Blues Player Accuses Leafs Coach Craig Berube of Growing Soft After Stanley Cup Win
Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski - Imagn Images
Craig Berube's seat isn't hot yet, but there are concerns about his tactics and whether or not he has lost his intimidation factor after winning a Stanley Cup.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs struggling to begin the season, there's a lot of finger pointing going around as to who should be carrying the brunt of the blame, and while some have settled on Craig Berube, the Leafs' brass is more than confident in his abilities to turn things around.
Despite GM Brad Treliving defending his coach during his media availability on Tuesday, the Leafs' style and overall game-play has been trending in the wrong direction and that may or may not have something to do with Berube's coaching.
Justin Bourne of Sportsnet 590 The FAN also alluded to the idea that Berube could be softening up in Toronto since he doesn't call out his players when he should, which was an issue near the end of his tenure in St. Louis.
That fact was corroborated by St. Louis Blues reporter Jeremy Rutherford, who appeared on the show earlier this week, where he talked about how Oskar Sundqvist mentioned to him that there was a change in Berube's coaching after winning the Stanley Cup.
I remember talking to Oskar Sundqvist -- he had said that when Craig Berube came in and won the Stanley Cup, that Craig Berube was intimidating and that what he said, you listened to every word. Over the years he seemed to soften a little bit and that they didn't look at him the same way than when he came in.
Rutherford did add that part of that could have been because the Blues had kept the same roster over Berube's tenure, and that due to increased familiarity, his intimidation factor wavered.
While Berube has shown his frustrations over the team with the media, some feel he should be a little more critical, especially when the whole world can see how lackadaisical their play has become.
The early season blip has definitely brought a lot more attention to his coaching than at any point during the 2024-25 season. Injuries have mounted over the last few weeks, goaltending has been a problem all season, and missing Mitch Marner is playing a significant factor.
For what it's worth, it does seem like the Leafs are listening to Berube, but if Sundqvist's words are to be to believed, it will be interesting to see how this season unfolds and whether or not the Leafs can steady the ship after a rough first 20+ games under Berube's tutelage.
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