In the most recent 31 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman states outright that Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Jim Hiller is not expected back. He says Hiller has blanket permission to interview with anyone.
There are a number of head coaching and assistant coaching positions open, but the trend this season, after a few years of hirings from NCAA and junior teams, is for coaches with NHL experience.
Neither DJ Smith, who it has previously been reported, interviewed in Ottawa, nor Jim Hiller would see a path to promotion in Toronto. When they were hired, the Leafs and Mike Babcock talked about the expectation that good teams lose their staff and always have to be looking to add more.