TSN’s Hockey Insiders on the Leafs’ GM search, Sheldon Keefe’s future in New Jersey, Bruce Cassidy ready to coach again, the NHL/CHL agreement on 19-year-olds and the next step for Landon DuPont.

Maple Leafs retain search firm to manage hiring process

Reda: Someone who’s data-centric and willing to make evidence-based decisions. That’s the job description for the Leafs’ new head of hockey operations. And now they’ve hired someone to help look for the new hire. Alongside the insiders, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger.

Dregs, what can you tell us about the search firm that got the job?

Dreger: It’s called The Coaches Agency and primarily it’s Neil Glasberg, who Pierre and I are familiar with from dealings around general managers, NHL head coaches that he’s worked with and has advised over time. Now, Glasberg and The Coaches Agency come in purely to assist. I mean, yes, of course, they’re going to bring candidates to the table, but it’s going to be up to Keith Pelley and the Toronto Maple Leafs to engage in the interview process.

If there is an individual who they perceive to be a candidate for the head of hockey operations who’s currently employed, okay, it’s up to Pelley to seek permission and move the process forward. Glasberg, I’m told, will be there almost in a vetting capacity. He will bring in what’s good about this candidate and maybe what’s not so good. He won’t be there to sway a decision or influence.

Now, I’m expecting Glasberg and Keith Pelley will meet in the next day or two, and I believe the Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping, guys, to have this project wrapped up and a man hired no later than mid-May.

Fate of Sheldon Keefe will depend on new Devils GM

LeBrun: Well, in the meantime, the fate of Leafs coach Craig Berube, we know, will wait until that new GM is hired, Dregs, in Toronto. Well, that’s similar to what is the fate now for Sheldon Keefe in New Jersey, the head coach of the Devils, who was informed on Tuesday morning by the organization that his fate as well, will await the new hire there in terms of Tom Fitzgerald’s replacement. So, like Berube, Sheldon Keefe has two more years on his contract after this season.

Now, it also remains to be seen what’s going to happen with Chuck Fletcher, who was brought in by Tom Fitzgerald, a special advisor to the GM. Right now, Fletcher is still with the Devils. In the meantime, the Devils’ search, which will commence immediately, will be run by ownership as well as members of upper management. Now, owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris, they’ve been big-time advocates of analytics and have used that within the Devils organization from the get-go when they became owners. So yeah, of course, some of the candidates that they’re going to look at are going to be data-centric as well. But that’s par for the course because they have a pretty big department there in New Jersey that was already highly regarded that way.

The last thing I would say is this, Tom Fitzgerald himself had both president of hockey and GM titles. Remains to be seen if the Devils want to split those up or keep that as one hire. That hasn’t been decided yet.

Bruce Cassidy eager and ready to coach again next season

Reda: No shortage of unemployed GMs making calls right now, and there’s at least one former coach who’s wasting no time looking to get back to work, Pierre.

LeBrun: Yeah, Bruce Cassidy is eager to get back at it when the opportunity arises. He’ll obviously wait for the off-season carousel now. And with Pete DeBoer hired with the Islanders, Bruce Cassidy doesn’t have to share the podium as a No. 1 free-agent coach. He’s going to be highly sought after. But he also has another year on his deal that he signed with Vegas. And I guess the question I had for him, we exchanged messages on this day, was whether he wanted to take more time away next year, or was he ready to get at it again? And the answer was swift. He is ready to coach again. So look for Cassidy to be in several headlines as some coaching openings open around the league.

By the way, there’s one coaching opening potentially in Los Angeles, of course, because D.J. Smith is interim until the end of the year, and then the Kings will decide what they’re doing there.

NHL and CHL finalizing agreement to allow 19-year-olds to play in AHL

Reda: When we were at the GM meetings in Florida a couple of weeks ago, the NHL and CHL took a major step toward changing the rules about allowing 19-year-old major junior players into the league. Any updates on that, Dregs?

Dreger: Just simply, Gino, that there’s been an ongoing legal back and forth between the National Hockey League, the Players Association, and the CHL. And really, it’s more about tweaking the language. We know that there are going to be 19-year-olds playing in the American Hockey League next season. We don’t know all of the restrictions. I’m told that the agreement is being finalized between the NHL and the CHL, but until they get that agreement finalized, they’re going to be careful in how they dispense the information around the specifics of the restrictions.

Landon DuPont will contemplate next step at end of season

Reda: Speaking of young guys making an impact, Landon DuPont, son of former NHLer Mickey DuPont, is making quite the impression. The 16-year-old was the first defenceman to be granted exceptional status into the WHL. What are you hearing about his plans, Dregs?

Dreger: Well, some are wondering if he’s going to follow the path of Gavin McKenna and Keaton Verhoeff and move from major junior hockey to the NCAA. What I can tell you right now is his focus is helping Everett win the Western Hockey League and ultimately vie for the Memorial Cup championship.

But there is a question about what’s best for his development. Is it development that’s No.1? Or is it draft position that is No. 1? No decisions yet. They’ll tackle that in the off-season.

Reda: They are the insiders, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger.