Two years ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs took about a week to decide that Craig Berube was the right coach to replace Sheldon Keefe.The process took much longer this time around, with new general manager John Chayka famously connecting with as many as 55 candidates to replace Berube over a span of five weeks.Some, such as Peter Laviolette, had loads of experience. Others, such as Joe Pavelski, had none at all.Flyers trade Samuel Ersson, Emil AndraeKevin Kurz and Madison EadesIn the end, Chayka finally chose someone who hadn’t even been whispered about: Jim Hiller, known best in Toronto for coaching next to Mike Babcock for four seasons with the Leafs when Auston Matthews and William Nylander were just getting started in the NHL.Unlike Berube, who had a tough-guy reputation and a Stanley Cup ring from coaching the Blues, Hiller isn’t a splashy choice for the Leafs, but there’s reason to think he might be the right coach all the same.A lot of his success, of course, will depend on what Chayka decides to do with the roster in the coming days and weeks. The new Leafs GM has already parted with the team’s best goaltender, Joseph Woll, in a huge roll of the dice and may soon deal away Morgan Rielly and perhaps even another significant piece like Matthew Knies.How Chayka goes about restructuring the blue line and centre-ice position remains to be seen.But with Hiller, Chayka looks to have found a candidate who makes a lot of sense.Hiller’s track record as a head coach in the NHL isn’t long — parts of three seasons only with the Los Angeles Kings. But what his teams showed there above all is what the Leafs need most right now: strong defensive play.During Hiller’s one full season coaching in Los Angeles — the 2024-25 season — the Kings surrendered the second-fewest goals in the NHL (topped only by the Winnipeg Jets as Connor Hellebuyck stomped his way to Hart and Vezina trophies) and the second-fewest shots.The Kings were the NHL’s best at five-on-five in expected-goal rate defensively that season.It wasn’t an accident that Darcy Kuemper leapt from an .890 save percentage in his final season with the Washington Capitals to a Vezina Trophy finalist, with a .921 save percentage, in his first season with the Kings.Kuemper faced the third-fewest shots (25.6) per 60 minutes of any highly used goaltender (minimum 2,000 minutes) that year.Hiller’s Kings, in other words, weren’t asking Kuemper to do yeoman’s work every night.Jim Hiller’s Kings teams had a .600 points percentage during his time as head coach. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)Not like last season’s Leafs, who were a mess defensively under Berube.No goalie, in fact, was pelted with more shots than the 32.8 per 60 minutes chucked at Woll. Dennis Hildeby was No. 2 in that department among goalies who logged at least 1,000 minutes of work (32.7). Anthony Stolarz was No. 6 (30.6).