Countdown is officially on and Toronto might have just gained the upper hand

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Jonathan Ouimet
May 23, 2026  (1:58)

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Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The coaching carousel just got more interesting for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bruce Cassidy is suddenly a name with a real path to Bay Street.

Elliotte Friedman dropped the breadcrumb on his 32 Thoughts podcast Tuesday. Vegas is not letting Edmonton or LA talk to Cassidy. Toronto? Friedman didn't shut that door.

"I have heard they are adamant they were not letting Edmonton or LA talk to Bruce Cassidy, I don't know about Toronto," Friedman said.

That last line is the entire story.

Berube was fired by Toronto this week. The Leafs need a bench boss. And the one Stanley Cup winner currently on the market just got publicly cleared, sort of, to take a meeting with one specific team.

Toronto finished 32-36-14 for 78 points. 28th in the league. A minus-46 goal differential. The roster needs work. The bench needs a heavyweight first.

This is where it gets spicy. The Vegas Knights are deep into their Western Conference Final run under John Tortorella, who took over March 29.

Cassidy is ''still in the building somewhere''. Under contract. With enough institutional value that Vegas won't let two of the league's bigger spenders even sit down with him.

But Toronto? Different story, apparently. Friedman's choice of words wasn't accidental.

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The eye test on the report was telling. Friedman named two specific teams Vegas blocked. He named one specific team they didn't. Insiders don't list teams by accident.

Brendan Shanahan and Brad Treliving have a market-defining call to make. The Toronto job is the most scrutinized bench in hockey. Cassidy has worn that kind of heat in Boston.

Vegas finished 39-26-17 for 95 points. Tortorella is steering a Cup contender right now. The Cassidy contract sitting under the surface gives Kelly McCrimmon real leverage.

Whether Toronto pays the price to bring him in, in money or assets, is the next domino.

The Leafs spent years searching for the right voice behind their bench. They've burned through legends. They've burned through tactical specialists.

Cassidy fits the brief on paper. Cup winner. Demanding. Defensive structure. Everything Toronto's room has been accused of lacking.

The next call out of Maple Leaf Square decides whether the chase becomes real.

Previously

Big-time help is coming for the Canucks fans hyped for what's next

Avalanche goalies caught in a moment that explains Colorado's whole season

Nobody saw this coming at the end of the Marlies playoff game

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55 MINUTES AGO   |   25 ANSWERS Countdown is officially on and Toronto might have just gained the upper hand Should the Maple Leafs trade assets to land Bruce Cassidy ?

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▢    No

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