The Toronto Maple Leafs have been among the teams rumored for a coaching change. The club started the shakeup by firing assistant coach Marc Savard on Monday. But the real call has gone out for head coach Craig Berube to leave the club.
While the speculation is that the Maple Leafs aren’t moving forward with a head coaching change, the chatter has not quelled. In fact, one particular name has emerged as the leading candidate for the Maple Leafs’ bench boss role: Peter DeBoer.
However, insider David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period poured plenty of cold water on that rumor. In a December 22 appearance on The Leafs Nation, Pagnotta expounded on why DeBoer is a no-go for the Toronto Maple Leafs:
“What I was told is that he’s comfortable right now. He’s still getting paid by Dallas for the rest of the season. And he’s focused on Canada. So, yeah, he’s chilling. He’s in good position.”
Pagnotta’s comments signal that DeBoer is not interested in returning to the NHL at this moment. It has been less than a year since the Dallas Stars dismissed the veteran coach. Plus, he will be one of the assistants under Jon Cooper for Team Canada at the Olympics.
So, by the sound of things, DeBoer doesn’t really have much incentive to leave his current position for an NHL head coaching position, especially on a team like the Maple Leafs.
Pagnotta, nevertheless, added this interesting tidbit:
“But what I was told was that if he considered joining an NHL club, it’s a team that’s right there… he’s the finishing piece, he’s the one that going to push you over the edge.”
As Pagnotta pointed out, that doesn’t sound like the Toronto Maple Leafs right now.
Maple Leafs Not Close to Stanley Cup Contender
Judging from Pagnotta’s comments, Peter DeBoer would consider joining a team that needs a little extra push to get over the hump. At the moment, the Maple Leafs just aren’t there. While the team has some very good pieces to build around, the fact is that Toronto has a long way to go this season.
Perhaps DeBoer might have made sense two or three years ago. But as the current state of affairs, the Maple Leafs are closer to a rebuild than a Stanley Cup. That’s why bringing in someone like DeBoer, as Pagnotta stated, might make more sense for the Chicago Blackhawks or San Jose Sharks, where they’re ready to compete.
Leafs Stuck with Berube, Whether They Like It or Not
The cold reality is that the Maple Leafs and Craig Berube can’t just walk away from one another. Making a head coaching change in-season might end up doing more harm than good. The Leafs have so many structural issues that a coaching change just won’t be the fix.
Overall, the Maple Leafs must address numerous areas in the roster and the playing style. As a result, bringing in a new coach now would only make sense if the team completely fell apart. That situation may not be far off.
But until it happens, the debate regarding Berube’s continuation behind the Leafs’ bench will like come during the offseason.
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