Maple Leafs Make The Smart Choice, Hire Craig Berube As New Head Coach

We knew there'd be changes in Toronto after the Maple Leafs made another early exit, with former head coach Sheldon Keefe being shown the door.

Keefe did a great job with the team in the regular season, but the postseason was another story, and his replacement — Craig Berube — should address one of the big problems that has plagued the team at times come the Stanley Cup Playoffs: an apparent lack of accountability.

Berube was fired by the St. Louis Blues earlier this season after taking over behind the bench partway through the 2019 season. He led the Blues on an incredible run down the stretch and made an improbable run through the postseason en route to the organization's first Stanley Cup.

There's no questioning his pedigree — which included a few years leading the Philadelphia Flyers as well — and "Chief" as he's known will be bringing that with him to Toronto where he spent half a season as a player during the 1991-92 season.

Just looking at how he has coached in the past, I can't imagine Berube will be as quick to let things slide the way Keefe was at times. He and the unenviable task of leading the Leafs with a core of players too good to be bailing in the first round just about every season.

There were times when those guys weren't clicking and even times when some *cough*Mitch Marner*cough* didn't even look like they wanted to be out there.

That's not going to work for Berube. He's going to expect the absolute best out of guys like Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Marner who are paid the big bucks (assuming they're all Leafs come next season, which may not be the case).

Craig Berube's challenge will be to get the Maple Leafs over the playoff hump. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

Are The Leafs Cup Contenders (For Real This Time)?

No, but this is a step in the right direction.

If you've been reading OutKick for a while, you'd know that I love goofing on the Leafs, but I can't goof on them for this decision, because I think they made the best coaching decision they could have given who's available.

I think Berube is the right coach at the right time for the team's stars, and while I wouldn't go so far as to call them Cup favorites (sportsbooks will probably do that anyway), I do think that with this move the team is better positioned for a run than they have been.

Now, it's up to GM Brad Treliving to navigate this offseason — specifically who he decides to trade, gives extensions to, and signs in free agency — to give Berube and players like Matthews and Nylander the pieces they need to end the longest Cup drought in the NHL (which dates back to 1967 and helps the Flyers drought look not quite as bad.