“I’AM LEAVING” Nicholas Robertson has announced that he is leaving the toronto maple leafs today due to……Read More..

While he was primarily known for running defensive-minded teams — having guided both Ottawa and Tampa to the Eastern Conference final using a suffocating style — Boucher was tasked with overseeing the Leafs’ power play following the departure of Spencer Carbery.

The Leafs regressed slightly in that area under Boucher’s watch, converting 24 percent of their power-play chances during the regular season. That ranked seventh in the NHL after they finished second and first in the two seasons prior. They also struggled mightily — going 1-for-22 — with the man advantage in the first-round series loss to Boston.

The Leafs fired Keefe in early May after his fifth season in Toronto. They hired Craig Berube later that month. Berube is still rounding out his own staff after hiring Lane Lambert to serve as associate coach on June 5. He is expected to retain assistant Mike Van Ryn, who he previously worked with in St. Louis.

Former Leafs assistants Dean Chynoweth and Manny Malhotra were on expiring contracts and moved on to other opportunities earlier this offseason, preceding Boucher out the door. The Leafs are expected to hire one more assistant coach this summer, according to a league source with knowledge of their plans.

Now, Berube’s challenge is to guide the Leafs where no coach in the modern era could, which is deep into the postseason and toward the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1967. Berube himself has been there: He coached the St. Louis Blues to a championship in 2019 after replacing Mike Yeo in-season.

Anthony Duclair is a player who the Tampa Bay Lightning would very likely want to keep. After they acquired him from the San Jose Sharks, he immediately fit into their top six and produced well, posting 15 points in 17 regular-season games.

Yet, the Lightning have just over $5 million of cap space and still need to re-sign Steven Stamkos. As a result, the Lightning may have no choice but let Duclair walk this offseason.