Craig Berube Utilizes Rare Saturday Night Off To Scout Rival Team
Synonymous with Saturday night hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs are off and head coach Craig Berube is taking advantage of it.
A staple in Canadian homes for decades, Hockey Night in Canada traditionally had the Toronto Maple Leafs playing in the primetime 7 PM slot. However, in recent years, Toronto has found itself off on Saturday more than usual.
They are experiencing that tonight, as Toronto isn't scheduled to play until Sunday against Utah HC, but while Leafs fans may have to wait another night, Craig Berube is taking advantage of the night off.
Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reported reported that Berube was taken aback by the night off, but was going to use it to try and gain a bit of a head start against their next opponents and scout the competition.
Why Is Craig Berube Scouting Utah?
Well, first it's not unusual to see a coach getting a look at the opposition, and it's a great way to find weaknesses to exploit come game time.
There are a lot of factors that Craig Berube needs to think about come Sunday. Utah employs a ton of highly skilled players such as Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Lawson Crouse, and Mikhail Sergachev.
Since starting the season 4-1-1, Utah fell back to Earth going 3-8-2 and falling to 6th in the Central Division, just ahead of Nashville and Chicago.
Utah is dealing with several key defensemen being out for several months, and it's been tough to keep their momentum with such a young club.
Toronto is also dealing with a ton of injuries, and Berube is hoping that he can find some game plan to shut down Utah, but it won't be an easy task. Toronto will hope reinforcements like the newly-signed Alex Nylander can help them with Utah as they fight through those injuries.
Craig Berube Might Be Scouting For A Trade Piece
What if Berube is doing more though? There is potentially a trade in the works, and Toronto could use a certain Utah center.
This is a prime chance to be able to watch how players fit into your system and give management insight into who they should pursue. It's not unusual to see coaches and assistants scout teams for potential trade pieces, and Berube has a good sense of player development.
Toronto's injury woes need to be addressed, and Berube using his knowledge to give Brad Treliving some "insider" knowledge would be a big advantage.
FAQ: Craig Berube Is Scouting Utah Ahead Of Next Game
Q1: Why is Craig Berube scouting his opponent?
A1: Several reasons, but two that come to mind are the fact that Berube wants to see what weaknesses or shortcomings he can take advantage of, and adjust his gameplan to Utah's style. There's also the potential he's trying to get a bit of extra information to pass along to Brad Treliving to make a trade.
Or maybe Berube just really likes watching hockey.
Q2: Who could be a trade target for Craig Berube?
A2: There are a couple of names Toronto could target, but namely the main piece is Nick Bjugstad. He's a 6'6 center who could help Toronto immensely, and Berube might be trying to see how he can implement Bjugstad into his lineup in the future.
So in closing, Craig Berube taking the time on an off night to watch his next opponent isn't the craziest thing in the world. But there could be more to him just simply checking them out, and he could be doing some extra work for Brad Treliving.
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