Why Bruce Cassidy’s sudden dismissal should alter Maple Leafs’ plans

The Vegas Golden Knights announced last Sunday that they had relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach, while naming John Tortorella as the successor who took over immediately. It had been a difficult campaign for them as they have had their first-ever season with a losing record, they were struggling to score and make saves, and were barely hanging on to a playoff spot as a result. The Golden Knights have a high standard of winning, and therefore opted to go for a gutsy move in a last-ditch attempt to salvage their season. It’s far from the first time a coaching change was done this close to the postseason, but it’s a rare occurrence nonetheless.

A coach of Cassidy’s pedigree usually does not become available, especially not in the middle of the regular season. TSN’s Chris Johnston reported that Cassidy will be out of work for as long as he wants to be, so it would be in the best interest of teams who were already contemplating a coaching change themselves to act quickly. The Leafs certainly match that description, and they would be wise to immediately change course on whatever they had in mind for the summer to nab Cassidy.

He has been among the most successful coaches of the past decade since being hired as the Boston Bruins bench boss ahead of the 2016-17 season. Cassidy’s .630 career points percentage is the fourth highest among active coaches behind only Rod Brind’Amour, Jon Cooper, and Jim Montgomery. He won the Jack Adams award in 2020 and has guided his teams to two Stanley Cup finals appearances, winning the 2023 Cup while with the Golden Knights.

This is a head coach who knows what works in both the regular season and the playoffs, which is why Cassidy was on the free-agent market for only eight days the last time he was available. But it’s how he was able to achieve that success that should make him an attractive candidate for the Leafs. Cassidy’s teams are usually among the best in terms of generating scoring chances, limiting chances against, and possessing the puck. They also have a strong game plan in the neutral zone that has helped with making their two-way game so effective (Leafs fans in 2018 and 2019 should know). His strategy for shot suppression may seem similar to what Berube has employed; the difference is that Cassidy wants to minimize all types of scoring chances and not just those in the high-danger areas, making for a far more sound system.

Bringing in Cassidy certainly isn’t without its risks, and there are a few the Leafs would need to be mindful of if they indeed decide to go all-in on him. This is a coach who can be quite demanding of his players and isn’t afraid to call them out if he feels they aren’t meeting his expectations. There were reports that during the 2025 playoffs, things got tense with Cassidy and the Golden Knights’ players, which suggested there was a disconnect for quite some time. That means he probably will only have a shelf life of three to four years before the players tune him out, though that won’t be a major problem if you have a team that wants to win in the short-term.

The drawbacks of a potential hire do not outweigh the benefits of bringing Cassidy to Toronto. This seems like it would be a much better fit for the Leafs compared to Berube, both from a roster construction and stylistic approach. Cassidy has seen the most success when riding a goalie tandem, which the Leafs possess in Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz. He is a thoughtful, methodical, and creative coach who would bring back some stability behind the bench and be the type of hire that could help turn things around for the Leafs next season. Most importantly, he would help instill the mentality of togetherness that will naturally make the Leafs a tougher team to play and square up against.

While the Leafs may have thought they could wait until the offseason to make their coaching change, they would be wise to deviate from the plan now that Cassidy is suddenly available.

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