David Carle Should Beware of Awful Fit with Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks' search for a new head coach continues as the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. The team may make interim coach Anders Sorensen the permanent coach for next season, but there is a growing belief that they will make an outside hire to help push their rebuild. It's led to one of the most intriguing coaches outside of the NHL, the University of Denver's David Carle, being named a target for the Hawks.

According to a recent report from James Murphy of RG, the Blackhawks are ready to throw everything at Carle to make him the new head coach.

"I’m told they want him badly," the source said. "And if he’s interested, they’re going to do whatever it takes to get him to Chicago and become the guy to lead this rebuild."

Carle has been incredibly successful with Denver and the United States at the World Junior Championship, winning two national championships in the past five years, back-to-back gold medals at the WJC, and helping to mold multiple NHL players at the NCAA level. It's only fitting that NHL teams are calling.

Carle should avoid a call from the Chicago Blackhawks, though.

Murphy's report cited an executive source who opined on Chicago's potential, which is a fair argument. Connor Bedard is a star in this league who has faced heavy scrutiny through two seasons. A group of players is creating excitement, like goalie Spencer Knight, forwards Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Greene, and defensemen Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel, and Artyon Levshunov. Bringing in a coach with a proven record of working well with young players and someone who can grow with Bedard and company would be ideal.

The problem is this isn't the NCAA and potential is only a small piece of the puzzle. The talent exists in the Blackhawks' organization, like it did last year, but they've failed to coalesce and become a team. As a result, they've become fodder for the rest of the Western Conference.

Carle has had the luxury of hand-picking his roster at the University of Denver. Not just based on skill set, but also on his evaluation of their character and potential. He won't have such luck with the Blackhawks, which could stifle Carle's ability to work magic. If his main priority is joining an organization he can lead to a championship, Chicago is not that organization.

How much does Carle value money and financial security? That is a wild card in all of these discussions. According to ProPublica, a resource compiling public financial information for non-profit organizations, Carle's 2023 salary was $721,634 and included an additional compensation, defined as "other," of over $50,000.

If Carle wants to take the next financial step, the NHL is the only place to get it. A market like Chicago could net him somewhere between $2.5 to $5 million annually, an obviously significant upgrade.

But the debate Carle has to weigh is not just a simple financial one. The question Carle has to answer is how confident he is in transforming the Blackhawks. The overwhelming likelihood is that the Hawks struggle if Carle takes over, he is relieved of his duties before the contract expires, and his coaching stock goes from the highest it's ever been, to the lowest it can become.

How much is that worth to Carle?

The Blackhawks need a coach to steady the ship. There's no denying that. Carle is a fair candidate to consider, but it would be a career-damaging move for the young coach. He has the ideal setup in Denver. Don't give that up for a two-year stint in Chicago that ends poorly, or before you do, please beware of the issues to come.