The Isles fired Ted Nolan with a year remaining on his contract. This is surprising since he was responsible for getting a pretty weak roster to over-achieve and make the playoffs. It's also not surprising, since Ted Nolan is a strong hockey personality and speaks his mind, which basically got him a bad rep and out of the NHL for the last 8 years. But the Islanders management is more than a bit wacky, so I can't blame Nolan if there were personality differences. I really like him as a coach. I think it could be a good hire for the Kings.
On the other hand, I'm not sure how Nolan will do with such a young club. He is known for over-playing the veteran performers, if necessary. But there aren't any on this team. Armstrong, Handzus, & Gauthier? The best players are under 30, on the Kings. Still, I think it's worth a shot. If it fails miserably, at least the Kings would have a shot at John Tavares (the Next, Next Gretzky) in the draft, for finishing last.
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