Craig Berube is ruining Leafs' development of key young players

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is ruining the future development of the team with every game that he coaches.

Look at the team's projected roster for tomorrow night's game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Why is Max Domi playing alongside Auston Matthews? What hasn't Berube seen over the course of 64 games that would suggest that Domi needs another shot beside Matthews? Is he trying to get the captain to ask for a trade in the offseason?

I hate writing about this narrative on a consistent basis, but if Domi's last name was Smith, he wouldn't have signed a four-year deal at $3.75M. The former No. 12 overall draft pick has good vision, but he's taking up a valuable spot where someone much younger with higher potential could play.

At 31 years old, we all know who and what Domi is. If he played his cards right and transformed his game from more dump-and-chase and less skill, he could be one of the best fourth-liner's in hockey. He has speed, toughness and grit that the Leafs lack, but he doesn't have the true skill to be an everyday top-six player.

Instead of giving Nick Robertson and Easton Cowan, who still have potential to shine in the big leagues, he's pushed them to the third-line beside Jacob Quillan, who will be playing in his eighth career NHL game.

Berube should be fired for playing Domi first-line minutes

We would all love to see what Robertson and Cowan can do when given consistent minutes alongside real NHLers like William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthews, but instead, he's playing them with someone with way less experience.

Maybe he thinks he can find a spark with Cowan-Quillan-Robertson being the line of the future, but they're only going to be play 13-15 minutes per night, instead of 20-22 which would be a better showcase.

The Leafs aren't going to make the playoffs at this point, so why do we even need Berube behind the bench at this point? Maybe he'll help the team tank and guide them into a potential top-five pick, but it's more than likely that he's hurting the development of two young forwards, which is upsetting.

Where's Peter Horachek when you need him? He'd at least have the guts to play these youngsters serious minutes. These lines are so unserious and is so this coach and organization right now.