To say that the Craig Berube era in Toronto was a rollercoaster would be an understatement. His first season behind the bench saw the Maple Leafs go 52-26-4 and make it to the second round of the playoffs. But his second year was a disaster with the team being 32-36-14 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. It was a team that looked uninspired and did not seem to care whether they won or lost. This led to Berube's dismissal as head coach.
While the Leafs cast a wide net to find a bench boss, Berube is looking for his next home. He has shown no indication that he is ready to retire and is looking for another team to become a head coach for. One of the teams that is reportedly showing interest is the Edmonton Oilers. Darren Dreger reported on Insider Trading that the Oilers and Berube talked for three to four hours over the weekend. But can Berube get the Oilers to where people thought he led the Leafs?
Dregs on Insider Trading saying the Oilers chatted with Bérubé for 3-4 hours over the weekend.
— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) May 27, 2026
Can Craig Berube do for the Oilers what he couldn't for the Leafs?
Despite the poor performance this season, Berube has had a very successful tenure as an NHL head coach. Over his 10 years behind the bench for the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, and Leafs, he has a record of 365-252-90. He has led his squads to the playoffs six times, culminating in a 34-34 record. But the highlight of his career came back during the 2018-19 season when he helped the Blues go on an improbable run to a Stanley Cup Championship.
The Oilers' interest in Berube stems from the same idea that the Leafs had. That bringing in a coach with a resume like Berube will help them get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup. This is something the Oilers need to do now more than ever. After dropping their first-round matchup to the Ducks, the rumors that Connor McDavid is unhappy and wants out have only become bigger. Another deep run that ends in a Cup victory might be enough to get him to stay.
Now, many will be quick to point out that Berube was not able to get the Leafs over the hump. That the line of thinking the Oilers are using is wrong because it did not work in the past. While it is true Berbue could not help the Leafs get out of the second round, that was a problem before he got there. Since the start of the "Core 4" era, the Leafs have never advanced past the second round, despite multiple coaches and executives. It seems to be more of a player's problem.
On the other hand, these Oilers teams have proven they can go deep into the playoffs. Before this season, they were coming off back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup. Their core has proven it can make deep runs in the playoffs. This season could be the outlier and a clearer example of Kris Knaubach's message getting stale. Bringing a proven winner like Berube could re-ignite the fire in the team and help them make it back to the Cup Finals.
Although Berube could not find the success he thought he had with the Leafs, he should be able to find it with the Oilers. He could be the missing piece to help bring the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton for the first time since 1990.
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