Could David Perron reunite with Craig Berube?

There's already been a major change with the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, as they made the call to part ways with head coach Sheldon Keefe and replace him with former 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube. 

And one player who is set to hit the free agent market on July 1 who happens to know plenty of what it's like playing under Berube is David Perron, who is coming off a two-year tenure with the Detroit Red Wings. While it was reported last season that Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman would be open to a contract extension for Perron owing to his leadership and mentoring skills, nothing has materialized as of yet. 

In the meantime, Perron joined The Leafs Nation podcast to address Berube's arrival in Toronto, and addressed what he believes was said during his meeting with forward Mitch Marner at a local establishment, a photo of which went viral. In Perron's mind, the meeting likely wasn't combative, but Berube's way of reaching out and connecting with his new players as he did in St. Louis.

"He wants to create a partnership with each player, and that's what he did in St. Louis with us," Perron explained. "You really trust that he's got your back, and I don't know, for me, he got the best out of me every single night —just the way he coached me."

Naturally, he was asked to address the elephant in the room - would he be open to reuniting with Berube and sign with the Maple Leafs? 

"I'm not trying to turn the page just yet because I really had two very enjoyable seasons in Detroit," Perron said ."This is a team and an organization I have a lot of respect for. So I want to make that clear. I don't want to create a bomb in that sense, but I think definitely Chief is a guy that it was an honor to be coached by him."

He then continued speaking glowingly about Berube and their time together with the Blues, the peak of which was the franchise's first Stanley Cup victory in 2019. 

"I think he brought the best out of me," he said. "We won a Stanley Cup together. He helped me go to the All-Star game the one year, and I know he's always had my back. This is a guy that I view as a coach, but I think for me, at this point, it's almost like a different relationship. It's more on a personal level."

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