Craig Berube Praises $34M Chris Tanev’s Role with Toronto Maple Leafs

Craig Berube Praises Chris Tanev’s Role with Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube has expressed high praise for newly acquired defenseman Chris Tanev, who is expected to form a key partnership with Morgan Rielly on the team’s blue line. The Leafs secured Tanev from the Dallas Stars, giving up forward prospect Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft as part of the deal. Subsequently, Tanev signed a substantial six-year contract worth $27 million with Toronto on July 1.

Berube highlighted Tanev’s toughness and competitive spirit, noting his contributions across various facets of the game, including checking, defense, and penalty killing. At 34 years old, Tanev is known for his resilience and ability to handle the more challenging aspects of hockey. According to Berube, Tanev brings a significant amount of grit to every game and performs a lot of the hard work that often goes unnoticed.

In an interview, Berube remarked, “This guy brings grit to every game. He brings competitiveness to every game. He does it from a checking standpoint, defending standpoint, penalty-killing standpoint. He does a lot of dirty work.” Berube also praised Tanev’s vibrant energy and natural leadership qualities, emphasizing that his presence is felt strongly both on and off the ice. “He has that energy about him. He’s a leader and doesn’t need a letter to indicate that. He’s just a natural leader,” Berube added.

Looking ahead, Berube is eager for the Maple Leafs to embrace a more aggressive style of play this season. He envisions a team that is both physical and fast, though he clarified that “heavy” should not be mistaken for engaging in unnecessary fights or reckless behavior. “We want to play aggressive, physical hockey. I like to have a heavy team. And we want to play fast. And when I say heavy, I don’t mean running around and fighting people,” he explained.

Berube emphasized the importance of every player understanding their role and contributing as the season progresses, particularly as the intensity of games increases. He stressed, “Everybody needs to have a role and be used. When it gets down to the nitty-gritty and the playoffs — and I really don’t want to talk about playoffs now — you need everybody chipping in.” Berube will make his debut as the Leafs’ head coach in their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens on October 9.