As expected, the Toronto Maple Leafs are taking a long look at former Blues coach Craig Berube as the franchise looks to reset this summer.
That hockey operation must take a new direction after failing to make deep playoff runs with their “Core Four†of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares gobbling up a huge chunk of the cap space.
Former Blues heartthrob Brendan Shanahan is down to his last chance as Maple Leafs president. The Shanaplan will get shredded and general manager Brad Treliving will shop at least one of his top forwards around the league.
“We will look at everything this summer, and we will consider everything this summer,†Shanahan told reporters. “Everything is on the table.â€
Keith Pelley is the new CEO of Maple Leaf Sport & Entertainment and he didn’t mince words during his appearance as the team’s playoff postmortem news conference.
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"We need to win,†Pelley said. “Nothing else matters. No doubt, you've heard that before. But I am 1,000 per cent committed to it."
The Maple Leafs must make a greater commitment to defense and goaltending. And they must evolve into a harder team to play against, which is where Chief comes in.
That team’s vibe would change the first time he stepped into its dressing room. Chief has an aura about him. Given that, and the jolt the Leafs need, Berube seems like a more compelling choice than Gerard Gallant or Bruce Boudreau.
Ah, but the lights are bright in Toronto. This is the highest profile job in the NHL, given the franchise’s massive support in the Great White North and the intense scrutiny the team receives in its media market.
Berube isn’t the most engaging coach when it comes to dealing with the media. But he has done some work on that by serving as a national TV and radio analyst since his dismissal from the Blues.
In addition to the Leafs, the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets are currently looking for a head coach after the Buffalo Sabres reunited with Lindy Ruff and the Ottawa Senators chose Travis Green.
The Devils, who were linked to Berube earlier, are looking at recently fired Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. Todd McLellan and Jay Woodcroft has been linked to some of these coaching searches as well.
More vacancies could occur because, well, this is the NHL. Keep an eye on the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team looking for its next general manager, and the Los Angeles Kings, where Jim Hiller still carries the interim coaching tag.
Here is what folks are writing about the hockey marketplace now that the Maple Leafs are looking to make big changes:
Luke Fox, Sportsnet: “This signals a new, if unspecific, tone, an about-turn from an architect who has octupled down on a supremely talented quintet of players that has delivered all of one playoff series victory over Shanahan's 10-season tenure. A man who has routinely believed that some injection of mystical ‘killer instinct’ or the right combination of inexpensive role players — some other team's castoff captain or confident Cup champ — could push the chosen ones over the hump . . . The cavern between expectations and results begs a question: If Shanahan wasn't such a shrewd politician and wonderful hockey player — one who casually name-dropped some of his Hall of Fame Detroit Red Wings teammates during today's Leafs debrief — would he still be getting an 11th chance?â€
Matt Larkin, Daily Faceoff: “The door has clearly swung open to seriously consider trading right winger Marner, who has two goals in his last 16 playoff games and has become the public scapegoat for retreating when the play becomes more intense in the spring. He has just a single season remaining on his contract and is eligible to sign an extension July 1. Despite his playoff failures, Marner is a two-time first-team all-star, sits seventh in NHL scoring in the past five seasons and is in his prime at 27. He would command a significant, team-altering return in a trade. While Marner does have a no-movement clause, it shouldn’t be seen as overly prohibitive if the club makes it known he’s not part of their long-term vision, in which case a change of scenery would be mutually beneficial. At no point Friday did the Leafs commit to retaining captain Tavares, either. He has one year remaining on his contract at an $11 million AAV and carries a no-movement clause.â€
Jonas Siegel, The Athletic: “The problem now? Change is a year too late, at least. As a result, the Leafs won’t be as free to make big, meaningful overhauls as they were last spring. That’s especially true with Marner, who holds full control over his future next season because of the no-movement clause that kicked into his contract last July 1. Which means the Leafs can proceed on trade talks only if Marner agrees to them. Which means a potentially limited pool of destinations and a potentially limited pool of players and/or picks the Leafs can get in return. Marner has one year left on his contract. Any team interested in trading talent for him is going to want to keep him around for the long haul. Which means Marner has to not only be willing to go to that team but willing to come to terms on an extension with them. And the Leafs know from firsthand experience how difficult contract talks with his agent Darren Ferris can be. Had the Leafs acted last summer, before Marner’s no-movement clause was activated, the Leafs would have had the freedom to move Marner anywhere they chose — without the extension concerns that come attached to any trade conversations.
Greg Wyshynski, : “There are only a handful of coaches available who have a Stanley Cup ring and can be trusted to understand both the modern game and the modern player. Berube is at the top of that list. The impact of any coach's message is going to diminish over six seasons, so it was no surprise that Berube paid for the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Blues ' inconsistent start with his job. He has spoken openly about trying to get the players to play to his identity; after a long run with the Blues, perhaps that ask was rejected this season. Berube's greatest asset as a coach is his ability to keep a team focused when adversity hits. He's not someone whose emotions are going to rattle a team. You could see that kind of psychological skill fitting well in New Jersey or Toronto, places that could use a steadying presence. But the other thing Berube excels at is coaching physical teams that forecheck tenaciously. He would be set up best with a roster that can offer that.”
Sean Gentile, The Athletic: “Whoever takes over for last season’s Lindy Ruff/Travis Green combo platter will have a leg up on those guys, if only because Jake Allen will be around to handle business in net. New Jersey’s goalies, up until Allen’s arrival at the deadline, had put up an .883 save percentage. That’s abysmal enough to make a guy like Allen look like Connor Hellebuyck. Better goaltending — and presumably, better defensive structure — will counterbalance rising expectations in Newark.â€
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“I’ve got faith in Joe. Now, like everybody else, there are questions. The biggest question with Joe is he’s gotten injured a lot. We have to dig into that. Sometimes that happens, sometimes bad luck happens. Is there a training issue that we have to deal with? Do we need to change something in his off-ice routine? All those things are what we have to dig into.â€
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving, on Our Town’s Joseph Woll, Toronto’s injury-plagued goaltender.