Maple Leafs Need the Perfect Coach to Unlock Auston Matthews Again

Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images | Bob Frid-Imagn Images

As the Toronto Maple Leafs search for their new head coach, following the firing of Craig Berube, they will need to find the right candidate to have it work for their star center Auston Matthews

The Maple Leafs have turned the page and are searching for their fourth head coach over the past ten seasons, and they can't get this one wrong. Over the past decade, they have had several coaches with different styles that can't seem to work well with the Maple Leafs and their most important player.

Auston Matthews struggled under Craig Berube

Auston Matthews, to begin the offseason, has not been able to commit to the Maple Leafs long-term as his contract is set to expire following the 2027-2028 campaign. Under Berube, Matthews' offensive production took a massive drop off. After scoring 69 goals under Keefe, he managed just 33 goals the following season, and 27 this past year under Berube. While it is safe to say Matthews has become a much more well-rounded player, you are not paying your captain $13.25 million to be a defense-first player.

The Maple Leafs need to find a coach who is a healthy balance of all these things combined. The management staff of Chayka and Mats Sundin need to take their time finding the 42nd head coach of the Maple Leafs. Auston Matthews will likely be a part of this search, whether that is right or wrong, as if the Maple Leafs want to get back into the postseason next year, they need him back at the top of his game.

Maple Leafs coaches over the years

Mike Babcock was part of the early stages of the Auston Matthews era, when the young core was becoming established. Babcock didn't fit well with the group they had, and hasn't had a job in the NHL since then.

Sheldon Keefe took over during the 2019-20 season, after Babcock had been fired after the Maple Leafs got off to a rough start to the campaign. Keefe, over his tenure with the Maple Leafs, played good cop, and while that is great and all, you can't all be that way. Keefe delivered the Maple Leafs first playoff round win during the 2022-23 season.

Following the Maple Leafs ' first-round loss to the Boston Bruins in 2023-24, the general manager at the time, Brad Treliving, decided to move on from Keefe and bring in Craig Berube. Many were very excited about the Berube signing, myself included; the Maple Leafs had finally found a coach who was a mix of Keefe and Babcock. Berube had won the Stanley Cup back in 2019 after what is seen to many as a legendary speech ahead of the game. Berube's tenure in Toronto had a lot of mixed emotions. He was very successful in his first season, but clearly lost the room during the 2025-26 season.

Now, it is up to the Leafs to get this one right for the sake of their star player.