After being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Craig Berube is a free agent again. He’ll be a prime candidate for several teams with coaching vacancies, but which teams could hire him as their next coach?
On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube from his head coaching duties.
Berube’s dismissal by the Maple Leafs was not particularly surprising. Due to how poorly this season went for Toronto, the 60-year-old had been one of the NHL’s top hot-seat candidates for most of the 2025-26 season, but especially from January onwards.
Now, after being fired by the Maple Leafs, Berube is a free agent. When looking at Berube’s resume, it should not take him very long to find his next head coaching gig in the NHL.
Due to this, let’s look at three potential teams that could hire Berube.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers stand out as a prime destination for Berube. They recently fired Kris Knoblauch from their head coaching position, so they are on the hunt for their next bench boss. With the Oilers being in their Stanley Cup window and Berube being one of the best coaches available, he could be a perfect fit in Edmonton.
Berube helped lead the St. Louis Blues to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2019, which could grab the attention of the Oilers. With this, the possibility of the Oilers being the Calahoo, Alta., native’s next NHL home should not be ruled out.
The Oilers are reportedly looking for a coach who will demand more from his star players, and Berube has done just that during his NHL coaching career.
Los Angeles Kings
D.J. Smith led the Los Angeles Kings to an 11-6-6 record as their interim coach after they fired Jim Hiller in March. While Smith helped lead the Kings to the playoffs, it is not set in stone that he will be their coach next season.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently reported that the Kings were denied permission to speak with Bruce Cassidy by the Vegas Golden Knights. With this, Los Angeles is at least open to exploring other coaching options, so they could be a team to watch when it comes to Berube.
If the Kings officially decide to move on from Smith, it would make sense for them to pursue Berube. He could be a great coach for them as they enter the post-Anze Kopitar era.
New Jersey Devils
Could Berube replace Sheldon Keefe from a head coaching job for the second time in his career? It would certainly make for a humorous story in the NHL, but especially for Maple Leafs fans.
Yet, when noting that the New Jersey Devils underperformed significantly this season and missed the playoffs, it is fair to question Keefe’s job security in New Jersey. The Devils have a new GM in Sunny Mehta, and he could very well switch things up behind the bench.
If Keefe is let go by the Devils, Berube would make a lot of sense as a target for them. The Devils are looking to become true contenders, and bringing in a top coach like Berube could help them take the next step toward achieving that goal.
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