Former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube made another candid admission about his team with the team. In particular, he expressed his biggest regret.
During a conversation with Jay Rosehill on the Leafs Nation, “Chief” expressed how he would have never done one thing he did for the players.
Berube stated that he would have never given in to the players’ wishes last season. As things were heading south, the notoriously tough-love coach essentially gave the players what they wanted.
“We tried to change a few things… try to get players to play a little differently. I tried to appease them as much as I could, and if I had to do it all over again, I would never have done that.”
Craig Berube on whether he was asking too much of the Maple Leafs players last season.
@thegoldenmuzzy | @Jay_D_RosehillBerube discussed how he wanted to push the Maple Leafs core out of its comfort zone. While it worked during his first season, it bombed last season. During Berube’s first year at the helm, the Maple Leafs won the Atlantic Division and nearly made it out of the second round.
Last year’s showing, however, left Toronto in the bottom five of NHL standings. That situation led to his eventual dismissal as the front office change took shape.
It’s interesting, nonetheless, to hear about Chief giving in to the players. Potentially, there might have been an attempt to keep players happy, even to the detriment of Berube’s system.
Would Things Have Been Different If Berube Had Been Tougher?
Berube’s comments suggest that he drifted from his hard-nosed, accountability-based system to a more laissez-faire approach. That could be part of the explanation for the Maple Leafs’ implosion, especially after Auston Matthews was done for the season.
So, one has to think that if Berube had stuck to his usual system, would anything have been different?
The fact of the matter is that the team was already in trouble. The signs were there from the beginning. The club did not have a good start. While there was a brief resurrection in the middle of the season, injuries were just too many.
Following the Olympic break, the wheels completely came off the Maple Leafs. By the end of the season, it seemed like no one was really trying to turn things around. That attitude ended up costing Berube his job.
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Should Maple Leafs Have Kept Berube?
One question that will linger is whether the Maple Leafs should have kept Berube in the fold. For a while, it seemed like that would be the case. The outcome proved otherwise. Until Jim Hiller proves John Chayka made the right call, there will be questions about firing Berube prematurely.
The fact of the matter is that the Maple Leafs will need to come out strong this upcoming season. The revamped roster has to deliver. Otherwise, there will be serious questions about the team’s viability.
With a young superstar in the making like Gavin McKenna, the conversation will naturally drift towards a full-on rebuild.
It remains to be seen if the Maple Leafs can actually transform their fortunes this upcoming season.
Maple Leafs Ex Berube Expresses Major Regret about Players