Well this is how I see it. This team started the regular season losing 9 of 10 games. Ended the regular season going 6-3-4. The competition over the last 13 was stronger than the first 10, even at a time when competition in the league is fierce.
Having said that, the loss to graduation doesn't seem as bad as it has been in the past. So with no coaching changes, I would expect a natural improvement where a team that battled to be in the hockey east playoffs now is in the mix in the middle battling for home ice. My reasoning is that Maine may not be graduating as many losses, and they young talent can play more of a significant role. We can expect relative improvement from this logical and linear reasoning.
Now, it has been stated that Red believes heavily on off ice programs and is a stickler for conditioning. There goes some more relative improvement in the sense that I don't see how a well conditioned team would start of losing 9 of the first 10 games.
Now, I have read on here where Corkum had guys skating hard in the mid season despite Whitehead not being there. Read a blurb, not sure if it is true. And if you look at how Corkum played, he had to work his butt off to make his way in the NHL.
This combined with player accounts where they respect and like Corkum.
Now, Corkum has gone on record as saying he bleeds blue and will do everything to bring Maine back to where it should be. Also, he has the opportunity to coach elite players on a national stage with this US Hockey team.
Finally, both of these guys have had experiences with two clubs gaining success. Yet, somehow despite their involvement in both they seemingly never overlapped. But that might not mean they don't have a lot in common and more than likely they've worked with a lot of the same people.
Bobby, despite his NHL playing accolades, is still relatively unproven for a head coaching position. But because of his playing career he has a lot to offer from a development perspective. However, he has had to work under a head coach that evidently wasn't steering the ship on course for progress. And perhaps through no fault of his own received "neg rep" in part for being associated with the lack of proper steering.
Red has a ton of coaching experience and has his first shot at being the head coach. While he is familiar with Maine in general, he is inheriting a very
new-to-him" team. And Corkum can offer that continuity. In addition, Corkum evidently has the respect of the players that Red would be relying on.
All of these things, to me anyway, add up to Corkum being a very solid hire for an assistant. I think it benefits both guys. If it doesn't work out, I would have to think there is a personality conflict where perhaps Corkum is too strong of a personality to accept only being an assistant at this point. But, this opportunity can serve a couple of purposes for him - in my mind; a chance to be part of success(success breeds success), and a chance to naturally accelerate to a postion of strength where a promotion to head coach goes from being a question to a matter of timing.
For these reasons, I am optimistic that Red will hire Corkum. But given what I've read here most people seemingly don't think it is a reality. Well, I can just hope for it. But if I were Red, I would think this makes all the sense in the world - that is, to hire Bobby. And if I were Bobby - I would think this makes all the sense in the world - that is to work under Red for a while.
Thoughts?
