One name drawing some attention: Current Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aI don\u2019t think Toronto was gonna go after DeBoer. I think if they wanted to hire him, they could have done it earlier in the year. My theory on Toronto is if they do make a coaching change, maybe like a Manny Malhotra is the kind of guy that they look at.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Mike Gillis rumoured to be in the running to land<\/a> the Leafs GM job, Malhotra would certainly be a name to watch, given the two\u2019s history in Vancouver. But even if Gillis isn\u2019t the next man up in Toronto, Malhotra is certainly going to garner attention \u2014 whether that be in Toronto or elsewhere.<\/p>\n Malhotra\u2019s name popped up plenty last offseason, though most vacant NHL coaching jobs were filled by the time Malhotra\u2019s Abbotsford Canucks became AHL champions and won the Calder Cup. The Canucks and Malhotra at least discussed the possibility of him taking over the Vancouver bench after Rick Tocchet announced he was leaving, but the team ultimately hired Adam Foote for that job.<\/p>\n Given his success in getting the most out of multiple players currently on the Canucks\u2019 NHL roster \u2014 Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson, Elias Junior Pettersson, Aatu R\u00e4ty, and Jonathan Lekkerim\u00e4ki all come to mind \u2014 along with his reputation among players both past and present<\/a>, many fans seem to want to see Malhotra promoted to run the Vancouver bench.<\/p>\n And while those arguments might carry some weight, there\u2019s been no indication that the Canucks plan to make a coaching change this offseason.<\/p>\n Of course, this wouldn\u2019t be the first time Malhotra earned a better opportunity outside of Vancouver, and it wouldn\u2019t even be the first time that Malhotra left the Canucks to join the Toronto Maple Leafs.<\/p>\n From 2017-18 to 2019-20, Malhotra served as an assistant to Travis Green\u2019s staff. At practice, he was often out working with players on the details of their games, and yes, faceoffs too. During games, Malhotra typically observed from the press box<\/a> rather than behind the bench. He would provide real-time feedback to players during intermissions based on his high-vantage observations.<\/p>\n Beginning in 2020-21, Malhotra was on the Leafs\u2019 bench under Sheldon Keefe for four years. While he initially joined the team to manage the power play, Malhotra transitioned from the power play to coaching the forwards in their defensive game following the hire of Spencer Carbery in 2021. And yes, Malhotra was also tasked with providing guidance on faceoffs in that role as well.<\/p>\n Following the 2023-24 season, however, Malhotra returned to the Canucks to accept his first pro head coaching role, leading Abbotsford to a championship in his first season behind the bench.<\/p>\n And now, it only appears like a matter of time before he gets an opportunity to run an NHL bench. Will that be in Vancouver? Toronto? Someplace else? That remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
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