The Toronto Maple Leafs promised a vast head-coaching search — and they’re sticking to that.
Toronto has conducted around 15 virtual interviews as it looks for someone to replace Craig Berube, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Wednesday’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.
Among those interviewed was longtime NHL bench boss Peter Laviolette, per Friedman.
Laviolette, 61, last helmed the New York Rangers for two seasons from 2023-2025, reaching the conference final in Year 1 before missing the playoffs.
A veteran of 1,594 games behind the bench, Laviolette has also coached the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. He won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006.
Meanwhile, David Carle of the University of Denver could still be in the mix.
“I’m not 100 per cent certain about David Carle being out. Some other reporters seem to be very confident of that, and at this point in time, I have no reason to think any of them are wrong, I just haven’t been told that specifically,” Friedman said.
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Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
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Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Kings — who boast one of two other openings along with the Edmonton Oilers — could be down to interim coach D.J. Smith and ex-Oiler Jay Woodcroft, per Friedman.
“If there’s someone else there, I’m not seeing it right now,” Friedman said.
Smith led the Kings to an 11-6-6 stretch at the end of the season after taking over from Jim Hiller before being swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche.
Woodcroft, an assistant with the Anaheim Ducks, spent two-plus seasons in Edmonton before he was fired 13 games into the 2023-24 campaign. He had a 79-41-13 record in that span and won three playoff series.
Fourth-liner hitting the market?
In free-agency news, Florida Panthers grinder and pending unrestricted free agent A.J. Greer may be hitting the open market come July 1, Friedman reported.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of guys who kind of go out there and check and see what their market is on July 1 and decide if there’s any chance they go back to where they are or they take something else,” Friedman said.
Greer, a Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers, tallied 17 goals and 15 assists over 78 games last season while racking up 113 penalty minutes.