The Toronto Maple Leafs' next head coach candidate has just become available. The Vegas Golden Knights stunned the NHL world by firing Bruce Cassidy on Sunday and replacing him with John Tortorella, The Athletic reported.
The move is practically unheard of. As insider Chris Johnston noted, the move is reminiscent of what the New Jersey Devils did nearly three decades ago.
Incredibly rare for a playoff-bound NHL team to change coaches this late in the regular season: The Golden Knights have eight games left and hope to follow the 2000 New Jersey Devils, who won a Stanley Cup when Larry Robinson replaced Robbie Ftorek after 74 games.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 29, 2026
The move, while a bold one, is one that the Golden Knights hope will propel them to another Stanley Cup.
That aside, the fact that Bruce Cassidy is now officially a free agent means the Maple Leafs can pursue their next coach.
In fact, the Maple Leafs should be sending Cassidy plane tickets as we speak.
Now, why make such a bold statement?
The thing here is that firing Craig Berube wouldn’t have necessarily solved anything if the Leafs didn’t have anyone good to replace him with. One of the guys that hit the rumor mill, Peter DeBoer, basically said, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
With Cassidy still in Vegas, who else would have been left on the coaching market to replace Berube? Torts?
Well, Vegas seemed to think Torts was a good idea. And it’s likely because DeBoer also told them to go take a hike.
As for Cassidy, he would be a solid fit in Toronto. He’s a Stanley Cup-winning coach and has the experience to lead an organization looking to find an identity. His stint with the Boston Bruins was a good example of what he could do with a decent roster. He took the Bruins to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to Berube and the St. Louis Blues.
Cassidy won the Stanley Cup in his first year with Vegas in 2023. Since then, it’s been a bit of an up-and-down tenure for Cassidy. That’s why, with the Golden Knights teetering on the edge of the playoff bubble, the organization decided to let him go.
That’s fair game. For the Maple Leafs, it’s an opportunity to bring in a coach with a different sort of attitude. While he’s no pushover, Cassidy doesn’t have the grinding personality that other coaches may have.
That situation means balance. And it’s balance that the Maple Leafs need with the sort of roster they have.
Maple Leafs will need to move fast
If Brad Treliving hasn’t already reached out to Cassidy, a couple of other clubs will in the coming days. The Edmonton Oilers are another club rumored to be looking at a coaching change. The LA Kings and New Jersey Devils might also be looking to make a move.
As such, the Leafs have to move quickly. Of course, Cassidy will need some time to process everything that’s happened. After all, it’s never easy to lose your job. But if the Maple Leafs don’t act quickly, someone else will.
In particular, the Oilers stand out as a team equally desperate to hold onto their competitive window as long as possible. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Oilers pounce on Cassidy in one last act of distress.
Perhaps the Leafs won’t need to fire Berube before the season ends. But you have to think that the writing is on the wall for the Chief. Moreover, there’s nothing wrong with having a handshake deal with Cassidy before everything settles on the final batch of games this season.
That said, the organization will need to be careful not to appear as cutthroat as the Golden Knights. The optics of seemingly stabbing Berube in the back won’t sit well. So, transparency in the process will be key. While fans and the media may not be privy to those movements before they’re announced, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see the Leafs act on this opportunity now.