The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially parted ways with head coach Craig Berube, ending a two-season tenure that began with promise but unraveled into disappointment. The decision comes after the team stumbled to a last-place finish in the Atlantic Division, a stunning fall from grace for a franchise that entered the year with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Berube, who guided the Leafs to an impressive 108-point campaign in his first season, saw his team plummet to a 32-36-14 record in 2025-26—a staggering 30-point drop that marked the largest year-over-year decline in the NHL. The final tally: 84 wins, 62 losses, and 18 overtime losses under his watch.

"Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person," said general manager John Chayka in a statement. "This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig." Chayka, hired earlier this month after replacing Brad Treliving (fired in March), is now tasked with reshaping the franchise from the ground up.

The writing was on the wall early. Despite a roster still featuring superstars Auston Matthews and William Nylander, the Leafs never found their rhythm. A power play that sputtered all season, defensive breakdowns that led to the second-worst goals-against mark in the league, and a league-worst minus-66 shot differential told the story of a team out of sync from puck drop.

"They played with more passion than we did," Berube admitted after a demoralizing 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals in December. "That's what it boils down to. It looked to me like they had way more urgency in their game, more passion in their game."

Injuries and absences piled up, and the departure of star winger Mitch Marner left a void that additions like Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Nicolas Roy couldn't fill. The team that was supposed to contend for a Cup never got out of second gear.

Now, the Maple Leafs look to the future—literally. Toronto won the NHL draft lottery last week and is expected to select either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg with the first overall pick on June 26 in Buffalo. For a franchise in need of a fresh start, that blue-chip prospect represents hope. For Berube, the story ends two years earlier than anyone expected.