John Gruden was added to Jim Hiller's staff after guiding the Marlies to a Calder Cup and gives Toronto a bridge between their AHL development and NHL pipeline.
Gruden deserves a lot of praise for his coaching ability and perseverence as he helped lead the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup in 2025-26 and is now firmly set to be part of new head coach Jim Hiller's staff as part of a revamped coaching staff in 2026-27 - and Gruden earned his promotion after finishing his Marlies tenure with a respectable 108-75-34 record in the regular season.
No one knows better than Gruden who could be the closest to coming up to the NHL and his guidance will be a turning point in how we see training camp - and the future of the team - play out.
John Gruden gives Jim Hiller first-hand insight into Toronto's NHL-ready prospects
Gruden has coached the Marlies since 2023-24 so he's got few years of knowledge behind him. He's got the intel on players like William Villeneuve and Ryan Tverberg who are on the potential fringe of making the NHL but aren't there yet. Gruden's word of mouth could convince John Chayka to call upon one of them as opposed to veteran options.
There's also the fact that Gruden worked closely with two of Toronto's top prospects in Easton Cowan and Ben Danford, so if there were any concerns or questions about their progress, he saw them first hand.
But there are also names like Marshall Rifai, who have been in the system for a bit without a real NHL shot, and with Gruden's advice, the team may be able to better decide which prospects are worth holding on to and which ones may be worth swapping for assets.
Gruden's familiarity can shorten evaluations but can't win roster spots
Though as much as Gruden can vouch for them, the players who are Maple Leafs hopefuls still need to put in the work. Villeneuve is a perfect example of someone who has over 200 AHL games experience but only three in the NHL - he's been reliable and consistent with the Marlies and a strong camp should earn him a look.
They'll also need Cowan to come back in his sophomore year with a lot more understanding of the NHL game and someone who can come out stronger as he heads into year two. Same goes with Danford but at the AHL level; he's got the potential but needs more seasoning.
Gruden's appointment to Hiller's staff does not guarantee that any of these players are going to get preferential treatment nor does it mean they have a greater shot at making the team.
His goal is to coach the Maple Leafs and focus more on the defensive side of things, though his input will be appreciated when it comes to those future roster decisions.
Gruden's familiarity with their playing style and skillsets will help John Chayka understand how to better approach his prospect system.
While Gruden's promotion was well deserved considering his success with the Marlies, he does hold the ability to help clarify Toronto's farm system and help separate who may be ready, who may not be, and who may not fit which is an advantage John Chayka has to take advantage of.
Was naming John Gruden to the Maple Leafs coaching staff a good idea?
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