Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio’s Morning Skate with Scott Laughlin and Andrew Raycroft on Wednesday. There, he was asked about the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching search now that the front office has been settled. In addition, Friedman was asked where things stand with Auston Matthews.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Andrew Raycroft: “Well, we made it 12 minutes, Elliotte, without talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs in there, whether it’s a coaching search, a GM search, Auston Matthews, but let’s get to that. What are you hearing with them now that they’ve got Judd Brackett? They’ve got the scouting staff in place, and the front office is in place, What about the coach?”
NHL Rumors: The Toronto Maple Leafs Coaching Search Continues
Elliotte Friedman: “Well, I think they have, I heard they started to reach out, so I heard they did like 16 zoom interviews, and I’ve heard they’ve started to reach out to people and kind of cut the list a bit. I know there was a report this morning, I mentioned Peter Laviolette last night, and I didn’t confirm it, but there was a report I read about Patrick Roy. I hadn’t confirmed it as of last night, but I think it’s 100% true, and I do think that Roy is a legit contender, but I would suspect that the list is a bit longer than that.
Like I said, I heard there were 15 or 16 zooms, and now the Leafs got to figure out, are they bringing another group in. But I think Laviolette is one, I think Roy is one, and we’ll see what happens on some of the other candidates, but I did hear a couple were being told that they were, didn’t make the second cut.
As for Matthews, I think that’s when he had a Zoom call with the Leafs a week or two ago. And the one thing that he conveyed, and I think Sundin was on the call, and Chayka was on the call, and also his agent, and I heard that Matthews like his first choice is to win in Toronto. So that’s where they’re going right now, and Andrew, to be honest, unless something really goes off the rails here, I expect him to start next season in Toronto.”
NHLRumors.com Note: Elliotte Friedman on Wednesday on the FAN Hockey Show on Sportsnet in Toronto went into more detail on Patrick Roy. The interview went well, and he is a really strong candidate to get the job in Toronto. But the Maple Leafs will go through the process before choosing their next head coach.
NHL Rumors: Chicago Blackhawks, and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Give credit to Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, as we have documented here on NHLRumors.com, the wording might have been a little off when it comes to Auston Matthews, but the goal from the start was to win in Toronto. Unless he does not see a pathway to that with the Maple Leafs, he will stay.
However, the best course of action is to get a decision sooner rather than later. The Maple Leafs continue to let players dictate the terms on how things are done in Toronto. Management should be trying to take back power. However, the thought of Gavin McKenna or another highly touted prospect would keep any big star from leaving.
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