Is Dan Bylsma the right coach for the Seattle Kraken?

Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli reported Monday that Dan Bylsma would be named the new head coach of the Seattle Kraken.

Bylsma, 53, won a Stanley Cup championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008-09, then led the club to four 100-point seasons in six years, but only made it to the Eastern Conference Finals once after before being let go in June 2014. He spent two seasons as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres before being fired after the 2016-17 season.

Now coaching the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, he led the club to a Calder Cup Final appearance in 2022-23 and has them Western Conference Finals this season, preparing for Game 1 against the Milwaukee Admirals this Wednesday.

On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss the Bylsma hiring and whether it’s the right move for a Kraken team that’s hoping to get back to the postseason for the second time in franchise history.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Is Dan Bylsma the right man for the job? Do you like that Seattle is rewarding a guy who did well for the AHL club?

Frank Seravalli: I’m always intrigued to see what the next version of a guy looks like. This is a coach who has gone seven years between NHL head coaching gigs. He wore the stink of the Sabres for a long time, and people saw how he struggled to find success after winning that first championship in 2009.

You heard it from Sheldon Keefe during his introductory press conference with the New Jersey Devils: that he’s a way better coach than he was five years ago when he took over the job for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s been 15 years since Bylsma won in Pittsburgh, and he’s probably a way better coach now.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…