Heading into the 2014-15 regular season the NHL is showing no shortage of current head coaches that will be under pressure to perform. With four out of the last five Stanley Cups being won by just two dominate teams in the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks, head coaches all around the league are just waiting for something to give and to figure out what they have to do to get their teas on track. Here’s a look at five head coaches around the NHL that will find themselves having to depend on their team to win more often than not come the fall.

5. Ted Nolan- Buffalo Sabres

With the Sabres on the verge of finally losing the distinction as the laughing stock of the league due to their troublesome ownership issues, Nolan enters this upcoming season as just another scapegoat in the cruel world that is being a head coach. With the loss of Ryan Miller, the Sabres overall roster is still below average and Nolan will have the daunting job of figuring out a way to get out of the basement in the Eastern Conference. Good luck Ted.

4. Dallas Eakins- Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have arguably the best young talent in the NHL. However, the likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall have yet to have the breakout season that everyone in Canada’s oil country wants and needs to see. After having another top draft pick at the NHL’s Entry Draft in Philadelphia last month, the Oilers need to put up or shut up. With the emergence of Kevin Dineen on the coaching scene after signing on with the Blackhawks coaching staff for next season, there will be options in the very new future if the Oilers consider Eakins’ work in Edmonton to be over.

3. Bruce Boudreau- Anaheim Ducks

Sure, Boudreau’s record as head honcho in Anaheim is an impressive 111-55-22. However, the Ducks have continued to struggle in the playoffs despite continuously having a star-studded lineup with what seems like season after season. If Boudreau isn’t the next head coach in California to lift Lord Stanley’s mug, consider his days in Orange County to be numbered.

2. Michel Therrien- Montreal Canadiens

For fans of the Habs all over Canada, 2014 was supposed to be ‘THE’ year. A Unfortunately for Therrien, after failing to make it to the Stanley Cup final this past spring, the Canadiens will be looking for another French-Canadian coach at some point in 2014-15 if it seems as though their club will not be a contender. Other than in their bitter rival city of Toronto, there isn’t another pressure packed hockey obsessed fanbase than Montreal. If Therrien’s club doesn’t hit its stride when it matters most, he’ll be looking for a new job somewhere other than in La Belle Province.

1. Randy Carlyle- Toronto Maple Leafs

Speaking of Toronto, the Leafs front office swears to be in a better spot after hiring new team president Brendan Shanahan. After giving Carlyle a two-year contract extension in May after the team’s epic meltdown in their final stretch towards the playoffs, GM Dave Nonis and Shanahan are convinced that Carlyle is indeed the man for the job. However, his 70-62-16 record along with his .527 winning percentage as the coach of the Buds, simply isn’t good enough for the city he currently resides in. Toronto calls itself a ‘hockey mecca’ and if this is to hold true, making the playoffs is more than a must for Carlyle.