I think most fans (and haters) of the Leafs have put the blame on the players for some time. Coaches / gms can only do so much.
Im guessing the leafs have thrown more money at coaches/gms/scouting etc by a wide margin over anyone else. Nobody can compete with their front office budget and what has it done in 10 years under Shanahan? There's only so much you can do off the ice, eventually repeated first round exits have to fall on the players.
Problem is if Shanahan changes course now that could be the end of him in toronto, if ownership even gives him permission to move anyone. He doubled down on the big 4 and it hasn't payed off, change course now and it's not the best look for him.
I respectfully disagree.
Nothing says incompetence and lack of leadership by staying entrenched in a position which everyone can see is not working.
The finest leaders are the ones who have the humility and maturity to admit mistakes, but not only doing so but to chart a correction change in order to mitigate/eliminate the mistakes being repeated for the sake of the team and organization, irrespective of the personal consequences.
Shanahan has shown himself to be both a yes man type, but also one who does not have the intestinal fortitude to recognize that he is part of the problem here.
I didn't like Keefe but I can respect the guy for acknowledging, plainly and without excuses, that he did not get it done. Shanahan clearly does not have the capacity or willingness to do this, and it looks like Pelley's endorsement of Shanahan means that the culture of accepting mediocrity and not making the difficult decisions to plot a significant change in corporate and group cultural vision, will result in many more years of the same results for the fans.
