Craig Berube on whether Easton Cowan will enter the Leafs’ lineup soon: “He is close… We will see what happens”

After Friday’s practice, Craig Berube discussed his top line’s performance in the season opener, his message to Matias Maccelli in practice, the plan for Easton Cowan, and the areas for improvement on the power play.

Practice Lines – October 10

Lines at Leafs practice

Knies – Matthews – Maccelli
McMann – Tavares – Nylander
Joshua – Domi – Robertson
Lorentz – Roy – Jarnkrok
Cowan, Blais

McCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Carlo
Benoit – Ekman-Larsson
Myers

Stolarz
Primeau

at Detroit tomorrow @TSN_Sports

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 10, 2025

Regarding the top line, after the first game, what are the next steps, as far as building chemistry?

Berube: I liked some of their shifts. In the second period, they had possession of the puck quite a bit and moved it around. It is not always a goal, but there was some good possession time and puck movement.

When they did get pucks back on the forecheck, I think we can hang onto pucks a little bit more. We tried a quick play a few times, it got turned over, and we were out of the zone.

I liked the second period with some of the shifts. I want to see more of that in terms of possession. But it is early. They will have to work and find some chemistry.

Did you see what you wanted to see in terms of the work and the messaging in the first practice back after the game?

Berube: I thought the message was good today. We talked about it today, regarding the puck play in the game. It wasn’t great, and it has to be better.

I thought the guys had a good practice today. They worked hard, did what we wanted, and executed.

How can the power play execute better moving forward?

Berube: Breakouts were a problem. It is something we discussed and talked about.

Looking at the power play today in practice, it was about the puck movement and how fast it was. On the second power play, we were slow and weren’t moving it. We were hanging onto it too long. We have to move it quicker and create some lanes for some shots and attempts at the net.

What are you focusing on in terms of improving the puck play game over game?

Berube: Some of it is decision-making, for sure. That is a big part of it. A lot of it is up in your brain.

The other part is execution. I didn’t think the ice was very good the other night, but that is an excuse. We have to make harder plays in critical situations. I am not talking about putting it on somebody’s tape. It’s getting the puck out of our zone and getting it deep.

There were some situations that were self-inflicted, where we are trying to beat people, and we shouldn’t because we have numbers back. We have to make sure we are doing a good job there.

You don’t want to tinker with a winning lineup necessarily, but how close is Easton Cowan to entering the lineup?

Berube: Well, he is close. He has a great attitude and works hard. He had a good practice today. Those are decisions we have to discuss and make. We will see what happens tomorrow.

Is the decision-making process about a feel for you, what Cowan is doing, or the bigger picture of the team?

Berube: Both. The team is first.

I love Cowan, and we all do. He is going to be a good Leaf. He is going to be a good hockey player and is a good hockey player. But the team is the most important thing. We have to make decisions, and we don’t always please everybody.

What is your message to Matias Maccelli, whom you were talking to before practice?

Berube: I just talked to him about his game a little bit and discussed some things I saw that were good and other things where I want him to feel more confident. He is a good player. He has the ability. Just play with your confidence and use your skill set.

What does Bobby McMann look like when he is at his best?

Berube: Well, it looks like the last game. I thought he skated extremely well, was really good on the forecheck, and was physical. I think he ended up with five or six hits in the game. He had speed. It was that type of game. I thought he had a really good game. I really liked his game.

What is the advantage of the continuity the team has on the blue line this season?

Berube: Well, it is really important. We have all of our guys back from last year. They are our backbone. They defend extremely well. They are heavy. They’re big and long. It is great to have that same group back from last year.

Simon Benoit has gone back to the left. What is the thinking behind the sides of the pair?

Berube: I think they kind of switch off, to be honest with you.

Benny didn’t have a lot of camp time. I have seen OEL on the right a lot. That is the reason I went with it. It could change.

Philosophically, on the defensive side, how much is it about the structure and how much of it is the game plan against the opponent? 

Berube: You always want to stay in your structure, but there are adjustments you have to make against certain teams. You try to do certain things against certain teams. We kind of did that last year, too.

You don’t want to get away from your structure too much and get everybody confused, but there are certain teams with tendencies in the offensive zone. Sometimes, we might have to tweak it a bit. It can be done in between periods or before the game.