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Maple Leafs shuffle assistant coaches; Is Ron Wilson on thin ice?

Ron Wilson

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson reacts as he watches his team trail the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 late in the second period of an NHL game in Toronto on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

AP

When it comes to following personnel decisions, there are many times when it’s tough not to read between the lines. Perhaps the most famous moment of a press conference telling the exact opposite of the story happened when Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson hammed it up about the coach’s departure when it was clear Jones jettisoned Johnson after a clash of egos.

While it’s not something that the team admitted to, many people are reading between the lines regarding the changes that have been made to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ coaching staff. The team added two new assistant coaches (Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin) while parting ways with two old ones (Keith Acton and Tim Hunter).

Most precisely, people are wondering if head coach Ron Wilson’s job might be in danger. Leafs GM Brian Burke either hasn’t decided to give Wilson a contract extension (Wilson’s deal expires after the 2011-12 season) or wasn’t given the power to do so.

Here is Wilson’s three year run with the Maple Leafs:

2008-09 season: 34-35-13 (81 pts)
2009-10 season: 30-38-14 (74 pts)
2010-11 season: 37-34-11 (85 pts)

On one hand, Toronto made a dramatic (but unsuccessful) late run for a playoff spot in 10-11 and showed some promise along the way. That being said, Wilson is about to enter his fourth season as Toronto’s coach without producing a single playoff run. In fact, the team hasn’t made the playoffs in the post-lockout era and that franchise/fan base isn’t exactly known for its patience. One must wonder if Wilson will be in danger of losing his job if the team has a bad start or misses the postseason once more.

A quick bit of info about the new assistants

Gordon is the former head coach of the New York Islanders and served as an assistant coach for the 2010 U.S. Olympic team under Wilson and Burke. Cronin was most recently a college hockey head coach at Northeastern University.