Claude Julien: Skating On Thin Ice
Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien knows his job is on the line heading into the 2016-17 season.
Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien is the team’s all-time winningest coach. He helped lead the Black and Gold to two Stanley Cup Finals and a 2011 Championship. He’s won the Art Ross award for being the best coach in the NHL while at the helm of the Bruins. Even with all these accolades, he doesn’t have much job security.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
It’s not entirely his fault.
Claude Julien brought a defensive-minded style of hockey to Boston. In his first few years, he was able to bring the Boston Bruins back from borderline irrelevance to a playoff-caliber team. He was given the kind of players who would play three-zone, two-way hockey. Led by Zdeno Chara, Mark Recchi, and Patrice Bergeron the Bruins were a dangerous team to play against.
Then things began to change at the TD Garden. Marc Recchi retired after the 2011 season. Zdeno Chara began to slow down, hampered by injuries sustained in his career.
The Boston Bruins also had a rough few years when it came to finding new talent. The Bruins traded away career-potential players like Tyler Seguin and Johnny Boychuk. They couldn’t find a way to keep other serious players like Phil Kessel and Dougie Hamilton. This led to a glut in their talent pool that the B’s haven’t quite managed to replenish just yet.
Don’t get me wrong, the Bruins aren’t abysmal. They haven’t sunk to the level of Columbus, Toronto, and Edmonton just yet. The Boston Bruins are struggling to find their identity after two years out of the playoffs, and some of that is Claude Julien’s responsibility.
Claude Julien’s greatest sin is that he’s become too comfortable with veteran players. While he’s become less hesitant to play younger players, it has been more out of necessity than desire.
He’s also had to switch tacks in his coaching style, playing a far more aggressive style of offense. To his credit, it did work. The Bruins finished fifth in overall offense. But it wasn’t enough to plug all the defensive holes and below-average play of Tuukka Rask last year.
The Bruins organization seems prepared for a changing of the guard already. During the offseason, the Bruins promoted Providence Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy to the number two coaching job in Boston. Cassidy is far more comfortable playing younger players, and has a better track record of molding young talent. With Jay Pandolfo (the B’s former head of player development) moving into the other assistants role, the B’s may already have a plan ‘B’ ready to go if the Bruins falter early.
It would be an unfortunate end to Julien’s career in Boston. He’s the coach that brought the Cup back to TD Garden. Still, the Bruins need to make a change to get back on the playoff track. Removing Claude Julien might be the change the B’s need.