Leafs lose key member of coaching staff to metropolitan division club

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone as it has been reported for a few weeks now, but Elliotte Friedman has confirmed that Leafs assistant coach Spencer Carbery will be heading back to the Washington Capitals. The deal comes with a 4-year commitment.

Carbery has been the focal point of the Capitals' coaching search since the Leafs' playoff run ended a few weeks ago. He was formerly the head coach of the Capitals' minor league team, the Hershey Bears, where he won a Calder Cup and AHL's Most Outstanding Coach honours in 2021.

When he joined the Leafs, his main job was to reinvent the powerplay which had struggled under the previous regime. In the two years Carbery ran the Leafs' powerplay, they were a top-five unit but struggled in the post-season both years. The Leafs parted ways with the much of the Marlies coaching staff after their season ended, so it's unclear who Carbery's replacement will be. With a vacant GM position and uncertainty surrounding Sheldon Keefe's job status, I doubt we'll see Carbery's replacement hired until the Leafs' other boxes are checked.