Oilers Would Be Making a Big Mistake Hiring Craig Berube – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are still in the very early stages of what many deem the most important offseason in franchise history. After advancing to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025, the Oilers regressed in a massive way this past season.

Not only did the Oilers finish the season with a disappointing 41-30-11 record, but they were eliminated in the first round by an Anaheim Ducks team that isn’t yet being thought of as a Stanley Cup contender. This was a major step in the wrong direction for Edmonton, leading many to question whether their championship window has closed.

Making matters all the more interesting is that Connor McDavid, who signed a two-year contract extension prior to the 2025-26 campaign, is growing impatient. That much was clear at his season-ending media availability, with many believing the Oilers may only have one more kick at the can with him on their roster.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done with the Oilers roster this offseason. Before that, however, they need to find a new head coach. They elected to part ways with Kris Knoblauch this past week, and have been heavily linked to Bruce Cassidy. That makes sense given that they are looking for someone with more experience behind the bench at the NHL level. That said, the Vegas Golden Knights are making things a bit difficult on that front, resulting in the Oilers talking to another available bench boss who is highly experienced himself.

Oilers Set to Interview Berube

Knoblauch wasn’t the only head coach to hit the unemployment line recently, as the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube last week. The 60-year-old, who led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup championship in 2019, lasted just two seasons behind the Maple Leafs bench.

It comes as no surprise that teams would be interested in Berube. Most, however, didn’t expect the Oilers to be part of that group, but that appears to be the case, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday that general manager (GM) Stan Bowman and his staff have received permission from the Maple Leafs to speak with Berube.

Public perception on this report has been mixed. On one hand, you have some that love the old-school mentality that Berube provides. He is a very intense coach and isn’t afraid to let players know where they stand with him. His intensity level would certainly bring something much different to the group than they were getting from Knoblauch.

The issue, however, is that Berube’s track record, especially as of late, hasn’t been all that strong. Just looking at his time with the Maple Leafs, it’s hard to fathom how nearly every single player regressed during his tenure. Take Auston Matthews for example, who scored 69 goals the season before Berube was hired. He went on to score a combined 60 goals over two seasons under Berube. Granted, injuries have played a part in his struggles, but it doesn’t seem as though Berube’s presence benefitted him.

The same can be said for William Nylander, who, after a 98-point season in 2023-24, became a much more inconsistent player under Berube. As a whole, the team regressed in several categories under Berube, particularly offensively.

The season prior to Berube taking over, the Maple Leafs averaged 3.63 goals per game, good enough for second among all 32 NHL teams. That regressed to 3.26 in Berube’s first season in Toronto, before dropping to 3.07 in 2025-26. That ranked 16th among all NHL teams.

Defensively, things got far worse under Berube in 2025-26 as well. To his credit, he was able to shore up that area when he first arrived in Toronto, as they averaged just 2.79 goals against per game. That defensive improvement went completely to the wayside in 2025-26, as they gave up an astronomical 3.60 goals against per game. The only team worse in that category was the Vancouver Canucks, who finished the season with only 25 wins.

Oilers Have Better Options Available

Based on what we’ve seen from Berube, particularly during his time with the Maple Leafs, it doesn’t seem as though he’s a great match on paper for the Oilers. Ideally, Cassidy is the guy, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll be Edmonton bound. If not, other veteran options, including Peter Laviolette and even Dean Evason, would both be much better fits for this roster.