The Maple Leafs’ delayed GM hire just cost them Peter DeBoer
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs lost potentially the coach to help them into the future as the New York Islanders hired Peter DeBoer as head coach, relieving Patrick Roy.
On Easter Sunday, there was a bit of a stunner in the hockey world as the New York Islanders fired head coach Patrick Roy, and brought in former Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer to replace him:
According to Arthur Staple, this is not a John Tortorella-esque move, and DeBoer is going to be seen as the coach for an extended period of time.
The team put a brief statement out on X:
New York Islanders General Manager and Executive Vice President Mathieu Darche announced today that Patrick Roy has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities. Peter DeBoer has been named Head Coach of the New York Islanders.
New York has a 42-31-5 record and sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.
DeBoer was on the coaching carousel but Toronto didn't have the change in order to pay for the ride
Around and around the ride goes, and the Maple Leafs are stuck watching. Leave it to Darche, who is one of the most shrewd and intelligent GMs in the entire league to pull the trigger. That type of leadership and proactivity is what Toronto lacks.
They missed out on someone who could genuinely change the culture in the room, and now they'll need to shift gears elsewhere. Bruce Cassidy comes to mind but he doesn't necessarily fit the new MO of MLSE management and there needs to be softer, smarter minds who can come in.
One name that could spring out is former Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft, who is known to be a great communicator and player development guru. If you want someone to convince Auston Matthews to stay and be more transparent overall, he's a great choice.
The Golden Knights and Islanders moved fast and now Toronto has some serious work ahead of them
Last week it was Bruce Cassidy getting the pink slip, and now it's Patrick Roy. In came John Tortorella and Peter DeBoer. It's a complete shift in philosophy that came with both teams in the thick of the playoff race.
Toronto meanwhile has already been mathematically eliminated, has no reason to win besides pride, and still have Craig Berube making the most bizarre and tone-deaf lineup choices on the planet.
He stressed about wanting more physicality against Los Angeles and slotted Michael Pezzetta in for rookie Jacob Quillan. Then played Pezzetta five minutes and let a rookie stagnate for no reason — he lined Calle Jarnkrok up at centre for heavens sake.
This isn't a coach in touch with how the future of the team is supposed to look, and the ego tripping and blatant ignorance at this point of the season is a genuine concern.
It's time to take action. Though, with no one there to really make the decisions and a whole lot more work to do — the Maple Leafs may run out of time.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 5|895 ANSWERS The Maple Leafs’ delayed GM hire just cost them Peter DeBoer Will Peter DeBoer bring the Islanders a Stanley Cup? | ||
| Yes | 116 | 13 % |
| No | 779 | 87 % |
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