Craig Berube says he wants to see more out of Bobby McMann in 2025-26

The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ first season under Craig Berube was a success, all things considered. He was the first handpicked head coach during general manager Brad Treliving’s tenure with the organization, and he was hired with a reputation for being a hard-nosed coach, but one who prioritizes communication and commands respect from his players.

The team went 52-26-4, won the Atlantic Division, and made it to the second round of the playoffs in Berube’s first year at the helm. Short of the expectations the team has had for years now, but still further than Sheldon Keefe or Mike Babcock ever made it.

On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs returned to the ice for the first time since May, and Berube made it clear what he wanted to see out of his team on Day 1.

“I think more than anything we want to have a good first day,” Berube said. “It’s a tough first day, lots of battling, it’s intense. Players will make it as intense as they want, but I thought it was really intense, which is what we want.”

With Max Domi missing the first skate for training camp with what the team called a ‘minor ailment’, the first look at forward lines saw Matias Maccelli skating alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. Bobby McMann, meanwhile, skated with John Tavares and William Nylander.

When asked if McMann was just a placeholder for Domi on the second line, Berube said that he liked what he saw from that line last season but believes that McMann has another gear to reach.

“I think Bobby can take another step in his game,” Berube said. “You know, doing some things a little bit differently. Especially playing with those two guys [Tavares and Nylander], getting those guys the puck more, getting to the net more. I like a big guy with those two guys, to forecheck, get in there and create loose pucks, help out JT in those situations. Willy’s gonna do his thing, we all know that. But Bobby, I feel, can take another step in his game.”

McMann hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career last season and reached 35 points, which is great value for what he’s signed for, but he didn’t score a goal in the final 11 games of the season. His production also tapered off significantly in the playoffs, with only three assists in 13 games.

“It’s going to the net, being hard and physical,” Berube continued. “Just understanding that that’s his job and he’s going get points from it because you’re playing with two real good players, eventually the puck’s going to get there.”

Berube’s quip about how he wants a bigger player next to Tavares and Nylander seems to hint that one of Max Domi or Matias Maccelli will be on the third line. He was asked about what he needs to see from Maccelli to put him on the first line.

“I think he’s in the process of feeling things out,” Berube told reporters. “You get thrown on a line with Matthews and Knies, that’s a big step. He’s a guy that can make plays, we know that, so that’s going to be a big part of it all. If he’s making great plays in the right positions, if he’s getting Matthews the puck enough for scoring opportunities. It’s just about him playing 200 feet too, you know, that line’s gonna play against some good lines, so he needs to be solid defensively, too.”

Anything can change with a good training camp, that’s the beauty of having so much open competition. But it seems like Domi is going to get the first crack on the top line.

“Max went down, he was obviously a guy I was gonna put there, but Max should be back pretty quick, and we’ll go from there.” Berube said.

Training camp will continue on Friday as the Maple Leafs prepare for their first preseason game when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.