Is Craig Berube salvageable as the Leafs’ coach?
Berube’s saving grace might be that the Maple Leafs could want to play the waiting game with some currently employed coaches and not fire Berube just to absorb another second-tier option or take a chance on a newcomer that Chayka and Sundin haven’t put in the work on. Berube offers time to figure things out rather than come out immediately and say, “This is our coach.”
If Berube is getting a shot, the question is whether he can bounce back. Can he improve? With the long stretch of declining results that consistently worsened in 2025-26, the evidence isn’t strong, but capable puck-carrying, bottom-six forwards might present some support for his style of hockey that could work with Chayka’s.
The name that comes to mind for me is Boone Jenner. Jenner as a third-line centre and working with capable two-way wingers like Knies, Cowan, or another external option might address the shortcomings of Berube with more coaching comfort food. Building towards a third line that looks capable of being a second line rather than the two fourth-line approach the Leafs seemed to be running with last season gives Berube his best chance at success. The best option for the team might be someone new, but without Cooper, Brind’Amour, or Bednar walking through that door for the Maple Leafs, they might punt their coaching decision down the road.
Max Domi’s job security should be a concern
Craig Berube over-relied on Max Domi last season. John Chayka worked with Max Domi through Domi’s junior career and had him on his Coyotes team before trading him away. Mats Sundin has known Domi since Max was a child. The idea of Max Domi being bought out can safely be dismissed, and the odds of Max Domi moving on from the Maple Leafs seem less likely than they did a week ago. The former might be an understandable decision, but the latter will hurt the Leafs.
Simply put, the Maple Leafs lack defensive zone responsibility down their lineup, and Max Domi is one of the main culprits for that. Domi’s offence isn’t substantial enough to justify his defensive shortcomings; his lack of discipline hurts the Leafs. While he can distribute the puck well, he’s not a strong puck-carrying option, an area the Leafs need to improve on next season.
At $3.75M AAV, it’s unlikely that Domi’s contract will be considered one of the worst in the league but for the Leafs, it’s a nearly $4M commitment to a player that doesn’t address a single need for the Maple Leafs. He’s not a fit, and the team needs to move on.
The biggest test for how serious the Chayka and Sundin regime could be is how they handle Max, and he continues on as a Maple Leaf.
Approaching free agency like he’s the GM of the Coyotes
Chayka’s time in Arizona has prepared him for working with the leftovers in free agency and finding who was willing to prove themselves in Arizona rather than chase a cup, and who were the interesting calculated risks that could be brought in with the intention of proving their worth around the league on a contract that wouldn’t break the bank.
There is appeal to this approach, and it is far more appealing than Brad Treliving’s singular focus on size and physicality to round out the lineup. Chayka isn’t Dubas, but when Dubas was at his best, he was gambling on reclamation projects as well.
If the Maple Leafs truly believe they have one of the best player development programs in the league, Chayka may thrive if he does what worked before.
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