Head Coach Craig Berube Shares Insights on Three New Leafs Additions
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has broken his silence and has revealed what he thinks of the team's newest additions ahead of training camp.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs preparing for the start of training camp next week, the team's head coach, Craig Berube, has begun meeting with media members ahead of what will be a pivotal 2025-26 season.
The Leafs have undergone a pretty significant transformation this summer, even though they are bringing back most of the core, minus Mitch Marner, who was dealt to Vegas earlier this summer.
In speaking with The Toronto Star's Kevin McGran, Berube has revealed what he thinks of each of the Leafs' top 3 additions this summer in Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy and Matias Maccelli.
Berube started with Joshua, who he believes has a lot of potential and fits the system very well.
"I had Dak in St. Louis and the last year I coached him he scored 10 goals. He was really coming as a player, as a big, physical guy. He has the ability to score some goals. He touches the defensive side of things. We're going to rely heavily on him being a good heavy forecheck player and a hard guy to play against. And he became a pretty good penalty killer in Vancouver. He is a good add for us."
In discussing Roy, Berube highlighted his size, versatility, and defensive acumen as real assets to the team.
"He moves up and down the lineup a little. He can penalty-kill, take faceoffs, defensive responsibilities. He's a good checker. He's got size and reach, but he's got sneaky hands around the net."
Maccelli, perhaps the most intriguing add, is a bit of an enigma for Berube, who revealed that he does not yet know where the 24-year-old will slot in -- though he does not factor into the team's initial plans on the top power play unit.
"He's a real good playmaker, sees the ice well, makes plays. For me, it's about seeing him more and seeing where he fits in. I'm not sure yet. He's a crafty, skilled player. He adds more to our second [PP] unit. So I think we're going to get more production out of that, hopefully."
All 3 of Maccelli, Roy and Joshua have the ability to play anywhere from the 2nd line to the 4th line, though Maccelli may be the only one with some legitimate top line potential, due in large to his tremendous playmaking ability. I'm sure we're all intrigued to see how this all shakes out by the end of training camp.
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