The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the process of gradually narrowing down the list of candidates to fill their head coaching vacancy ahead of next season. John Chayka and the Toronto front office have a decision to make on who to hire after letting go of former coach Craig Berube. They appear to be making progress towards making that choice in the not too distant future.
A plethora of notable external names have been linked to the potential position that include the likes of Bruce Cassidy, David Carle and Peter Laviolette. Toronto has been considering their internal options within the organization as well during this process. One of those candidates includes a former head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.
Derek Lalonde Among Toronto’s Coaching Candidates
Via insider Elliotte Friedman on the FAN Hockey Show, the Maple Leafs management have engaged in a head coach interview with Derek Lalonde. Lalonde was one of Toronto’s assistant coaches this past season. Fellow team assistant Mike Van Ryn is reportedly also under consideration for the job.
Prior to his assistant coach role with the Maple Leafs, Lalonde served as head coach of the Red Wings from 2022-2024. Detroit missed the playoffs in both of his full campaign’s with the club. He was fired midway through the 2024-2025 season after his team struggled out of the gate with a slow start.
This would be an interesting hire by Chayka if he decides Lalonde is the guy. The precedent has been set with the Berube firing that this front office wants to establish a new-look culture next year and beyond. So, an internal hire connected to the previous administration would be a surprise.
For this reason, Lalonde would likely not be Chayka’s first choice for the position. He is probably a stopgap option if the Maple Leafs cannot land one of their top external candidates outside of the organization. This is Chayka doing his homework; it makes sense to at least give Lalonde an interview considering his prior experience with the team.
Toronto Cannot Squander this Coaching Hire
Similar to the situation with the Edmonton Oilers, this coaching decision is of utmost importance for Toronto. This Auston Matthews-led core has come up short too many times down the stretch. It would be a letdown for this group to not win a Stanley Cup.
Toronto’s next coach has to be a guy who has the traits needed to get the best out of this team when the games mean the most. Historically in modern times, the Maple Leafs have folded when the lights shine brightest in the postseason. That needs to change soon for the sake of this franchise’s future. Perhaps a new coach bump, plus the potential of projected first overall draft pick Gavin McKenna joining the squad could help them get there.
This upcoming season will be a crucial one when it comes to determining Matthews’ future with this team. He has two years left on his contract; a playoff return in the cards next year would help towards his prospects of sticking around.
Report: Maple Leafs Have Interviewed Ex-Red Wings Coach