Toronto Maple Leafs: Cue the Bruce Boudreau Rumours

The Toronto Maple Leafs were already rumoured to be looking for new ideas behind the bench, but that is now a certainty.

Dave Hakstol, the former coach of the Philadelphia Flyers and the current assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been hired to coach the new Seattle Kraken. 

Congratulations are in order for Dave, and we can only hope he can find as much success as Gerard Gallant did when he was the first coach of the Golden Knights.

For the Leafs, this is a pretty big loss – at least from a personal standpoint.  I am sure the duties of assistant coach can be done any one of a thousand options.

Toronto Maple Leafs Need New Assistant Coach

Dave Hakstol is well known to be a great coach and person, and so it sucks that he is leaving, while at the same time, it’s obviously a great opportunity for him so you can’t be too upset about it.

Hakstol maintained a pretty low profile with the Leafs, but he’s always been someone who was obviously going to get another shot at a head coaching job.  His leaving will of course stimulate the briefly dormant Bruce Boudreau rumours. 

Boudreau is about the coolest guy in hockey, and he’s a massively respected coach so of course it would be great if he was on the Leafs.  The downside to this is the question of whether or not a hall of fame coach can step in and be the assistant to a young coach.

It wouldn’t seem like a very good vote of confidence for Sheldon Keefe, however, if he was actually on board with it (and not just forced to be) it would probably be a good idea……until every time the Leafs lose two in a row and we have to listen to endless speculation about when Boudreau takes over as head coach.

These kinds of things always seem like a good idea, and they never work out. If the Leafs want Boudreau they’ve got my vote to hire him as the head coach, but I see no reason that he should come in as an assistant.

Honestly, this is the most I’ve ever thought about assistant coaches, and it’s a bit much, even for me.  I am glad Hakstol gets a shot with the Kraken, but ultimately, who the assistant coach is doesn’t make very much of a difference.

Unless that person is Manny Malhotra and he can’t devise a strategy to make a power play featuring Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander work.