The Toronto Maple Leafs are between a rock and a hard place. They have been absolutely brutal this season and now fans are calling for a coaching change. Late yesterday afternoon, they did make a coaching change, but it wasn’t head coach Craig Berube. Instead, they parted ways with assistant coach Marc Savard, who also ran the power play.
Related: Dear Santa: Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2025-26 Christmas Wish List
Now, after that move, there is still some confusion among the fan base. Yes, the power play has been awful this season and currently sits last in the NHL at just 13.3 percent. But should the organization have made more changes? Was Savard simply a scapegoat? Along with that, there have also been rumblings throughout Leafs Nation that fans would like to see Pete DeBoer take over behind the bench.
However, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, that may not be in the cards.
DeBoer May Not Be Interested
Pagnotta appeared on Leafs Morning Take and shared what he has heard regarding DeBoer’s future. He also discussed whether DeBoer would be interested in the Maple Leafs’ coaching job if it were to become available.
“What I’ve heard on DeBoer, he’s comfortable right now. He’s still getting paid the rest of the season and right now he’s focused on Team Canada. He’s chilling.
“But I have been told if he were to consider an NHL job again, it’s a team that views him as the final piece, the one who can take you over the top. He wants to be part of a team that sees him that way.
“Considering what this team is, and what he wants, I’m not sure he would consider this based on what I’ve heard.”
If this is true, it’s clear that DeBoer is currently focused on the Olympics and being part of Team Canada. That does give the Maple Leafs some time to make a decision. Pagnotta also mentioned that things could change if DeBoer were offered more than five million dollars per season. That is something Toronto could realistically do, considering they are one of, if not the richest teams in the NHL. Money is at their disposal, which allows them to make moves like this if and when they feel it’s necessary.
With that said, if DeBoer has no interest in being part of the organization, they will need to look elsewhere. That opens the door to another option behind the bench, Bruce Boudreau, which is something my colleague The Old Prof pointed out in a recent article titled “Maple Leafs Need to Hire Bruce Boudreau (or Someone Like Him).”
Obviously, the first domino fell yesterday with the firing of Savard. If things continue to go from bad to worse, it feels inevitable that more will follow. The question now is whether DeBoer would ever be interested in the coaching vacancy in the hockey mecca of the world, especially if the team continues to struggle.
