Maple Leafs Could Be on the Verge of Losing Key Coach, With New Team Emerging as Frontrunner

A lot can be said about the evolution of the Maple Leafs coaching staff between 2023-24 and 2024-25. Sheldon Keefe was out, Craig Berube and his group were in, and the changes became apparent pretty quickly.

An emphasis on defense and grittiness led them to an Atlantic Division title. While Craig Berube deserves a lot of credit, so to do Marc Savard and Lane Lambert; the latter transforming Toronto's back end.

But the news earlier that saw Assistant Coach Lane Lambert interview for the Seattle Kraken head coaching job, Toronto's coaching staff could be out a key component.

According to Elliotte Friedman, it seems that might become a reality:

It's not a surprise to see Lambert be asked to help coach a struggling franchise, he's done it before.

Taking over the New York Islanders in 2022-23, he guided the team from a 5th place finish in the previous year, to making the playoffs the following season.

He didn't stick around long though, and after a fairly average start, was let go in favor of current head coach Patrick Roy.

Lambert's career coaching record stands currently at 61-46-20, which is a .559 win%.

Losing him would be a huge loss for Toronto, given that Berube was the one who added Lambert in the first place. The way he was able to take Berube's idea for defense and implement it was obvious; the team went from 21st in goals against to 8th.

While the goaltending needs credit as well, the work that Lambert did with Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, and Simon Benoit paid off in spades, and he certainly helped out fringe defenders like Philippe Myers fine tune their skills.

Besides Lambert, who seems like the obvious pick given the optics, the Kraken have also taken a look at the likes of Washington Capitals assistant Mitch Love, former Rangers and Sharks head coach David Quinn, as well as former coaches Jay Woodcroft and Jeff Blashill.

Blashill was hired by the Blackhawks on May 22, and he's going to look to try and see if he can manage Connor Bedard's growth.

Love has a great reputation for his defense much like Lambert, and Quinn has success running an NHL team. Woodcroft led the Oilers to success in his first two seasons, and is one of the more sought after coaches available.

A lot of them have the skills necessary to run the show, but it looks like Lambert's combination of coaching pedigree, defensive acumen, and connection to players leads him to be the best choice for the Kraken.

Great news for the struggling team, and terrible news for the Maple Leafs.