Jay Woodcroft Pushes Maple Leafs Toward David Carle Search
jay woodcroft is part of a Maple Leafs coaching search that has moved to David Carle. Toronto is working through the process of trying to bring the 35-year-old University of Denver coach aboard as its next head coach.
The focus has sharpened because Carle is not just a candidate; he is the target Toronto is actively pursuing. The same coaching lane has also drawn interest from the Colorado Avalanche if they decide to make a coaching change.
Toronto Targets David Carle
Friedman described Toronto as “working through” the process of trying to hire Carle, a phrase that suggests the Leafs are still in the middle of the search rather than at the finish line. That puts the University of Denver coach at the center of the offseason conversation for a team looking for a new voice behind the bench.
Carle’s age is part of the appeal. At 35, he fits the younger profile the Leafs appear to be chasing as they sort through options for the job.
Carle’s Denver Roots
Carle has deep roots in Denver dating back to 2009, which gives the search a built-in complication for Toronto. The Leafs are trying to pull a coach away from a place where he has been established for a long stretch, and Denver is not the only club with an eye on him.
Colorado is also believed to have interest if it changes coaches, and that keeps Toronto from treating this like a straight line to an agreement. For the Leafs, the chase is part of a wider effort to reset after a frustrating non-playoff season.
Bo Groulx Adds Context
Bo Groulx’s season offers a snapshot of the organization’s current player pipeline. The 25-year-old recorded 28 goals and 52 points in 59 games for the Toronto Marlies, then played 13 games for Toronto later in the season.
In those NHL games, Groulx scored three goals and five points and posted a plus-4 rating at 5-on-5. That kind of detail sits alongside the coaching search because Toronto is weighing the next step for a roster and staff that both need direction.
For now, the clearest development is that Carle is the name Toronto is working on most seriously. If the Leafs get their way, the next coach would arrive with a reputation built in Denver and a profile that fits the direction the club seems to want to take.
