New Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka provided an update on the status of the team’s current head coach, Craig Berube.
The storied hockey franchise introduced Chayka as the team’s new GM and Mats Sundin as a senior advisor in Monday’s press conference in Toronto, alongside MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley. Chayka, Sundin, and Pelley were grilled by the media on numerous topics, but one important question that came up was the status of the team’s head coach, Berube.
John Chayka Provides Update on Craig Berube’s Status
As one would expect, the question of Berube’s future with the team came up. When asked if he has made a decision yet on Berube’s future with the franchise, Chayka confirmed he has spoken to the coach, but he will take the rest of the week before he and Sundin make a final decision.
“John Chayka said he had a brief conversation with Craig Berube Sunday night. He and Sundin will meet with Berube later this week,” wrote Elliotte Friedman on X.
Berube has two more years left on his contract with the Maple Leafs after he initially signed a two-year contract with the team in 2024. The team won the Atlantic Division last year, which was Berube’s first season behind the Leafs’ bench, before regressing this season and missing the playoffs. That led to former GM Brad Treliving losing his job, and potentially could cost Berube his job, too, depending on how Chayka and Sundin feel about him later this week.
Maple Leafs Have Big Decisions to Make Besides Berube
Aside from Berube’s status as head coach, the Maple Leafs have several other key decisions to make this offseason from a roster construction standpoint.
The first and most important is the future of team captain Auston Matthews. He has two more years left on his contract, at which time he can become an unrestricted free agent. Matthews is one of the most talented players in the NHL, but he had a down year numbers-wise, while also dealing with injuries. Still, he is the Leafs’ best player, and if the team is going to win a Stanley Cup in the near future, they are going to need Matthews to be on board with their vision.
Another top concern is in the crease. Last year, the Maple Leafs gave Anthony Stolarz a four-year contract extension, but he had a bad year and was injured for much of it this season. With Joseph Woll under contract and Dennis Hildeby ready to play in the big leagues, the Maple Leafs may decide to test the trade market for Stolarz.
Finally, the Leafs have to consider trading Morgan Rielly, the team’s longest-tenured player. The Leafs had one of the worst defenses in the league this year, and Rielly was a big problem. He has a big contract and is getting up there in age, so it won’t be easy to move him off his deal. Plus, his NMC complicates things. But as the Leafs try to turn the page from the Treliving era, they need to ask Rielly to at least consider a potential trade.
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