The coaching carousel seems to be spinning a little faster than usual this off-season.

Could the uncertainty regarding both head coaching vacancies and those for assistants around the NHL have an impact on who joins the staff of Paul Maurice this summer?

Only the Winnipeg Jets know that for sure.

It’s been just over a week since the Jets unveiled Pascal Vincent as the new bench boss of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, but since that time several coaching staffs have undergone significant changes.

The biggest moves came within the Central Division, where trusted assistants Kirk Muller and Brad Shaw left the St. Louis Blues, who did retain head coach Ken Hitchcock on a one-year deal that will be his final season in the NHL.

The Minnesota Wild also announced assistants Rick Wilson and Darryl Sydor weren’t going to be retained by incoming head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Muller was quickly scooped up by the Montreal Canadiens, joining the club as an associate coach, while Shaw should be in demand.

There are two NHL head coaching jobs that remain open, as the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames continue the interview process.

Obviously, there’s no guarantee the Jets are waiting for the Ducks or Flames jobs to be filled but it’s possible prospective candidates who are not successful could be in the mix in Winnipeg.

With Vincent’s departure, it seems clear Maurice will be looking for an assistant — or associate coach with extensive experience working with the power play.

It’s also possible the Jets could add another assistant to serve the role as the eye in the sky, but for now let’s focus on some candidates who could fill the role of the top lieutenant:

Ralph Krueger

The Manitoba product is the bench boss for Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and is believed to be a serious contender for the Flames opening after doing a steady job with a young Edmonton Oilers roster during the lockout season. Since Krueger added Maurice to the coaching staff for the World Cup, there’s a level of respect there. He’s got plenty of experience working with special teams and could be a perfect fit.

Paul MacLean

After being fired as head coach of the Ottawa Senators, the former Jets 1.0 sniper landed with the Ducks as an assistant coach with Boudreau. He’s interviewed for the head coaching job in Anaheim and might even stay on as an assistant if he isn’t promoted. But he was part of a successful coaching staff with Mike Babcock with the Detroit Red Wings and could bring plenty to the table as an assistant with the Jets if not retained by the Ducks.

Jeff Daniels

Currently a pro scout with the Carolina Hurricanes, Daniels has experience as a head coach in the AHL and an assistant in the NHL. He was a hard-working student of the game during his playing days and actually played for Maurice with both the Hartford Whalers and the Hurricanes.

Doug Jarvis

The 61-year-old spent the past six seasons as an assistant with the Boston Bruins and Claude Julien and spent time with the Dallas Stars, Minnesota North Stars and the Canadiens before that. Also spent two seasons as head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League.

Mike Yeo

The former head coach of the Minnesota Wild is believed to have interviewed with both the Ducks and Flames and was also in St. Louis earlier this week discussing a potential position on Hitchcock’s revamped staff. Yeo has a year left on his deal with the Wild and would prefer to take another head job. And yes, there was the pre-season flare-up with Maurice this year, but the previous spring Maurice praised the job Yeo had done and touted him as a Jack Adams candidate. Central Division experience an obvious bonus.

Gary Agnew

Most recently an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mike Johnston, Agnew also worked on Hitchcock’s staff with both the Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets. Also has experience as a head coach in the Ontario Hockey League. Known more around these parts as the head coach of the Syracuse Crunch, who had several memorable playoff series with the Moose.

kwiebe@postmedia.com

Twitter: @WiebeSunSports