Elliotte Friedman names ex-Stanley Cup winner as possible next Maple Leafs head coach  

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes that former Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube could become the next head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who got eliminated by the Boston Bruins in the game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. With Toronto suffering another early playoff exit, the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe is uncertain.

If Keefe does get fired, Friedman mentions Berube as a possible replacement.

"I do think the Maple Leafs are gonna look at what else is out there. You'll remember going back last summer before they committed to keep and extended him. They definitely discussed alternatives. Like if we don't bring them back, or we don't extend them. Who makes sense?," Friedman said on 32 Thoughts.

"Who would we bring in? So it's impossible to believe they don't have some ideas. It's also impossible to believe knowing the way this organization thinks and knowing the way that they constructed their roster, especially during the season that they haven't or wouldn't have considered someone like (Craig) Berube."

Berube was fired by the St. Louis Blues in December 2023 as the team was 13-14-1 at the time of his firing.

However, it is expected Berube will be hired again this off-season as he led the Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019 in his first year at the helm. Overall, as an NHL head coach, he's 281-190-72.

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Sheldon Keefe gives unique reason for Maple Leafs loss

Sheldon Kefee has been the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach since 2019, but there hasn't been any playoff success with him as the coach.

After another first-round playoff exit, Keefe gave a unique reason for the Maple Leafs' exit.

"It's very evident when teams play the Leafs, they set up the game for the Leafs to beat themselves," Keefe said. "And I thought we did that in Games 3 and 4. We beat ourselves with how we played at home."

Keefe blaming his own team for the loss had Leafs fans frustrated by it, which is why many are hoping he will be fired.

But, Keefe has a two-year contract extension kicking in next season, so Toronto will have to eat that money going forward if they do part ways with him.