It is typical entering the New Year to make resolutions to change aspects of our lives for the better, like going to the gym, not eating junk food or being more fiscally disciplined.
By February, most of us are wondering whether there is a way to get out of that 3-year LA Fitness membership, while heading to McDonald’s to buy a couple Big Macs with the last few dollars left in your checking account.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, their resolutions were made at the end of last season and during the summer after firing GM Dave Nonis and most of the organizations coaching, managerial and scouting staff.
Team President Brendan Shanahan put forth his plan for the coming years; a change in the club’s culture and a proper rebuild that would require going through a painful transition from the roster that faltered under Randy Carlyle and Peter Horachek to a new group acquired through the draft, improved player development, free agency and trades.
Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello (Shanahan’s choices for head coach and general manager) echoed those sentiments when they joined the club, but through almost half of the 2015-16 season, only some aspects have begun to be put in place and there is concern whether the plan will be carried out to it’s completion.
Babcock has been successful in instilling a proper structure and getting more accountability from the Leafs core group minus Phil Kessel and with the addition of short-term roster fillers. The improved performances of Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov and Dion Phaneuf have made players thought to be hard to trade more attractive commodities.
The Kessel deal last July has been the only consequential step made by the club since the Shana-plan was revealed.
Lamoriello has established a more disciplined managerial operation which keeps the club’s internal machinations out of the news, but his only significant transactions have been the swap of five minor leaguers to the New York Islanders for Michael Grabner and the waiver claim of defenseman Frankie Corrado.
Many NHL teams have limited salary cap room and appear to be waiting until days before the February 29th trade deadline to make their deals. That is when Lamoriello’s contacts, savvy and expertise will be called upon and could pay off.
The unknown factor over the next two months is how much say does Babcock have about potential roster changes and will he be an impediment to them.
Players such as Grabner, PA Parenteau, Roman Polak, Shawn Matthias, Nick Spaling, James Reimer and Brad Boyes who are on expiring contracts will likely be moved for future assets since they can be re-signed next summer, but moving Phaneuf, Bozak, Komarov or Nazem Kadri (who Babcock has been highly complementary of) could bring about some pushback.
The gravitas and reputation of Babcock may have been the very reason that Shanahan found it necessary to bring in Lamoriello as a counter-balance.
The Corrado situation is an example of the Leafs head coach exerting his power. The 22-year-old defenseman has played in only three of their 36 games since being acquired in early October.
The reason for his inability to crack the lineup is not because it would upset Matt Hunwick or Martin Marincin's bid for the Norris Trophy.
Toronto has played better than most observers expected, but they are nowhere close to a top three spot in the Atlantic or one of the Eastern Conference wild card spots, which means the focus of this season should be continuing the roster transition, finishing near the bottom of the NHL standings and getting as high a pick as possible in the 2016 NHL Draft to add another premium talent to the group that includes Morgan Rielly, William Nylander and Mitch Marner.
The main task of Lamoriello is to keep the Leafs going in the direction set forth by Shanahan last summer and make transactions based on the value of the return and not whether a player is a Babcock favorite.
If that does not happen, everyone at 40 Bay will be asking for fries with their McNuggets.
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