No. 4: Craig Berube Will Win Coach of the Year
The new coach bump is real in the NHL and Craig Berube is going to lead the Leafs to an Atlantic Division title, potentially a President's Trophy, and in doing so, will win the Jack Adams Award, as coach of the year.
Ironically, Berube's toughest competition might just be Sheldon Keefe in New Jersey, because the Devils had such bad goaltending and injuries last year that they seem primed to be the team whose coach gets credit for a huge jump in the standings. Keefe might have the best situation, but I think it's Berube who will make the biggest impact.
Despite having the same players on the ice, I think a new coach is going to help this team out tremendously. Although Sheldon Keefe is a good coach and did some great things, it's easy to start tuning a guy out after you lose every year.
Craig Berube is an old-school coach who's going to add a lot of discipline to this team.
As a recent Stanley Cup winner, Berube is going to be able to use that philosophy, which is something Keefe couldn't. Keefe may have had a Calder Cup Trophy under his belt, but that's not the same as the Stanley Cup and the player's know that, so they may respect Berube more than him.
There's going to be a lot of buzz with the Leafs this year, so if they end up being a top-three team in the NHL, I think Berube will win coach of the year.