UPDATE: 4pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs officially announced the hiring of D.J. Smith, Jim Hiller and Andrew Brewer to Mike Babcock’s coaching staff and have hired Matthew Herring to be the club’s head strength and conditioning coach.
“I am excited to begin a new chapter with the Maple Leafs and work alongside Mike Babcock, Jim Hiller and Andrew Brewer.… Smith said in a press release on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old Windsor, ON native went 135-53-16 with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League and won the Memorial Cup in his third season as head coach. Smith is being hired to work with the Maple Leafs defense, which is expected to be an area of transition with the potential departure of team captain Dion Phaneuf and possibly veterans Roman Polak and Jake Gardiner.
Smith is a former Leafs defenseman, who was acquired as part of the deal to bring back Wendel Clark from the NY Islanders in 1996 and played six seasons with the Toronto organization.
Toronto added 2014-15 OHL Coach of the Year Sheldon Keefe as head coach of the AHL Toronto Marlies last week and have now added Smith, who won the same prize in 2013-14.
The 46-year-old Hiller won WHL and CHL Coach of the Year honors as bench boss of the Tri-City Americans in 2012 and joined the Red Wings last season to handle their power play, which ended up 2nd in the NHL.
The 29-year-old Brewer (like Hiller) joined Detroit last summer after a three year stint with Hockey Canada(2011 to 2014) as their video coach, after working with Babcock in Sochi.
As with Dr. Jeremy Bettle(the Leafs new Director of Sports Science & Performance), Herring comes to the Leafs from the NBA, working the two seasons as an Athletic Performance Associate with the San Antonio Spurs.
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Everyone has a theory about what the Leafs will do with the fourth overall pick at the NHL Draft in 10 days.
There are many who think that the Arizona Coyotes are a lock to take Dylan Strome at #3 but that may be contradicted by recent rumors of GM Don Maloney shopping the pick.
The Leafs might snag Strome if Arizona passes on him or go with either London’s Mitch Marner or Boston College defenseman Noah Hanifin at #4, but the name of Brandon defenseman Ivan Provorov has begun to be mentioned as a possibility.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Monday that Leafs management is split between Marner and Provorov, whose stock has risen after scoring 15 goals and 46 assists in the WHL and interviewing well at the Draft Combine in Buffalo last week.
Carolina at #5 and Columbus at #8 may have a lot of interest in the Russian defenseman, as both club’s bluelines are areas of need. Rumors of the Leafs picking Provorov at #4 might force the Hurricanes or Blue Jackets to try to trade up ahead of Toronto to take Provorov or trade with the Leafs for extra picks.
If that happens, Toronto could be in a winning scenario, as a team trading ahead of them would take Provorov, leaving Strome, Marner and Hanifin available. The Leafs could then pick who they want or trade down a couple slots, get extra picks and potentially still get their man.
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