The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the hunt for a new head coach yet again. The club fired Craig Berube on Wednesday after just two years at the helm.
With a new front office regime spearheaded by John Chayka and Mats Sundin, this was perhaps inevitable after the team missed the playoffs with a disappointing 32-36-14 record (second-worst in the East).
We'll look at the Maple Leafs next head coach odds and see who may be the best and most likely fit ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season with our NHL picks.
Next Toronto Maple Leafs head coach odds
Note: Official odds will be added when available.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are an organization in flux. The Auston Matthews era has been rife with disappointment and drama. Mitch Marner was largely used as a scapegoat prior to his departure after last season (he's still playing in the postseason, by the way), and more changes were destined when things actually got much worse in 2025-26.
The Leafs finished with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, and rumors have swirled surrounding Matthews' future with the team.
With John Chayka taking over as general manager, one of his first acts was to fire head coach Craig Berube on Wednesday. While no odds are yet on the table for who will take over behind the bench, names are already being floated as speculative possibilities.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
The Usual Suspects
Bruce Cassidy
The Vegas Golden Knights shocked the hockey world by dismissing Bruce Cassidy just before the playoffs, replacing him with the forever-angry taskmaster, John Tortorella.
It's become a common, and justified, criticism that the same 10 names are regurgitated whenever coaching positions become available. Berube himself was fired by the St. Louis Blues and hired by the Leafs in relative short order.
But Cassidy may be worth the retread. In his first three seasons coaching Vegas, he reached the playoffs each time, winning the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. He would have been in the postseason again this year, too, but here we are.
When official odds are available, it won't be surprising if Cassidy is at the top of the board. He's already interviewed for the Los Angeles Kings job, and would have been a candidate in Edmonton, but the Golden Knights reportedly denied permission for that interview to happen.
Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy was canned by the New York Islanders in April. He's probably the most high-profile candidate available after Cassidy.
Personally, I doubt this happens. The Hall-of-Fame goaltender has had a shaky tenure as an NHL head coach between stints with the Islanders and Colorado Avalanche. He's coached in the postseason twice, once with each team, and didn't escape the opening round either time.
With the first-overall draft pick coming to town and a possibly contentious relationship to mend with star forward Matthews to deal with, I expect someone with a more established pedigree to get the gig.
Bruce Boudreau
The 71-year-old Bruce Boudreau also feels unlikely, but he was born in Toronto, played junior hockey in the 70s with the Toronto Marlboros, and eventually played with the Maple Leafs as a pro.
He hasn't coached in the NHL since a brief stint with the Vancouver Canucks, but he had a long history of success as the coach of the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, and Minnesota Wild before that.
Granted, that track record also featured a lot of first-round playoff exits, but that should make him fit in nicely in Toronto.
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette has an extensive resume at the NHL level, winning the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006, and reaching the Stanley Cup Final with both the Philadelphia Flyers (2010) and Nashville Predators (2017).
Like a lot of these big names, though, his tenures seem to be getting shorter. He lasted just three years with the Washington Capitals from 2020-23, and only two seasons with the New York Rangers immediately thereafter.
Less established options
If Chayka & Co. miss out on Cassidy or simply want to buck the trend of recycled NHL bench bosses on their fourth or fifth run, there are some options worth exploring.
Manny Malhotra is knocking on the door, and it's only a matter of time before he's an NHL head coach. Currently leading the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, he won the Calder Cup in his first season at the helm.
Malhotra was also an assistant coach for these Maple Leafs before returning to the Canucks organization.
I would also expect Todd Nelson to get a look. He served as the Edmonton Oilers' coach on an interim basis when he replaced Dallas Eakins in 2014-15, but has otherwise made a name for himself in minor hockey and as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he's been since last June.
He has the benefit of experience without being a regurgitated option at the top level. He is a fresh face but isn't wet behind the ears.
Finally, if the Leafs decide to promote from within, assistant coach Derek Lalonde may be an option. Yes, he's a former NHL head coach (Red Wings from 2022-25, but mostly cut his teeth coaching in the NCAA and minors before serving as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning two Cups).
There are sure to be other names bandied about, but this looks like a solid crop of options, depending on which direction Chayka wants to go. My guess is they'll make a hard push for Cassidy because, well, why wouldn't they? Failing that, someone from the "less established" category might be wise, whether that's Malhotra, Nelson, or the internal hire of Lalonde.
