What Does the Jim Hiller Hire Say About the Maple Leafs?
One interesting thing about NHL coaching hires is that fans often judge the decision by the coach himself. Did he win enough games? Did he get the most out of his last team? Did he make the right decisions when things got difficult? Often the bigger question is: why did this organization choose this coach at this moment?
That is where the Jim Hiller Maple Leafs hiring becomes interesting.
There are plenty of people who questioned the decision. Hiller did not leave Los Angeles with a perfect record, and his playoff exit against the Edmonton Oilers raised questions about his ability to adjust as a series shifted. Some fans looked at his defensive approach and wondered whether he was the right person to lead a Maple Leafs team that needs to rediscover its offensive identity.
Those questions are fair. But the bigger story may be that John Chayka is not trying to build the same Maple Leafs we watched under previous management. The Maple Leafs have spent years trying to find the right balance between skill and toughness, offence and defence, regular-season success and playoff hockey. The problem has never been getting talented players. The problem has been finding a system that works when games become tighter and mistakes become more costly.
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Hiller appears to represent a bet on a different kind of structure for the Maple Leafs.
That doesn't mean the Maple Leafs want to become a boring defensive team. It means they believe a better defensive foundation gives their skill players more opportunities. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, and the rest of the offensive group do not need a coach who teaches them how to score. They need a system that helps them score when opponents are trying to take away their space.
The biggest question is whether Hiller can find that balance. The concern with defensive coaches is always the same. At what point does structure become restriction? At what point does trying not to lose become more important than trying to win?
What will be Hiller's biggest challenge in Toronto?
The Maple Leafs are not hiring him to relive last season. They are hiring him because they believe he can help build a different version of the team. Can that work? It will depend on whether Hiller can create a team that is harder to play against without taking away what makes the Maple Leafs dangerous.
That might be the most important coaching question Toronto has faced in years.