Lauer, Lambert emerge as candidates for assistant coaching jobs with Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have checked off one major box this offseason so far, hiring Craig Berube as the team's next head coach, but at this point, the rest of the coaching staff remains a mystery.
Last season, the Leafs had Guy Boucher, Mike Van Ryn, Dean Chynoweth and Manny Malhotra behind the bench. However, with Malhotra off to Vancouver, Chynoweth believed to be currently without a contract and Boucher's abysmal attempts at running a power play, we might be looking at a very different coaching staff under Berube next season. While Van Ryn appears likely to stay on, there are no guarantees that he'll be back either.
Last week, Marc Savard's name came up in connection with the Maple Leafs, and it only added fuel to the fire when he and the Calgary Flames agreed to mutually part ways. On Wednesday, Mike Yeo's name was mentioned as a possibility in Toronto after the GTA native confirmed that he was looking to work "closer to home". Now, we have two more names to add to the list.
Per Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts yesterday, Brad Lauer and Lane Lambert are two candidates who have come up in connection to the Maple Leafs.
Lauer has 9 years of NHL coaching experience as an assistant, split between the Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets. He was also a head coach in the WHL for 4 seasons between 2018-2022, capturing a WHL Championship with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2022.
Meanwhile, Lambert had been an assistant/associate coach in Nashville Washington and Long Island for 11 seasons prior to being named head coach of the New York Islanders in 2022. He was relieved of his duties as Isles head coach this season and was replaced by Patrick Roy.
Both coaches bring a wealth of experience to the table and could be strong additions to Berube's coaching staff in Toronto, but as Friedman stated on 32 Thoughts, the Leafs are casting a wide net here, meaning that their search to fill out the coaching staff might be an extensive one.
| POLL | ||
MAI 30 | 263 ANSWERS Lauer, Lambert emerge as candidates for assistant coaching jobs with Maple Leafs Will ex-Islanders head coach Lane Lambert end up on Craig Berube's coaching staff in Toronto this summer? | ||
| Yes | 156 | 59.3 % |
| No | 107 | 40.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
