The Toronto Maple Leafs have shortlisted five coaches with Jay Woodcroft and Joe Pavelski in the mix, but their previous history could lead to both coming in.
According to Pierre LeBrun, the Maple Leafs have narrowed their vast coaching search down to their final five candidates. Among those are reportedly both Jay Woodcroft and Joe Pavelski, and if you take a look deeper into their history maybe there's a world where both can come in - considering they spent seven years together.
With Woodcroft and Pavelski as finalists, alongside Patrick Roy and two other unnamed candidates (though John Gruden really deserves a look), John Chayka is going to have to really make sure he gets this decision right, but with the exception of Roy who may not exactly fit the analytical mindset; all are great options.
Pavelski and Woodcroft are both great individual minds, so bring them together
Pavelski was a wildcard who came out of nowhere, and with him coaching his son in minor hockey it was probably the last thing anyone would think, but he's getting serious attention. If he is brought in that would give Toronto a beloved and respected former player with a brilliant and modern mind.
Woodcroft would also bring a bevy of NHL experience while also filling the youth quota and giving the Maple Leafs a really high-tempo and effective offence; he got the best out of Connor McDavid after all.
But what about bringing both in? You can have one as head coach and the other as their right-hand man. It would make a lot of sense too considering that Pavelski and Woodcroft spent seven years together in San Jose.
Pavelski was a player from 2008-2015 when Woodcroft was an assistant coach, so if there's anyone who has a previous level of trust and chemistry it's them.
Pavelski had 417 points in the 515 games he played under Woodcroft, with a plus-71, 155 power-play points and nearly 1,000 combined blocks and hits. Suffice to say he was utilized pretty well under Woodcroft, who ran the power-play to great success.
The Maple Leafs power-play could become an absolute monster underneath Woodcroft and Pavelski
If you have a guy like Pavelski giving motivation and advice to his players in real-time where Woodcroft can manage their stars on the power-play, we could see a complete transformation.
The Sharks had a combined 21.4% PP success rate with Woodcroft running it, which ranks 2nd in the NHL from the span of 2008-2015; only behind Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals; and they did it only having the 9th most PP chances.
Woodcroft's mantra with the power-play seems to be 'make it count, not pretty.' He doesn't care about setting up a perfect play and passing it fifty times - get shots on net, get rebounds, agitate. You have another guy on the ice and you need to use him to disrupt and force opponents to make a mistake; not force yourself into one.
Pavelski is someone who was a power-play monster who understood the intricacies of finding every advantage he could. He was a 7th round pick who no one thought would have the career he's had; he's a special mind that doesn't come around often and who better to know where stars should go?
You could suddenly start to see a Maple Leafs team that peppers shots at the net, uses all their size and strength to force rebounds and chances, plus if they get a proper QB1 at the back? They could leap into the top of the league.
Seven years of chemistry between Woodcroft and Pavelski is nothing to ignore, and neither is their ability to turn the man advantage into a team's biggest asset.
If seven's truly a lucky number, then take a gamble on bringing them both in because it could be the difference between a Stanley Cup or not.
Do you think Toronto should bring in both Jay Woodcroft and Joe Pavelski?
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Maple Leafs have reportedly informed Gavin McKenna of their decision on the first overall pick