Leafs Search Includes Concerning Candidates

The Toronto Maple Leafs coaching search is reportedly entering the next phase, with as many as six potential finalists meeting GM John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin over the next week. While a few candidates are understandable based on their previous experience, the resumes of a few cause a bit of concern. 

Names that are on definitely on the short list are Hall of Famer and former Avalanche and Islanders head coach Patrick Roy and former San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski. Pavelski’s name was revealed as a candidate by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman last week, and on Friday, his interest in the Toronto job was confirmed by Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News.

“It’s a process,” Pavelski said. “(The Leafs are being) very thorough. … They have a bunch of stuff on their end, and you’re just being patient and figuring out things on your end, so there’s not a lot to talk about right now.”

Names that there are some debate on whether they are actual candidates are former Edmonton head coach Jay Woodcroft (currently an assistant under Joel Quenneville in Anaheim) and former Toronto Marlies, Edmonton and Anaheim head coach Dallas Eakins.

Woodcroft’s name began circulating in connection with the LA Kings and Leafs job last month, and insiders like Darren Dreger have reported that he is in the mix with Toronto, but Friedman rather definitively stated that he is not in the mix and that he did not expect him to be interviewed. 

Eakins was brought up by Dreger earlier this week as one of the finalists. Woodcroft spent 14 years as an assistant coach and head coach at the AHL level before taking over for Dave Tippett in Edmonton in 2022. His record of 79-41-13 over parts of three seasons is a positive, but a 3-9-1 start in 2023-24 led to him being fired in favor of Kris Knoblauch, who led the Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.  

Eakins was an assistant with the Marlies and Leafs before becoming head coach of the Marlies in 2009. He led Toronto’s AHL franchise to a Calder Cup Final in 2012 and took the Oilers head coaching job in 2013. His stint in Edmonton lasted less than two seasons, and he returned to the AHL for four years in San Diego before taking over the Ducks job in 2019, where he spent four seasons. His overall record is 136-210-58 and his clubs have never finished higher than sixth place.    

If the Leafs are serious about a candidate with no head coaching experience like Pavelski, hiring a Woodcroft or Eakins as an associate coach would make a lot of sense, but their records as NHL head coaches after such a lengthy search would call into question the process the club used.   

Two other possible options that may be in the mix could explain why the process has been so lengthy. Former Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy has been blocked by the Vegas Golden Knights to interview for jobs in Edmonton and Los Angeles, but there are no indications that the Leafs have even asked for permission. The Golden Knights reason for blocking Cassidy may be to prevent him from taking a job in the same division, but it is unknown whether they would block him from interviewing with Toronto. GM Kelly McCrimmon has pushed any decision on permission to talk to Cassidy until after the Stanley Cup Final, which will end on Tuesday if it goes the full seven games. 

The other potential candidate is Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden, who has his hands full with the club opening the Calder Cup Final in Chicago on Friday. Gruden indicated that he has not spoken to Chayka about the job, but also said that he is up for the opportunity of being an NHL head coach.  

“I want to be a coach at the highest level but right now I’m focused on the Marlies. (Chayka) has done a really good job of leaving us alone,” Gruden said. “He has a job to do, he’s allowing us to do ours, which is nice.”