Photo credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
A former Leafs coach is on the hot seat as the Seattle Kraken go through a deepening losing slide.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs associate coach Lane Lambert is facing a difficult challenge as his Seattle Kraken are dealing with a recent slump.
The Kraken have been in a downward turn, having lost nine of their last 10, and Lambert, who left Toronto after a year to join Seattle in May, now Lambert faces questions over his future.
The Kraken are sixth in the Pacific Division with a 12-13-6 record, but it’s their recent losing record that is drawing concern, and putting Lambert’s job in an uncertain place.
Lane Lambert faces questions as Kraken reach a possible breaking point
The future of Lane Lambert as the Seattle Kraken’s head coach looks less in place without turnaround, but the Kraken’s recent play hasn’t instilled much confidence in that becoming the case.
Lambert faced increased criticism after the Kraken’s 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday after Lambert took questions from just a single journalist, that being from the team’s official reporter.
Lambert later apologized for the move, but has welcomed more questioning over him potentially sidestepping on discussion regarding where the team is at.
Seattle is last in goals scored with 77, with Jordan Eberle leading the way with 10 goals and 20 points in 31 games this season.
Former top forwards such as Matthew Beniers and Mason Marchment have 18 and 13 points respectively, while former top prospects Shane Wright and Kaapo Kakko underperform with 13 and four points each.
Former Leaf netminder Matt Murray has been a bright spot although in just five games with a 2.21 GAA and a .922 SV%, but the main tandem of Joey Daccord and Philip Grubauer have both struggled, but with little help.
The lack of offense production and an aging defense struggling to keep up is leading to disaster for the Kraken, but the recent slide could see some blame fall upon Lambert, who hasn’t seemed to find an answer as of it to their problems.
Is Lane Lambert’s struggles a sign of a problem for Toronto?
With Seattle rapidly falling in the standings and nothing going right, it could soon be a question how long Lane Lambert sticks in Seattle, but is Toronto part of the issue?
Toronto’s current coaching staff have faced their own criticisms, including head coach Craig Berube, and additions such as Lambert haven’t shown strong coaching dominance.
However, Lambert could just have the problem of being better suited as an assistant than a head coach, but that may come at the cost of Seattle’s struggles.
Toronto has Marc Savard, Derek Lalonde, and Mike Van Ryn as current coaches, largely inexperienced except for Lalonde, a clean sheet of coaches who like Seattle have something to prove behind the bench.
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Seattle Kraken have dropped nine of ten, shifting focus toward the coach who came from the Leafs bench
Should Seattle fire Lane Lambert?