These coaches have been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs' vacancy

With former head coach Craig Berube now out of the picture, the Toronto Maple Leafs have an opportunity for a fresh start heading into the 2026-27 season.

Armed with the first-overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft and star players like Auston Matthews and William Nylander, both still under contract for the next two seasons, Toronto appears to still be an attractive spot for any coaching free agents.

But before any talks of what the Maple Leafs will look like with the addition of a first-overall pick, general manager John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin need to decide who will lead the team behind the bench.

The two are reportedly expected to cast a "wide net" in their coaching search, and several names have already surfaced as potential candidates, according to several NHL insiders.

Jay Woodcroft

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Jay Woodcroft, the former Edmonton Oilers coach and current assistant coach of the Anaheim Ducks, has been mentioned as a candidate for the Leafs' vacant role, according to NHL Network's David Pagnotta and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Speaking on Woodcroft, Friedman said on the May 15 episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast that he thinks Woodcroft will be interviewed by Toronto for this role at some point.

Woodcroft had a bumpy start to his head coaching career in Edmonton, lasting less than a year, but he has since joined Anaheim as an assistant in 2024, helping guide them back to the playoffs. 

There's been no word on whether the Leafs have reached out to the Ducks for permission to interview Woodcroft. That's something Toronto would have to do to move forward with any NHL coach still under contract with another team.

David Carle

 

University of Denver head coach, David Carle, is currently viewed as one of the brightest minds in hockey, and his name has already been mentioned for this vacancy by several insiders, including Friedman.

Friedman said on Monday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast that there has been initial contact between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carle to gauge his interest.

In his eight years with Denver's NCAA program, Carle has won three NCAA national championships and held an impressive .694 winning percentage.

Carle reportedly wants to make the jump to the NHL, but the question remains a matter of when. He has reportedly passed on previous opportunities to prioritize his young family.

If the 36-year-old were hired by Toronto, it would make him the youngest head coach in the NHL.

Derek Lalonde

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Derek Lalonde is already inside the organization and will be interviewed as an internal option for head coach, according to David Alter of The Hockey News.

Lalonde is currently serving as the Maple Leafs' assistant coach and played a major role in improving Toronto’s penalty kill this past season, despite the team’s overall disappointing result.

The 53-year-old previously coached the Detroit Red Wings for parts of three seasons before being fired and replaced by Todd McLellan midway through the 2024-25 season.

In his two complete seasons with Detroit, he missed the playoffs on both occasions.

John Gruden

 

Although the legendary NFL football coach might be what the Maple Leafs locker room needs, this Gruden isn't the same guy.

John Gruden has served as the head coach of the Toronto Marlies since 2023, and currently has the team in the third round of the AHL playoffs. Friedman said on the May 15 episode of 32 Thoughts that Gruden is someone who's had a decent track record with Toronto's AHL squad and remains an internal option.

Like Lalonde, Gruden is currently under contract with the organization and would offer some familiarity to the players. He could also be a strong fallback option if Toronto misses out on bigger-name targets like Woodcroft or Carle.