Insider hints at the Maple Leafs next head coach.

There have been rumblings that big changes are on the horizon for the Toronto Maple Leafs, even after the team already made the decision to fire general manager Brad Treliving late last month.

What those changes will look like is anyone's guess but many are expecting a change behind the bench after Craig Berube led this iteration of the Maple Leafs to their worst season in nearly a decade.

One high profile head coach that could serve as a replacement has already come off the board with Peter DeBoer hired over the weekend by the New York Islanders but, according to the National Hockey League's top insider, the Maple Leafs may be looking to move in a completely different direction.

On Monday, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman dropped a name that he could see taking over as the next head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"I don't think Toronto was going to go after DeBoer," revealed Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "I think if they wanted to hire him, they could have done it earlier in the year. My theory on Toronto is if they do make a coaching change, maybe a Manny Malhotra is the kind of guy that they look at."

Manny Malhotra is a very interesting name for Friedman to drop, especially when you consider Malhotra's existing links to a rival Canadian organization in the Vancouver Canucks. Malhotra recently won a championship as the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League, the affiliate team of the Vancouver Canucks.

Not only is Malhotra considered a very bright up and coming head coach, but he also brings with him a wealth of NHL experience as a player. Malhotra was drafted in the first round (7th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers and he would go on to score 116 goals and 179 assists for 295 career points over 991 NHL games.

"I think they wanna try something a bit different," added Friedman when speaking of Malhotra.

Malhotra also has some history with the Leafs, previously serving as an assistant coach for 4 seasons behind the Maple Leafs bench. That level of familiarity with the organization could also help his candidacy.

What would you think of this potential coaching change? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.