NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has refuted the recent reports about the Toronto Maple Leafs being interested in hiring Jay Woodcroft.
There have been reports in recent days suggesting that the Leafs are interested in hiring Woodcroft, the former Edmonton Oilers’ head coach and current Anaheim Ducks assistant coach, to be the team’s new head coach after they fired Craig Berube earlier this month.
But according to Friedman, those reports are inaccurate.
Elliotte Friedman Says Maple Leafs Not Interested In Jay Woodcroft
Speaking on the latest edition of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast,” Friedman said that he does not believe the Maple Leafs have asked the Ducks for permission to interview Woodcroft to be the team’s head coach, and he doesn’t think they will.
“I understand there were some reports this week that he’s going to interview in Toronto. I don’t believe that’s the case. I do not believe Toronto has asked permission to talk to him, and I think it’s quite possible Toronto doesn’t ask to talk to him,” Friedman said.
“He’s interviewed in LA (with the Kings), and I think he’s got to be a legit contender there. I think D.J. Smith, the incumbent, is, too. But I’ve heard, for whatever reason, he will not be interviewing in Toronto.”
Woodcroft was the Oilers’ head coach for parts of three seasons before he was fired and replaced by Kris Knoblauch, who himself was recently let go by the team. But after doing a terrific job as an assistant coach with the upstart Ducks, Woodcroft’s name has been a popular one during this year’s NHL head coaching cycle.
As Friedman said, even if the Leafs aren’t interested in hiring him, it seems likely the LA Kings are considering bringing him aboard, and for Woodcroft, he wouldn’t have to go far if that’s the case, as Anaheim and LA are very close to each other geographically.
Maple Leafs and David Carle
Friedman then spoke about the University of Denver Pioneers’ head coach, David Carle, someone the Leafs are said to be very high on as a potential head coaching candidate.
“David Carle, one thing I’m trying to figure out is, is he going on any visits? I think it’s hard to see him taking any of these jobs without going on any visits. From what I can tell right now, he has no visits to any of these teams scheduled,” Friedman said.
It will be very interesting to see who the Maple Leafs end up hiring for their head coaching gig in the wake of Berube’s firing, and the recent hiring of John Chayka as the team’s GM and Mats Sundin as the team’s senior advisor.
With Chayka being only 36 years old, it does make sense for him to chase after a younger candidate like the 36-year-old Carle, who would be on a similar timeline as him. But Carle is said to be very happy in Denver, so it won’t be easy to convince him to leave his post, although potentially a big bag of money could do the trick.
NHL Insider Refutes Reports of Maple Leafs & Jay Woodcroft