The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to make a massive mistake and it could potentially result in them sitting here next season, out of the playoffs, but without a first-round draft pick to give them hope.
When the Leafs hired John Chayka as general manager and Mats Sundin as a senior executive, we all assumed it would set of a domino effect of firings and hirings throughout the organization. But weeks later and we haven't heard anything from either side about that.
The Leafs do have ample time as we're still over a month away from the 2026 NHL Draft and the real main part of the offseason, so it's not like they're approaching a hard deadline to make some changes in the front office. But, don't they want to know who will be coaching their team as soon as possible?
Over the past week, Craig Berube has been rumoured to return to Toronto for his third season as head coach. From the get go, Chayka made it clear that they were going to speak with Berube to see how he aligned with their plans and if a change was needed. And now, according to Darren Dreger, their meeting went well enough that it feels likely that Berube is going to be back behind the Leafs bench.
And that, frankly, feels like an incredibly massive mistake to make.
Craig Berube being back would ruin an entire Leafs season
This is a crucial upcoming season for the Leafs. Auston Matthews is uncertain about his future in Toronto, they don't have their own first-round pick for the next two years, and the prospect pool is almost nothing (for now). All they have is what is right in front of them and whatever Chayka conjures up this summer to turn the franchise around, potentially led by an incoming Gavin McKenna.
But what is the point of any roster changes when they will be coached in a way that feels detrimental to what Chayka wants to do? The goal is to return to the playoffs. But Berube's system failed them this past season -- playing Matthews like some third-line grinder in his deployment against the opposition's best players -- and the only reason Toronto was able to find success in 2024-25 was because of two goaltenders playing out of their minds.
It just doesn't work with Berube behind the Leafs bench. Not at all. And if they continue with him for another season just because they don't have their perfect option available, or want to see things through, or MLSE doesn't want to pay him not to coach, or whatever other reason, it would be a complete waste of a season.
Not a whole lot can be guaranteed in the NHL, but Craig Berube staying with the Leafs will guarantee them to waste the season and find Flyers fans gloating about having a very good pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
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