Can Craig Berube's new system fix the Toronto Maple Leafs defense?

Is is no secret that the Leafs had a plethora of injuries on their blueline last season. John Klingberg missed virtually the entire season. Mark Giordano regularly missed games, Timothy Liljegren missed several weeks with a high-ankle sprain, just to name a few. This undoubtedly made the team's defensive structure more important, but also more fragile. Sheldon Keefe used a relatively conservative system to make the best of a bad situation. However, next season Craig Berube will likely have more freedom to do what he wants.

This is in large part thanks to the additions of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman Larsson. both players bring something the Leafs desperately needed. Tanev brings a steady, consistent defensive presence, and he will play through even the toughest injuries and still be an effective player. He is the kind of guy Berube should be able to rely on every day, including the playoffs. Furthermore, he can get the puck out if his own zone quickly, something the team struggled to do last season.

Meanwhile, OEL may not be the player he once was, but like Tanev, he also is good at moving the puck. Less time spent in their defensive zone, should equal less goals against right? Assuming this theory is correct, Craig Berube could enjoy getting to watch his team play more in the offensive zone than they did last season.

Will it be enough for the Leafs to get over the hump? Who knows. Hopefully, they will go on a deep playoff run next season, but there could be growing pains with a new head coach. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

Source: MapleLeafsDaily
One major change that Craig Berube will implement right away in Toronto