Rumors Swirling Around Toronto Maple Leafs as Head Coach Hiring Seems Imminent
It looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to hire a familiar name as their next head coach and that decision is going to happen soon.
The NHL coaching carousel is hilarious and the Toronto Maple Leafs seem to be victim to it once again. Instead of looking to hire a young coach with a fresh mind, similar to what they previously did with Sheldon Keefe, they will most likely look at someone who's been around for years and isn't as accomplished as some think.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, his "understanding is that Craig Berube (and) Todd McLellan met with Treliving, and probably other members of the management group, as well," meaning that one of them will most lijkely be the next head coach of the Leafs.
I don't want to bash McLellan or Berube as people, as they both seem like good men who can definitely coach a professional hockey team. However, don't both of these hires just seem like the most boring coaches of all-time? It's essentially going to be another Randy Carlyle or Ron Wilson hire and the team isn't going to improve, unless the core changes.
I've said this before and I'll say it again, but a coach is not going to fix the issues, until the team inside the dressing room changes. The coaching change will only seem important until the Leafs get a legitimate number-one goalie, two top-four defenseman and a team that can score on the power-play in the playoffs. Sheldon Keefe would do just as good, if not a better job, than McLellan and Berube, but that's just how the NHL coaching fraternity works. Once you get in, you never leave.
Who Will Become the Next Leafs Head Coach?
The irony of hiring McLellan would be that he was part of those San Jose Sharks teams for years that could never get over the hump. They were an unbelievable regular season team but could never win a Stanley Cup. Sure, they reached multiple Western Conference Finals, but they never got the ultimate prize, which is what it's all about.
As for Berube, he did win a Stanley Cup, thanks to Jordan Binnington in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, but besides that, his playoff record isn't too great, either. He's only reached the Second Round twice in his career and doesn't have the best regular season record either, missing the playoffs on three occasions.
If we're choosing between McLellan and Berube, Berube is the clear-cut choice, but until the team changes the players, coaching will not change the result, except if they hire McLellan. If the Leafs chose McLellan instead of Berube, you may as well kiss the 2024-25 season goodbye because he's the king of losing in the playoffs with good teams.
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Between Berube and McLellan, Berube is the definite clear-cut choice, but either coach won't affect much, until the players change. It'll be interesting to see what happens, but expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to name their new head coach sooner than later.