NHL analyst makes his feeling known about Craig Berube splitting Maple Leafs' core four

NHL analyst Craig Button recently shared his thoughts on Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube splitting the core four—Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares. Button said the split was partly due to necessity. He liked how Matthews and Nylander worked together, with the latter driving play and Matthews benefiting from it.

"I do like the way he's done it. And part of it was necessity, Jay." Button said on TSN's YouTube video uploaded on December 2. "With the Matthews injury, then Tavares and Marner ended up playing with one another and were terrific. And we see that William Nylander can drive play in a significant way. We know that Auston Matthews is a superstar, so now you have the ability as a coach to see how these things can work."

Button also praised Marner and Tavares' pairing, saying Marner's puck control lets Tavares play more relaxed. He mentioned that Matthews and Nylander's strong chemistry creates space for Matthews to score in different ways, which is crucial for success.

"Matthews is such an elite player, a superstar that Nylander can drive play - Marner can drive play, and I think that helps John Tavares.

"Early on in the season, it was like, Where is John Tavares going to play? Is he going to be a third-line center? Is he going to be a left-winger? ... And I think in this case, that John Tavares really benefits from playing with Mitch Marner, Mitch can hold the puck. John doesn't have to race up and down the ice."

This year, the Maple Leafs are playing under new coach Craig Berube after firing Sheldon Keefe post-playoff exit. They hope this change will lead to better playoff results. However, if the team fails to do well in playoffs, either John Tavares or Mitch Marner's future looks uncertain.

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Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews' 2024-25 season and struggles

Toronto Maple Leafs are off to another great start to their regular season. They have a record of 15-7-2 and are placed at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. They have won nine games out of their last 11 games, having won seven of them without their captain Auston Matthews in the lineup.

Despite having one of the best rosters in the NHL, the Maple Leafs have struggled to win in the playoffs, winning only one round since 2004. They have a combined cap hit of over $45 million.

So far this season, they defeated strong teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be interesting to see how captain Auston Matthews will lead his team to do better in playoffs.