Don’t Be Too Quick to Judge the Maple Leafs Jim Hiller

Remember when Craig Berube’s first season behind the Toronto Maple Leafs bench looked pretty good? Toronto won the division, and things seemed to be heading in the right direction. Then came the second season, and just about everything went sideways.

Granted, there were injuries, the loss of a 100-point player, and plenty of other explanations. But what stood out was how much the team’s overall performance seemed to drop. Players who had looked comfortable under Berube suddenly looked like different players. Did they stop believing in the system? Did the message wear thin? We probably don’t know the whole story.

That’s something worth keeping in mind with Jim Hiller.

Hiller Has Arrived in Toronto with New Ideas

A new coach can come in with a new system, new ideas, and a fresh approach. Sometimes the players buy in, things click, and everybody is happy. But getting players to believe in a system for one season is one thing. Keeping them believing when things get difficult is another.

Hiller had one advantage when the Maple Leafs hired him. He’s not a complete stranger to this group. Some of the players remember his earlier time with Toronto as an assistant coach under Mike Babcock. That familiarity might help establish trust. But trust isn’t something a coach gets to keep automatically. Eventually, the results and the decisions have to support it.

And that’s where things get interesting.

What We Know About Hiller Is Still Limited

How much of what we’ve liked about the Maple Leafs so far is actually Hiller’s doing? There’s been a lot of change. Auston Matthews looks healthier and happier than he has in some time. Gavin McKenna has arrived and looks like he could be something special. The addition of Marchenko, along with the rebuilding of the bottom six, has given the team some new life. Special teams have been particularly encouraging.

But five-on-five play remains a concern. The defence has been downright messy, and the addition of veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t exactly looked like the answer so far. Some of that belongs to the coaching staff. Some of it is simply bad luck, including the early injuries. Sorting out which is which isn’t easy.

I’ll admit I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Hiller’s hiring. But he’s here, and he deserves a fair chance. His press conferences can be a little unusual, and a few of his on-ice decisions have left me scratching my head. Still, it’s much too early to decide what we’ve got.

It Might Take the Entire Season to Get a Read on Hiller

I suspect we need a full season, including playoff hockey, before we can judge him properly. That doesn’t mean he gets unlimited patience. John Chayka will be watching, and the coaching staff will be under scrutiny too.

For now, I’d like to see Hiller succeed. The Maple Leafs need a coach whose message lasts longer than a promising first few months. Whether Hiller is that person is something we simply don’t know yet.

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