The Toronto Maple Leafs are conducting an expansive search for their next head coach and have already completed about 15 virtual interviews as they look to replace Craig Berube. Among the candidates believed to have been interviewed are longtime NHL coach Peter Laviolette and Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, who Sportsnet confirmed was also part of the process. Laviolette, 61, most recently coached the New York Rangers from 2023 to 2025, guiding them to the conference final in his first season before missing the playoffs the next year. He has coached 1,594 NHL games and previously led the Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, Predators and Capitals, winning the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. University of Denver coach David Carle may still remain under consideration, though there is uncertainty about whether he is definitively out of the running.
Elsewhere in the coaching market, the Los Angeles Kings appear to be narrowing their options as they search for a new bench boss. Elliotte Friedman reported that interim coach D.J. Smith and former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft could be the leading candidates for the Kings’ vacancy. Smith took over from Jim Hiller and finished the regular season with an 11-6-6 record before the Kings were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. Woodcroft, now an assistant with the Anaheim Ducks, coached Edmonton for more than two seasons, posting a 79-41-13 record and winning three playoff series before being fired 13 games into the 2023-24 season.
In free agency news, Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer could be among the players testing the open market on July 1. Greer, a bottom-six winger known for his physical play, helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup and produced 17 goals and 15 assists in 78 games last season while recording 113 penalty minutes. Friedman suggested that many players in similar situations will gauge their market value before deciding whether to remain with their current teams or pursue new opportunities elsewhere.
The Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks may also be connected through two notable personnel names. Seattle recently announced that assistant coach Jessica Campbell would be leaving the organization after making history as the NHL’s first full-time female assistant coach. Campbell spent two seasons with the Kraken, working with the forwards and power play. Friedman said the Canucks may have interest in Campbell, adding that her name is on their radar. He also reported that Seattle could have interest in former Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin, who was dismissed by Vancouver in mid-April after three and a half seasons. Allvin and Kraken general manager Jason Botterill previously worked together with the Pittsburgh Penguins, which could make a reunion possible.
