Craig Berube’s comments on Mitch Marner are raising eyebrows, and for good reason.
The former Toronto Maple Leafs coach recently sat down with Rob Simpson on Simmer’s Morning Skate and had plenty to say about what went wrong for the team last season and why his own run behind the bench ended the way it did. But the part that stands out most is his praise for Marner, which paints the former Leafs forward in a surprisingly glowing light.
“I thought Mitch was the energy. He brought the emotion and the energy to the game.”
Berube didn’t stop there. He went even further in describing what Toronto lost when Marner was gone.
"We lost our emotional leader, for sure."
That’s a bold read on a player whose Toronto tenure was defined just as much by the moments that slipped away as the ones that landed. The Leafs may have had nights where Marner was electric, but the biggest memories are still tied to the games that decided everything. The final three games of the Stanley Cup Final this past spring only added to that perception, with Marner failing to bring that same emotion and energy when the pressure was highest.
Toronto fans know the story by now. The highlight reels are one thing, but the Game 7s are another.
Marner’s legacy with the Maple Leafs was never going to be built on a big night against the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. It was always going to be judged by whether he delivered when the stakes were at their peak, and that part never really came through.
Berube’s own time in Toronto ended with plenty of color, even if the results didn’t match the promise. He left behind a run that included comical soundbites, horrific gym injuries, and two completely different seasons. For a stretch, it looked like he might be the one to change the narrative around the Leafs.
He came one game short of doing it.
If Toronto had finished off Game 6 against the Florida Panthers, the whole summer could have looked different. No Game 7.
No chain reaction that followed. No first-overall pick.
No Gavin McKenna headed elsewhere.
Instead, Berube is out, the Leafs are left sorting through another familiar ending, and his tenure gets filed under a simple summary: one season that showed promise, another that turned into Murphy’s Law.
Everything that could go wrong, did.
Even so, it doesn’t feel like Berube will be away from a bench for long. It may only be a matter of time.
In Other News...
Why The Leafs Clearly See More In Brandon Duhaime
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What makes the fit interesting is the way Duhaime is being cast around the roster, not just as a grinder but as a physical presence who can help keep younger players from getting pushed around. His history of dropping the gloves and his willingness to play a rugged game suggest the Leafs see a tougher, more useful version of the old-school deterrent, with enough offensive touch to contribute if everything clicks. [Read more 🡒]
Bobrovskys Arrival Just Changed Everything For The Leafs Goalie Future
Sergei Bobrovskys arrival in Toronto immediately reshapes the Maple Leafs goalie picture, and not just for the present. Signed to be the starter, Bobrovsky also brings the kind of veteran presence that can matter to a young prospect like Artur Akhtyamov, who still looks like part of the organizations long-term plan. For a club that has been searching for stability in net, the move gives Toronto a proven option while also setting a very different timeline for its next wave of goaltending.
Akhtyamov remains a promising name in the system, but the path to real NHL minutes just got a lot narrower. Bobrovsky is expected to handle a heavy workload and stay durable enough to keep the crease mostly spoken for, which means Akhtyamovs chances could be limited to spot duty if injuries open the door. For now, the Leafs get the security they wanted, while their prospect may have to spend a lot more time waiting for the opportunity that once looked much closer. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Just Settled A Depth Question Fans Have Been Watching
The Maple Leafs quietly wrapped up a small but important bit of business by locking in three depth pieces for the next stretch of roster planning. Forwards Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg each landed one-year extensions, while defender William Villeneuve got a two-year deal, giving Toronto a little more clarity on the back end of its organizational depth chart and in the group of forwards pushing for AHL and NHL opportunities.
Villeneuve stands out as the most immediate insurance policy, a right-shot defender with limited NHL experience who is viewed as an injury call-up option when the Leafs need help. Quillan and Tverberg come with their own roster-management wrinkles, including waiver and arbitration considerations that matter if Toronto wants to keep shuffling players between the big club and the Marlies. For a team that has been watching its depth decisions closely, these were the last relevant RFA boxes left to check. [Read more 🡒]