Could Jay Woodcroft Revive Auston Matthews Scoring?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for another head coach in the Auston Matthews era, and one name that’s starting to make a lot of sense is Jay Woodcroft. At first glance, some fans might shrug at the idea because Woodcroft’s time with the Edmonton Oilers didn’t last very long. He took over for Dave Tippett midway through the 2021-22 season and was replaced in November of 2023 by Kris Knoblauch.
But when you actually look at what happened offensively under Woodcroft, there’s a real argument that he could be exactly what the Maple Leafs need right now. The biggest thing? His teams could score.
In Woodcroft’s one full season as Oilers head coach, Connor McDavid exploded for 64 goals and 153 points, the best offensive season of his career. But it wasn’t just McDavid piling up numbers. Leon Draisaitl scored 52 goals and had 128 points, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hit 100 points for the first time in his career. The Oilers had three players over 100 points that season. Teams don’t accidentally stumble into offence like that.
Could he unlock the same offence with Auston Matthews in Toronto?
And that’s why Woodcroft feels especially interesting for Toronto. Over the past couple of seasons under Craig Berube, the Maple Leafs have tried to become a heavier, more defence-focused team. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more structure, but there’s also a growing feeling that somewhere along the way, the offence — especially from Auston Matthews — started to tighten up.
Matthews still scores because he’s Matthews, but the free-flowing offensive dominance hasn’t really looked the same. At times, the Maple Leafs have looked almost afraid to trade chances or open things up offensively. Everything starts looking cautious and controlled instead of dangerous.
Woodcroft has experience with high-end offensive players.
That’s where Woodcroft could make sense. He already has experience coaching a superstar-heavy roster and building an attack around elite offensive players. He understands how to let stars play aggressively without sacrificing structure entirely. And maybe more importantly, he could be the kind of coach who gets Matthews fully rolling offensively again.
Because if Matthews gets back to looking unstoppable night after night, the entire feel of the Maple Leafs changes. There’s also a growing belief in Edmonton that the Oilers may have moved on from Woodcroft too quickly. A lot of the team’s bigger problems were tied to roster construction, shaky goaltending, and inconsistent defensive play — things that weren’t entirely his fault.
Woodcroft helped the Ducks beat the Oilers in the first round of the playoffs.
After spending last season as an assistant with the Anaheim Ducks, Woodcroft now feels like a coach getting a second chance. And for a Maple Leafs team trying to rediscover its offensive identity, he might actually be a very smart fit. He’s smart and has had some success beating his former Oilers team.
Is he the kind of coach who could revive Matthews offensive abilities? Don’t be surprised if he’s offered a chance.