Confirmed with Link: Craig Berube named the 32nd Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs

[Evilhomer]

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Those are nice odds to put some money down on Berube.

 

[Sypher04]

Thanks Mess, the Leafs have had one of the top PPs every year so that goes in favour of sticking with it... however, and this is a huge however, it seems awfully predictable and easy to shut down when we need it most which is in the playoffs obviously.

I do think we need to explicitly prioritize the goals over 70 goals and 100 points for the individual (more of a shot at Keefe than the players) and I think this may include struggling through some growing pains and short term struggles in favour of longer term potential.

Aren't we better if Matthews scores 55, while five other guys score 30? Again, it seems like we will be much better for it come playoff time.

I don’t see Matthews goalscoring as overly tied to the others on the team. I think he can still get his 60+ while others on the team bring up their goal scoring.

I am very curious to see the PP configurations. I would like to see the canvass wiped clean and new things tried for sure.

In general, I would like to see more focus on process and peaking for the playoffs rather than individual stats. This includes the PP but also spreading talent across three lines, giving kids a chance, etc.

As for the PP, assuming we go with 4 F and 1D, I am curious what the best deployment of these players across two units is.

Matthews
Marner
Nylander
Tavares
Domi
Knies
Robertson
McMann
OEL
Liljegren
Rielly

How about:

Matthews
Robertson
Domi
Knies
Liljegren

...and

Marner
Nylander
Tavares
McMann
OEL

Let's them compete and battle it out. Let the young guys have a chance. Let Rielly focus on ES minutes.

Each unit has a primary account option (Matthews, Nylander), a secondary sniper (Robertson, Tavares), a playmaker (Marner, Domi), and net from guy (Knies, McMamn) and a D that can shoot (Liljegren, OEL).

..or maybe they don't mirror each other in configuration and we have two different looks we can throw at their.penality killers.

We are not taking Rielly off both powerplay units. I can’t see any scenario where that happens.

 

[conFABulator]

I don’t see Matthews goalscoring as overly tied to the others on the team. I think he can still get his 60+ while others on the team bring up their goal scoring.



We are not taking Rielly off both powerplay units. I can’t see any scenario where that happens.

Why not? Because he is too good on the PP to do this to, or our of some sense of obligation to him. When he was suspended LIly looked good, as need more of that. I also think OEL deserves a look.

You are probably right, but no one should get anything out of obligation this year.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Been saying this for years, they need more movement.

They really need to use Marner in the bumper spot. His puck skills and creativity in that middle of the ice in that position would be great. Have the PP flow through him there and create rotation around him like a wheel.

Nylander and Matthews on the half walls as better shooting threats.

I liked what they were doing last year for a while.

After they got scored on a bunch of times while on the pp. They put Marner on the far side half wall up by the hash marks with Rielly patrolling the blue line. Tavares, Matthews, and Nylander would cycle the puck down low with the objective being to set up Matthews.

The Leafs are a good cycle team and should be seeking to take maximize that skill set when they habe the man advantage.

 

[weems]

Those are nice odds to put some money down on Berube.

Devils/Keefe are an obvious one.

- Tons of talent, have dealt with some injuries the past few years and have received terrible goaltending.
The bet weighs alot on Markstrom and just how much he changes the entire dynamic.

- Brunette, the Preds just added a bunch of talent and already had some good core pieces in Josi, Saros, Forsberg. I think they have a very good culture, with a good experienced GM.

- Leafs being third is interesting. This could just be alot of Toronto money moving the line but I think you could also make the argument that we've slightly underachieved in the Regular season and Berube could just be a better coach than Keefe was or that Berube is a better fit for a team that is trying to get a team over the hump.

I know there's been alot of pessimism over the offseason with this franchise but I think we're actually going to have a really good season.

 

[Fogelhund]

""

 

[Mess]

""

Former Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins, who previously worked in the Leafs organization as an assistant coach of the Leafs and head coach of the American Hockey League affiliate Toronto Marlies, the hiring of Berube could not have been better.

“With Chief coming in, I thought that was a great hire. That is a Stanley Cup-winning coach. There’s no BS, no tip-toeing around any issues with Chief – he hits him head-on,” Eakins explained.

Eakins also had nothing but good things to say about the hiring of Lambert as an assistant owing to his leadership qualities.

“The other thing that I love that Chief and Brad (Treliving) did there, and I think there should be more of this in the NHL, I’ve been fairly vocal about this, is I think the more leadership you have on the bench, the better. Hiring Lane Lambert, who’s been a head coach in the league, I think that is one hell of a hire. I think it’s an incredible hire because of the leadership there.”

Meanwhile, Eakins believes that Berube's no-nonsense attitude will only further Toronto's chances of making a deep playoff run.

“I know the passion of that Toronto market," he said. "It’s either win or bust, it’s either parade or doom, that’s just how that market is. This is why I love Chief there. Chief is not going to give a crap about what anybody is thinking."

 

[Racer88]

""

Hopefully he has Shanny’s boss’s support to really drop the hammer on these guys and turn them into a win at all cost unit

 

[Suntouchable13]

I see Shanny neutering Berube and telling him to lay off the 4 amigos, never criticize them in public or in private and let them do whatever they want. So nothing will change.

 

[Sypher04]

I see Shanny neutering Berube and telling him to lay off the 4 amigos, never criticize them in public or in private and let them do whatever they want. So nothing will change.

Of course you do.

 

[bax]

I see Shanny neutering Berube and telling him to lay off the 4 amigos, never criticize them in public or in private and let them do whatever they want. So nothing will change.

Does Berube strike you as the type to even take the job if that were the case?

 

[hamzarocks]

Does Berube strike you as the type to even take the job if that were the case?

Ofcourse

We saw Babcock got fired quick enough when the stars got upset and we went on a losing streak

Berube is taking orders from Management. He wont be benching any of the stars since he knowns 34, 88 will be here longer than he will woth 4 and 8 year deals locked up. If 16 and 91 get extensions they will be probably 8 and 3-4 years so again longer than Berube will last

Berube is not going to be able to change the lockerroom with the same core players who made Keefe back track when he called them out still being there.

Its delusional to think he took this job for anything besides a chance to make great money and raise his profile for a potential future role once hes fired from toronto

 

[ACC1224]

Does Berube strike you as the type to even take the job if that were the case?

Not a chance.

 

[bax]

Ofcourse

We saw Babcock got fired quick enough when the stars got upset and we went on a losing streak

Berube is taking orders from Management. He wont be benching any of the stars since he knowns 34, 88 will be here longer than he will woth 4 and 8 year deals locked up. If 16 and 91 get extensions they will be probably 8 and 3-4 years so again longer than Berube will last

Berube is not going to be able to change the lockerroom with the same core players who made Keefe back track when he called them out still being there.

Its delusional to think he took this job for anything besides a chance to make great money and raise his profile for a potential future role once hes fired from toronto

So is assuming what somebody is thinking and passing it off as fact.

 

[hamzarocks]

So is assuming what somebody is thinking and passing it off as fact.

Of course its not a fact, everyone here is shooting opinions

We dont know facts until they get leaked/released.

You were pretending its a fact Berube is going to be different and not get punked around by the core 4.

Until we see the season and how the usage of the core 4 in reg + playoffs go we cant really make a conclusion

My opinion is nothing will change based on no moves made of note in the summer, and the same core group being the leaders of the team

We will see how everything plays out again for a 9th time with this core b/c management refuses to make a move that can close the chapter on this group and accept that they failed by investing so much time and effort to promoting this group as a winning core

 

[bax]

Of course its not a fact, everyone here is shooting opinions

We dont know facts until they get leaked/released.

You were pretending its a fact Berube is going to be different and not get punked around by the core 4.

Until we see the season and how the usage of the core 4 in reg + playoffs go we cant really make a conclusion

My opinion is nothing will change based on no moves made of note in the summer, and the same core group being the leaders of the team

We will see how everything plays out again for a 9th time with this core b/c management refuses to make a move that can close the chapter on this group and accept that they failed by investing so much time and effort to promoting this group as a winning core

I agree with this a lot more than just saying it’s delusional to think otherwise. We’re all just guessing.

I’m of the opinion that he will be a much different coach than Keefe and just from his demeanour, past history and a cup ring I don’t believe he’ll just be only a yes man who’s only objective is to collect a pay check but ultimately yeah, he has a boss too.

 

[notbias]

I agree with this a lot more than just saying it’s delusional to think otherwise. We’re all just guessing.

I’m of the opinion that he will be a much different coach than Keefe and just from his demeanour, past history and a cup ring I don’t believe he’ll just be only a yes man who’s only objective is to collect a pay check but ultimately yeah, he has a boss too.

His best season is his cup winning season obviously, and that was the season he had the least amount of influence on the team... this is what worries me the most.

Outside of that year, his coaching record is pretty bad.

 

[hamzarocks]

I agree with this a lot more than just saying it’s delusional to think otherwise. We’re all just guessing.

I’m of the opinion that he will be a much different coach than Keefe and just from his demeanour, past history and a cup ring I don’t believe he’ll just be only a yes man who’s only objective is to collect a pay check but ultimately yeah, he has a boss too.

True hopefully you are right

I do still feel we dont have enough talent that even if Berube is a great coach who gets a lot out of the core to win it all.

We lack LW and a 1RHD still and I have no idea how we get those (LW maybe Cowan in 3 years, but RHD not sure)

A lot of uncertainties and questions for the roster, that even if the core guys break out and drop 1-1.3ppg in R1 somehow we may still lose if defense (which has some old and injury concerning bodies) break down and/or Woll doesnt grow/Stolarz is a pure backup

Id feel more confident if Treliving had been more aggresive ajd at least sold kampf + jarnkrok and gotten a better asset from the space between those two via UFA.

Guess we will see how this season unfolds

 

[bax]

His best season is his cup winning season obviously, and that was the season he had the least amount of influence on the team... this is what worries me the most.

Outside of that year, his coaching record is pretty bad.

Hopefully he ends up being better here and a different voice ends up making a difference.

 

[notbias]

Hopefully he ends up being better here and a different voice ends up making a difference.

Ya, I hope so too, I don't have too many opinions on Berube, but not sure Keefe was the issue here, nor do I think he took it easy on players, we will see though I guess.

 

[Lightsol]

Ya, I hope so too, I don't have too many opinions on Berube, but not sure Keefe was the issue here, nor do I think he took it easy on players, we will see though I guess.

I think Keefe was a big issue, mostly because he was stubbornly resistent to change and had a tendency to quickly revert to combinations and players that hadn't worked for a long time, simply because they worked at one time in the past (Muzzin-Holl too many times to count, bringing Brodie in last playoff and costing them game 4 when Brodie was... Well, 2024 Brodie).

 

[notbias]

I think Keefe was a big issue, mostly because he was stubbornly resistent to change and had a tendency to quickly revert to combinations and players that hadn't worked for a long time, simply because they worked at one time in the past (Muzzin-Holl too many times to count, bringing Brodie in last playoff and costing them game 4 when Brodie was... Well, 2024 Brodie).

"He changed nothing"

"He changed our lineup by inserting Brodie when things weren't working"

Not sure I am following the logic.

He changed plenty, maybe you just don't agree with the changes.

 

[1specter]

Ofcourse

We saw Babcock got fired quick enough when the stars got upset and we went on a losing streak

Berube is taking orders from Management. He wont be benching any of the stars since he knowns 34, 88 will be here longer than he will woth 4 and 8 year deals locked up. If 16 and 91 get extensions they will be probably 8 and 3-4 years so again longer than Berube will last

Berube is not going to be able to change the lockerroom with the same core players who made Keefe back track when he called them out still being there.

Its delusional to think he took this job for anything besides a chance to make great money and raise his profile for a potential future role once hes fired from toronto

Berube doesn't seem like a sociopath like Babcock, who quite frankly bordered on mentally deranged with some of his behaviours and antics that have come to light in recent years. There's a reason Babs has been blacklisted from the league, whereas players went to war for Berube. Even the guys that won with Babs didn't speak particularly fondly of him after the fact. Not really comparable.

 

[bax]

Ya, I hope so too, I don't have too many opinions on Berube, but not sure Keefe was the issue here, nor do I think he took it easy on players, we will see though I guess.

We’ll definitely see soon enough. Sometimes a new voice is needed. Hopefully this is all it takes I’m one of the few who is a big fan of our players and am still holding on to that glimmer of hope that they figure it out.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Berube doesn't seem like a sociopath like Babcock, who quite frankly bordered on mentally deranged with some of his behaviours and antics that have come to light in recent years. There's a reason Babs has been blacklisted from the league, whereas players went to war for Berube. Even the guys that won with Babs didn't speak particularly fondly of him after the fact. Not really comparable.

That kid in St. Louis kicked Berube on his way out and the whole city turned on him so he started crying to make people feel bad. The older players like Schenn and ROR like Berube but these new school kids don't like him. Guess which type of player we have in Toronto.