Breaking: Leafs waste no time, hire replacement coach for D.J. Smith

In case you missed it, the Ottawa Senators announced that they’ve officially hired former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach D.J. Smith to be their next head coach.

In turn though, the Leafs have wasted no time in replacing Smith on head coach Mike Babcock’s coaching staff. 

Just minutes after the Sens announced Smith’s hiring, the Leafs themselves announced that they’ve hired former Florida Panthers assistant coach Paul McFarland.

McFarland, 32, spent last season with the Panthers, overseeing the league's second-most productive power play with a 27% conversion rate. The Maple Leafs had the eighth ranked power play in the NHL last season, converting on 22% per cent of their opportunities.

"I'm extremely excited to be coming home and joining the Maple Leafs organization," McFarland said in a release. "The Leafs have a great, young team and this is an amazing opportunity to work with Mike, his staff and these talented players."