Welcome back to another edition of our coaching profiles, where we look at candidates who could potentially be the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Sacco File
- Born: February 4, 1969, Medford, MA, USA
- Currently: In his ninth year as an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins
- 2013-14: Served as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres
- 2009-10 to 2012-13: Served as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, going 130-134-30 (.493 PTS%) and 2-4 in the playoffs
- 2007-08 to 2008-09: Served as head coach of the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL)
- 2006-07: Served as an assistant coach of the Albany River Rats (AHL)
- 2005-06: Served as an assistant coach of the Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL)
- 1990-91 to 2002-03: Scored 94-119--213 in 738 regular-season games in addition to 2-0--2 in 26 playoff games across 13 NHL seasons
Today's candidate is Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco. The 54-year-old Massachusetts native has been an assistant with Boston since the 2014-15 season and spent his only NHL head-coaching tenure so far with the Avalanche from 2009-10 to 2012-13. During his four seasons with Colorado, the Avalanche made the playoffs just once and finished over .500 just twice.
As you'll see in the chart at the bottom of the piece, Sacco's teams in Colorado were below average in goals for and goals against while posting a poor power play and penalty kill. For context, if a team's power play and penalty kill add up to 100, it's pretty good. That wasn't the case for Sacco's Avs, as their 17.49%-power play and 79.92%-penalty kill add up to 97.41.
However, since Sacco arrived in Boston, the Bruins have made the playoffs in seven of nine seasons, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, winning two Presidents' Trophies, and haven't finished below .500. Additionally, the Bruins have finished in the top-five in goals for three times and top-five in goals against six times during Sacco's tenure.
Regarding special teams, since Sacco joined the B's, they have the league's third-best power play (22.3%) and its third-best penalty kill (83.6%). This is something that should intrigue any team looking for a head coach. Sure, the Bruins have boasted some of the league's best rosters over the years, but at the end of the day, you need coaches to help make all the talent work together.
Sacco has been around winning teams for years and has previous experience as a head coach. If the Blue Jackets do hire him, they'll hope his second tenure as bench boss goes better than his first.
