An excerpt from SI.com (Allan Muir):

The jury’s still out ……or the first-time NHL head coaches who still have to show they can be productive in what passes in this sport for the long run.

Guy Carbonneau, Montreal
Long one of the most respected players in the league, and a virtual assistant coach on the ice, he paid some coaching dues as a real assistant and then did a terrific job with the Canadiens in his first two seasons as head coach. Chances are, he’ll jump to be among the elite pretty soon … and he already has in some books.