Before I get started with my first Maple Leafs blog I wanted to thank Mike for giving me the thumbs up on taking over the Wednesday Leafs blogs from Colin. I am thrilled to not only write my regular Fantasy blogs, but to write a weekly blog on my beloved Maple Leafs is something I am really excited about.
After tonight’s deciding game seven between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals the Conference Finals will be finally set. It will be a battle royal tonight as both teams will be leaving everything they have on the ice. Personally I don’t feel either team has the edge going in, but with Tampa Bay beating out Montreal last night; I feel the most exciting hockey scenario in the East would be Washington versus Tampa Bay. Both teams are loaded on both the front and back end with offensive talent and the series would be high scoring and bring a lot of excitement to us fans. I’m not taking anything away from the Rangers play which has been superb down the stretch, but since I don’t have a horse in this playoff race, my preference would be to see a Capitals/Lightning Eastern Final.
As the playoffs are winding down, the plot begins to thicken in Toronto as discussions about coaches, general managers and other coaching personnel begin to surface. As we all know the media in Toronto is a bit over the top; so of course every possible coach and general manager is apparently a target for the Leafs. Shanahan may be taking some heat here and there from the media, which is to be expected. In years past the Leafs may have jumped the gun and signed Chiarelli after Boston let him go. Edmonton sure was quick to pull the trigger, good for them. To me, this is a good sign; Shanahan is being patient and sticking to his plan…whatever his plan may be; I trust him.
It seems like things in the upper management of the Toronto Maple Leafs may finally start to change. If the management and ownership can be patient enough to let Brendan work his magic over time and let a real hockey mind make the important decisions, whether it be himself, Dubas or Hunter…the Leafs just may get back on track to building not only a competitive team in the near future, but a true contender. Something we have been hungry for since the Clark and Gilmour days...the glory days I like to call them.
Whoever they decide to bring in for the vacant GM and Coaching positions must be on board with Shanny’s overall vision and plan. This must be a team effort, on and off the ice with the players, coaches and staff. Everyone will have to be on the same page and buy into a common goal…which is exactly why Shanahan’s patience is so vital right now. It is imperative that whoever is hired for these key positions is the right fit; someone who shares the drive and hunger to get this Maple Leaf team back on track - back to the winning ways.
Could it be that Mike Babcock is going to win the lottery financially and take on the coaching position for Toronto? Would it make sense that the Maple Leafs have a General Manager on board before they sign their coach for multiple years? I’d imagine that’s the norm when it comes to most NHL teams, but with the Leafs currently having Shanahan, Hunter and Dubas all involved in this master plan it could be quite different how things are handled. A coach like Babcock could come in and not only have control of the bench, but also a huge say in player personnel decisions and other big organization decisions moving forward. Having a great hockey mind like Babcock in the mix can only help; in my opinion he really is the best coach in the National Hockey League today.
Mike Babcock is an extremely well prepared coach that demands respect from his players. He’s been very successful at squeezing every ounce of potential out of his players, which is something he prides himself on. I think all of Leaf Nation would agree that a hard-nosed coach that demands hard work and respect, preaches accountability on and off the ice and isn’t intimidated/influenced by the media is exactly what is needed in Toronto…and Mr. Babcock certainly meets all criteria. The Maple Leafs could give Babcock such a large salary that he would be making more money than Phil Kessel or Dion Phaneuf. This would change the perception that the star players will always out last the coach. Babcock being here for the long haul with such a large salary would have management’s approval and vote of confidence to lean hard on the underperforming players and implement a winning system.
Not only will Mike Babcock raise the coaching salary expectations around the league but he could set a new precedent for all NHL coaches going forward, which could be part of the reason he has asked the Red Wings to let him shop around.
It sounds as if the discussions the Leafs have had with Babcock to date have gone well. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds as there is only two rounds of playoff hockey left before the draft. I’d imagine the Leafs would want to have their General Manager and/or Coach signed before draft day as they should have input on who is drafted and what players are put on the trading block as well. It is safe to say that there are lots of big decisions ahead for Shanahan over the coming weeks and these decisions could result in the Leafs finally taking the path towards success or towards many more years of disappointment.
I am looking forward to having many great discussions on a variety of different topics as this rebuild unfolds. It will be a long ride ahead if this process is done correctly; hopefully in the end it was worth the wait and the despair of countless disappointing seasons are now behind us.
Thanks for reading and enjoy tonight’s game seven!