL Draft by visiting our Blue Jackets Draft Picks 2024 breakdown.
USA Today photo by James Guillory
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