If we're reading the tea leaves correctly, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely making a change at head coach this summer. Craig Berube is on his last legs with the team and will be promptly fired as soon as the Leafs finish Game 82. But, who will be his replacement?
So many reporters and insiders have tossed some words around to see what they come up with, but as The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta put it on Monday's episode if Leafs Morning Take, it depends what direction the Leafs want to go.
NHL insider speculates on new Maple Leafs head coach
Essentially, the Maple Leafs have a big decision this summer.
"I'm not sure what direction they go in, right?" Pagnotta said. "Like, I didn't see all three interviews but I saw the one with Pete DeBoer and I see him being a guy that's going to want to be somewhere where he's that finishing piece. 'We've got the right roster in place, we need that guy to push us over the edge to win a Stanley Cup.' That's the environment he wants, that he would prefer to be in versus a team like Toronto. Which, let's be honest, it's going to be -- the goal is to make the playoffs next year. I mean the goal should be to compete for a Stanley Cup, and everyone is going to tell you that, but let's be real. There's a lot of sh-t that has to happen this summer just to get back into the playoffs.
"I wonder if they go, if they do make a change, I wonder if they go the younger rote. Like, I know we've had the first-year coach before but you know, do you go back to a familiar face in that organization? do you go to Manny Malhotra? Do you explore that? Because I can tell you he's on the radars of a few different teams out there looking to either make or considering a coaching change for next season.
"And with what he's done in Abbotsford and how we've seen first-year coaches this season -- Marco Sturm in Boston, Dan Muse in Pittsburgh. Look how well that's worked out for them."
Malhotra is an extremely interesting option. Obviously, the current Abbotsford Canucks head coach was an assistant on the Leafs bench under Sheldon Keefe for four seasons, from 2020-21 to 2023-24, before he was hired to be the bench boss of the Canucks' AHL affiliate two years ago. Then, it was a big clearing of Toronto's bench to go from the more forward-thinking, offensively minded coaching to whatever Craig Berube likes and enjoys.
If Leafs management (who knows who will be in the front office making this decision) decides that this is more of a long-term thing and doesn't want some quick fix, then Malhotra could be an easy option. If they do want that temporary shot of adrenaline to hopefully squeeze some playoff revenue out of a team who is clearly a step below (or two or three) the contenders in the Eastern Conference, then someone like Pete DeBoer or a more experienced head coach, could be the answer.
Nevertheless, there are going to be some organization-defining decisions made this summer in Toronto.