Five separate writers (by my count) have asked that question in the past week: one, two, three, four, five.
Here are some background points to consider:
1. Bob Murray didn’t hire Carlyle — Brian Burke did — and the general manager is personally responsible for the roster overhaul that’s taken place over the last season. In theory, that might give Murray more confidence in the players he put in place than a coach he didn’t. But Murray and Carlyle are close; they go back farther than Burke and Carlyle did at the time the coach was hired.
2. I caught an interesting quote by Ryan Getzlaf, doing a one-on-one interview recently for an “Off the Ice” segment on NHL Network. Speaking of Carlyle, he said: “Randy’s not the easiest guy to talk to, but you can still talk to him.” Ouch. Not exactly a ringing endorsement from the future team captain.