Head Coach
Derek Lalonde is in many ways the obvious choice to replace Craig Berube on an interim basis. He’s a former head coach who was brought in specifically as a sounding board for Craig Berube on the big decisions and, to a lesser extent, as the man the team would easily hand the reins to if things went wrong for Berube.
Lalonde is not someone you would like to see move beyond an interim head coach. And if anything were to happen, his success in the role would involve him becoming the next player’s right-hand man, or pushing for another opening in the league.
Gruden is someone who was eyeing the NHL jobs before the Marlies had the opportunity to make him one of the highest paid AHL coaches and he has the potential to be an emerging talent that the Leafs would want to test.
His playing style is still in line with the personnel Treliving brought in for Craig Berube, so there is some benefit for continuity, at least in the short term.
Mike VanRyn It seems like he has the potential to be shown the door at the same time as Craig Berube and as such, it’s hard to imagine the Leafs handing them more responsibility in the meantime. And while the player development staff will likely fill assistant-level coaching vacancies, it doesn’t appear that way Hayley Wickenheiser or her staff (including Danielle Goyette, Jake Muzzin, Nik Antropov, Mark Giordano, etc.) will be the main bench boss.
General manager
Brandon Pridham is seemingly the heir apparent to Brad Treliving’s job, assuming the Leafs don’t look externally to fill the role. Being Kyle Dubas’ right-hand man for several years, the cap/contract expert, his background in the draft and CBA, as well as being well known around the league, makes him a prime candidate for any GM role, and considering he’s been in the Leafs front office for so long, it’s hard to imagine anyone knowing more about what the team needs than him. Giving him the big office and the responsibility that comes with it is his final hurdle and potentially gives the Leafs someone who can move in a new direction while recognizing where they are now. If Pridham gets an interim appointment, the Leafs will likely have the most capable way to get them through the rest of the season, but if the plan is to hire another GM at the end of the season, that could be the end of Pridham’s time in Toronto. The best solution might be to make Pridham the permanent general manager and find the right president of Hockey Operations to work with him.
If not Pridham, then who? The two names also worth considering are Derek Clancy Hayley Wickenheiser And Ryan Hardy. It seems like Derek Clancy, like Pridham, will inevitably get his time to run a club at some point, but he hasn’t had as much prominence within the organization and doesn’t have the history that Pridham has.
Wickenheiser offers an opportunity to shake things up and team up with someone who is relentlessly pursuing a championship while learning a lot on the job. Player development is a different beast than many other areas of hockey operations.
As Marlies’ boss, Ryan Hardy brings the experience of running the show to a lower level. Like Dubas, Hardy was seen as a newcomer and if the Leafs want fresh ideas, Hardy could be their guy. Of course, the Marlies’ lack of success during his run could work against him.
Ultimately, it’s Pridham’s job to lose, assuming the Leafs are even willing to move on from Brad Treliving this season.
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