Bruce Cassidy reportedly wants the Maple Leafs' head coaching job, and that adds a heavyweight name to a search that keeps dragging.
An update making the rounds claims Cassidy is interested in the Toronto position. The graphic carries no clear attribution, so take the specific wording with some care.
But the idea isn't far-fetched. It lines up with what's already out there.
Nick Kypreos recently reported that Vegas would block Cassidy from joining a direct competitor like Edmonton, while being okay with an Eastern team like Toronto taking him.
So a Cassidy-to-Toronto path actually tracks. The pieces fit, even if this particular claim needs corroboration.
Meanwhile the search drags on, and that's where Howard Berger comes in with a pointed list.
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Berger: the Leafs could hire any of these coaches tonight
Berger ran through the options. Toronto could have hired Peter Laviolette, and by his account could hire Patrick Roy, Joe Pavelski, Jay Woodcroft or Dallas Eakins on the spot.
His point was the indecision. Toronto has a buffet of candidates and still hasn't picked, and at some stage the waiting becomes the story.
Look at the carousel this search has produced. David Carle drew a reported offer. Eakins surfaced as a finalist. Pavelski got floated, John Gruden is the internal option, Laviolette left for Los Angeles, and now Cassidy reportedly wants in.
That's a long list for one chair. The longer it spins, the more it reads as paralysis instead of diligence.
Cassidy is the wrinkle that could end it. He's the most accomplished name in the entire mix, and if Vegas clears him to an Eastern team, Toronto has a genuine difference-maker available.
Here's my read: Berger's frustration is fair. A buffet eventually becomes a problem when you can't choose a plate.
Toronto has the presumptive Gavin McKenna pick coming and Auston Matthews' future to navigate. A coach needs to be in place for all of it, not after.
If Cassidy is real and available, he's the strongest option on the board. The search has dragged long enough that the decision itself is now the headline.
Whoever Toronto lands, the clock is loud and getting louder.
Should the Leafs hire Bruce Cassidy and end the search now?
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