St Louis Blues: Will Craig Berube find himself a new job?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have dismissed head coach Sheldon Keefe.

Speculation has started around the NHL that former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube is a leading candidate to replace Keefe.

The news arrives, with the Ottawa Senators opting for Travis Green as their next coach, a position that Berube was also considered for.

The Maple Leafs make sense

While Berube most likely would be interested in any head coaching vacancy, given his competitive nature, the Toronto opening makes a lot of sense.

Berube’s success in 2019 circled around his core unit of skilled veteran players.

The Maple Leafs roster, with its abundance of veteran players, mirrors the core unit that Berube found success with in 2019. This similarity raises the hope that, under his guidance, the team could finally harness its talent and compete for a Stanley Cup.

Berube’s resume speaks for itself. He took over an experienced unit in St. Louis and was one of the fundamental difference makers in leading St. Louis to their first championship.

Many Blues fans still express disappointment in the firing of Berube, believing he deserved another chance and was let go too soon.

A legitimate argument stands that the COVID-19 outbreak stopped the momentum of the 2019 Blues squad.

After the 2020 season, several key departures followed, notably reflecting general manager Doug Armstrong’s responsibilities rather than Berube’s.

The Toronto opening could be the ideal spot for Berube.

His NHL record stands at 281-190-72, a .466 win percentage.

He only had one losing season with the Blues, 2022-2023, in which he recorded a 37-38-7 record, not including the year the team fired him, as they let him go fairly quickly into the season.

Known for his tough coaching style, Berube has proven himself to be an excellent leader.

He has the potential to be the ideal candidate to lead Toronto to victory and bring home the Cup.