Originally Posted by : Craig Berube Hired as Maple Leafs HC After Sheldon Keefe Firing
Spoiler!
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that they have hired Craig Berube as their next coach.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff first reported the hire.
Berube will replace Sheldon Keefe, who was fired earlier this month following a first-round playoff exit to the Boston Bruins in seven games.
Berube most recently coached the St. Louis Blues for six seasons, having spent two years with the Philadelphia Flyers before that.
St. Louis lifted the Stanley Cup in 2018-19, Berube's first season at the helm. The Blues lost in the first round in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs, though, and only advanced to the second round in 2021-22. The team missed the postseason altogether the following campaign, and Berube was fired in December after a 13-14-1 start.
The Blues went 30-19-5 under his successor, Drew Bannister, but it wasn't enough to salvage their playoff hopes.
During TNT Sports' coverage of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Paul Bissonnette seemed to know something no one else did when he jokingly threatened to break the news that Berube would be installed in Toronto.
"I'm gonna break the news that you're the Leafs new head coach."
Plenty of fans will see Berube as a great fit for a franchise that has consistently failed to play up to its potential on the biggest stage. The Maple Leafs registered 100-plus points in each of the last three years and only once during that stretch did they advance out of the first round.
The bulk of Toronto's roster is signed through at least 2024-25, with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi the most notable free agents. Especially with captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner due to hit the open market next summer, there may be an added level of urgency to win.
Berube has already shown he can guide a team to the promised land, and perhaps more importantly than that, he has demonstrated his occasionally direct approach with players can yield results. That might be a key distinction given the fact Keefe tried challenging the Leafs players at times, too, to no avail.
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Leafs are going to be a lot tougher out next season.
It'll be interesting to see what happens. Do the players buy into a tougher brand of hockey, what happens if Matthews isn't on pace for 60 goals a few months into the season, how much say will he have this offseason.
The Blues were built better for the playoffs, but with several teams in the east getting older and taking a step back, they might have a window of opportunity if they dump Marner and then get Tavares' terrible contract off the books; make some moves to look more like a playoff team. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bearcat:
It'll be interesting to see what happens. Do the players buy into a tougher brand of hockey, what happens if Matthews isn't on pace for 60 goals a few months into the season, how much say will he have this offseason.
The Blues were built better for the playoffs, but with several teams in the east getting older and taking a step back, they might have a window of opportunity if they dump Marner and then get Tavares' terrible contract off the books; make some moves to look more like a playoff team.
Yeah, I have no idea what the Leafs situation might be with contracts, etc. I was just thinking that Berube is going to bring a hard-nosed, gritty, uber-physical defensive style to the Leafs, all of which they desperately need to install if they want to actually go deep into the playoffs. If Mathews doesn't buy in, well, the Leafs won't be competitive in May/June. Again. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Yeah, I have no idea what the Leafs situation might be with contracts, etc. I was just thinking that Berube is going to bring a hard-nosed, gritty, uber-physical defensive style to the Leafs, all of which they desperately need to install if they want to actually go deep into the playoffs. If Mathews doesn't buy in, well, the Leafs won't be competitive in May/June. Again.
Yep, it's exactly what that franchise needs right now... no more player's coach saying shit like "I don't see any lack of effort" after nights with an embarrassing level of effort.
They've just tried to acquire toughness in total goons like Reeves, but sorry guys, Mr. Healthy Scratch doesn't turn you into a playoff team. [Reply]
The nice thing about the Panthers closing this out is it would have been Bruins/Panthers followed by Avalanche/Stars Sunday if this next game goes 7... and now they (hopefully) won't have a 9pm Central start. [Reply]