Auston Matthews is still waiting while Bruce Cassidy hangs over Toronto's coaching search.
That is why this delay keeps getting louder around the Maple Leafs. If John Chayka wanted to close this with one of the available candidates, he likely could have done it by now.
Instead, the vacancy keeps breathing. Toronto fired Craig Berube on May 13 and still has not named a replacement, which is not a small thing in this market after a 32-36-14 season.
That is what makes Bruce Cassidy feel like the bigger play. Boston.com and other reports, citing The Athletic, said Cassidy would be willing to speak with Toronto if Vegas gave permission.
And that permission is the problem. Vegas has been blocking access, so Chayka cannot simply decide he wants Cassidy and wrap this up in a day.
That leaves Toronto in a strange spot. If Chayka hires someone else now, he shuts the Cassidy door himself. If he waits, everybody knows why the search still feels open.
The available names only sharpen that read. Patrick Roy already interviewed, and Joe Pavelski has now confirmed his own talks with the Leafs and called the process intriguing.
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John Chayka may have just made his first huge move as Leafs head coach
Because he changes the whole board. Roy is a serious option. Pavelski is a fascinating swing. Peter Laviolette was in the mix too. Cassidy is the one candidate who still feels like a full reset behind the bench.
He has the Cup résumé, the hard edge, and the kind of bench presence that would instantly matter in Toronto. That is why this does not look like drift as much as it looks like a stall for one coach.
Chayka also does not have endless time here. The longer this runs, the more every day becomes its own story, and the Leafs have already had enough offseason noise.
Still, the silence points somewhere. Toronto has done the work on other names, yet the job remains open while Cassidy sits just outside reach.
That is why this feels like Chayka's first huge move, even before a hire is made. He looks like a general manager waiting on one door to open.
And until Bruce Cassidy is fully out of the picture, it is hard to read this Maple Leafs search any other way.
Is John Chayka really waiting for Bruce Cassidy?
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