The Toronto Maple Leafs could have eyes on a first-time head coach following the firing of Craig Berube.
The Maple Leafs will not stay away from up-and-coming coaches as they begin a search for their next bench boss, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said on Sportsnet Today with Roger Lajoie and Zack Bodenstein. And if he becomes available, Manny Malhotra will be on their radar, Friedman added.
Malhotra is the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL, but previously served as an assistant coach in the NHL wth Vancouver and Toronto.
The 45-year-old was with the Maple Leafs for four seasons from 2020 to 2024. He left Toronto to become the head coach of Abbotsford and guided them to the Calder Cup in his first season.
Beyond Malhotra, Friedman also expects the Maple Leafs to ask the Vegas Golden Knights for permission to speak to Bruce Cassidy. However, he believes Cassidy is in win-now mode, and that may not align with how Toronto is trending.
The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings have also asked for permission to speak to Cassidy, but Vegas has yet to approve any requests, per Friedman on Tuesday.
