Leafs Coach primed to leave team for another opportunity with Eastern Rival

Spencer Carbery's story is one to tell any young hockey player not ascending the ranks. Carbery competed all the way up to the ECHL level where he found he could not make it much higher.

Despite his NHL dreams, Carbery was not able to make it as a player and pivoted after retiring from playing at 28 years old, Carbery transitioned into coaching and climbed the ranks quickly.

Beginning as an ECHL assistant, Carbery has ascended to an NHL assistant just over a decade later. Now, he looks to become an NHL Head Coach, the highest position in the field.

An Eastern Conference rival looks to poach Carbery's talents away from Toronto.

The Capitals are an intriguing team for Carbery. They have a mix of older diminishing talent and younger players entering their primes and some flailing prospects.

Carbery would also pair with Rasmus Sandin once again who was red hot after being traded from Toronto scoring 15 points in 19 games as a defenseman.

Carbery could unlock the potential of talents like Hendrix Lapierre, Connor McMichael, and Ivan Miroschnichenko (all first-rounders). In addition to this, Carbery could rejuvenate the careers of T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Evgeny Kuznetsov who all had down years last season.

If all goes well and he goes to Washington, Carbery could lead the Capitals to the playoffs, and in the playoffs, anything can happen. Just asking the 2012 LA Kings or the 2023 Florida Panthers, 8th seeds who went on to the cup finals.