Maple Leafs lost star power, but Craig Berube has the blueprint for success

Why Craig Berube's system is perfect for Maple Leafs' new roster construction

These analyses make sense due to the principle of adaptation. The playoffs often punish playing "beautifully" and reward absorbing punches, maintaining advantages and winning five-on-five duels. The ideal is to reinforce physical weight and clear roles.

An elite team like Toronto must prioritize situational efficiency over offensive volume. In close games, everything is decided by details like face-offs won, long offensive zone cycles, effective screens or second chances. Success chances increase mostly with players of craft.

Assuming Toronto's bottom six is functional and heavy, that would force rivals to use their best defensive players more, wearing them down and opening windows for the top line to produce without all the difficult situations.

Berube values specialist players and can adjust matchups in real time. The Leafs could neutralize specific threats, reducing dependence on a single star and being less predictable.

Toronto is also diversifying production risk and defensive brand by reducing its hyper-concentrated role. It is harder for the rival to "shut down" the team if the physical pressure is distributed across three or four lines.

Auston Matthews remains a strong individual. But surrounding him with players who win puck and space, like Matthew Knies or Max Domi, maintains his shot volume without asking him to also carry the forecheck and do the dirty work all the time.

Although some offensive fluidity will be lost early in the season, points will still be achievable if the defensive structure holds. Toronto will still be able to maximize value where it matters, in the playoffs.