Kraken In On Tocchet Sweepstakes

The Seattle Kraken are in on the Rick Tocchet sweepstakes. If such a thing exists.

It initially seems counter-intuitive, but the club’s management has a deep relationship with the 61-year-old head coach, currently with the Vancouver Canucks.

Just promoted Kraken President of Hockey Operations Ron Francis played three-and-a-half seasons with Tocchet in Pittsburgh, a team the latter joined halfway through the 1991-’92 season, just in time to help win a Stanley Cup.

As an assistant GM in Pittsburgh, new Seattle General Manager Jason Botterill helped bring Tocchet back to the Penguins organization as an assistant coach in 2014, where ‘Tock’ helped guide the club to back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017.

That launched him into his first head coaching job in the NHL, in Arizona, and he’s remained at that status level since. He did take some time off to do some television work as an analyst.

The notion of joining the Kraken is counterintuitive because at this stage of his career it would seem more likely that Tocchet would be interested in a team further along in its roster development, also known as the New York Rangers.

The Philadelphia Flyers and old friend Keith Jones would also be a logical choice, but again, that club has a lot to work through and a long row to hoe.

The Canucks, looking to re-sign their bench boss, also have a management duo with Pittsburgh ties to Tocchet. Similar window, same Cups, with Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin.

Yet somehow the Vancouver market may be looking a bit toxic with a team potentially headed in the wrong direction. The most Tocchet-esque of Canucks players, J.T. Miller, was traded to the Rangers mid-season.

Yes, there’s plenty of work to do in the Emerald City, but Seattle offers a fresh perspective. A new building, an energized, half-neophyte fan base, a local media group that’s not a pain in the ass, many of whom won’t ask difficult questions at all because they don’t know any better, and an environment that doesn’t seem poisonous.

This isn’t an argument for anything. This is just an observation. The Kraken just ousted their head coach Dan Bylsma after his first season. That reality and the idea of Tocchet hopping the border and heading south are mutually exclusive.

But the coincidence does jive.

Why didn’t I ask about this possibility during the Kraken press conference on Tuesday? Because there isn’t very much Seattle management can say. Even though the Canucks aren’t exercising their option on Tocchet, a weird notion in and of itself to begin with, it would still be considered tampering at this stage of the game.

From what I’ve learned from management sources out east, Tocchet has to declare himself available.

That said, don’t think for a second Ronnie and “Botts” aren’t completely aware of the possibilities.