The best way to describe the Toronto Maple Leafs power play the last few seasons, was that it was like Jekyll and Hyde. On one hand it was good and effective, the other hand it was the exact opposite and it ultimately became part of the team’s downfall. Especially in the postseason where they only scored once and had the second worst PP% of 4.8.
With Craig Berube coming on as the new head coach, it was going to be a matter of time before he starts bringing in a new coaching staff that can help this team execute effectively on the man advantage. As a result, there could be a reunion happening for the Maple Leafs as a name he’s familiar with in the past, could be on his coaching staff.
Marc Savard, who recently departed from the Calgary Flames, could potentially reunite with Berube on the Maple Leafs and could give this team a major makeover when it comes to how they operate on the power play. Savard is very familiar with Berube as he was part of his staff in 2019-20 where he also took over the power play. Many will wonder if he really is the right one for the job, but there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest that he very well could be.
Savard’s Coaching Journey
Savard was a very effective playmaker during the prime years of his career. In 807 games played he had 706 points and 499 assists, before concussions forced his career to come to an end. His best season was back in 2005-06 when he finished ninth in league scoring with 97 points. It was sad to see him leave the game so early because he was truly a player that I admired every time he stepped on the ice.
While he wasn’t able to continue with his playing career, he was able to find his way behind the bench at both the NHL and junior level. Savard’s first stint in the NHL was with the St. Louis Blues. With the 2020-21 season at all levels on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Savard found his way to the Ontario Hockey League the following season and became the bench boss for the Windsor Spitfires. In two seasons, he had an 88-35-13 record, but it’s who was on those teams that he helped develop and prepare for the next level that stand out.
Savard coached a number of top junior players, including; Wyatt Johnston, Matthew Maggio, Will Cuylle, Shane Wright and 2024 draft eligible prospect, Liam Greentree. In back-to-back seasons, Savard got to witness both Johnston and Maggio be the top scorers from his team. Johnston won the Most Outstanding Player award in 2021-22 with 124 points and Maggio followed that up with 111 points in 2022-23.
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While Savard had some great players at his disposal in junior, he will once again have a number of star-studded players to guide the Maple Leafs. The players he coached managed to be lethal offensively–especially on the power play– and he has an opportunity to turn things around with a team that has struggled as of late on the man advantage.
Savard Brings Different Approach
The one constant that has plagued the Maple Leafs on the man advantage, it’s that they’re too predictable when it comes to their approach. Whether it’s; resorting to the drop pass constantly and not generating enough speed on the entry, movement in the offensive zone, not attacking the middle or constantly trying to find Auston Matthews for a shot or one-timer, the opposition has taken note.
The Maple Leafs would start off hot and are absolutely lethal on the power play, but they then become stagnant and patient. They’re looking for the perfect play and opportunity to arise, but don’t create and make something themselves. The power play has shown to be dangerous that you see with the likes of the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers.
That’s been the issue late in the season and into the postseason. Look to Savard to try and change that mindset as he has an approach that can get them out of their comfort zone. He has a perfect theory on how his power play should be run.
“They’ve got to be creative; we’re not going to have set plays, because that gets robotic,” Savard said when he became an assistant coach for the Flames this season. The fact that he wants the players skill to take over instead of resorting to set plays could very well be a good thing for the team that boasts more lethal fire power with the likes of Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares. Let’s not forget what they could have on the second unit with Matthew Knies, Bobby McMann or even Nick Robertson. Then again, there’s bound to be some changes in the offseason and new players could come in.
Savard has shown to be a main reason for a team’s success on the man advantage, whether he was an assistant or head coach. Here is a breakdown of Savard’s PP% over his last four seasons.
| Season | Team | PP% |
| 2019-20 | St. Louis Blues | 24.3% (3rd overall) |
| 2021-22 | Windsor Spitfires | 26.1% (3rd overall) |
| 2022-23 | Windsor Spitfires | 25.9% (2nd overall) |
| 2023-24 | Calgary Flames | 17.9% (26th overall) |
Savard has been a part of a power play that was top-three or better, be it at the NHL or junior level. Except for last season. Though, it was a tale a of two seasons for the Flames. It was a horrendous first half overall and their power play was 13.8%, 29th overall in the league at the end of January.
However, from February 1st to the end of the season, the Flames converted much better on the man advantage with 24%, 12th overall. They actually surpassed the Maple Leafs (16th) who had 23%. It may not be much, but it’s a major improvement considering they lost Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm at different points during the season. The Maple Leafs still had most of their stars and they dropped in the standings as a result of not converting and taking advantage of their opportunities.
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If Savard was able to turn things around on the power play for the Flames where they lost some key pieces, imagine what he can do with the skill and firepower at his disposal now?
A New Look PP
There’s the possibility that Savard could end up back in junior, but by potentially being brought on by Berube to once again run the power play, Savard could be the key to getting consistency and a power play that has shown to be a lethal force. You would think that they wouldn’t need another voice on the power play to try and rejuvenate and get them on track. However, the bad habits have stuck with them and have been an issue at the worst possible time for them.
Special teams are a big reason for success in the playoffs and the Maple Leafs struggled to take advantage of that. Hopefully, they start fresh with a new voice to guide and get back to being feared once again.
Statistics from Hockey Reference and NHL.
