Obs
- AdamFrench

I mean, me too, but I'm (frank)ing pathetic.

I think people are missing my point, Matthews is AWESOME! amazing, great, #1C, etc. etc. but I would explore trading him to see what's out there. Everyone's defense of him on here is proof that the market value is extremely high. Personally I think there is an attitude problem here and why not look at getting a new "almost as good" C with a better spirit and more passion, and a 1D or 2D or 1G? That's all I'm saying. I bet you could have gotten Draisatil or Nuge, combined with Klefbom or Nurse (maybe both), and picks etc. etc. last year...now...no way. There is a question about Matthews' passion and drive now..."coach killer" is going to be discussed in teh coming months/years). I'm just saying I would have explored those options...and I certainly would have done that before firing farking Mike Babcock!
- JLO961

Hard to really say we are NOT in that locker room. Is he a black plauge in the room? I dont see it. Is he a bit self entitled? Perhaps. Or is he confident in his abilities to help his team and frustrated because he felt he wasnt utilized enough?

Pepole respond differently to other people. I dont think Babcock is a bad coach, but I dont think he was the right coach for this roster. And he himself (Babs) had an entitlement about himself. We harp on young guns getting the big pay days. But even the old timers and title of highest paid coach can have the same affect.

no, it was Babcocks ego hitting the floor
- senstroll

nonsense..

Bab's ego hitting would have made a much louder noise

I agree with this 100%, but I'd explore the option. Personally I'd rather have Draisaitl PLUS, or Larkin PLUS, or RNH PLUS, or Monahan PLUS etc.

Hell, I bet you could have traded Matthews straight up for McKinnon two years ago!
What about Barkov? Eichel? Malkin?

and if you are going to keep these young studs with their sheitty attitude and slow maturity...Babs is 100% the guy to grow them up, and if they're not growing up...HE should be the one to tell management. Dubas has no clue, he's playing Playstation with this team.
- JLO961

It was only a matter of time before the Oilers fans, riding a win streak, would come in here and tell us all about how the Leafs should be running their team.

My sources have confirmed......
You are lying about working, you jobless homeless salt bath poop shoot hooping bruin loving ma'facker.
But i did hear one analyst say that if he was barries agent hed be asking for a trade.
- Fakepartofme

harsh....

fairly fair however

Hard to really say we are NOT in that locker room. Is he a black plauge in the room? I dont see it. Is he a bit self entitled? Perhaps. Or is he confident in his abilities to help his team and frustrated because he felt he wasnt utilized enough?

Pepole respond differently to other people. I dont think Babcock is a bad coach, but I dont think he was the right coach for this roster. And he himself (Babs) had an entitlement about himself. We harp on young guns getting the big pay days. But even the old timers and title of highest paid coach can have the same affect.
- mel_vin

The only thing I will say is that yes I have been in the room with Babs...something ELSE is wrong with the Leafs.

Full disclosure, I picked Matthews first in my pool this year, then Tavares 3rd, Nylander a bit later, and chose Anderson as my tendy. I had high hopes for the Leafs and I don't even really like the Leafs. I just thought I'd give my two bits (sorry, I think I gave 10!) on the situation.

Babs isn't the issue, trust me.

While I have no real reason to be salty, of course I wish nothing but pain and misery on the Leafs.
- Scabeh

I can respect that when you are honest about it.

....even if when the team you cheer for symbol's is a public toliet seat

I mean, me too, but I'm (frank)ing pathetic.
- BINGO!

Jokers on the radio this morning saying they'd take Brady over Svech in a heartbeat. lol

It was only a matter of time before the Oilers fans, riding a win streak, would come in here and tell us all about how the Leafs should be running their team.
- gravyface

I'm a hockey fan, and I have had a personal relationship with the guy you just booted out so disrespectfully. I was rooting for the Leafs this year (growing up an Oilers fan and living in MTL).

If we're going to go there...the Oil's "streak" is now 23games and the Leafs will miss the playoffs. sorry

The only thing I will say is that yes I have been in the room with Babs...something ELSE is wrong with the Leafs.

Full disclosure, I picked Matthews first in my pool this year, then Tavares 3rd, Nylander a bit later, and chose Anderson as my tendy. I had high hopes for the Leafs and I don't even really like the Leafs. I just thought I'd give my two bits (sorry, I think I gave 10!) on the situation.

Babs isn't the issue, trust me.
- JLO961

And the light banter is all in good discussion fun

Now when you say you have been in the room, I gotta ask, how?

It was only a matter of time before the Oilers fans, riding a win streak, would come in here and tell us all about how the Leafs should be running their team.
- gravyface

well... to be fair to the Oilers fans... they have seen what 3GMs or maybe its 4... and countless seasons of rebuild, 1st overall busts, poor development over the past what 7-8 years...

of course the trolls will come out now... hasn't there been a noticeable uptick in Canuck, Sens, now Oiler and general increase in the level of "Derp"?

sure...

Leafs made a coaching change, 'cause some kind of change was needed, whatever the message was from Babcock wasn't resonating.... I guess that's why the team made a change. Even Chiarelli got to change coaches - and look at the shyte show he created.

Now is Dubas' time to either shine or fade. He's got his coach - I wonder what the conversations will be like between Shanahan and Dubas if the Leafs don't make the playoffs, or do and are eliminated quickly.

We'll all have to wait and see.

If the jury was out on Babcock - win a playoff series or gone - which was pretty much the sentiment floating around...

what should the expectations be for the team now? and who wears it if they underachieve?

I'm a hockey fan, and I have had a personal relationship with the guy you just booted out so disrespectfully. I was rooting for the Leafs this year (growing up an Oilers fan and living in MTL).

If we're going to go there...the Oil's "streak" is now 23games and the Leafs will miss the playoffs. sorry
- JLO961

Disrespectfully?

The only thing I will say is that yes I have been in the room with Babs...something ELSE is wrong with the Leafs.

Full disclosure, I picked Matthews first in my pool this year, then Tavares 3rd, Nylander a bit later, and chose Anderson as my tendy. I had high hopes for the Leafs and I don't even really like the Leafs. I just thought I'd give my two bits (sorry, I think I gave 10!) on the situation.

Babs isn't the issue, trust me.
- JLO961

Well since you are coming at this from a hockey pool standpoint.
How can we refute any of your findings.

This is eye opening stuff

I'm a hockey fan, and I have had a personal relationship with the guy you just booted out so disrespectfully. I was rooting for the Leafs this year (growing up an Oilers fan and living in MTL).
- JLO961

Ok then. So subjectively, COULD you be a little biased then?

I dunno, from personal experiences and only going on from perception of Babs from the outside in, I have worked with individuals what his persona seems to be like and have never done well with them. The style and approach leaves much to be desired. Not to sound like a brat. (I grew up in an old school european home.) Im for tough, as long as you balance it with fairness.

I dont like some of the decisions Babs makes and he always came of as kind of arrogant or bullish about it.

The only thing I will say is that yes I have been in the room with Babs...something ELSE is wrong with the Leafs.

Full disclosure, I picked Matthews first in my pool this year, then Tavares 3rd, Nylander a bit later, and chose Anderson as my tendy. I had high hopes for the Leafs and I don't even really like the Leafs. I just thought I'd give my two bits (sorry, I think I gave 10!) on the situation.

Babs isn't the issue, trust me.
- JLO961

Mike Babcock is an arrogant wienerhead who has regularly treated people like poop throughout his career.

He lucked into a career year from J.S. Giguere and then got handed one of the most potent rosters in the history of the NHL, including arguably the best defenseman of all time in Nick Lidstrom.

He hasn't seen the 2nd round of the playoffs since the last lockout. His vaunted protoges have all accomplished jack poop and are plagued by the same issues he repeatedly shows.

He's monstrously overrated.

Jokers on the radio this morning saying they'd take Brady over Svech in a heartbeat. lol
- AdamFrench

Beat writers in Raleigh were calling for the Canes to trade down.

Mike Babcock is an arrogant wienerhead who has regularly treated people like poop throughout his career.

He lucked into a career year from J.S. Giguere and then got handed one of the most potent rosters in the history of the NHL, including arguably the best defenseman of all time in Nick Lidstrom.

He hasn't seen the 2nd round of the playoffs since the last lockout.
- BINGO!

And this is the common theme here. We hear this more than how much of a swell guy he is. I get swaggar and confidence and all. But a douche is a douche. He certainly came off as that.

Mike Babcock is an arrogant wienerhead who has regularly treated people like poop throughout his career.

He lucked into a career year from J.S. Giguere and then got handed one of the most potent rosters in the history of the NHL, including arguably the best defenseman of all time in Nick Lidstrom.

He hasn't seen the 2nd round of the playoffs since the last lockout. His vaunted protoges have all accomplished jack poop and are plagued by the same issues he repeatedly shows.

He's monstrously overrated.
- BINGO!

I really thought he was what the Leafs needed to get over the top.
But as seasons went on, it doesnt look like he is any more than an average to above average coach.

there are lots of good things he has done for this team. by simply hiring him when they did, it added a level of stability and respect they need at that time.

Jokers on the radio this morning saying they'd take Brady over Svech in a heartbeat. lol
- AdamFrench

I heard this the other day and almost died. I'd take Svechnikov no questions asked. Are these people out of their mind?

Beat writers in Raleigh were calling for the Canes to trade down.
- BINGO!

Guy puts up a goal per game in the O in his draft year and still gets no respeck!

I really thought he was what the Leafs needed to get over the top.
But as seasons went on, it doesnt look like he is any more than an average to above average coach.

there are lots of good things he has done for this team. by simply hiring him when they did, it added a level of stability and respect they need at that time.
- senstroll

If 90% of the team is happy you are gone there is a problem.

Jokers on the radio this morning saying they'd take Brady over Svech in a heartbeat. lol
- AdamFrench

The real question is who is better, Spezza or Gauthier?

always the same made up stories.
same in detroit.
however datsyuk recommends mikheyev to play for babcock.
press guys don't like lou, babcock because they don't give them anything.
dubas is all about PR - 0 content though.

I guess it's a good thing that the change was made - this means that dubas will be gone sooner as well.
- MaximusAurelius

If the stories are generally there that players don't like to play for a coach, and it is reported over and over and over from numerous teams, and a poll of NHL players conducted showed that one of the coaches most players wouldn't want to play for is the guy . . . the stories are probably not made up.

We don't know the context of the Datsyuk conversation. It could have been, "Everyone hated him, but since I was a superstar already, I loved him!". Or it could have been, "If you want to learn how to play in the NHL, Babcock is a good coach. Just don't play for him for too long because he'll drive you insane."

It could have been, "I saw him eat soup once," and that was enough for Mikheyev.

I certainly would never say that Babock is not a good coach. I don't even think he's not a good coach for the "new" NHL as some have said. I think he's not a great fit for the Leafs (as he would not be a great fit for Tampa or Calgary who are more offense-based teams) or with Dubas. At the end of the day, I believe most pundits when they say that Babcock's constant go-go-go is exhausting and some players just naturally start to tune him out because they can't take it over the long haul. Other go-go-go guys probably relate just fine.

If the stories are generally there that players don't like to play for a coach, and it is reported over and over and over from numerous teams, and a poll of NHL players conducted showed that one of the coaches most players wouldn't want to play for is the guy . . . the stories are probably not made up.

We don't know the context of the Datsyuk conversation. It could have been, "Everyone hated him, but since I was a superstar already, I loved him!". Or it could have been, "If you want to learn how to play in the NHL, Babcock is a good coach. Just don't play for him for too long because he'll drive you insane."

It could have been, "I saw him eat soup once," and that was enough for Mikheyev.

I certainly would never say that Babock is not a good coach. I don't even think he's not a good coach for the "new" NHL as some have said. I think he's not a great fit for the Leafs (as he would not be a great fit for Tampa or Calgary who are more offense-based teams) or with Dubas. At the end of the day, I believe most pundits when they say that Babcock's constant go-go-go is exhausting and some players just naturally start to tune him out because they can't take it over the long haul. Other go-go-go guys probably relate just fine.
- Monkeypunk

Don't you hate it when dozens of people come forward and say a guy did a thing, and then that one guy says the opposite, and 50% of people believe him for no good reason?

The real question is who is better, Spezza or Gauthier?
- TheMussel

The sweet embrace of daeth