The 5 coaches the Chicago Blackhawks should pursue after losing out on top choices

Cross Mike Sullivan off the list.

He has agreed to be the New York Rangers' next head coach. It would have been hard for the Chicago Blackhawks to beat out their fellow Original Six team, but Sullivan was the ideal man to lead the Hawks through the remaining days of the rebuild and toward playoff success.

The Hawks have now lost out on two of the best names on the market. University of Denver head coach David Carle rejected the Blackhawks' overtures, and now Sullivan is off the board.

That means the Blackhawks have to pivot to plan C.

That does not mean there is no hope that the Hawks will end up with a good head coach. However, you hope the team does not settle on sticking with Anders Sorenson.

Sorenson seems like a fine man, and Connor Bedard's regression stopped the moment he took over. Although, his lack of fire and his questionable defensive concepts makes you wonder if he is the man to lead the Blackhawks to the playoffs.

Plus, there are still better candidates on the market.

Hopefully, the Blackhawks end up with one of these five coaches.

Jay Woodcroft

He seems like the most likely choice given that the Edmonton Oilers flourished under his direction. The team won 50 games in 2022-23. He guided the Oilers to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 after taking over for Dave Tippett during the 2021-22 season.

A strategic error (subscription required) in switching up the Oilers' defensive scheme is what got him fired early in the 2023-24 season.

It sounds like Woodcroft has spent his downtime studying how he can improve as a head coach.

Given he has worked with Connor McDavid and Leo Draisaitl, it would be exciting to see him mold Bedard and Frank Nazar into superstars capable of carrying the Hawks to the playoffs.

Dan Bylsma

He is on the market after the Seattle Kraken fired him after one season. The expectations was Seattle would compete for a playoff spot, but considering he was there for just one season, it speaks more to Kraken's front office not being patient.

Bylsma won the Stanley Cup in 2009 during his first season as the Pittsburgh Penguins' head coach. That was the first time Sidney Crosby won a championship. While the Blackhawks are not ready to contend for the Stanley Cup, he knows a thing or two about guiding a generational talent to a championship.

Plus, Bylsma has had recent success developing talent at the AHL level.

Rick Tocchet

He is a polarizing choice. His stops in Tampa and Arizona were not successful. However, he won the Jack Adams Award last season after guiding the Vancouver Canucks to 50 wins.

Plus, his hard-nosed style might be what this team needs, given that a major weakness for the team was just playing with consistent energy.

At the same time, the Canucks' team chemistry crumbled this season under his watch. Another example of maybe his coaching not being what this team needs is Ilya Mikheyev thrived in Chicago the moment he escaped Vancouver

Jay Pandalfo

Just because David Carle wants to stay at Denver (or possibly go to Anaheim), does not mean the Hawks should still ignore going the NCAA route to find their next head coach.

Pandalfo has taken Boston University to two Frozen Fours and actually played in the NHL were Carle did not.

Pandalfo also coached Macklin Celebrini to a Hobey Baker win and being the No. 1 overall pick last year. Let's not forget all the young, talented NHL-drafted prospects he has coached.

Ryan Greene thrived under Pandalfo, so that experience of molding young players and playing at the NHL might make him the ideal next head coach for the baby Blackhawks.

Brad Shaw

If the Hawks do not want to bring back Trent Yawney, then Shaw would be a good candidate given his work in developing defensemen.

He did wonders in St. Louis working with their blueline group. Given the team has an abundance of young defensive talent, it might make sense to bring in a head coach who can groom that group into an elite unit.

He has limited NHL head coaching experience as an interim head coach for the New York Islanders two decades ago and the Philadelphia Flyers this season.