TORONTO -- General manager Brad Treliving was true to his word when he vowed there would be changes for the Toronto Maple Leafs following yet another early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
No, that didn't mean moving on from Toronto's long-time foundation of forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and defenseman Morgan Rielly, all of whom are expected to return for the 2024-25 season, and again form the backbone of the team.
Instead, the Maple Leafs are hoping that a new coach, a different captain and a different look on defense will help a franchise that has one postseason series victory in 20 years.
"We have really good players, but it hasn't worked," Treliving said. "We have to analyze why it hasn't worked. We have to dig in to why we're ending up with the same result year after year after year."
Toronto didn't waste any time being proactive on that front.
Five days after being eliminated by the Boston Bruins in seven games in the Eastern Conference First Round, the Maple Leafs fired coach Sheldon Keefe on May 9.
Keefe led Toronto to a regular-season record of 212-97-40 and ranks fifth in coaching victories in Maple Leafs franchise history, but his teams were 1-5 in playoff series with a record of 16-21.
The Maple Leafs were looking for a new voice, a new direction, a new outlook. Enter Craig Berube, the 58-year-old who is best known for coaching the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019.
Berube became the 41st coach in franchise history on May 17 and immediately began meeting with players, including a rendezvous with Marner in a west-end Toronto coffee shop that was documented by a photo on social media that went viral.
"He is a character guy. He is a great person," Berube said. "He is obviously a great player. I am looking forward to coaching him."
How the players react to Berube's gameplan remains to be seen. The no-nonsense coach was known in St. Louis for preaching a north-south style that relies heavily on an effective forecheck.
Asked what he wanted to instill into his new team, Berube, as always, was clear and to the point.
"Just an identity -- how we want to be as a team, how we want to play night in and night out more than anything, what to expect, what I am looking for as a coach, and what I expect out of you as a player," he said.
Point taken.
Berube is 281-190-72 in 543 regular-season games coaching the Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. He's 27-31 in 58 playoff games.
On the ice, Toronto's goal was to improve its defense over the offseason. The free agent signings of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson should help.
The rugged Tanev, a Toronto native, signed a four-year contract on July 1. The 34-year-old finished fourth in the NHL last season with 207 blocked shots and is the type of elite shutdown defenseman that is the perfect first-pairing match with the offensive-minded Rielly.
"It's great to come home," Tanev said. "I'm excited. I know how much this team means to this city."
Ekman-Larsson had 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 80 regular-season games for the Florida Panthers and six points (two goals, four assists) in 24 postseason games to help them win the Stanley Cup. The 33-year-old signed a four-year contract on July 1 and is a leading candidate to quarterback the top power-play unit.
Toronto also added Anthony Stolarz for some insurance for starter Joseph Woll in goal. The 30-year-old, who signed a two-year contract on July 3, was 16-7-2 with two shutouts in 27 regular-season games (24 starts) for the Panthers last season and led the NHL with a 2.03 goals-against average and .925 save percentage (minimum, 25 games).
On August 14, Matthews was named the 26th captain in franchise history, succeeding Tavares, who had held the role for the past five seasons.
Will all these moves alter the team's playoff fortunes come next spring?
Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley made it clear that the organization will make whatever changes are needed to bring the franchise to its ultimate goal.
"Skill, chemistry and unity is what I believe the recipe for success is. And, for me, success is winning the Stanley Cup," Pelley said. "Nothing else matters other than winning the Stanley Cup."
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