Could there be a Lightning strike in Scott Arniel’s not-so-distant future?
We certainly think there’s a better-than-average chance.
While the head coach of the Manitoba Moose is busy preparing for the first game of the Calder Cup playoffs, there’s been a development that might impact his chances of graduating to the NHL next season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning fired general manager Brian Lawton and head coach Rick Tocchet Monday morning, paving the way for a fresh direction under new owner Jeff Vinik.
Arniel, who recently completed his fourth regular season as Moose head coach, hasn’t hidden his desire to become an NHL bench boss but has said in recent years that it has to be the right situation and that he’s not going to rush at the first option presented to him.
He’s also talked about the importance of going to an organization where you are familiar, if not aligned, with the general manager.
So what makes the Tampa Bay situation enticing?
First of all, there is no head coach in waiting within the organization.
We hate to put the cart before the horse, but one of the early candidates for the GM job in Tampa Bay is Dave Nonis — currently the right hand man of Brian Burke with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Should Nonis get the job, at the very least Arniel will be on the short list for an interview.
Nonis is a fan of Arniel’s work from his time within the Vancouver Canucks organization and was part of the hiring process when Arniel was brought back to Winnipeg.
When Nonis was fired, Arniel spoke glowingly of the job he did.
The mutual respect is obvious.
While things could change in the coming weeks, there are no other openings in the NHL, though both the Columbus Blue Jackets (Claude Noel) and St. Louis Blues (Davis Payne) currently have interim head coaches who enjoyed some level of success since taking over from their predecessors.
Arniel has some familiarity with the Eastern Conference from his three seasons as assistant coach under Lindy Ruff with the Buffalo Sabres.
While the Lightning franchise has been in turmoil over the past couple of seasons, from the hiring and firing of ESPN analyst Barry Melrose to the circus-like atmosphere surrounding previous owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules, it looks like a team on the rise.
With second-year sniper Steven Stamkos coming into his own and scoring 51 goals and veterans like Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Mattias Ohlund on board, the Lightning could contend for a playoff spot next season.
They’ll have a nice mix of youngsters and veterans, which should also work in Arniel’s favour.
During Arniel’s four seasons behind the Moose bench, he’s never won fewer than 40 games and that lowest total came this year, when the Moose were ravaged by injury and weren’t nearly as talented as in previous editions.
Nonetheless, he’s averaged 45 wins per season in a developmental league and reached the Calder Cup final last spring.
Arniel is a bright hockey mind and he’s grown immensely as a coach during the past four seasons.
He’s ready for the next challenge and it could be just around the corner for him.
