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Berube 'Getting Tired' of Maple Leafs Top-Line Experiments

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 1:22 PM ET

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is running out of patience with his top line as he continues to search for a reliable winger to skate alongside Auston Matthews. Noting that things looked OK in the early part of the season, the coach is growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of sustained pressure in the offensive zone. As Toronto has cycled through numerous options on Matthews’ right side, it sounds like he’s running out of options.

“It could take some time, but I’m getting tired of it, to be honest with you,” Berube said following Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. It wasn’t clear if he was pointing fingers at Matthews or his specific linemates, or just frustrated that the team doesn’t seem to have options that exist where chemistry with their top scorer feels automatic.

Such is life now without a player like Mitch Marner.

The Maple Leafs Are Looking for Answers

Tuesday’s game featured Max Domi as Matthews’ right-wing partner, paired with Matthew Knies. Domi had spent parts of last season alongside Matthews with some success, and the hope was that rekindling that chemistry could jumpstart the unit. But Toronto struggled to generate meaningful offensive sequences, leaving Berube frustrated. “I don’t feel like they have any sustained pressure in the offensive zone at all. It’s one-and-done or out,” he said.

This has not been a wonderful start to the season for the Maple Leafs. The team is now 3-3-1 after an ugly 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. They’ve lost to the Detroit Red Wings twice, and in many of their defeats, have looked like anything but a cohesive group. There is rumored drama within the locker room as Anthony Stolarz called the team out for their lack of intensity and back-checking, and while his tune has changed in recent days, the team looks as disjointed as ever.

Fans and analysts wonder if Matthews’ ice time and responsibilities—such as leading the team in blocked shots and playing on the penalty kill—may be hurting his offense. Others have pointed out the obvious: Matthews just isn’t the same without Marner riding shotgun.

Berube’s comments weren’t just about Matthews, however. Toronto’s identity and overall offensive strategy seems to be a problem in the early going of the 2025-26 campaign. The coach knew it would take time to develop chemistry among the lines, but it sounds like he wasn’t expecting such early setbacks. Matthews remains an elite center, but without a complementary winger on his right side, the team is learning quickly that Marner was a big part of their offense.

For now, Berube has little choice but to keep testing different combinations in search of chemistry. If he can’t find it, that’s where GM Brad Treliving might have to get involved.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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