Toronto Maple Leafs

What is Berube Watching?: His Woll Comments Come Under Fire

Craig Berube seemed to throw Joseph Woll under the bus with his latest comments, but for what reason? Woll has been solid.

by
NHL Trade Talk
March 21, 2026

Recent comments from Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube have drawn the ire of several fans, as he seemed to blame the latest loss on his goaltender. Despite the fact that Joseph Woll has given the team more than solid play during their rough stretch, Berube noted, “He’s played well, but… we need a save.”

Woll, who has started five of the team’s last six games, wasn’t able to come up with the final save in an overtime loss on Friday night. Woll noted that it would have been ideal for him to have performed better in one-on-one situations, but he’s done as well as can be expected, given that he’s faced 175 shots against in his last five games. He’s allowed 15 goals against for a .914 save percentage.

Still, Berube said, “He’s played well, but, like, tonight, in the end, I think, I don’t think, I know we need a save. Whether it’s the OT or one of the breakaways, you know, you just need a big save there.”

Fans Are Reacting To The Comments… And Not Favorably

Berube’s remarks have drawn attention because of the context. Woll has been leaned on and faced a significant workload behind a team that has struggled defensively. To lay the loss on the goaltender seems out of touch with how the team is playing while he’s in goal.

Craig Berube Joseph Woll Maple Leafs vs Blues

The Leafs have done little more than leak chances against, playing poorly in their own zone and leaving the goaltender out to dry.

Publicly pointing to missed saves—especially in high-leverage moments—can be interpreted as excusing the other players on the ice for their lackluster play. Whether intentional or not, Berube is letting others off the hook while singling out Woll when it isn’t deserved.

Questions will surface about the meaning behind the comments. As talk of the Maple Leafs needing to trade a goalie in the offseason surfaces and questions about Berube’s job security become a storyline, what comes of this? With four goalies under contract and a weak free-agent market, the Maple Leafs have a goalie problem, and a trade is inevitable. And, despite how Berube is making it sound, that doesn’t necessarily mean Woll is the issue.

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