Derek Lalonde has done a great job with the Maple Leafs defensive structure and penalty kill this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Derek Lalonde on June 6th, 2025, after Lane Lambert left to become the head coach of the Seattle Kraken. Lambert had done an exceptional job with the Maple Leafs' defensive core, turning them into a top-five group in the NHL. When Lambert left to go to the Kraken, the Maple Leafs had a hole to fix.