Earlier today, the Florida Panthers publicly announced that Head Coach Bob Boughner and Assistant Coach Paul McFarland would be relieved of their duties.
General Manager Dale Tallon released a statement thanking Head Coach Bob Boughner and Assistant Coach Paul McFarland for their services for the past two seasons with the Florida Panthers.
Tallon implied that the coaching change was absolutely necessary and that the team must obtain a “transformative” head coach who possesses “Stanley Cup pedigree.”
Regarding Florida’s current head coaching search, it’s widely rumored around the league that the Cats are closing in on a multi-year contract with former Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup-winning Head Coach Joel Quenneville.
The rumored contract would essentially pay Quenneville approximately $6 million annually for numerous years. Essentially, the hiring seems completely logical mainly because of the connection between Dale Tallon and Joel Quenneville from their days with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ultimately, by replacing Bob Boughner with the highly sought after Joel Quenneville, the Florida Panthers would be upgrading at the head coaching position.
Quenneville is a proven coach in the NHL, winning a total of three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks and transcending the Hawks into an unstoppable dynasty.
Regarding former Head Coach Bob Boughner, the ownership and management simply desired a different voice within the position.
Following two incredibly disappointing seasons under Bob Boughner – in which the Cats missed the playoffs both years – Tallon realized a coaching change was imperative for the betterment of the team.
Bob Boughner’s tenure as Panthers Head Coach can be perfectly described as short-lived, unsuccessful, and unfortunately, underachieving.
Unfortunately, though, the Florida Panthers organization had incredibly high expectations heading into the 2019 season but ultimately missed the playoffs with Boughner as the main voice behind the bench.
Boughner was hesitant to provide talented prospects such as Henrik Borgstrom and Denis Malgin with necessary playing time. As a result, the development of Florida’s top prospects was greatly hindered.
Furthermore, Boughner often provided unproductive veterans like Riley Sheahan, Troy Brouwer, and Jamie McGinn with more minutes and playing time than the younger players in the system.
In essence, by favoring the older veterans over the talented youngsters, Boughner sacrificed speed over grit and evidently failed.
Ultimately, Bob was viewed as a somewhat stubborn head coach who frequently struggled to make necessary adjustments during losing streaks and in the middle of a game.
In addition, parting ways with the unsuccessful Boughner can be deemed as the proper move and an indication that the team is certainly heading in the right direction.
If the Florida Panthers can finalize a deal with Joel Quenneville, then the Cats will undoubtedly transform into an instant playoff contender for the upcoming 2019-2020 NHL campaign.
We wish Bob Boughner and Paul McFarland all the best in their future endeavors. We hope that they land on their feet rather quickly and successfully.