NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs Head Coach Position and Brendan Shanahan

The Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coaching Position Still Desirable

Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period joined SiriusXM NHL Network Radio with Steve Kouleas and Andrew Raycroft and was asked if the Toronto Maple Leafs head coaching position is still desirable.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

NHL Rumors: A Coaching Change Coming in Toronto?

Andrew Raycroft: “Dave, let’s lean into that. Just one more question about that. Whoever is, when let’s play the hypothetical, let’s not, you know, bury the body already, but if they do lose, Keefe gets fired. Is this next coach for the Leafs the highest-paid coach automatically? Is this the, is this the best job for any of these guys and will they be willing to wait to see what the Leafs do before they, they take on any other options?”

Dave Pagnotta: “I think without question, it’s definitely a very, very desirable destination. But I think whoever comes in is going to want to understand what the plan is. Both immediately and down the road. You know Mitch Marner and John Tavares have one more year left on their respective contracts. Is the goal to keep them around? Are you changing it?

NHL Rumors: If the Toronto Maple Leafs Lose …

And if you aren’t changing things, what do those changes look like? What’s part of this? This diagram that you’re putting together for now and 2, 3, 4, or 5 years down the line? So I think whoever comes in, whether it is a Craig Berube or somebody else, you know, I wonder, and then Pittsburgh is spoken very highly or Kyle Dubas has Mike Sullivan, but if he if they decide to make a change, I’ve got to imagine he would be on their radar as well bringing in somebody experienced and certainly Chief brings also some of that grittiness behind the bench when he played he’ll want that translated into the roster as well.

But I think whoever comes in is definitely going to want to have a clearer picture as to how things are going to look going into next season. And well beyond.”

Where Does Brendan Shanahan Fit Into The Maple Leafs?

Following the above segment, Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was asked if the attention turns to Brendan Shanahan and if a change will be made there.

** NHLRumors.com Transcription

Are We Sure Major Changes Are Coming with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Steve Kouleas: “So where is Shanahan in this new Keith Pelley administration that said 29 days old?”

Pagnotta: “You know, we haven’t really heard too much with respect to any potential change at the top level. I think, bringing in Brad Treliving. I think there’s been or there was a little bit of an understanding that Shanny, who was very off, well, I say, behind the scenes, hands-on in the public eye. He wanted to be portrayed as, as you know, off, but he was very ob in certain circumstances.

NHL Rumors: Detroit Red Wings, and the Toronto Maple Leafs

I believe that bringing in Treliving, change that mindset when Tree came in, he wanted to have, you know, as much autonomy as possible, if not fully with respect to the roster, and I don’t care what they’re saying internally, Brendan Shanahan tentacles are all over this roster. So or at least the bulk of it anyway until Tree came in.

So I imagined that there’s going to be my guess would be that there would be some leniency and a leash here to see what Treliving can do before there’s any serious consideration to making changes up top with respect to the President being Brendan Shanahan.”