John Chayka accelerates the Maple Leafs coaching search as his preferred target profile emerges

As the search for a general manager has come with the hiring of John Chayka, the Leafs have now turned their attention to adding a new head coach after dismissing Craig Berube on Wednesday.

In a report for 'The Athletic', James Mirtle listed a few potential candidates in the Leafs coaching search, as well as what the front office is looking for in a bench boss.

In the article, Mirtle named former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy and former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft as potential choices for the role.

Mirtle also adds that the Leafs would prefer to add "an established head coach" with "recent NHL head coaching experience", someone who has both recency and knowledge leading the team on the ice.

James Mirtle's article points out that the Toronto Maple Leafs next coach will need to stop the team's bleeding and make the team happy, and no one needs to be pleased with their hire more than captain Auston Matthews.

Reports have cast doubt on the future of Matthews, with this offseason needing to go right for Matthews to remain as a Leaf, and the right head coach matters just as much as the right offseason additions.

One notable point from Mirtle's article is the lack of strength in this year's free agent class. Many of this year's top pending UFA's were already signed by their respective teams, with one of the top remaining options in Charlie Coyle signing a six-year deal on Tuesday.

Adding a veteran head coach to a Leafs team who isn't certain what next season looks like for each player presents a challenging scenario of bringing what could be a new look Leafs team together, which is why a veteran is looking to be the way to go.

Both Bruce Cassidy and Jay Woodcroft are experienced head coaches with experience winning, but both come with their own share of risk.

Cassidy, who had been the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights this season, was abruptly fired with eight games remaining, replaced with John Tortorella despite Vegas being in a playoff spot.

An old-school, veteran style coach, Cassidy's style may not work with a team being boosted by Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan, and potentially Gavin McKenna.

Cassidy's pattern is the warning sign nobody is discussing, Boston fired him after a Presidents' Trophy winning season, and Vegas moved on a year after the Cup. The wins came, but Cassidy didn't last.

Jay Woodcroft, currently an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks, coached the Edmonton Oilers for parts of three seasons.

Under Woodcroft, Oilers superstar Connor McDavid had his best season with 64 goals and 153 points, but Woodcroft was given blame for Edmonton never being able to take their game to another level in the postseason.

If anyone chooses to believe in the McDavid to Toronto rumors, bringing in Woodcroft would provide a free agent McDavid with the coach he had the most success under.

Woodcroft's successor in Edmonton, Kris Knoblauch, was let go on Wednesday to equally unimpressive results, giving Woodcroft some potential benefit to make the case that he wasn't fully to blame for the Oilers lack of playoff success.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could target a first time coaching candidate, and up-and-comer who can unlock the young guys, but with the uncertainty about how much the Leafs can get out of this offseason, a win-now coach may be their only bet to ensure they achieve success now before players begin to consider leaving.

Two proven NHL coaches sit on the market. Either fits the profile. The wrong hire ends this rebuild before McKenna even arrives. The right hire keeps the franchise alive.

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