The Toronto Maple Leafs announced a significant coaching change on Monday. The Leafs dumped power play coach Marc Savard in what can only be seen as a harbinger of more significant moves to come.
Whether those moves include sending head coach Craig Berube to the chopping block remains unclear. However, it’s becoming increasingly evident that the organization has identified the culprit behind the Leafs’ woes this season: Berube’s system.
A December 22 piece in The Athletic looked at Auston Matthews' egregious descent in production. Matthews looks like a shell of his former self. That situation has conjured up all sorts of conspiracy theories regarding his decline.
For my part, my money is on injuries. As an athlete, I know how long-term injuries can take their toll on your body. But let’s put that aside for a moment. The prevailing chatter is that Matthews is healthy.
So, what gives?
Matthews thrived under former coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe’s laissez-faire, puck-possession style was perfect for Matthews, Nylander, and the erstwhile Maple Leafs Mitch Marner. The piece in The Athletic takes a deep dive into the numbers and theory behind Matthews’ decline under Berube.
But the situation boils down to this: Berube espouses a style that became quite prevalent some 40 years ago. Teams played the dump-and-chase style to counterattack the free-wheeling movement of the early to mid-1980s.
The shift to move fast-paced, skill-based hockey has taken away the need for that taxing, grinding style that made teams like John Tortorella’s 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning so good. Today, Tortorella’s style is seen with the same lens as crossing the Atlantic by ship.
Berube is a good coach. He’s the sort of guy who preaches tough love and accountability. That was something Keefe lacked during his tenure. In hindsight, the Maple Leafs were not built for a Berube-type regime. If anything, doing so would have required a full-blown rebuild.
Of course, the Maple Leafs didn’t go that route. There was no full-blown rebuild. Management tried to paper over Toronto’s lack of playoff success with a new coach. Well, now we know that didn’t work.
The statement is not an indictment of Berube. It’s a fact of life. Having Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly requires a system similar to the one Keefe implemented in New Jersey. A better example could be Jared Bednar in Colorado. The Avalanche have an offensive-first team. Despite that philosophy, they’re one of the league’s top defensive teams this season.
Sure, all of that looks nice during the regular season. But it’s the playoffs that count. While Berube’s system may hold up a little better in the postseason, the fact is that last season’s first-place finish was more of an outlier.
The Maple Leafs, ultimately, must move on from Berube to save Auston Matthews. Matthews is the sort of player who thrives on puck possession and open ice. While losing Marner was a major issue, the decline was evident last season.
It might only be a matter of time before Berube hits the road. At that point, the Leafs need a coach with a more balanced mindset. Dare I say Peter DeBoer could offer that opportunity? The Maple Leafs don’t have much runway to get it right this season and beyond.