Maple Leafs' General Manager Brad Treliving stated on Friday that he is very aware of the fact that there are other openings available to head coaching candidates. For this reason, the Leafs plan to begin their search for the best available candidate immediately.
The NHL is a results-based business, and Treliving believes the Maple Leafs simply haven't been good enough.
Elliotte Friedman on the May 10th edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast mentioned Craig Berube and Todd McLellan as two "lead contenders" for the position, though they are not the only team interested in their services.
2019 Stanley Cup winning head coach Craig Berube is the only one of the three with a Cup ring. He is considered the top prize according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
McLellan is a defensive structure minded coach who has bounced around between the Sharks, Oilers and Kings in his career. He hasn't gotten much further with his teams than Keefe has with the Leafs.
Judging by Trelivng's comments about wanting to name a new coach promptly to give candidates plenty of time to seek out other opportunities, it may not be long before we see a new bench boss named for the Toronto Maple Leafs - perhaps as soon as next week.
POLL | ||
10 MAI | 646 ANSWERS Maple Leafs reveal approximate timeline for hiring a new head coach When will the Leafs finally name their new head coach? | ||
Before the end of the weekend | 62 | 9.6 % |
At some point during the next week | 215 | 33.3 % |
Probably after next weekend | 102 | 15.8 % |
Probably closer to the draft | 267 | 41.3 % |
List of polls |