No coach cracks the "Scorching" tier of RotoWire's 2026-27 Coach Pressure Index, but three are running hot enough to stay in trade-deadline and hot-seat chatter all season.
Jim Hiller (Toronto), Mike Babcock (Edmonton) and Ryan Craig (Vegas) make up a top tier separated by single digits -- and all three inherited a job with a mandate attached, not a clean slate.
Hiller walked into an Original Six market as the replacement for Craig Berube after a lengthy coaching search; Babcock returns to an NHL bench for the first time since his 2023 resignation in Columbus, under more media scrutiny than any other hire on this list; and Craig took over in Vegas just days after a Stanley Cup Final loss, in an organization with no patience for a step back.
The league-wide average score sits at 43.4, squarely in "Cool" territory, which underscores just how much heat these three are absorbing relative to the field.
Below, a closer look at what's driving each of the top three scores, followed by the full 32-coach index
Methodology
Each of the NHL's 32 head coaches is scored on a 100-point composite across five weighted categories: Job Security Risk (30 pts), Win-Now Mandate (20 pts), Goaltending Situation Volatility (20 pts), Legacy/Succession Burden (15 pts), and Market/Media Scrutiny (15 pts).
Coaches are tiered as Scorching (80-100), Hot (65-79), Warm (50-64), Cool (35-49), or Ice Cold (below 35), with scores reflecting contract status, front-office commentary, roster expectations, crease stability, and market intensity heading into the 2026-27 season.
See also our NBA and NFL Coach Pressure Indexes heading into the leagues' respective seasons.
Hottest Seats Entering 2026-27
Jim Hiller, 
Toronto Maple Leafs (74, Hot): Toronto hired Hiller after parting ways with Craig Berube and running a lengthy coaching search -- a process that itself sends a signal: ownership wanted a specific voice, and if that hire doesn't produce answers in net and in the room quickly, the leash shortens fast in the league's most scrutinized market.
Hiller inherits a core that's been asked to get over the hump for the better part of a decade, and Toronto's media environment turns every early-season slump into a referendum on the bench. His scores in Job Security Risk and Market/Media Scrutiny both rank among the league's highest.
Mike Babcock, 
Edmonton Oilers (70, Hot): No hire on this list carries more built-in scrutiny. Babcock returns to an NHL bench for the first time since resigning in Columbus in 2023 amid allegations he violated players' privacy, and the backlash to Edmonton's decision -- from fans, media and former players alike -- means every practice, quote and lineup call will be filtered through that lens.
Layer in a roster still built around a Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl window that hasn't produced a title, and Edmonton becomes the rare team where the coach's off-ice storyline may draw as much attention as its on-ice results, a dynamic that shows up directly in his Market/Media Scrutiny score.
Ryan Craig, 
Vegas Golden Knights (65, Hot): Vegas promoted Craig from within just days after John Tortorella was let go following a Stanley Cup Final loss -- and a franchise that has already fired a Cup-winning coach isn't going to hand a long runway to anyone, first-time NHL head coach or not.
Craig steps into a roster still built to contend immediately, with the front office on record expecting a return trip deep into the playoffs, which keeps his Win-Now Mandate score right in line with the two coaches ahead of him. How he handles the goaltending mix and locker-room voice in his first camp will set the tone for how quickly that score moves in either direction.
2026-27 NHL Coach Pressure Index
Rank | Head Coach | Team | Score | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jim Hiller | Toronto Maple Leafs | 74 | Hot |
2 | Mike Babcock | Edmonton Oilers | 70 | Hot |
3 | Ryan Craig | Vegas Golden Knights | 65 | Hot |
4 | John Hynes | Minnesota Wild | 60 | Warm |
5 | Glen Gulutzan | Dallas Stars | 57 | Warm |
6 | Andrew Brunette | Nashville Predators | 56 | Warm |
T-7 | Sheldon Keefe | New Jersey Devils | 55 | Warm |
T-7 | Peter Laviolette | Los Angeles Kings | 55 | Warm |
T-7 | Jared Bednar | Colorado Avalanche | 55 | Warm |
10 | Rick Bowness | Columbus Blue Jackets | 53 | Warm |
11 | Scott Arniel | Winnipeg Jets | 52 | Warm |
12 | Todd McLellan | Detroit Red Wings | 51 | Warm |
13 | Manny Malhotra | Vancouver Canucks | 48 | Cool |
T-14 | Andre Tourigny | Utah Mammoth | 42 | Cool |
T-14 | Marco Sturm | Boston Bruins | 42 | Cool |
T-16 | Rod Brind'Amour | Carolina Hurricanes | 41 | Cool |
T-16 | Dan Muse | Pittsburgh Penguins | 41 | Cool |
T-16 | Spencer Carbery | Washington Capitals | 41 | Cool |
19 | Peter DeBoer | New York Islanders | 38 | Cool |
20 | Mike Sullivan | New York Rangers | 37 | Cool |
21 | Paul Maurice | Florida Panthers | 35 | Cool |
T-22 | Joel Quenneville | Anaheim Ducks | 34 | Ice Cold |
T-22 | Rick Tocchet | Philadelphia Flyers | 34 | Ice Cold |
24 | Martin St. Louis | Montreal Canadiens | 32 | Ice Cold |
T-25 | Lane Lambert | Seattle Kraken | 31 | Ice Cold |
T-25 | Travis Green | Ottawa Senators | 31 | Ice Cold |
T-27 | Jeff Blashill | Chicago Blackhawks | 29 | Ice Cold |
T-27 | Jim Montgomery | St. Louis Blues | 29 | Ice Cold |
T-29 | Jon Cooper | Tampa Bay Lightning | 26 | Ice Cold |
T-29 | Ryan Huska | Calgary Flames | 26 | Ice Cold |
T-31 | Ryan Warsofsky | San Jose Sharks | 24 | Ice Cold |
T-31 | Lindy Ruff | Buffalo Sabres | 24 | Ice Cold |
| League Average | 43.4 | |||
