The Toronto Maple Leafs have taken just a tad longer than expected to select their next head coach. While the expectation and chatter have revolved around David Carle, it could be that the situation at this point revolves around one potential candidate’s availability.
That candidate could be Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden.
As former coach Bruce Boudreau put it, Gruden could be leading the way.
“John Gruden should be at the top of the list right now.”
Boudreau made the remarks during an appearance on Leafs Morning Take. And it makes sense that Gruden would be the top candidate on the Maple Leafs’ radar. While he might not have been the top choice at the outset of the process, the situation could have veered in his favor.
Some unconfirmed chatter suggests that the Leafs offered the job to Carle, but have attached a deadline to the offer. If Carle doesn’t confirm by the end of this week, the Leafs will move on.
Coincidentally, that’s the rough timeline for the Marlies’ Calder Cup Final series against the Chicago Wolves. The series begins on Friday, and if it goes the seven games, it would end on June 23.
Of course, it’s unlikely the Maple Leafs would announce Gruden as their next head coach until after the Marlies end the series against the Wolves. But it wouldn’t be unheard of to hear rumblings of Gruden being the chosen candidate in the coming days.
Maple Leafs Promoted Last Calder Cup-Winning Coach
The last time the Toronto Marlies won the Calder Cup was back in 2018. At that time, the team’s head coach was then-37-year-old Sheldon Keefe. The former bench boss led the Marlies to a seven-game win over the Texas Stars, capturing the first AHL championship for a Maple Leafs’ affiliate.
Keefe then got a promotion in late 2019 when the Maple Leafs parted ways with Mike Babcock. Keefe remained at the helm for five seasons until the organization fired him in 2024.
As such, there’s an interesting precedent for Toronto to promote Gruden, especially if the Marlies take home the franchise’s second Calder Cup in team history.
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Predators Could Provide Another Precedent for Toronto’s Decision
Oddly enough, the Nashville Predators could provide another precedent for the Maple Leafs’ decision.
The Predators announced earlier this year that former GM Barry Trotz would be retiring at the end of the season. The organization went on an extended search for a replacement. While several names hit the wire, the Predators waited until the Colorado Avalanche’s season ended before moving quickly to hire Chris MacFarland.
It looks like that could be the direction the Maple Leafs are heading. The search for a new GM happened relatively quickly. John Chayka got the gig in a relatively abbreviated process. But the coaching search is one that’s taking longer than anticipated.
And like the Predators, the Maple Leafs could be waiting for one team’s season to end before acting. That’s why fans should keep an eye on the Calder Cup Final. As soon as the series ends, one way or another, the Leafs could make an announcement regarding John Gruden officially taking over for Craig Berube.
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