Let me begin this article by saying that nothing here is official. This is just a rumour. But it has circulated for a few days with multiple different reports:
Craig Berube was named Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday afternoon:
Savard does have history working with Craig Berube. In 2019-20, Savard ran the powerplay as an assistant coach on Berube’s staff. The Blues had the 3rd best powerplay that year. Another assistant coach under Berube with the Blues in 2019-20, Mike Van Ryn, is currently an assistant with Toronto. Van Ryn joined the Maple Leafs for the 2023-24 season and runs their defence.
Savard’s tenure as Flames assistant coach
There was a ton of excitement when it was announced that Savard was joining the Flames coaching staff. He was a former Flame that was famously traded by then GM Craig Button for Ruslan Zainullin. Zainullin never played a game for the Flames franchise while Savard flourished in Atlanta and later Boston.
In 2023-24, the Flames had the 26th best powerplay. Now, you can blame Savard. But, I think this is more of a lack of personnel than the tactics from Savard. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. In 2022-23, the Flames had the 18th best powerplay. So they definitely took a step back in 2023-24. In the later stages of the season we did start to see it click a little bit. That was surely helped by the addition of Andrei Kuzmenko. Kuzmenko brought a new element of play behind the goal line.
Jonathan Huberdeau does credit his improved play in the new year to Savard, as he began taping his sticks. Savard was no doubt a positive influence within the Flames dressing room in 2023-24.
We will see if these rumours have any merit. Craig Berube is set to be introduced as Leafs head coach in a press conference on Tuesday. Savard reportedly has some term left on his current coaching contract with the Flames. It is very rare that a team gives a coach permission to move to another team to take on the same role.
