Forget the Rumours, This Is Who Should Coach the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs Rumour Mill is already hot and heavy even though the off-season just started.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are all but certain to fire head coach Sheldon Keefe and get a new voice in the room for next season.
But, predictably, the rumours are the same three guys every hockey fan knows: Todd McLellan, Craig Berube and Gerard Gallant.
Unfortunately, based on what we know about Brad Treliving, that probably includes the sum of his choices. Personally, I think the Leafs should go in another direction.
The New Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Be:
Bruce Boudreau.
Bruce Boudreau is the guy the Leafs should choose because he is the most likable person in the NHL. He is going to be beleved by his players, the media and the fans. That goodwill will go a long way at any time, but right now especially.
The Leafs could use a PR win and Bruce Boudreau is a slam dunk.
Another reason for the Leafs to choose Boudreau is that he is a coach who has a reputation for getting the most out of offensive players. For whatever reason the Leafs have been obsessed with doing a 180 on their playing style every time the playoffs roll around.
Boudreau could move the Leafs away from the predictability of Sheldon Keefe's possession-based approach for a more open and exciting style of play that more genuinely reflect the talent on the team.
The Leafs, even with their poor puck-handling from the back-end, were still the top scoring 5v5 team in the NHL this past season. Boudreau would harness that talent and give us a team that can harness what it does well and use that to win in the playoffs.
Boudreau has been name-checked for every single Leafs head coaching position for the last ten+ years and and people have even said that he's openly lobbied for the job. He shoudl get it.
Bruce Boudreau is missing only one thing from his resume. It's one thing Leafs fans want.
manual
The team and the guy who is so cool they (probably) call him the Fonzie of the NHL should team up and try to bring the Stanley Cup to Toronto.