The Toronto Maple Leafs may have won two consecutive matches against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators. Still, the NHL’s most expensive franchise continues to languish at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with 39 points, with a record of 17-15-5.
Injuries to key players have totally marred the Leafs’ season, as the team has struggled to maintain its momentum.
Pete DeBoer Reaches Out to Craig Berube Amid the Maple Leafs’ Trying Times
Tension is at an all-time high in Toronto, and if anyone is feeling the heat most intensely, it is HC Craig Berube. Amid such stressful circumstances, former Dallas Stars HC Pete DeBoer reached out to Berube to alleviate some of his worries.
Berube has not been around for long in Toronto: the HC assumed the reins in May 2024 and led the Maple Leafs to a cinematic, top-tier finish last season with 108 points. The Maple Leafs faced a premature exit from the playoffs, resolving to have a much better 2025-26 season. To everyone’s dismay, this season has been thoroughly forgettable for the Leafs, as they remain stuck in the Atlantic Division’s cellar.
A shell of the former core-four remains after Mitch Marner’s exit; William Nylander has fallen short of people’s expectations from him, and so has Auston Matthews. Amidst all this, the firm faith in Berube’s coaching abilities has also shown a crack, with speculation about his removal reverberating across the league.
Amidst potential candidates linked to the Maple Leafs’ HC position, former Stars HC DeBoer has been at the forefront. However, Elliotte Friedman appeared on Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” to firmly dismiss the possibility of any such development. DeBoer has absolutely no plans of guiding the Leafs anytime soon and has clarified his stance on the issue by reaching out to Berube.
MORE: Maple Leafs News and Rumors: Why Pete DeBoer Is Unlikely To Replace Craig Berube
“One of the other things that happened this week that I thought was interesting, was that Peter DeBoer who was the subject of much speculation to replace craig berube as the Maple Leafs head coach, sent a note, through a friend to Berube, saying ‘forget all this noise, I am not involved here and it is not happening,'” Friedman stated, drawing an end to the relentless chatter on the issue in the community.
DeBoer has been in a comparable situation before and knows exactly how it can feel. “I have been on the other end of that, I do not like the fact that I was on this side of it this time,” DeBoer stated when Friedman reached out to him about the issue.
While Berube ought to feel relieved by DeBoer’s timely interjection, the clock is indeed ticking not just for him, but for the entire Maple Leafs organization to prove its mettle on the NHL ice.
