The ouster of Francois Giguere was step one. Will Granato be the one shown the door next?
Patrick Roy was recently in town to meet with the Avalanche organization, but nobody is saying what the meeting was about. While I’m not surprised about the lack of comment from both sides, it certainly leads to quite a bit of speculation. Roy has said many times he has interest in an NHL head coaching job and that he’s “not a papers shuffling guy so much.”
Tony Granato should be worried. If Roy does take a job with the Avalanche, it isn’t likely that it will be the GM position. Lacroix has stated that the management structure will change, and I have a hard time believing that shuffle won’t include a change behind the bench.
But, doesn’t a GM usually pick the coach? Yes, Lacroix still has influence on the team, but I would hate to think he’s picking coaches for a GM that hasn’t even been hired yet. Craig Billington, the current VP of hockey operations for the team, is probably the best in house choice for the GM job, and who knows, he probably is already being groomed for it. If this is the case, it’s not crazy to think that a new coach has already been talked about.
We won’t know anything until the press conference announcing the new hirings/firings. So for now, all of us watching this situation can dream of the triumphant return of Patrick Roy to the Avalanche. Would he succeed as a coach? Hard to say. Will he sell tickets by being a presence on the ice? Definitely. The Avs have previously banked on nostalgia to put asses in the seats wins on the board, but it’s had varying degrees of success. With the economy and current standing of the team, one more try couldn’t hurt, right?