The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially kicked off their high-stakes coaching search with a major splash, holding an initial conversation with University of Denver NCAA champion head coach David Carle about their vacant bench job.
While the three-time hockey champion stands out as one of the most intriguing and innovative minds available, locking him down for the Toronto market might prove to be an uphill battle.
Sportsnet insiders Elliotte Friedman and Nick Kypreos have both cast significant doubt on the Maple Leafs' ability to actually pull off the hiring, warning that convincing the highly coveted prospect to leave his collegiate powerhouse for the intense scrutiny of NHL hockey in Toronto might be an unrealistic expectation.
Why Sportsnet Insiders Doubt David Carle Chooses Toronto
After reporting that the Maple Leafs and Carle had an initial conversation, Friedman appeared on the Fan Hockey Show to discuss Toronto's interest. He described the Leafs as having "legitimate interest" but cautioned, "He's (Carle) interviewing you as much as you're interviewing him."
"He's interviewing you as much as you're interviewing him. "Elliotte Friedman on David Carle
The HNIC insider said one of the biggest challenges in persuading Carle to move to the NHL is his young family. Friedman noted that the Pioneers' coach could have gone to the Chicago Blackhawks last year, but the timing wasn't right for family reasons.
Friedman noted that Carle has a great setup in Denver with a good team that will be a contender again next year. He emphasized the biggest factor being, "Is it the right time?" Friedman explained the Maple Leafs will "investigate it and see what the chances are."
Following the Friedman news, Nick Kypreos echoed those sentiments during an episode of Real Kyper and Bourne. He listed other reasons for the Maple Leafs' difficulty in getting Carle.
Kypreos suggested that if you are a potential head coach looking at the Leafs, knowing the plan (rebuild or retool) is a must. He described Toronto as "unlike any other situation" with half the people saying to "blow it up" and half saying, "No, we can win now."
For someone like Carle, who has no experience with pro hockey, asking him to win now is a difficult proposition, Kypreos explained. He described the Toronto environment as "beast-like" compared to almost everywhere else.
Kypreos observed that Carle is already in a "safe" environment with Denver and making NHL-type money. He cautioned that he doesn't want to see Toronto get Carle because they paid him too much to say no.
Co-host Justin Bourne also mentioned Carle's young family as a deterrent to him coming to Toronto. He acknowledged the lack of security with a pro job as another reason for not uprooting his family.
Ultimately, while landing Carle could potentially be a massive home run for the Maple Leafs, fans should temper their expectations. The initial conversation shows that management is willing to look outside the traditional NHL box for their next head coach, but insight from Friedman and Kypreos serves as a reality check.
Convincing the highly successful Carle to leave his comfortable collegiate dynasty for the relentless pressure cooker of the Toronto market is no easy task. Unless John Chayka and Mats Sundin can present an undeniable, foolproof vision for the future, Carle may become the Leafs' most intriguing "what if" of the offseason while the front office pivots to more realistic options on their short list.
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