Did the Toronto Maple Leafs have the most impressive offseason in the Atlantic Division?
Bruce Boudreau believes they did. @TonyLuftman | #LeafsForever | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/dGxsxepiqY
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 7, 2024
The Maple Leafs had a busy NHL free agency, signing defensemen Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and, apparently, Jani Hakanpaa, but are they a better group than last season?
Toronto is entering a season in which the Florida Panthers recently won the Stanley Cup, the Tampa Bay Lightning made some roster changes, and the Boston Bruins signed Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm.
Despite all of this, the NHL’s Atlantic Division remains the strongest division in the league. However, veteran NHL coach Bruce Boudreau, who spoke with NHL Network this week, believes Toronto had the most remarkable offseason in the division.
“I’m not just saying this because I’m from Toronto, but I really admire how they handled their defense. I mean, they made three acquisitions to enhance their defense, especially with (Chris) Tanev. I had Oliver Ekman-Larsson. “When he’s at his best, he’s still a very good defenseman,” Boudreau said.
“These guys are incredibly good players, and Toronto already has the offense that they can run. If they can acquire the defense to go with it, I feel they can make it through the first round and go a little further.”
Boudreau, from Toronto, was drafted by the Maple Leafs in 1975 and has been an NHL head coach since 2007. He has coached over 1,000 NHL games with the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Vancouver Canucks.
This summer, the Maple Leafs also hired Craig Berube after firing Sheldon Keefe. Given the 58-year-old’s track record as a tough guy in the NHL and a hard-nosed head coach, Boudreau believes Berube is the ideal candidate to lead Toronto.
What about the pressure of becoming the Maple Leafs’ head coach? That will not influence the Stanley Cup-winning bench boss.
“I don’t think the pressure will hurt him at all. Craig has faced every tough guy in the history of the game. That is an example of pressure. “When you’re reading the game notes the night before and you have to play against Stu Grimson and those guys every game, that’s pressure,” Boudreau explained.
“I believe he coaches the way he does. He’s an excellent defensive coach, which is why they added the defenseman that they did. And I believe that if the Leafs improve defensively, in addition to their offensive strength, Craig will be held far more accountable than Sheldon (Keefe).
“I don’t know what went on behind the scenes, but [Berube] was always a tough guy to play against when he was in St. Louis, whether I was in Minnesota, Anaheim, or Vancouver, because the team kept playing the same way, and that’s going to make the Leafs a little tougher, a little more sandpaper.
“And that’s how Calgary was when they were really good a couple of years ago with Brad Treliving, so I don’t see anything changing from the offense, but I do see them being tougher to play against next year.”
Only three NHL head coaches have guided two different clubs to Stanley Cup championships: Scotty Bowman, Dick Irvin, and Tommy Gorman.
