What Will it Take to Get David Carle?

As expected, David Carle will be one of the hottest names in the coaching market. The 35-year-old coach is a winner. He has won at the NCAA level and at the international level with the USA World Juniors team, winning two titles in each.

Of course, that winning pedigree will make Carle a hot name when it comes to head coaching vacancies.

Elliote Friedman spoke on NHL Network on Sirius XM, and broke down what it may take to lure the young coach away from the University of Denver.

Friedman mentioned that he believes that the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers will make the call, but said it is going to cost a lot to get Carle to make the jump. He also said, “He’s got the hammer,” indicating that all of the power is in Carle’s hands.

What will it take to get David Carle out of Denver?

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A BIG Paycheck

The average first-time NHL head coach salary is about $1.2 million, which is already about $500,000 more than what David Carle makes at the University of Denver.

On that $1.2 million number, Friedman suggests that, “It’s going to be a lot more than that… Carles has that power.”

So, what kind of number would that look like? $2 million, $3 million, is he going to command the ~$4 million that John Tortorella was making?

While he did not include an exact price, Friedman mentioned that when Carle interviewed with the St. Louis Blues last year, he left the Blues with a “bit of sticker shock” when compensation came up. Carle is demanding a high paycheck, at least as far as first-time NHL coaches go.

So here is my question: Will the Flyers be willing to take the risk and give Carle what he wants?

I highly doubt Carle will be greedy enough to try and inject himself into the top-5 head coaching salaries–I’m not so sure about top-10. Right now, Rick Tocchet, another name the Flyers have been heavily linked to, makes $2.75 million, and he is number 10 on the list.

To me, that indicates Carle will want something in the $2-3 million range. If he is willing to sign a short-term, two-to-three-year deal to start, the price should not be an issue. The Flyers have the money to make it happen, but they should do it carefully. Don’t give out big money AND a long-term contract.

Will Winning Play a Factor for David Carle?

In the interview, Friedman said, “I think Carle is going to have to be convinced that there’s a reasonable path to winning.” He would later go on and ask the important question, “What is Carle’s patience for a rebuild?”

As earlier mentioned, the Flyers and Blackhawks seem like the two teams that are most likely to make a call to Carle about their vacancy.

That said, is either team close enough to winning that Carle would be comfortable making the jump?

I mean, in all seriousness, all that dude does is win. He is currently in position for his third National Championship, and is my personal runaway favorite to come out of St. Louis with the trophy (Though I hope the Nittany Lions can pull through!).

Ahead of the Frozen Four, Carle has a 148-62-16 coaching record at Denver, a .690 winning percentage. He certainly won’t replicate that in the NHL, let alone early on. So, back to the initial question: how long will Carle be patient for in a rebuild?

If we’re talking about who makes the playoffs first between Philly and Chicago, I’d lean towards the Flyers. The Flyers are entering a do-or-die offseason, one that could quite literally flip the table on this organization’s direction.

This is the beginning of the Flyers being able to spend at free agency, plus seven draft picks in the first two rounds–and possibly in the first 50 picks. Whether they spend them all on prospects to fuel the team in the future, or maybe some of those picks are used to make a move or two this offseason, the roster SHOULD get a boost this offseason.

Regardless, the Flyers can definitely make a pitch to Carle about winning, but will it be enough?

Read More: Opinion: Flyers’ Deadline Moves Are Encouraging

So, Can the Flyers get David Carle in Philadelphia?

The long and short of it, yes. I think the Flyers can convince David Carle to leave Denver. It won’t be easy, and there will definitely be some risk. If the Flyers can carefully take that risk (give him $$ on short term), it could be well worth it.

When money is a big issue, the Flyers are in a much better position now than they were even a few years ago. Heck, if Torts was making almost $4 million a year, I think the Flyers could take a swing on $2+ million for Carle.

As far as winning goes, the pitch will certainly be around the prospect of Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny as your offensive cornerstones, a workhorse defender with Travis Sanheim, and the POTENTIAL of Jamie Drysdale’s offensive game developing to its peak.

The Flyers are one more top-pair defender, a goalie, and a top-six (but likely top-line) center away from having the framework of a contender. Oddly enough, that is all achievable (in theory, of course) this offseason. The Flyers can pitch Carle on the opportunity to help make decisions on who those players can be.

The future in Philadelphia is not dark. There is now, more than ever, a direction for this team, and it’s trending up, but is it enough to lure David Carle out of Denver?

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