Maple Leafs may lose out on prime coaching candidate because of the Canucks

Vancouver Canucks fired Adam Foote after one season following the hiring of Ryan Johnson as general manager. The decision ends speculation about the organization’s direction and likely creates an opening to promote Manny Malhotra from the AHL to the NHL. Malhotra previously worked as an assistant coach in Toronto and won the Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks last season. With Rick Tocchet leaving, Malhotra had been discussed as a potential promotion, but Vancouver instead hired Foote to support Quinn Hughes. That approach did not succeed, and Malhotra now appears positioned to take a larger role. Malhotra has also been mentioned as a possible coaching replacement for Craig Berube in Toronto’s search, so his potential rise in Vancouver could force Toronto to look elsewhere. Questions also remain about whether Foote could become an option for Toronto, given the NHL’s frequent coaching turnover and the possibility of a fresh start elsewhere.

"The Canucks fired Adam Foote on Tuesday, ending speculation about what direction the organization would take after hiring Ryan Johnson as their next GM. In what seemed to be Johnson's first order of business, the organization moved on from Foote after just one season. The move likely opens the door for Vancouver to promote Manny Malhotra from the AHL to the NHL. Malhotra, who was a former assistant coach in Toronto, won a Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks last season."

"When the NHL Canucks lost Rick Tocchet at the end of last season, part of the chatter was that Malhotra would get promoted. The organization went with Foote in an attempt to appease Quinn Hughes. That didn't work, and now it seems like Malhotra could be the guy in Vancouver moving forward. Malhotra has been one of the names floating around the Maple Leafs' coaching search. Insider Elliotte Friedman dropped his name as a potential replacement for Craig Berube."

"And while the former NHL star would make sense, it makes even more sense for the Canucks to promote him. If and when that happens, the Maple Leafs may have to think outside the box to find their next head coaching candidate. Could Foote become an option for Maple Leafs? With the coaching carousel being the way it is in the NHL, questions about Foote becoming an option for the Maple Leafs should pick up at one point or another."

"At this point, you can't discount anyone from being an option. As Friedman and other pundits have noted, the Canucks put Foote in a tough spot. The organization hoped that hiring a notable defensive-minded coach, one who had a good relationship with Quinn Hughes, would be enough to turn the ship around and keep the superstar blueliner. The circumstances ended up going against Foote, turning him into the main culprit for the Canucks' dismal season."

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