Top NHL Insider Explains Craig Berube's New Job with the Toronto Maple Leafs

Craig Berube had a very solid campaign in his first season as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He helped the team win an Atlantic Division title all while pushing the defending champion Florida Panthers to seven games in the second-round of the NHL Playoffs.

Just last week, Berube got a huge vote of confidence from MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, who made it abundantly clear that the head coach will have a great role with the team going forward.

This subsequently led to a whole bunch of questions about exactly what Pelley meant by this. After all, Berube did not get a formal promotion.

Well, according to Chris Johnston of TSN, a lot of this has to do with Pelley being inspired by European soccer clubs in England. Those teams give a lot more power to their head coach, and Pelley seemingly wants to conduct an experiment.

Furthermore, Berube has proven himself as a coach who knows how to bring players together and buy into a system. With that being said, Leafs ownership believes he could be a valuable resource in helping to find the right players.

Johnston also suggested that Berube isn't an Xs and Os guy like some other coaches around the league, which makes him a good candidate for this experiment.

It would allow for the assistants to take over the minutia of the game, while Berube can focus on motivating guys, giving them the tools they need, and also giving general manager Brad Treliving some support up top.

Ultimately, this is going to be a very interesting experiment for the Leafs, and fans are hoping that it works out in the franchise's favor.

If anything, Berube's role with the Leafs might just be the most exciting storyline of the summer and the following season.