The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ subpar season has led to all sorts of speculation about a change behind the bench. The team’s recent dismissal of former assistant coach Marc Savard only added more fuel to the fire.
Despite GM Brad Treliving making his support for current head coach Craig Berube crystal clear, the speculation hasn’t gone away regarding a coaching change.
Well, one of the rumored parties reportedly went out of his way to make his position known on the matter.
During the December 27 edition of Saturday Headlines, insider Elliotte Friedman discussed how Peter DeBoer reached out to Berube regarding the rumors. In particular, DeBoer made it clear that he has no interest in the Maple Leafs’ bench boss role despite speculation otherwise.
Friedman stated the following:
“One other thing that happened this week, that I thought was pretty interesting, was that Peter DeBoer, who was the subject of much speculation to potentially replace Craig Berube as the Maple Leafs’ coach, sent a note, through a friend, to Berube, saying, ‘Forget all this noise. I’m not involved here, and it’s not happening.’”
The comments effectively pour cold water on the talk about DeBoer taking over for Berube in Toronto. The Maple Leafs organization has been adamant about sticking by Berube. So, the likelihood of a change, at least in-season, seems far-fetched.
Talk of Coaching Change May Resurface in the Summer
While it may be tempting to declare talk of a coaching change in Toronto over, the fact is that the chatter may not go away. If the Maple Leafs fail to make the playoffs this season, talk of a coaching change should pick up in the offseason.
That’s purely hearsay at this point. But it’s a topic that may arise depending on how this season goes. If the Maple Leafs make the postseason and if they make a strong run, the chatter should go away.
But if the Leafs fall flat, the discussion regarding a coaching change will only intensify. That’s why the Maple Leafs’ performance on Saturday night against the Senators could be a decent step in the right direction.
The team needs to rekindle the fire and the drive that spurred it last season. There’s still enough time this year for the Maple Leafs to turn things around. So, it may be too soon to take this Toronto season out to the woodshed.
Maple Leafs Win on Saturday Night
The Maple Leafs came out and won a tough rivalry game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs pulled out a 7-5 win on the heels of a strong performance from the power play.
The Maple Leafs scored twice with the man advantage to set the tone on the night. The game was sloppy defensively at times. But The Leafs showed much more passion and drive compared to other times this season.
Perhaps the vote of confidence across the board helped the team regain its confidence. The good showing, despite the high score, could bode well for the Maple Leafs moving forward.
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