6 coaches who could be on the hot seat at season's end

This season has been a rarity of sorts for NHL bench bosses.

For the first time since 1966-67, not a single coach has been fired midseason. The men who occupy the 31 head coaching spots should see it as an accomplishment, but general managers might just be taking their time before pulling the trigger.

Several dominoes could fall once the regular season comes to an end. There are as many as a half-dozen coaches on the hot seat as the final week of the regular season wraps up:

Bill Peters

Peters' time with the Carolina Hurricanes could very well come to an end in roughly a week's time.

Peters' biggest knock is the fact he's been with the club for four years and has not been able to reach the postseason.

The club is already looking for a new GM, and it makes sense for a new coach to follow suit. There is also a chance the new GM will look to bring in his own coach, it's not uncommon. On the other hand, there is the potential for Peters to walk, as sources have reportedly told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that Peters has an "out" in his contract, one he can exercise in the first week after the season ends.

All that considered, it seems more likely than not that Peters will be out in Carolina.

Alain Vigneault

There could soon be a job opening in the Big Apple.

After five seasons with the Rangers and four postseason appearances, Vigneault's tenure in New York could be coming to an end.

After leading his club to the Stanley Cup Final in his first year with the team and an appearance in the conference final the following campaign, Vigneault then saw mixed results with losses in the first and second rounds, before missing the postseason completely this season.

The Rangers announced their intention to rebuild back in February, and with the team seemingly turning a new leaf as they look toward the future, it would not come as a surprise if the next step in that process included a new coach.

Such was the case during his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Vigneault got his club close to a Cup victory, but not close enough.

Glen Gulutzan

Gulutzan has only been behind the Calgary Flames' bench for two seasons, but each has been miserable in its own way.

Last season, the Flames were swept in the first round at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks after finishing with the first wild-card spot in the West. This year, after the team retooled in the offseason acquiring Travis Hamonic and Mike Smith, the club saw an even worse fate, missing the playoffs outright.

Amid that, Gulutzan has gained a reputation of reaming out his teams in practice, including twice this season and one where he threw his stick into the stands.

According to Friedman, players approached Gulutzan last season suggesting they would prefer a more calm approach, but obviously he hasn't taken that completely to heart.

Barry Trotz

You can't argue with the success Trotz and the Washington Capitals have had during the regular season over his four years with the club, but his playoff accolades are a different story.

Including the 2017-18 year, Trotz has led the Capitals to three straight division titles, two straight Presidents' Trophy wins, and picked up the Jack Adams in the 2015-16 season. However, under Trotz, the Capitals have failed to go any further than the second round of the playoffs, and let's be honest, this is a results-driven league.

No decisions will be made on his future until after the Capitals season concludes, meaning Trotz could very well be playing for his job this spring.

Todd McLellan

Some might call this season a one-off for the Edmonton Oilers, but whatever it is, it hasn't been pretty.

After getting to the second round of the playoffs last year, the Oilers have taken a nose dive, and are now set to finish among the 10 worst teams in the league. Very few could have seen this type of regression, but nevertheless, here we are.

There are many fingers being pointed as to why the club sits where it does, and one that can't be ignored is the one directed at McLellan. Sure, he's at the mercy of what GM Peter Chiarelli has given him, but, his club's home penalty kill - which ranks as the worst in NHL history since the stat started being tracked - is under a microscope.

The team may elect to give him another shot since wisdom would argue the team isn't nearly as bad as its play would suggest, but regardless, McLellan's seat is awfully warm these days.

Joel Quenneville

While any of the men above could certainly be canned in the coming weeks, the name garnering the most speculation is Quenneville.

The Chicago Blackhawks bench boss has been with the club for the past 10 years and will miss the playoffs for the first time in his tenure this season.

He still has two years remaining on his contract that sees him owed $12 million, but with the team set to miss the postseason and some apparent animosity between him and Stan Bowman - reportedly over the firing of assistant coach Mike Kitchen last summer and the Artemi Panarin trade - it would come as no surprise if Quenneville was fired or if he elected to leave himself.

The belief around the hockey world is that if Quenneville became available, several teams might fire their head coach for the chance to bring in the 59-year-old. His resume speaks for itself. With that, Quenneville could be the domino that starts the postseason firing carousel.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

Copyright (C) 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.