Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach
Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach

Ahead of Saturday’s game in Detroit, Craig Berube discussed rejigging his lineup down the middle after Scott Laughton’s injury, Ben Danford’s camp, David Kampf passing through waivers, and more.

Practice Lines – October 4

Does Scott Laughton’s injury have you re-thinking your situation at center ice?

Berube: Yeah, we put Max Domi in there today. You’ve got to adjust.

How do you think Matias Maccelli has looked when he’s been up with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies?

Berube: Fine. He played a little bit there early when Max was out, and then we put Max there. It is good to see both of them play with him in that spot. But Max is in a familiar spot. He has been there a lot.

What have you liked about Domi’s game at center?

Berube: I think he has the ability to have the puck in his hands more and skate, compared to when he is on the wing. He runs his routes well in the middle of the ice and gets the puck in the middle of the ice. He can make things happen.

Defensively, I think he has been fine. He knows where to be and what to do. That is important on the defensive zone of things. He can bring speed in the middle of the ice and distribute pucks. He has more room and can use his ability to skate and pass.

By moving Domi to center, is it about building another line that can contribute on the offensive side?

Berube: Well, I lost a center. I need a center. At the same time, it gives us depth in our lines. Moving Max there into that third hole, it looks like a little more depth there.

It must’ve been a tough 24 hours for David Kampf, going through waivers.

Berube: It is always tough. That is the toughest part of the job for everybody, and especially for him. He is a good NHL player. He has been in the league. He’s a respectable guy who is well-liked here in the locker room. It’s a business thing.

What have you learned about Ben Danford’s game from his time in camp?

Berube: He has a really good future. He has great feet. He closes plays out. He likes to get involved physically and use his body. He’s a good defender.

I think there is an upside there offensively. It’s something he can take note of and work on. He can shoot it well. He sees the ice and makes good first passes. He has his head up all the time.

Was Danford a surprise to you in terms of his progress from last year?

Berube: We didn’t see him too much last year because of the injury. I really didn’t see him a whole lot.

To see the way he moves and plays the game, he has such good feet. He is on his toes all the time. His head is up and he is looking work to move the puck. He has a good head on his shoulders.

It is the last preseason opportunity for Easton Cowan on Saturday night. What are you looking to see from him?

Berube: Same as I’ve been seeing. The other night, the penalties really [disrupted], but when he gets out there, he does some things that go unnoticed — little things that he is really good at and does well. I just want to see more of the same.

It is another good opportunity for him to play against a good lineup on the other team.

Nick Robertson has said he’s felt alright at camp. What have you seen from him?

Berube: What I’ve normally seen from Nick Robertson. He is part of this team and is a big part of this team. That was never not said. He is in here, and we know what he can do. He has speed, he is tenacious, he plays hard, and he can shoot a puck in the net.

I thought he had a good camp. I really did.

It looks like Simon Benoit is back on the left for Saturday’s game.

Berube: Yeah. It is always going to be back and forth a little bit between those two guys. We are still experimenting.

Benny only played the one game, and he has had some practices. He was fine the other night (on the right). He is playing with some different people tonight, so we are going to move him to the left.

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