Maple Leafs linked to former Bruins coach in early offseason twist

Following Lane Lambert’s departure to the Seattle Kraken, the Maple Leafs may be targeting Joe Sacco as his replacement behind Craig Berube’s bench, according to Elliotte Friedman.

Sacco reportedly in the mix as Leafs weigh coaching options

Lane Lambert’s exit from Toronto wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it did leave a noticeable hole on the bench.

After just one season as the Leafs’ associate coach, Lambert jumped ship for the head job in Seattle.

With that move, Toronto is now left to decide whether it wants to fill that position again, and if so, who fits?

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman floated one name during a recent episode of 32 Thoughts that’s raising some eyebrows: Joe Sacco.

I believe Joe Sacco was told he will not stay as the head coach of the Boston Bruins,

I’m actually kind of wondering if he could end up in Toronto, in place of Lane Lambert. We’ll see. But I’m under the impression he was told he won’t be staying.

Sacco had been with Boston for over a decade, mostly running their penalty kill. He stepped in as interim head coach after Jim Montgomery was let go early last season.

The Bruins didn’t exactly light it up after that, going 25-30-7, but that stretch came during a fire sale.

The team moved on from Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, and Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline, hard for any coach to manage, let alone one with an interim tag.

Sacco’s penalty kill success might appeal to Leafs brass

Even if his time at the helm didn’t wow anyone, Sacco’s work on special teams speaks for itself. Boston’s PK ranked seventh in the league last season, operating at 82.5 percent. That’s well above where Toronto finished, 17th overall, with a 77.9 percent success rate under Lambert.

Given how often special teams can swing playoff series, that kind of track record matters. And it wouldn’t be shocking if Craig Berube, known for his structured style, wanted a voice like Sacco’s on the bench.

Sacco also brings head coaching experience from his time in Colorado, where he led the Avalanche for four seasons.

His 130-134-30 record there wasn’t eye-popping, but he managed some tough rosters and learned the ropes fast.

Berube shaping his bench while Leafs sort other priorities

At this point, Toronto hasn’t said whether it will formally replace Lambert or just shift duties internally. But between Berube, Marc Savard (who handles the forwards and power play), Mike Van Ryn (defense), and Curtis Sanford (goalies), there’s a solid foundation already in place.

If Sacco joins, it likely wouldn’t be as another “associate” coach — more of a traditional assistant role.

Still, his presence would add stability and experience to a team that clearly expects to win now.

Between coaching tweaks and cap decisions, Toronto has no shortage of big-ticket questions this summer.

Whether Sacco lands in Toronto or not, the conversation around the bench shows the Leafs are far from done reshaping their identity under Berube.