With 15 interviews reportedly completed for the Toronto Maple Leafs' vacant coaching position, which of the reported candidates could be the best fit?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of three teams without a permanent coach.
Once the Vancouver Canucks promoted coach Manny Malhotra from the AHL to NHL on Monday, the Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers are the only squads still determining the next bench boss.
While there may be a coach the Leafs hire who hasn't appeared on the media's radar, there are multiple reports about potential coaches who have already conducted a job interview with new Leafs GM John Chayka.
Sportsnet reported the Leafs have done 15 interviews in the search to replace former coach Craig Berube, including internal and external candidates. Peter Laviolette and Patrick Roy are two external options, and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said he believes Derek Lalonde and Mike Van Ryn were interviewed as well.
In order of who we think is most likely to get the Leafs job to least likely, here are the prominent names who could be in line for the Maple Leafs' coaching position:
1. Patrick Roy
Since the New York Islanders fired him on April 5, Roy has been without a coaching job.
Roy does have very valuable experience working with young players during his 13 years coaching in the QMJHL, winning the Memorial Cup twice. That can help as the team brings in a No. 1 pick in the draft and develops youngsters, such as Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov, for starters.
He wasn't able to squeeze out a playoff series win from the Isles in parts of three seasons running the show on Long Island, losing in the first round in 2023-24 and missing the post-season the last two years.
That said, the Maple Leafs need to increase the intensity and passion on the ice if they want to excel at bouncing back from losses and avoid slumps. Roy would be a great fit in terms of building resiliency and conditioning.
Roy knows how to operate in a Canadian NHL market from his days playing for the Montreal Canadiens. While it would be uncomfortable for Habs fans to see Roy coaching Toronto, he could be an intriguing leader who could help Auston Matthews regain his superstar goal-scoring touch after two injury-filled seasons and get better execution from the overall roster.
There are only 32 coaching jobs in hockey's top league, and Roy would no doubt welcome the chance to coach the 2026 No. 1 pick as well as stars Matthews and William Nylander. So if Chayka wants someone with name-brand value, Roy may be his best pick.
2. Peter Laviolette
One of the NHL's most proven veteran coaches, Laviolette has been out of the league since the New York Rangers fired him after the 2024-25 season. Laviolette is seen as a win-now coach, which may prove to be the direction Chayka wants the team to move in.
Laviolette has 1,594 regular-season games and 170 playoff games coached at the NHL level.
But that experience may be working against him with the Toronto position. He won the Stanley Cup in 2005-06, but he's coached four teams since then and hasn't reached the summit again in the playoffs. It may be more enticing for the Leafs to get a relatively fresher face in the NHL.
3. Derek Lalonde
Lalonde spent the 2025-26 season as assistant coach under Berube, so he has as much familiarity with the Leafs' dressing room as just about anyone. Lalonde coached the Detroit Red Wings for two seasons as well, and he won the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant coach.
Lalonde has overseen the Leafs' penalty kill, which finished eighth in the NHL this season with an 81.2 percent success rate. He's reportedly demanding in a positive way as well, which could be the recipe for success for Toronto's players.
While Lalonde is respected in the hockey community for his experience as a coach and an assistant, it wouldn't be surprising if Chayka wants a fresh start with a new group of coaches.
4. Mike Van Ryn
Van Ryn has been an assistant coach with Toronto since 2023, and before that, he won a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues.
We see Van Ryn as being in the same boat as Lalonde – his time behind Toronto's bench will not help his case for leading the squad.
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