Leafs HC Craig Berube sings praises of ‘super human’ $52,000,000 star amid persistent trade rumors

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube congratulated St Louis Blues' captain Brayden Schenn on crossing the 1,000-game milestone in the NHL on Thursday. Berube was the interim head coach when Schenn and the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

The Athletic's Joshua Kloke posted Berube’s quote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.

"Love that player. Love the guy. He’s a super human," Kloke tweeted.

Berube and Schenn’s past connection has fueled speculation about the Leafs making a play for the center. Schenn signed an eight-year $52-million contract in 2019 (per Spotrac) with the Blues and his salary cap hit is $6.5 million.

“Schenn fills a gaping hole as a two-way, middle-six center who can chip in offensively (for the Leafs)," Kloke wrote on Thursday, via The Athletic."

“Then there’s the connection between Schenn and Berube. They won a Stanley Cup together and Schenn was Berube’s captain at the end of his tenure in St. Louis. There’s undoubtedly a sense of trust between the two.”

On Thursday, Brayden and Luke Schenn became the eighth set of brothers to each play at least 1,000 games in the NHL. They were also the first siblings to reach that milestone in the same season.

Luke, a defenseman with the Nashville Predators, played his 1,000th game in October. The Blues honored their captain by wearing special T-shirts with a logo design featuring Schenn’s achievement as they arrived for their game against the Washington Capitals. Schenn’s father, Jake, also read the starting lineup in the locker room to mark the occasion.

Craig Berube addresses contract uncertainty surrounding Leafs veteran John Tavares

Former Leafs captain John Tavares will become a free agent at the end of the season. With the trade deadline looming and with no indications from the Leafs front office about offering him a new deal, rumors about his future are doing the rounds.

However, Berube shared on Tuesday that the rumors have not affected Tavares’ work ethic.

"Not a little bit,"" Berube said, via The Hockey News. "He's a pro. He just does his thing," Berube said via The Hockey News. "It's every day. He just comes to work. He does his routine. He's got it down. And, you know, he's played extremely well for us.”

Tavares and Mitch Marner are both set to become free agents at the end of this campaign.