Should the Coyotes fire Rick Tocchet to hire Mike Babock?
No!
Hahahahhahahahhahahaha
Although someone will undoubtedly hire the guy thinking they're getting a great coach, all Babcock really is, is a motivational speaker with an endless supply of folksy cliches.
You just gotta start on time.
You just gotta grind, baby.
The fact is, in the NHL you are gifted a lifetime key to the league if you win a Stanley Cup.
Forget that results are random, forget that goalies decide nearly everything, it's always the coach.
People have been mocking me in the comments section because I've said coaching doesn't matter too much, but it's true.
In the NHL, the best player in the league is worth about four wins over a whole season. That might not sound like a lot, but it is. Seems ridiculous to think a coach can have more effect than a superstar.
Of all the reasonable choices a GM could make to coach his team, there really isn't going to be a huge difference at the end of the day.
The fact is, it's a salary cap league plagued by parity, where goalies decide nearly every outcome.
We want to believe that humans make a huge difference, but they don't.
Luck, injuries, goalies, the roster, the schedule, and then maybe the coach. He's sixth most important at best.
Now that said, there are exceptions.
I'd be willing to entertain that the Islanders confounding success has a lot to do with Barry Trotz (although why his past teams weren't able to do the same thing throws a wrench into the arguments of people who think you can limit the quality of scoring chances forever).
The Leafs were not playing to their strengths under Babcock and in this kind of situation maybe that can make a massive difference. Still, they were under achieving so badly and their injuries and schedule were so insanely bad it will be hard to quantify.
The Leafs might get a really big bump from dumping Babcock and going with Keefe.
But other teams considering Babcock?
They'd be wise to pass. His shtick gets old fast. He can't adapt and he doesn't really employ strategies as much as a bunch of cliches about working hard.
So no, the Coyotes should not hire Babcock.
And there's your segue - the Leafs and Coyotes play tonight.
Bad luck for the Coyotes cause who wants to play a team the day after they fire their coach? Especially one who hung shackles on what should be an offensive power house?
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