A surprising new favorite may be emerging in the Leafs coaching search

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Vincent Carbonneau
May 14, 2026  (1:23 PM)

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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Manny Malhotra and Craig Berube now sit at the center of Toronto's coaching reset.

David Pagnotta's latest read on the Maple Leafs search was blunt: he expects Toronto to lean younger, with Malhotra and Jay Leach among the types to watch.

That matters because it points the Leafs toward a different kind of hire after Berube's dismissal. This does not sound like a search built only around the biggest résumé on the market.

Berube was fired on Wednesday, with Sportsnet reporting the move came from new general manager John Chayka and senior executive adviser Mats Sundin less than 2 weeks after they were hired.

Toronto also finished 32-36-14 and missed the playoffs, which changed the tone of this search right away. This is not a contender swapping coaches after a decent run. It is a club trying to reset fast.

That is why Pagnotta's younger-route angle lands. A team coming off a season like that may want a coach it can shape with the next version of the roster, not just a veteran name with one timeline in mind.

Malhotra fits that conversation naturally. He already has Leafs ties after spending 4 years as an assistant in Toronto before moving to Abbotsford in 2024.

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This is where the search gets more interesting. A younger hire would suggest the Leafs are not only trying to replace Berube. They are trying to change the feel of the room.

Malhotra has also built strong trust with Ryan Johnson in Abbotsford, and that connection has already made him a serious name in another Canadian market.

That does not mean he is the favorite in Toronto today. It does mean his profile lines up with what Pagnotta described, and that alone puts him firmly in the frame.

Leach belongs in the same conversation for the same reason. He fits the younger-coach lane Toronto now seems willing to explore rather than defaulting to a safer recycled option.

The bigger point is this: once the Leafs moved off Berube that quickly, they told the league this summer is not about patience. It is about finding a coach who matches the next build.

And if Pagnotta has the read right, that next build may not start with the loudest name available. It may start with a coach like Malhotra, who looks more aligned with where Toronto thinks it has to go next.

Previously

Emergency involving Arber Xhekaj prompts 911 call Monday evening

Canucks make their official GM decision as franchise icons take bigger roles

The Edmonton Oilers have completed another firing after Kris Knoblauch was relieved: Stan Bowman is not done

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2 HOURS AGO   |   161 ANSWERS A surprising new favorite may be emerging in the Leafs coaching search Should the Maple Leafs go younger with Manny Malhotra ?

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