The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to undergo an overhaul of the organization in the wake of a disastrous season that has resulted in them missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. When you suffer the biggest drop-off in points year-over-year in the history of the franchise, there have to be severe consequences for that.

GM Brad Treliving’s firing is expected to be the first of many changes the Leafs make between now and the start of the 2026-27 season, as evidenced by MLSE CEO Keith Pelley stressing the need to alter the way that the team operates in their decision-making. It remains to be seen who exactly could be next on the chopping block, but head coach Craig Berube has firmly been in the crosshairs since Treliving was dismissed because of the role he has played in the season being a failure. As it stands, the bench boss is expected to finish out the remainder of the regular season and his fate will be determined by whoever is the next GM/president of the Leafs.

Presuming that change does come to fruition, many felt that the logical replacement would be an established name like Bruce Cassidy or Pete DeBoer (prior to him being snagged up by the New York Islanders). Based on a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the more realistic outcome could be that they instead try something different and go with an up-and-comer.

“ I don’t think Toronto was gonna go after DeBoer. I think if they wanted to hire him, they could have done it earlier in the year,” he said during Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts The Podcast. “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.”

Malhotra, in particular, would be an interesting candidate for the Leafs to consider, given that this wouldn’t be his first rodeo behind the bench in Toronto. He was an assistant coach for the team from 2021 to 2024, serving on then-head coach Sheldon Keefe’s staff and taking on many roles, including running the power play. While the roster has changed in the nearly two years since he departed to join the Vancouver Canucks’ organization, there will still be some familiarity with some of the players, which would make the transition easier for him.

But it wouldn’t just be the fact that he knows what he is getting himself into that makes Malhotra an attractive candidate for the Leafs; it is his approach to coaching and development of players that should make him appealing over the incumbent Berube. During his tenure in Toronto as an assistant, people within the organization raved about his preparation, approachability, and the wealth of knowledge he has about the game of hockey. After all, Malhotra appeared in just under 1000 NHL games where he established himself as a shutdown centre who was great at faceoffs and killing penalties. Being in the league that long in his role means he did well at understanding how offences approach the game and had a keen understanding of what was needed to neutralize them.

“The work ethic, character, intelligence and attention to detail that made Manny the ultimate teammate when he played are all assets that have translated to his coaching,” Keefe said in a statement after the Leafs hired Malhotra as an assistant. “That, combined with his charisma and communication skills, make us really excited to have him join the organization.”

It goes without saying that results are the primary factor in any coaching hire, and the work Malhotra has done in his two years with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks should play a role in making him an ideal candidate. His first year in charge was a roaring success as he helped guide the Canucks to win the 2025 Calder Cup championship over the Florida Panthers’ affiliate in the Charlotte Checkers. Players raved about how much he cared and respected them, which is why they were easily on board with the style he wanted them to play.

Malhotra made it his mission to have guys on the AHL squad be legitimate options for the NHL club, stating it’s a sign of a healthy organization when players put up promotion-like performances.

“It’s the culture that the guys have built for themselves. It’s amazing to watch how they are the ones dictating the intensity, what is accepted and what is not accepted in the way we play and the way we carry ourselves,” Malhotra said to CanucksArmy after the Abbotsford Canucks won the AHL title. “It’s amazing to see that they took ownership of that. But yeah, I think the celebration speaks to the fact that we have a very selfless group in here that played for one another and were happy when other people were getting their successes. So they really just played into who we are as a group.”

Now it is true that his second season in charge has not gone as well, with the AHL Canucks currently being tied with the Iowa Wild (Minnesota’s affiliate) for dead-last in the league. But it has more to do with how much turnover there was on the roster than it does with Malhotra’s abilities as a coach.  This is a guy who was on the shortlist of candidates to be the NHL Canucks’ next head coach before they settled on Adam Foote, and had his option picked up for the 2026-27 season.

Even though Malhotra is contractually locked to the Canucks organization for next year, it won’t stop other teams from reaching out to him for their potential vacancies. The Leafs would be wise to be one of those teams because of his familiarity with the organization, his preparation, and his knowledge of the sport. Being a player-focused coach who likes to instill a team-oriented system with clearly defined roles for his players, it would be a breath of fresh air for a Leafs team that has had to deal with Berube barely moving off his mantra with his questionable roster decisions. And with the organization looking to go into a data-centric direction, he could mesh well with Sunny Mehta as GM and reuniting with Mike Gillis as president.

If the Leafs want to go with an up-and-comer as Friedman alluded to, Malhotra would be an excellent hire for them.