Could Joe Pavelski Be the Maple Leafs’ Next Head Coach?
Joe Pavelski is on the shortlist for the Toronto coaching job. His name doesn’t usually come up in coaching conversations this soon after retirement, but around the NHL, recent playing experience is starting to matter almost as much as time spent behind a bench. And if the Toronto Maple Leafs are serious about reshaping their next coaching hire under new general manager John Chayka, Pavelski is at least an intriguing entry in the conversation.
Why Do Former Teammates Believe in Pavelski?
Logan Stankoven would certainly agree. The young forward, now with the Carolina Hurricanes after being traded out of Dallas, has seen Pavelski up close in a way most players don’t. Living arrangements, daily habits, and post-practice work—the kinds of things that reveal what a veteran is really about.
And what stood out wasn’t flash. It was clarity. “He reads the game so well… he’s not the fastest guy, not the biggest guy, but he’s so smart,” Stankoven said. “Even before or after practices, he’d pull guys aside and work on tips. That’s the kind of guy he is.”
That matters more now than it used to. The NHL has quietly been trending toward former players stepping directly into leadership roles, sometimes with limited traditional coaching résumés. The most obvious recent example is Martin St. Louis in Montreal, who transitioned from Hall of Fame player to NHL head coach and has already reshaped how the Canadiens develop young talent. It’s not a perfect comparison, but it’s a persuasive one.
Related: The Maple Leafs’ “Fix It Now” Approach Needs to Change
What can Martin St. Louis show that might impact the Maple Leafs decision?
What St. Louis has done in Montreal is give credibility to a different type of coaching model—less about decades behind benches, more about recent lived experience in the modern game. Communication, structure, and player trust have become just as important as systems drawn on a board.
That’s where Pavelski becomes interesting. He isn’t just a respected veteran. He’s widely regarded as one of the best “detail forwards” of his era—positioning, deflections, net-front reads, and situational awareness. Those are exactly the types of skills young NHL players struggle to master early in their careers.
Stankoven also pointed to something that front offices pay attention to: relatability. Coaches who have “just been there” tend to connect more quickly with modern players, especially in an era when the NHL game is faster, younger, and more structured than it was even a decade ago.
Is experience the best measure of coaching success in today’s NHL?
Whether the Maple Leafs ultimately lean toward experience or a newer voice remains to be seen. But Pavelski’s name isn’t floating for no reason. Sometimes the game circles back to the people who understood it best in the first place.