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.
What Motivation Tactics Will Berube Use?
Like former Leafs coach Pat Quinn, Berube comes with a physical presence. That, along with his Stanley Cup championship, should command respect. Plus, he played 17 seasons in the NHL and over 1,000 games in an enforcer’s role. He knows the lifestyle of an NHL player and the demands that come with it.
Over the years, Keefe grew in his position as coach of the Leafs, but how effective his motivation strategies were is unknown without acknowledgment from the players (unlikely).
Keefe’s best coaching with the Leafs was the last three games against the Bruins. He had the team playing a sound defensive structure, with Matthews absent for two of those games.
Berube’s task is to combine the improved defensive structure of those three games with the regular season offensive success over the last half-decade.
Keefe never seemed comfortable calling out his players. Occasionally, Nylander felt his wrath and was benched, but public criticism of individual players was a rarity.
Continually calling out a player for underperforming is not suggested, but putting demands on your best players to lead the way in effort, structure, and accountability is essential. It is important to remember that just because Keefe didn’t scream at people or call them out in the media doesn’t mean he didn’t hold his players accountable. He clearly did.
Berube’s most important motivational tool is showing there will be no shortcuts, everyone is equally accountable, and convincing his best players to lead the way without pushback.
Berube must also persuade his players to be a more consistent team in the regular season. For years, the Leafs have had too many missed opportunities against lesser competition.
Lay fewer eggs against weaker opponents and a division title can be had. The Atlantic Division is incredibly tough. The Leafs finally winning a division title (the all-Canadian pandemic division aside) is a route they haven’t tried for playoff success.
Make Staffing and Roster Decisions
One of the first orders of business for Berube is to round out his coaching staff. Particular attention must be paid to helping the Leafs special teams.
The Leafs dreadful performance on special teams has been paramount to their early postseason exits. Year after year in the playoffs, they have been outplayed on these units.
A new voice is needed to oversee the power play. Despite the talent of the Leafs, assistant Guy Boucher was not able to stop its precipitous decline over the last weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.
More concerning is the Leafs inability to adjust to the opposition. The Maple Leafs also need to find a capable second unit and develop some internal competition for time on the power play. Too often, the first unit used most of the allotted time and there were no repercussions for ineffectiveness.
Much of Berube’s interview process likely revolved around the players on the Leafs roster. Treliving must have liked what he heard.
Now, the GM’s choice for a head coach must give his input on the makeup of the roster. The most important decision revolves around Marner.
Berube needs to have detailed conversations with his players, particularly the stars. Then, he and Treliving must take action on shaping the roster to fit their shared vision.
The meetings of Berube with the Leafs best players are of utmost importance. He has to assure Matthews, Nylander, Rielly, Tavares, and Marner (if he stays) that he has a plan in place that will bring the Leafs success.
The best leaders are confident motivators that convince their followers to believe in the plan. Time will tell if the Toronto Maple Leafs have found one in Craig Berube.
