Toronto Maple Leafs New Head Coach Candidates

The Toronto Maple Leafs have left Sheldon Keefe out in the cold.

Ever since the Toronto Maple Leafs made the epic and horrible decision to fire General Manager Kyle Dubas, they have been expected to fire their head coach.

Most incoming GMs want their own guy.

The Leafs hired Brad Treliving to replace Dubas and he’s doing the classic thing where he takes forever to decide how to proceed.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Need a New Coach

From a fan’s perspective, and I’m sure Sheldon Keefe’s, it’s frustrating, but it’s probably the right thing to do.  He’s got to assess the team and it’s needs and it’s strengths and weaknesses.

If Treliving thinks Keefe is the right coach for the job (he isn’t) then he’ll be back (he shouldn’t).

I personally think that Keefe coaches a boring game that doesn’t take full advantage or his offensive superstars, and that the Leafs should take more penalties to get more power-plays and that they should score more on rebounds and rushes.

I think his lineups have been bad, and I think he’s been way too hesitant to move young players into prominent roles.

Therefore I think the Leafs need a new coach.

Here then, for your consideration, is a list of potential Sheldon Keefe replacements.  Whether this list will be useful this week or two months into next season remains to be seen.

Claude Julien

Claude Julien should be the top candidate if the Toronto Maple Leafs do need a new coach.

He is 63 and last coached for the Canadiens in 2020.  He was their coach for five years, and it’s not his fault they had a crap roster the entire time. He was not the Habs’ coach when they defeated the Leafs and went to the Finals.

He also previously coached in Boston where he was the coach for nine years, and won a Stanley Cup.

Before that he had stops in New Jersey and Montreal (the first time).

Julien has a Stanley Cup and is known as a great offensive strategist, something I think would fit really well with a team that has Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

I am generally against recycling the same guys over and over, and I do like to see young hot-shots with new ideas get a chance, so I am not opposed to the Leafs hiring a rookie coach, or someone I’ve never heard of before.

However, I am a big fan of Julien and if you’re going with an established name, I think he’s the best option. (All coaching info from wikipedia.com).

Bruce Boudreau

Bruce Boudreau is one of the most likeable people in the NHL and would be a top candidate – probably THE top candidate to replace Sheldon Keefe is the Toronto Maple Leafs decide to fire him.

Boudreau is an ex-Leaf player and he has openly expressed interest in the job.

He’s funny, personable and cool.

He’s also never won anything.  Boudreau has had ten playoff losses in his coaching career.
He has also missed the playoffs three times and been fired mid-season three times.

He’s also 68 years old.

You love to cheer for Bruce and the fact is, given the randomness of winning in the NHL, the fact he hasn’t won shouldn’t really be held against him.

What is concerning however are the last four seasons of his career.  He missed the playoffs, then the next season he was fired by Minnesota.  The Canucks hired him and he missed the playoffs.  Then the next season, half-way through, he was fired.

Boudreau has coached the Capitals, the Ducks, the Wild and the Canucks.

I like Boudreau and I wouldn’t be upset if the Leafs hired him, but I think they could do better at this point.

Darryl Sutter

Sutter is not likable, and he treats people like crap.  He should never have another NHL Job.  His disastrous tenure in Calgary lead to a mutiny and, honestly, the fact that Brad Treliving hired him is my #1 reason for not liking the Toronto Maple Leafs new choice of General Manager.

However, the fact that they had a falling out, and Treliving wanted to fire him, and that Flames ownership could possibly have been why they hired him in the first place, make me want to at least give him a chance

Either way, no way the Leafs hire this loser.

Mike Keenen

Speaking of losers, how much of one would you have to be to want this to happen? Hahah Next.

Mike Babcock

He’s already been hired by Columbus, but I couldn’t resist including him on this page of duds who shouldn’t be coaching in the NHL anymore.

Joel Quenneville

I mean, “evil” is right there in his name.  Hopefully this person is never allowed to influence young people ever again, and the NHL holds up his just ban from the game.

John Tortorella

John Tortorella is still the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.

However, the Flyers, like the Leafs, have a new GM who didn’t hire the coach.  There is a good chance the Flyers – who are rebuilding – will make a move to change coaches, just like the Leafs.

Tortorella is a maniac who doesn’t seem to be a very nice guy when it comes to being someone’s boss, but he is entertaining as hell.

Should he be let go by the Flyers, the Leafs should definitely not hire him. But then again, part of me thinks they should just due to how fun and entertaining it will be.

I personally have no patience for anyone who is a boss and treats people badly, but I do love hilarious maniacs with short fuses who say nutso things on a regular basis.

Overall it’s probably a bad decision to hire this guy.

Patrick Roy

LIke John Torterella, hiring Patrick Roy would be entertaining and extremely fun. Roy would likely make everything about himself and throw multiple public tantrums.

We could take bets on which player he would challenge to a fight first.

But I don’t think he’s the right guy for the job.

Mitch Love

Mitch Love is an AHL coach with Calgary’s AHL team, the Calgary Wranglers.

Love has won the AHL Coach of the Year award in back-to-back years.  As the current coach of Calgary’s AHL team, he clearly has ties to new Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving.

Should Sheldon Keefe get the axe (which, again, he totally should) expect Love to become a top candidate, though he may just get promoted to the Flames, as they need a new coach too.

Gerard Gallant

Gallant has coached Columbus, Vegas, Florida and New York.  He’s been fired four times in the last 20 years, and I wouldn’t want the Toronto Maple Leafs to hire him, but he’s a name candidate and will likely get a look.

20 years and he’s never gone beyond year three with any of his teams. That seems like a major red flag to me.

He’s a generic NHL coach and while there are exceptions (Claude Julien) I see so much more upside to hiring a newer coach like Love than a guy like this.

Peter Laviolette

5 teams over the last 25 years, he’s one of the worst offenders for recycled NHL coach.  This is a. name that gets brought up whenever someone needs a new coach, but come on, there’s so many better options.