Marlies on tap tonight at 7 PM.

Maple Leafs Name Jim Hiller 41st Head Coach In Franchise History | Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Jim Hiller has been hired as the hockey club’s head coach. “Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today’s NHL,” said General Manager John Chayka. “He has worked with successful teams throughout his career,
Toronto Maple Leafs logo
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Jim Hiller has been hired as the hockey club's head coach.
“Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today's NHL,” said General Manager John Chayka. “He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench. We believe he's the right person to lead our team and help us reach our goals.”
“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs,” said Hiller. “This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I’m looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential.”

Most interesting part to me in the above was how he very gently put the pressure on the players by saying his philosophy of coaching is guiding the spirit of the team and how it strengthens and grows. But when he says the players have the greatest impact on that, he's telling them they have to perform. He's very clear about his role, but there is an unstated challenge from him, that others have to rise to the occasion.

Initial thoughts on the Maple Leafs hiring Jim Hiller as head coach
After the shocking hire of Jim Hiller as the next head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Justin Bourne shares his initial thoughts on the decision.
Sportsnet.caJustin Bourne
Vegas Golden Knights Name Ryan Craig as Team’s Head Coach | Vegas Golden Knights
Craig becomes the fifth head coach in Vegas’ history
Vegas Golden Knights logoVegas Golden Knights
Craig, 44, spent the past three seasons serving as head coach of the organization’s affiliate in the American Hockey League, the Henderson Silver Knights. With Craig at the helm, Henderson saw their win total increase following each season with Craig behind the bench, earning 28 (2023-24), 29 (2024-25), and 39 (2025-26) victories. The Silver Knights finished the 2025-26 regular season with a record of 39-21-12 and 90 points, establishing franchise records in the team’s six years spent in Henderson. This spring, Craig and the Silver Knights advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs before falling to the Colorado Eagles.
Prior to his tenure as head coach in Henderson, Craig served as an assistant coach with the Golden Knights for six seasons, from 2017 to 2023. The native of Abbotsford, British Columbia lifted the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, his final season as an assistant coach. Craig helped the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five of the six seasons he was with Vegas. 

John Chayka would not say when asked directly if the Leafs had talked to Cassidy.

Dreger updates Rielly, Knies trade watch, Toronto’s interest in Raddysh and if Hellebuyck could be available
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger provides updates on the Toronto Maple Leafs very busy off-season, where things stand on Connor Hellebuyck and Vincent Trocheck’s agent switch.
TSNTSN.ca Staff
“But again, there’s a belief that the Leafs are at least willing to trade Matthew Knies. The conversations are ongoing with multiple teams with considerable interest in Knies. So we’ll have to see how that develops.”
And I think all of this [the idea of a Morgan Rielly trade and also that teams are showing interest in Jake McCabe], Gino, was kind of designed with a focus on unrestricted free agency. What if Tampa Bay’s Darren Raddysh hits the open open market. I’m told that the Maple Leafs absolutely covet Raddysh and they’re trying to create the cap space to make sure that they’re a big-time player again if he gets to July 1.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's vegetables, but if this Raddysh business is legit, then I'll retract my feelings that the Woll deal really wasn't about cap space.

There's a lot of negative feeling about that idea, not least because there's a lot of negative reaction to literally any player the Leafs might be interested in. Particularly defencemen where some outrageous claims get made.

I can't help but think of the article I posted in comments on the Hiller hiring post about Hiller's video analysis company, and the example of profound disagreement over a defenceman. My quick reaction to the Raddysh idea is... I have no idea, how about some information instead of a take?

I'll start with HockeyViz's summary graphic in case you can't look this up yourself:

That's a bit all over the place isn't it? Raddysh is 30, and obviously didn't break into the NHL when young. That and the up and down results all on one team that's been pretty consistent over that period and which doesn't need Raddysh to be the top guy is, well, interesting. He's got an odd combo of results via HV's model. He is okay defensively (and recall here, we're talking about him coming in because Rielly is going out, and Rielly is very not okay defensively). His offensive creation is substantial for a defender, and he has a little touch of personal shooting skill.

The big one for me? The SG Ice Won and Ice Lost numbers. This is a measure of how much he impacts the direction of the play both with and without the puck, and he's a big positive in both. That means he can transition, hold the puck, get the puck, keep the puck, pass the puck to a guy who won't lose it, all in some combination of effectiveness that leads to more wins. On the Lightning.

The Leafs need those skills, though, and claims he's just insulated by the team are not valid. All claims with the word "just" in them are invalid. They just are.

Oh, no, we wouldn't want that...

I'm starting to covet my neighbour's vegetables.

Contract? Tenth highest AAV on Evolving Hockey's prediction model. Behind, notably, Rasmus Andersson and John Carlson. $8 million AAV on a big scary seven-year deal. And that's what it would be too, because in the NHL right now, no one, and I mean absolutely not one team, cares about year six and seven. Or four and five, even.

And finally, I listened to Kyper and Bourne talk about trading Knies, a topic they do not agree on, and I'm with Kypreos here. If the take is really substantial, the Leafs should do it.

Set for that segment.

Knies is the only player the Leafs can move for a very, very big return, an impact return, and not actually be rebuilding.

Which side of this you're on might depend on how much you value the power in a power forward. Or how much you believe in the points that Knies gets. The take has to be from someone who really, really buys in on Knies value.

I think the Rielly trade is near 100% and this idea is not, but it's not zero either.

And that better be it! Too much news happened in one day.

It's not it!!!

- TSN
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joins TSN’s Montreal 690 to discuss multiple teams having conversations about Matthew Knies, where John Tortorella goes from here, and The Maple Leafs hiring Jim Hiller as their new head coach.
TSN

Basically he says Knies has been mentioned in a dozen conversations, and Chayka is trying to gauge the market. But the bottom line is he thinks the Leafs are looking to be very aggressive in the trade market. And he says the same things as Kypreos about the idea of moving Knies for a big haul. LeBrun does mention that "the analytics" might not look so good with Knies.

This is the same story: not a done deal, not a certainty, but don't write it off because you don't like the messenger.

Reminder: cite the source, and some social media repeat of what they totally think someone said is not a source. It's what's wrong with social media.

From The Branches