Report - Washington Capitals interested in hiring Toronto Maple Leafs coach

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Josh tupper
March 27, 2023 (2:57 PM)

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Earlier this year rumors swirled that the Washington Capitals were interested in signing head coach Peter Laviolette to a contract extension. At the time the Capitals were sitting in a playoff spot and appeared poised to potentially compete for another Stanley Cup. Since that time the Capitals have fallen out of playoff contention and currently sit 6 points out of a playoff spot.

The rumors of the extension have all but dissipated at this time. Today another rumor has begun to take shape. According to Emily Kaplan of ESPN it appears the Capitals already have their eyes on a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff.

The 41-year-old is one of the buzziest names on the coaching circuit � and that's even before he landed in Toronto, center of the hockey media universe. A few respondents said to monitor Carbery as an option for the Capitals should they make a change. Carbery is thought highly of in the Caps organization after three years leading its top minor league affiliate, the Hershey Bears. He has been a quick riser after winning ECHL Coach of the Year (2014) and AHL Coach of the Year (2021). Washington wanted to keep him on, but Carbery took an assistant job with the Maple Leafs in 2021. Since Carbery took over running the power play, Toronto has the league's second-best man-up unit (behind Edmonton).

This wouldn't be the first time that Spencer Carbery has interviewed with another term for their Head Coaching vacancy. Last summer it was reported that Carbery was a leading candidate for the San Jose Sharks coaching job, before the Sharks ultimately opted to hire David Quinn.

Carbery has spent time in the Caps organization with their AHL affiliate and would be a welcomed addition back to the organization. This summer will be very interesting for a lot of teams, especially the Maple Leafs. If the Leafs fail to get out of the first round once again there is no guarantee that Sheldon Keefe will be the Head Coach next season.