Chris Johnston revealed that while Jim Hiller isn't doing a great job with the Maple Leafs right now, his job isn't in any jeopardy as of yet.
The Maple Leafs are struggling and all eyes are staring directly at Jim Hiller. He's been unable to adapt at times, made some questionable goaltending choices, and the fact that he's flat-out ignoring the team right now is a huge red flag early on.
Fans were not initially pleased with his hiring and his results so far are going to make sure that sentiment continues loud and clear. However, we are only a handful of games into the season (and his tenure) so the team hasto give him a little bit of leeway.
They've only got limited time though and if things continue to get worse before they get better, than there are going to be serious questions about the direction of the team going forward, but many are wondering if Hiller is the right fit.
Maple Leafs aren't going to fire Jim Hiller despite rough start
The Maple Leafs certainly think so according to Chris Johnston, and Hiller right now has no reason to be worried his job - at least for now:
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Johnston reported that the Maple Leafs had no intentions of letting him go right now and while there's a lot of discussion, it seems like it's purely speculation.
Also side note for Johnston and fans, the last time a coach was fired that early into the season was Drew Bannister in 2024-25 with the St. Louis Blues, who was fired after a 9-12-1 start. So while it's a rare occurrence, we do have a recent precedent to go off of.
Let it be known that the Blues turned their season around immediately and went 35-18-7 under Jim Montgomery and managed to finish in a wild-card spot.
Toronto may not have the same luck but at this point, with limited assets, a looming Auston Matthews contract decision, and an ever-growing frustration among fans - why not make a change?
Toronto needs a spark because Hiller is lacking any fire
Hockey is one of those sports where coaching is a wild card. Some coaches get the benefit of the doubt and stick with teams for decades, and others last one year and are gone.
There's a phenomenon in coaching and sports called a 'manager bounce' which is where a team performs much better with a new coach and voice in mind before things settle down - heck, the Leafs literally saw it last year with Steve Sullivan relieving Marc Savard as assistant.
The Maple Leafs need momentum and start winning games, they need some type of motivating factor because it's clear they are losing that under Hiller. While his job may not be in joepardy now, he needs to prove that his hiring wasn't a gigantic oversight.
The Maple Leafs had a ton of coaches to choose from and landed on Hiller. It's about time he showed us why.
Should Jim Hiller be fired?
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