Berube Fed Up With Lack of Speed Narrative: Maple Leafs' Biggest Issue Revealed
The Maple Leafs are in a concerning spot in the early stages of the 2025-26 season, but Craig Berube has confirmed that speed is not the reason for their struggles.
This past summer, the Maple Leafs' goal was clear: Get bigger and stronger to help facilitate a bit of a "DNA change",
as GM Brad Treliving called it.
Size at the Cost of Speed?
Well, the additions of Nicolas Roy, who came over in the Mitch Marner deal with Vegas, and Dakota Joshua, who was acquired by the Leafs from the Vancouver Canucks, certainly accomplished the goal of getting bigger and stronger.
The problem is that in the process of getting bigger and stronger, the typically offensively dangerous Leafs became less of a counter rush team and more of a checking team, with some believing that they sacrificed some speed for added tenacity.
Berube Not Buying the Lack of Speed Narrative
Leafs bench boss Craig Berube doesn't buy into that narrative, as he revealed on Tuesday following a loss to the New Jersey Devils that his team is still fast -- when the play the right way.
Berube told reporters following the team's 5-2 loss on home ice that their struggles have nothing to do with speed, and far more to do with the fact that his group is not currently playing the right way, abiding by the rules of the system.
"I don't think speed is an issue on our team. When we play the right way and we play direct, we look fast. But when we want to not play that way, we look slow. That's really what it boils down to."
It's clear from Berube's comments that he believes that the Leafs' lack of speed is an illusion, and that the team failing to be direct is what is forcing a lot of stop-and-go hockey, which is what is making them appear to be significantly slower than they've looked in the past.
Leafs Still Possess Several Speedy Forwards
The Leafs still do have a number of players with speed, including the likes of Max Domi, William Nylander, Nicholas Robertson, and Bobby McMann, just to name a few.
It doesn't help matters that the team is still adjusting to life without Marner, who was known to be a bit of a visionary. His sensational passing had sprung a number of teammates on breakaways, and without Marner around, someone else will have to adopt or develop that trait, which could take some time.
Berube Not Happy With His Group
The Leafs have a few days with which to ponder things and get back to the drawing board, with their next pair of games occurring on Friday and Saturday, a back-to-back set against the Buffalo Sabres.
Previously on Toronto Hockey Daily
| POLL |
OCTOBRE 22 | 751 ANSWERS Berube Fed Up With Lack of Speed Narrative: Maple Leafs' Biggest Issue Revealed Do you think the Leafs are noticeably slower this year? |
| Yes | 682 | 90.8 % |
| No | 69 | 9.2 % |
| List of polls |