Outside of Rick Tocchet, who landed with the Flyers, there haven’t been many names firmly connected to the Kraken’s head coach vacancy. That changed today when TSN’s Darren Dreger reported they’ve received permission from the Maple Leafs to interview assistant coach Lane Lambert for their head coach role. They’ve also displayed interest in Capitals assistant Mitch Love and Penguins assistant David Quinn, Dreger adds.
It won’t be Lambert’s first go-around as a head coach if he wins the race. The 60-year-old was tabbed as the Isles’ bench boss ahead of the 2022-23 season after four years there as an associate coach. He lasted less than two full seasons there and was replaced by Patrick Roy near the midpoint of the 2023-24 campaign. After finishing the year without a job, he served as Craig Berube’s associate coach in Toronto this year.
Love and Quinn have both been tied to Pittsburgh’s head coach opening as well, with the former as the favorite by all indications. Love has spent the last two years in Washington under 2025 Jack Adams Award nominee Spencer Carbery, his first job on an NHL bench. The 40-year-old has made quick work of his jump up from the junior ranks to the NHL. In his brief two-year stop in the AHL as head coach of Calgary’s affiliate, he won Coach of the Year honors in both seasons.
Quinn is the most known commodity of the trio, something that may work against him in the end for a Seattle club looking to vault upward out of a pair of slightly sub-.500 finishes. Across stops with the Rangers and Sharks over the past six years, the 58-year-old had just a 137-185-50 (.435) record. He’s spent just one year with Pittsburgh, his lone campaign as an assistant in the NHL.
Seattle’s on the hunt for the third head coach in franchise history after they fired Dan Bylsma in April following just one season behind the bench. They’re one of the four active vacancies remaining, although that list is expected to drop to three soon with the Blackhawks on the verge of hiring Lightning assistant and former Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill. Alongside Pittsburgh, the Bruins are also looking for a new coach.