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The Toronto Maple Leafs can still succeed with Craig Berube behind the bench in 2026-27, but changes need to come.

There was a major shift in leadership for the Toronto Maple Leafs recently, as the club decided to part ways with general manager Brad Treliving after it became clear that this would be the first year since 2016 that they would not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Several of the moves that Treliving made were heavily scrutinized, including last offseason’s blockbuster sign-and-trade of Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have a new leadership team led by general manager John Chayka, along with the return of franchise legend and former captain Mats Sundin, who will serve as an executive strategic advisor.

The Maple Leafs, who shocked fans everywhere by winning the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, still have to have a conversation regarding the future of head coach Craig Berube with the club, who recently completed his second year behind the bench in Toronto.

Craig Berube’s Future With The Toronto Maple Leafs Could Soon Be Decided

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman on a recent episode of his “32 Thoughts” podcast, the Maple Leafs’ new management team is scheduled to sit down with Berube in short order.

“It’s coming soon, there’s no question about that, and it might not be just a one-day thing or a one-hour thing; it sounds like there’s a lot to talk about,” Friedman said on Friday.

“There was no way Chayka or Sundin … were going to start this off by disrespecting Berube in any way until they really had a chance to have a meeting with him,” Friedman said.

“Now, I’ve had some conversations with some of the people who had interviews, and they said that the Leafs were very respectful to Berube, but they didn’t really take a position on should he be back. So, Sundin and Chayka clearly have an opportunity here to decide what they want to do. It was clear that (MLSE president and CEO Keith) Pelley liked Berube, but he didn’t say ‘You have to keep him.'”

So far as head coach of the Maple Leafs, Berube has accumulated a record of 84-62-18 His first year with the club in the regular season was a success, as he went 52-26-4 to win the Atlantic Division and advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for only the second time since 2004.

Maple Leafs GM John Chayka Speaks on Craig Berube

Not long after his introductory press conference with the Maple Leafs as general manager, John Chayka said that he’s already spoken with Berube, whom he referred to as a “tremendous coach”.

“I talked to [Berube] last night… I think he’s a tremendous coach, a Stanley Cup coach and a good person,” Chayka said. 

While Berube has a Stanley Cup victory as an NHL head coach with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 on his resume, the fact that he and the Maple Leafs fell so far from their position atop the Atlantic Division in just a single year is a mark on his record.

Whether or not Berube is ultimately Toronto’s head coach next season remains to be seen.