Bruce Cassidy shared where he wants to coach next and it changes everything about the Maple Leafs search
Photo credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Bruce Cassidy admitted he wanted to help guide a Canadian team to a Stanley Cup, and it might change how the Maple Leafs approach their coaching search.
Fired with only a handful of games left in the NHL season, Bruce Cassidy was someone who has seen both the highs and lows of being a head coach. He won the Cup with the team in 2023, but struggled heavily this year and had Vegas on the outside looking in before he was let go.
Noe he's searching for his next position and there has been no real indication of where he'll go next though there are several teams who may be looking to make head coaching changes like the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bruce Cassidy's goal of bringing Canada a Cup could lead him to the Maple Leafs
On the topic of the Maple Leafs, Cassidy was a guest on Leafs Morning Take on Monday and was asked about his feelings towards his next position. When the topic of Toronto came up, Cassidy admitted that he would love to be able to lift Lord Stanley while up North:
Usually you look at first, the market; how does this fit? How does it impact your family? Then you think of the city later on. It would be cool to win a Stanley Cup in a Canadian city right now.
That sounds like someone who would no doubt be willing to take a job in the biggest hockey market in the world and try his hand at bringing them success; the first to do it in nearly 60 years.
Cassidy does come with his faults however, and there's a lot of concern about the behind the scenes attitude and relationships with his players. But he's won a Cup, a Jack Adams, and holds a career .630 win percentage — so not like he is someone who hasn't done this before.
Toronto needs a shakeup and bringing in Cassidy, who is the opposite style-wise to Craig Berube may be a great way to do it because clearly he's motivated.
Should Toronto go after Cassidy or try a new approach completely?
Approaching Cassidy is something that the Maple Leafs should do if only to complete their due diligence. Despite how his tenure ended in Vegas, Cassidy is a bonafide top coach in the game and has four first-place finishes in his last seven seasons; he knows how to win.
But in them switching to a new analytical approach in the front office, they may decide to go younger or with someone who has less experience but is as talented.
There's a lot of talk about Manny Malhotra being someone who could come in an change the look of the team, or there could be someone we haven't known publicly who Toronto covets.
Sheldon Keefe's system was great at first because it was high-tempo and brand new. But when defences found the holes, they exploited them. Berube's game plan was a slow, plodding grind that wore opponents to the bone and led to one or two-goal affairs.
Neither of that brought success, and Cassidy may become another casualty of a system that is still too archaic for the modern game.
So should Toronto bring in Bruce Cassidy? Sure, at least to see where he sits on the matter. But if they really want to put their money where their mouth is — they'll go against the grain behind the bench.
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