Have the Maple Leafs been waiting on Rod Brind'Amour all along?
The Leafs haven't made a coaching decision yet, but maybe they have been waiting for Rod Brind'Amour all along.
After last night's disappointing loss to the New York Rangers, the Carolina Hurricanes were eliminated in the 2nd round, which could mean drastic changes in Carolina. Rod Brind'Amour does not have a contract in place for next season and if he is among those set to be released in Carolina, perhaps the Leafs are waiting to pounce.
With Craig Berube the current frontrunner to take over as coach in Toronto, it's odd that the Leafs haven't announced anything in almost a week. Was Treliving waiting to choose a coach because he knew Brind'Amour would become available if Carolina did not produce in the playoffs?
Is it possible that Hurricanes GM Don Waddell tipped off Leafs GM Treliving on the availability of Brind'Amour if they lost to the Rangers in round 2?
Brind'Amour would be a perfect fit for the a Leafs team that has shown they lack intensity on many different occasions. The Hurricanes have played a strong two-way system (similar to Bruins-style hockey), but that only works if all players on the team buy-in.
Brind'Amour also has experienced some success in the playoffs, leading his Hurricanes teams to two 2nd and two 3rd round playoff appearances in recent years. Brind'Amour also captured the Jack Adams award for top coach in 2020-21.
Treliving told the media a week ago that the Leafs plan to be thorough but would not draw out the process of selecting a new coach. With have week having elapsed, I can't imagine we're too far off from a decision now.
| POLL | ||
MAI 17 | 351 ANSWERS Have the Maple Leafs been waiting on Rod Brind'Amour all along? Would Rod Brind'Amour be the right fit to coach in Toronto? | ||
| Yes | 236 | 67.2 % |
| No | 86 | 24.5 % |
| Other | 29 | 8.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
