Craig Berube fired by Flyers; who are leading candidates to take over?

Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall on Wednesday said the fate of his coach Craig Berube would be determined after a “methodical” evaluation process.

“I'm not going to make a quick decision to appease people, or to follow along like it's supposed to be done. I'm going to do everything I can to do the due diligence that's appropriate to make the decision. Once I get there, then we'll let people know. I'm not going to make a hasty decision and look back and regret it. I'm going to do everything I can to gather all the information out there and make the right decision,” he said.

This intense process took … under two days.

Berube was fired on Friday by the Flyers, going 75-58-28 as head coach, the 18th the organization has had. (This was also Berube’s 18th year with the Flyers as a player and a coach. And Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln! Spooooky!)

Berube was a rising coaching star in the Flyers organization when he was tapped to take over for Peter Laviolette in Game 4 of the 2013-14 season. He went on a 42-27-10 run, finished third in the Metro and lost a tight seven-game series to the New York Rangers.

All of that was a distant memory this season, as the Flyers finished sixth in the Metro going 33-31-18.

Some of that failure was on management, which left the Flyers as a capped-out group and made some questionable decisions in addressing areas of need, i.e. the blue line. In hindsight, the Scott Hartnell trade was, shall we say, a mistake. (R.J. Umberger: 15 points in 67 games.)

Some of that failure was out of anyone’s hands  - Kimmo Timonen was a vital part of the playoff team last season, and his blood clot crisis kept him out of the lineup for the majority of the season, until his trade to the Blackhawks.

But a lot of it was on Berube, his systems and their effectiveness. According to CSN Philly, the team’s 2.56 goals per game average was their worst since 1970. They were No. 27 on the penalty kill and were No. 19 in the NHL at 5-on-5.

His handling of Vincent Lecavalier during a down offensive year for the team was poor. His handling of Steve Mason may have led to the departure of Jeff Reese, who turned Mason into a potential solution to the Flyers’ ongoing goalie problem.

So while this dismissal might seem hasty, there’s a mountain of evidence that it’s the right call.

And don’t forget: He wasn’t ultimately Hextall’s hire.

"In a nutshell, in the end I just didn’t feel he got enough out of our group collectively,” said Hextall, today.

So who might take over in Philadelphia?

Mike Babcock: Every team that has an owner with Ed Snider’s deep pockets is going to be in the Mike Babcock business. The speculation machine was already cranked up in January about this match. It’s still 60/40 that he remains in Detroit.

Todd McLellan: Well, if you can’t get Babcock, hire one of his acolytes. His welcome is being worn in San Jose, with Joe Thornton snarking about him recently, and speculation is that he and the team could split on their own accords. A respected, accomplished coach (if not in the championship sense), it would be interesting to see how he activates the talented depth behind Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds.

Claude Julien: Tim Panaccio puts him on the short list if he’s fired in Boston, and Ed Snider is nothing but familiar with how his Bruins teams played and excelled.

Dan Bylsma: Because he as a track record of taking over an established roster and turning it around, and because this level of drama would just be soooooo Flyers.

John Stevens: Would he come back? Would they want him back? He’s still a hot shot assistant who worked with Hextall in Los Angeles, and a coach some Flyers fans still believe got a raw deal.

John Tortorella: Don't laugh - one bad fit in Vancouver doesn't undo the seasons of success he had in New York, and again, Snider was front row for that too. Plus, Torts vs. the Philly media would be it's own 24/7.

Terry Murray: Speaking of retreads, he’s the coach of the Flyers’ AHL affiliate.

Chris Pronger: A boy can dream.

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