The rumour mill surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs' coaching search is hot again, after a report from TSN's Pierre LeBrun. He reports that the Maple Leafs' coaching search has been narrowed down to just five candidates.
There was no follow-up report naming any of the potential candidates bidding for the head coaching role. That said, based on what has been reported from other NHL insiders over the last handful of days, we can piece together an idea of who could be in that final five.
So, with that, let's look at some potential names that could remain in the search. This is by no means me speculating, just a process of elimination to determine who could still be in the hunt.
Who remains in the Maple Leafs' coaching search?
First and foremost, let's get the easiest one out of the way. By now, everyone has heard that Joe Pavelski is interviewing for the job. This was reported first by Elliotte Friedman. He did mention that there was real interest from Pavelski and that this could be the Maple Leafs' version of the Montreal Canadiens hiring Martin St. Louis.
Next, there is the Maple Leafs' assistant coach, Derek LaLonde. He is an under-the-radar candidate. Many fans at the start didn't list him as an option. However, since David Alter of the Hockey News reported that he had interviewed for the opening, fans have started to like the idea. Although his time with the Detroit Red Wings didn't go as planned. He has been in a winning locker room with the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won their two Stanley Cups.
This is where it starts to get hard, piecing together reliable, reputable reports to determine who else could be in the hunt for the job.
Patrick Roy hasn't been ruled out; in fact, it was LeBrun who reported that he is still in the hunt. Although he may be the least favoured coach from the fans' perspective, he has the experience, which is something they were reported to be looking for. Freidman reported a bit ago that he heard that Roy had a very good first interview with the Maple Leafs, so it isn't overly surprising that he'd get a follow-up.
Jay Woodcroft is a name that has had some confusion around it. First, Frank Seravalli reported that he was interviewed. But that was followed up by a report from Friedman, who suggested that he hadn't heard that the Maple Leafs had asked permission. Then, this week LeBrun said that he thinks "Jay Woodcroft probably is"; however, he did admit that he hasn't been able to nail down that report 100%. Which makes it a bit difficult to determine if Woodcroft is included in the search or not. But, if he were to be in the running, he may be my personal favourite to land the job.
Now, the fifth one was definitely the most challenging to figure out. There have been so many names thrown around that it was hard to determine who was in and who was out. That said, there have been reports that John Gruden, the head coach of the Toronto Marlies, could be in that pool of five candidates. Other people on social media wonder if Bruce Cassidy could be in play now that the Edmonton Oilers are likely hiring Mike Babcock.
Regardless of who the fifth coaching candidate is, the reports suggest the in-person interviews with them are expected to start this week. So, we will likely soon know who interviewed and who is the person that is being hired. And, hopefully, it happens before the 2026 NHL Draft, which is on June 26th. and 27th.
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