When the Chicago Blackhawks fired Luke Richardson, general manager Kyle Davidson's reasoning for the move was the team's lack of growth. There's also the part about how Connor Bedard is in his second season, and his team hasn't made much, if any, progress around him.

There's a delicate balance that has to be struck in a rebuild when picking a coach, and while Richardson was initially the guy, things change. The first one out the door when things aren't hitting the way they should is the coach.

Anders Sorensen took over as the interim head coach, and although he may wind up taking over full-time, there are other options out there who could fit the bill for what Chicago is looking to do while Bedard ascends. We've got a list of a few guys to keep in mind for the Chicago job when they decide it's time to get someone in place for real.

As always, let us know in the comments who we missed and what you think of those we mentioned.

Anders Sorensen

If there's a favorite for the Chicago job, it's the guy who's got it right now. Sorensen took over on December 7, and the team hasn't seen an immediate spark of improvement. In games under Sorensen, they're averaging just over two goals per game and giving up a lot more (3.5 goals per game). With Petr Mrazek injured, that was to be expected, but after Chicago added a lot of veteran players in the offseason to surround Bedard, the lack of overall production is concerning.

Sorensen is in a tough spot because he's new to being an NHL head coach after he was promoted from Rockford in the AHL. There, he's done well getting the IceHogs to the playoffs in his three seasons behind the bench.

He has experience with their younger players and that's huge, especially with Frank Nazar III and Kevin Korchinski up from the minors. It's that connection Chicago management is banking on for the rest of the season, and if he's able to get things turned around, that will be a huge boost to support his case for the full-time appointment.

Jay Woodcroft

When Jay Woodcroft was fired by the Edmonton Oilers last season, it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before he was hired by another team. What may have hurt his case was how well the Oilers played after his departure on the way to making it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Those who know well enough realize he couldn't control how poorly Oilers goalies played to start last season, and the way the team functioned outside of that was still very good. That experience and that kind of success should be valuable to any team, and his experience coaching elite players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl would (ideally) gives him an advantage when it comes to working with someone like Connor Bedard.

Fans get tired of seeing coaches getting recycled, but Woodcroft is still relatively "new" to the mix given the Oilers job was his first NHL head coaching gig. He would seem to be someone that a team in need of a higher-profile coach would take a long look at.

Don Granato

When it comes to guys who are all about the city of Chicago, Don Granato would be among the highest on the list of possible coaches. Granato's experience in helping some of the Buffalo Sabres' top stars acclimate and improve in the NHL stands out. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin had their best seasons with Granato in charge, and he very nearly got Buffalo to the playoffs in 2022-2023.

Granato also has history with the Blackhawks, as he was an assistant coach in Chicago for two seasons from 2017 to 2019. His history as a coach who can help players develop and improve is notable, and with the number of young players currently in Chicago and on the way in the years to come, a guiding hand like Granato's could come in handy.

Sabres players talked about how there was a lack of accountability after Granato was fired, which would certainly be a red flag, but given it was Granato's first NHL head coaching job, perhaps it was a learning opportunity to apply moving forward.

Bruce Boudreau

There's no one more likable and affable in NHL coaching ranks than Bruce Boudreau, and there's arguably no other coach out there right now who wants to get behind an NHL bench more than him.

By now, we're all familiar with Boudreau from his years with the Washington Capitals and later the Minnesota Wild. His teams had a lot of success and were perennial playoff teams, although they were unable to win the Cup. His style of hockey is upbeat and fun to watch, and with the kind of talent Chicago will have, it would make him an interesting fit to work with them.

Boudreau's last coaching stint with the Vancouver Canucks was rife with problems and ended in ugly fashion, which doesn't reflect well upon him, but it was a very messy separation. He wants to coach, and he's one of the good guys in the game. If he's the guy to lead Bedard and Chicago back to the playoffs, it'd make for one heck of a story.

Todd McLellan

If there's a coach whose name always comes up when there's a new opening in the NHL, it's Todd McLellan. Gerard Gallant is another name that always comes up, but given how poorly things have gone with Gallant with young rosters, we're going to discuss McLellan instead.

McLellan's history is long in the NHL at this point. From his many years with the San Jose Sharks to his time with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, he brings 16 seasons of experience to the table with nine of those leading to the playoffs.

If experience is what Chicago seeks in its next head coach, it's hard to ignore what McLellan has done during his career behind NHL benches. With over 1,100 regular-season games and 88 playoff games, it's a superb track record. Since he was fired by the Kings last season after a 23-15-10 start, all's been quiet around him while other jobs opened up. He's always mentioned for gigs because of his track record, but a team as young as Chicago could be in the years to come could make it a tricky fit.

David Carle

There may be no coaching candidate outside of NHL circles hotter than Denver University head coach David Carle.

At 35 years old, he's the youngest guy on this list. He's in his seventh season as head coach of the Pioneers after he took over for Jim Montgomery, and he's put together an incredible résumé. He led the Pioneers to the national championship last season and also coached Team USA's Under-20 team to the gold medal in the World Junior Championships in January.

Entering this season with Denver, Carle's winning percentage was .690, and he has the Pioneers off to a 14-4-0 record to start this season. He is the guy who will come up in any talk about potential NHL head coaching positions until he one day (maybe!) decides to take the jump.

At Carle's young age, he can appeal well to everyone on the roster, and with his track record at DU, it would be difficult to complain about him. The catch here? He can wait things out as long as he wants to for the right job for him and his family. What he has working in Denver is as good as it gets at the college level and he's, arguably, the best coach in college hockey. That said, the chance to coach the next great NHL superstar in Bedard in a major market like Chicago would be extremely tempting.