Another decision from the Maple Leafs provokes a strong reaction from fans.

The Maple Leafs officially announced their new front office on Sunday when they introduced John Chayka as the organization’s new general manager as well as former Maple Leafs forward Mats Sundin in an executive advisory role.

It was a decision that was met with mixed reactions with serious questions lingering about both appointments, but that may pale in comparison to the reaction the latest news about the Maple Leafs is likely to produce.

On Monday morning, NHL insider Darren Dreger revealed that, despite the catastrophic season the Maple Leafs just had, that they are poised to retain the man that many blame for a large portion of this season’s shortcomings. I am of course referring to Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.

“Probably,” said Dreger on TSN 1050 radio. “I was told yesterday that it is very likely that they move forward with Berube.”

Not only did Dreger hear that information from his sources, but also expressed his own belief that Berube remaining in Toronto is all but a forgone conclusion.

“I would be surprised if they didn’t do that,” admitted Dreger. “Aside from the contract, we know he’s got two years remaining on his deal.”

Dreger pointed to the fact that it was very unlikely that John Chayka, who had been out of the league for nearly 6 years prior to being hired by the Maple Leafs, had another head coach in mind when taking on this role.

“Unless a general manager has somebody in their back pocket… normally the general manager, or new hockey ops people, want to get to know the people under contract, and in this case a guy who has won a Stanley Cup,” said Dreger.

Berube came under a great deal of scrutiny last season and it was clear at times that the Maple Leafs head coach was as frustrated behind the bench as the fans were watching at home. Whether or not Berube can find another gear to get the most out of his players next season is of course up for debate.

Are the Leafs making the right decision in sticking with Berube? Or is this a mistake? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

The first moves of the Chayka era involve Craig Berube and Shane Doan and neither went the way fans expected

John Chayka has let one of his former Coyotes in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization walk in his first move, meanwhile Craig Berube is still kicking around.

Less than 24 hours since being hired as the Toronto Maple Leafs newest general manager, John Chayka’s first big change takes effect.

Shane Doan, the Leafs Special Advisor to the GM, as well as a former player under current Toronto GM John Chayka with the Coyotes, is out according to David Pagnotta of ‘The Fourth Period’.

Doan, who spent his entire career with the Coyotes, starting his tenure with their predecessor, the former Winnipeg Jets, Doan retired in 2017, the same season Chayka took over as Arizona’s GM.

Having been one of those inside of the organization expected to be moved on from after this season with a new GM coming in, Doan exits Toronto, unclear if on his own accord or not.

John Chayka has his first big decision sorted out as Shane Doan departs, with the rest of the staff awaiting their fate

The Toronto Maple Leafs on the same day they bring in a new front office leader in John Chayka are letting go of Shane Doan in a clear shift in the team’s look.

Now awaits word on the status of their other assistant GM’s and their futures. The Leafs are hoping to retain top assistant and prior acting GM Brandon Pridham if possible.

Toronto has four other assistant GM’s beyond Pridham, and while all could stay, some leaving could also be on the table for Chayka to decide on.

Ryan Hardy and Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser are both likely candidates to remain in Toronto. David Pagnotta recently speculated that Darryl Metcalf could exit eventually, and Darren Dreger pondered if Derek Clancey may be out the door.

Nobita, LeBrun also speculated on the potential departure of Pridham, although in his case would more likely be his own decision than being handed his exit papers.
Berube is returning behind the bench which is arguably as surprising as Doan’s firing

While the Toronto Maple Leafs get a new look in their management group, it’s behind the bench that is still headlining the potential moves that could be made under Chayka to change the team up.

Head coach Craig Berube spoke with Chayka after the latter’s hiring, and according to word from Darren Dreger — Berube is likely staying put:

It would be surprised if Berube isn’t on the bench at the start of the year. Unless there’s someone they already have in mind, they are going to work with the staff that is here and want to know the direction of the guys under contract.

Pelley and Berube still hold a close relationship, and Berube knows he needs to improve on this season’s performance.

There is no word yet on whether or not the rest of the staff are going to be staying and the futures of Mike Van Ryn, Steve Sullivan, and Derek Lalonde are still up in the air, however if Berube is staying then they may be willing to keep the same staff and adjust the roster to fit it.

But it’s a genuine shock to see that Doan is gone, considering he was Auston Matthews’ idol in Phoenix/Arizona and that’s no doubt going to cause a bit of a ripple effect, and if anyone was to be let go you’d think it would have been Berube.
With Shane Doan gone, and Craig Berube still around, the Leafs are showcasing that changes will be made, but how far they go is still to be determined. But it’s step one of building the team back up from the ashes.
Though from the looks of it, he cut Matthews’ idol while also keeping the head coach that everyone wants fired — so whether he’s off to a strong start is already up for debate.