Craig Berube is gone, so is Auston Matthews next? Maple Leafs have multiple decisions to make
Craig Berube is gone, so is Auston Matthews next? Maple Leafs have multiple decisions to make originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a new head coach when the 2026-27 season gets underway.
Will they still have Auston Matthews? It remains a fair question to ask after the dismissal of Craig Berube on Wednesday after two seasons at the helm.
Matthews had a strong 2024-25 season like the rest of the Leafs, but he and his teammates all pretty much struggled in 2025-26. Is that down to usage by Berube?
Statistics show Matthews was more often matched up with an opposition's best players while under the watch of Berube than he had been earlier in his career, but whether that has a positive or negative impact isn't necessarily an easy thing to calculate.
The reality now for Matthews is probably less about Berube than about what comes next.
Toronto is essentially facing three major decisions for its new front office:
- Hire a new head coach.
- Make the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft.
- Figure out the Matthews situation.
It will probably happen in that order.
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The head coach will be pivotal in at least gaining some confidence from Matthews. If the Leafs make an oddball hire that he doesn't agree with, that could push one foot out the door.
Whether or not a Gavin McKenna draft pick could actually keep Matthews in town also remains to be seen, but it's a pivot point for the franchise regardless.
And once there's a new head coach and a new phenom in place, then Toronto has to figure out whether Matthews wants to stay, with two years remaining on his contract, or go.
As far as offseasons go, this one is going to be quite important for the future of the Maple Leafs.
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