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The coach has a duty to inject some life into the Maple Leafs as their fate, and his own, are now on the clock in the final 19 games
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Published Mar 07, 2026 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 3 minute read
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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube. Photo by Claus Andersen /Getty ImagesArticle content
It has to be like walking into a morgue for Craig Berube these days.
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But the coach has a duty to inject some life into the Maple Leafs as their fate, and his own, are now on the clock in the final 18 games.
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Saturday, after the NHL trade deadline and before facing the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning, Berube tried to bring some order to his team. But a disastrous first period with four goals against, sealed a 5-2 loss, making it seven straight and a daunting 10 points out of a crowded playoff field.
That’s equally on Berube’s shoulders, general manager Brad Treliving and the players, but in the morning Berube echoed his boss from trade deadline day that the autopsy can wait.
“Right now is not the right time to process this whole thing with you (media), what I’m feeling, what I’m seeing,” Berube said. “We’ll do that another time.”
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That’s likely to be just past April 15, Toronto’s last regular season game and quite possibly Berube’s. Unless they go on a tear and there’ s a huge Uncle Fester-type train wreck above them in the standings.
Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews talks to Morgan Rielly during a game earlier this year. Getty ImagesWHAT CAN LEAFS SALVAGE?
“I told the guys today, until we’re completely out of it, we’re not out of it,” Berube said in the morning, while channeling a bit of Yogi Berra.
For jaded fans, the proper exit would be to tank totally and recover their first round pick sent to Boston for Brandon Carlo, which is top five protected. That final table will be a fascinating subject as the schedule gets into April.
Berube said re-embracing a positive vibe starts with his leadership group, though they’ve been among those who’ve struggled the most post Olympics. Captain Auston Matthews has not scored in 11 league games and was minus 2 on Saturday, defenceman Morgan Rielly’s play has been shaky most of the year, and John Tavares at age 35 can only do so much. Now the influential dressing room presence of Scott Laughton is gone, too, via a trade, as well as veteran Nicolas Roy.
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This would be Matthews’ first time missing the NHL playoffs.
“Each night, make sure we’re ready to compete, have fun, stick together, put in an effort we can be proud of,” he insisted in the morning. “It’s something we owe to one another and we owe to the fans who come and watch us play.
“I don’t think we’re looking at the standings and just folding over.”
Winger Steven Lorentz said Berube was succinct in addressing the team.
“We’re the Toronto Maple Leafs and everybody has to have pride putting that jersey on. Everybody understands our circumstances. It was a tough day yesterday losing guys (Lorentz lost linemate Laughton). But there’s a lot of hockey left.”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan. Photo by Chris Gardner /Getty ImagesLIMITED LINEUP OPTIONS
Berube doesn’t have many options to change the team’s brand at this stage. Draft picks, not players, were the principal return for Laughton. Bobby McMann and Roy. The Leafs had the minimum 12 forwards to face the Lightning and carry only one extra defenceman in Philippe Myers.
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Treliving filed paperwork on Friday to keep forwards Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan eligible for the Toronto Marlies playoff chase, but was to use both against the Lightning. Further call-ups Treliving hinted at Friday are on hold until the Marlies return from a weekend trip in Manitoba.
Berube called Quillan over at the end of practice to compliment him on a good game in New York on Thursday, Saturday saw Quillan in Matthews’ place as a penalty killer in his sixth appearance this year.
“(Auditions), that’s something we’ll see about going forward, see who we can get a look at,” Berube said.
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