"The Leafs entered the season with the vast majority of the hockey world viewing them as a playoff team, and they didn't even come close to qualifying. They finished fifth last in the NHL and were the worst team in the league over their final 25 games (30% of the season). Some of it was out of Berube's control, as Chris Tanev played only 11 games, their top two goalies were injured or absent at various times, William Nylander played just 65 games, and Auston Matthews played 60. Those are significant injuries to all of their best players."
"But the issues extended far deeper, and the product was largely a mess on and off the ice last season. The Leafs finished dead last in puck possession and 29th in expected goals. That can't just be attributed to injuries. Even the year before, they were 29th in possession and 23rd in expected goals, and that was with a very good roster. They did win their division and a playoff series in 2024-25, but the style of play was unsustainable and showed zero signs of improvement in the last year."
"The team simply rarely possessed the puck, in part because they didn't value it when they did have it. Players were dumping the puck in with obvious space in front of them to skate. They broke out off the glass repeatedly. They tried to go low to high in the offensive zone rather than working pucks to the slot (with passes) for scoring opportunities. The season before Berube arrived, the Leafs finished second in goals per game; in his first season, they dropped to seventh; and last season, they finished 16th."
"Auston Matthews, in particular, produced two of his worst seasons under Berube, as he was deployed in some of the toughest minutes any center faced in the league. This past season, the same deployment strategy continued despite some feasible checking options in Scott Laughton and Nic Roy, and despite the loss of Mitch Marner. Berube decided to keep deploying Matthews - who was play"
The team entered the season widely viewed as a playoff contender but failed to qualify, finishing fifth last in the NHL and worst over the final 25 games. Several key players missed significant time, including limited games from Chris Tanev, injuries or absences for top goalies, and reduced seasons for William Nylander and Auston Matthews. Even with those factors, puck possession ranked last and expected goals ranked 29th, and similar underlying issues appeared the year before. The team rarely controlled the puck, repeatedly dumped it into open space, broke out off the glass, and avoided working pucks to the slot with passes. Goal production fell sharply after a prior strong season, and Auston Matthews faced heavy defensive-zone deployment without clear improvement.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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