The news cycle began this week with chatter that the Edmonton Oilers will be formally interviewing former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.
Unlike the Vegas Golden Knights, the Leafs are not standing in the way of an ex-coach finding new employment.
And it’s because of the Golden Knights and refusing to let Bruce Cassidy talk to other teams that has fueled the Oilers’ desperation. That desperation has reached the point of talking to Berube.
It’s not that Berube is a bad coach. He could still be a successful NHL bench boss. But after the way things ended for him and St. Louis, and the way they crumbled in Toronto, Edmonton could do better.
Yes, the Oilers’ preferred coach is Cassidy. There’s little question about that. But if they can’t have Cassidy, who else can they turn to? Edmonton already dropped the ball by unceremoniously canning Kris Knoblauch.
There are no other high-end coaches out there for the Oilers to choose from. Peter DeBoer signed at the end of the regular season with the Islanders. Unless Edmonton is willing to go off the cuff and hire a first-time head coach, their only option is Berube.
Now, it just seems like the optics of the situation are getting worse for the Oilers. As bad as the situation is in Edmonton, the Leafs would have one crucial benefit from seeing Berube go off to the Western Conference.
Oilers hiring Berube would clear his salary off Maple Leafs’ books
Should the Oilers hire Berube, it would effectively clear “Chief’s” contract off the Maple Leafs’ books.
When the Leafs hired Berube, they inked him to a four-year, $18 million contract, The Athletic noted. However, the Leafs fired him with two years left on the deal. Since the organization still has to honor the contract, Toronto is on the hook for the remainder.
But if the Oilers ink Berube, they’ll be the ones footing the bill. Technically, the Oilers could sign Berube to a much lower contract than the one with Toronto, with the Leafs picking up the rest of the tab.
That likely won’t happen. If Edmonton hires Berube, they’ll likely have to pay him at least as much as what the Leafs agreed to pay.
While money really hasn’t been an issue in the past for MLSE, it’s suddenly becoming a sticking point. Parent company Rogers Communications has been tightening the belt around all of its corporations. That situation has trickled down to the Maple Leafs. Chatter has emerged about how the organization has suddenly become overly cost-conscious.
That’s why having the Oilers pick up the tab for Berube’s salary is a welcome proposition. Clearing nearly $10 million of dead money off the Leafs’ ledger will look good on the club’s financial statements.
So, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Leafs playing matchmaker with the Oilers just to get Berube off the books.
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