Craig Berube's Toronto Maple Leafs Checklist
Craig Berube will be very busy in his new role as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is the third coach tasked with taking a talented core and achieving postseason success.
Like general manager Brad Treliving from a year ago, Berube has a full itinerary to begin his assignment. Much of the work he does will go a long way to helping the Toronto Maple Leafs reach their goals.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to rid the franchise of their Stanley Cup drought. Should Berube accomplish that, he would be only the second coach in the expansion era to win a title with more than one team.
With the Leafs forever stalled by early playoff exits, that is a gargantuan ask. If a deep postseason run or title is attained, you can bet some of the following tasks were completed.
Work With Treliving to Develop a Team Identity
Berube arrives in Toronto with a pedigree. His overall coaching record is less than his predecessor Sheldon Keefe, but he led an unheralded St. Louis Blues team to a Stanley Cup championship.
Aside from stalwart defenceman Alex Piertrangelo, that Blues roster did not have the talent the Leafs have. Goaltender Jordan Binnington had a career year, and the Blues never had a 40-goal scorer.
The Leafs have a two-time sixty-goal scorer in Auston Matthews, and William Nylander. John Tavares has also hit that milestone before. Nylander and Mitch Marner (should he stay) are 100-point wingers.
Berube must determine how he is going to employ his new riches. His meetings with Treliving will be critical in deciding the direction the Leafs want to take.
Does Berube want to keep the stars upfront and trust he can bring out more from them in the postseason? Or, does he ask Treliving to move a forward such as Marner to strengthen the Leafs defense?
The Leafs GM-coach combination of Kyle Dubas and Keefe brought the team great regular season success, but playoff failures.
Keefe commented after this year's first-round loss to the Boston Bruins, that the opposition's strategy is to wait for the Leafs to beat themselves.
Berube is Treliving's first coaching hire as general manager of the Leafs. Watching how they maneuver to mold the team to their liking will be fascinating.