There is no question that Jim Hiller made some questionable decisions during the playoffs for the LA Kings, but during the regular season, he was one of the best coaches in the NHL. Unfortunately, that was not reflected in the recent voting for the Jack Adams Trophy.
On Saturday, it was announced that Washington Capitals' head coach Spencer Carbery won the Jack Adams Trophy, the award that goes to the best head coach in the NHL that season, and the voting wasn't really close. Carbery had 464 points, and Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets was next with 249.
For anyone interested in seeing where Hiller finished, they would need to scroll all the way down to eighth, as Hiller had only 17 points with three second-place votes and eight third-place votes. However, the points don't adequately reflect the job he did.
Jim Hiller helped the LA Kings set franchise records in his first season as head coach
This was Hiller's first full season as head coach in the NHL after he was named the permanent option last summer after serving in an interim role. He would help the Kings tie the franchise record with 105 points, which was the sixth most in the NHL.
They would also be one of the best home teams in the NHL with 31 wins, which was tied for the most with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The reason that Hiller deserves more credit is that he was able to do all this essentially as a rookie head coach with no true superstar on the roster. He probably wouldn't have won the award, and Carbery feels like the right choice for the job he did, but Hiller should have been higher.
While some people will point to the collapse of the playoffs for why Hiller is where he should be or lower, the voting is based on regular season performance. If that is what is being measured then Hiller needs to be closer to Top 3.