Jim Hiller was an out-of-nowhere hire by general manager John Chayka to be head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Those holding out hope for a big name to fill the position were left underwhelmed when Chayka made his choice official.
Some pundits have warmed to the idea of Hiller leading a new Maple Leafs era, while some remain skeptical that the former Toronto assistant is the right choice. How Hiller will perform was a topic of conversation on a recent episode of TSN's OverDrive.
Why Jim Hiller Fits the Profile of a Jack Adams Award Winner
In a segment discussing the future of Toronto sports, guest host Dave Feschuk gave his "crystal ball" predictions to host Bryan Hayes. One of his bold predictions was that Hiller would be a Jack Adams finalist for the 2026-27 season.
"I believe that Jim Hiller is going to be a Jack Adams finalist," said the Toronto Star columnist. His logic was that Hiller is an "analytics guy," hand-picked by the new front office, and has a history with important Leafs players like Auston Matthews and William Nylander from his time as an assistant with Toronto. Feschuk said he expected the new Leafs' coach to lead the team back to the playoffs because they have been a playoff team. He called the 2025-26 season "a blip."
"I believe that Jim Hiller is going to be a Jack Adams finalist."Dave Feschuk on Maple Leafs' Hiller
Hayes explained how things set up well for Hiller. He noted how the Jack Adams is often chosen as a lifetime achievement award or goes to "a new guy on the block that takes a team that missed the playoffs by a significant amount the year before and gets them into the playoffs." He then provided recent examples of Jon Cooper and Rick Tocchet who fit the criteria.
He agreed that if the Maple Leafs make the playoffs, Hiller will be a popular candidate. Hayes added that he thinks the individual play of some Toronto players will determine Hiller's chances. If Matthews can return to his dominant form and Gavin McKenna can have a strong first-year impact, that will greatly improve Hiller's odds.
Hayes noted how the Leafs' dreadful 2025-26 season also helps Hiller. They finished near the bottom of the NHL standings, their special teams were bad, and they were terrible defensively. Another important X-factor that Hayes pointed out was goaltending. How Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz play and whether they are healthy must be taken into account.
Hiller's prospects of becoming a Jack Adams finalist also increase significantly if you subscribe to the historical "second-job bump" of professional coaches. While his first stint as a bench boss ended abruptly, coaches often find their ultimate stride and maturity during their second opportunity.
For this Leafs' transformation to translate to coaching hardware, Hiller will need important players firing on all cylinders. Matthews must return to his dominant scoring ways, Bobrovsky must provide a strong crease presence, and McKenna must develop properly.
Above all, the baseline requirement is that the Maple Leafs must orchestrate a winning year and return to the postseason. Fortunately, these milestones are entirely realistic. If Hiller can steer this ship back into contention, general manager Chayka's initial underwhelming, outside-the-box coaching hire could very well get the last laugh over the skeptics.
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