Sportsnet: “All bets are off” in regards to Babcock

[Dreakmur]

True, true. Coaches should never be fired. They should just be replaced when they die of old age behind the bench. Otherwise it will be lord of the flies with the players.

Hey, I’m not saying coaching isn’t an issue. I don’t like a lot of what he’s done this year, but I think the players are a much bigger problem.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Hey, I’m not saying coaching isn’t an issue. I don’t like a lot of what he’s done this year, but I think the players are a much bigger problem.

Once we change coaching we can move anyone who's still a problem. As things stand, if we move a big ticket name, they're going to explode on their new team when they're used properly.

 

[klmdg]

Hey, I’m not saying coaching isn’t an issue. I don’t like a lot of what he’s done this year, but I think the players are a much bigger problem.

Yep, the players are the bigger problem.

Remember that time Matthews had Hyman take draws on the PK while playing on a torn ACL only to lose every one and have Boston score multiple PP goals shortly after.

Matthews should have been traded for his gross incompetence. Only an idiot would follow a player like that into battle.

 

[IPS]

I just can't believe this idiot still has a job.

You just know the Leafs are gonna win the next couple games in textbook pathetic fashion to keep this guy around though


Dubas I'm losing my patience with you man... are you serious about improving the team or not.

 

[Superstar]

I just can't believe this idiot still has a job.

You just know the Leafs are gonna win the next couple games in textbook pathetic fashion to keep this guy around though


Dubas I'm losing my patience with you man... are you serious about improving the team or not.

Dubas is serious about protecting his butt...Babcock is a meat shield...if he fires Babcock now and the next coach can't turn this around, and the Leafs don't make the playoffs, then the roster construction issue will come to the fore and it will be all on him.

 

[IPS]

Dubas is serious about protecting his butt...Babcock is a meat shield...if he fires Babcock now and the next coach can't turn this around, and the Leafs don't make the playoffs, then the roster construction issue will come to the fore and it will be all on him.

Oh I know man. And I got a serious problem with it too.

If you're gonna hitch your wagon to Babcock, then you go down with him. Put up or shut up. And I just know Dubas is going to have some year-end speech ready that would make any crooked politician proud.

 

[Superstar]

Oh I know man. And I got a serious problem with it too.

If you're gonna hitch your wagon to Babcock, then you go down with him. Put up or shut up. And I just know Dubas is going to have some year-end speech ready that would make any crooked politician proud.

He's already got the speech going..."it's a process..."

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Too lazy to check on the accuracy of Jeff Oneill on Overdrive but he said it is easy for Marlies to win when they have like a 12 million dollar a year budget compared to the 3 million a year budget of other AHL clubs. With no cap limit in AHL Leafs can stash players and overpay for tweeners to stack the Marlies. So Keefe winning is to be expected and not proof he can coach professionals especially in NHL. Something to think about.

You still have to play a certain number of development players in each game, which is why AHL roster rules are set up the way they are. You can only dress so many vets which is why you see guys like Harpur/Gravel and others not playing every game. Every team has a bunch of these guys on their AHL teams.

Where we flex the cash is more so on the bottom end of the roster where we can pay guys like Brazeau the maximum on an AHL deal which is equivalent to what guys like Liljegren and Sandin are making in the AHL.

ECHL teams would be more upset than AHL teams.

 

[klmdg]

Honest question: Why do people think Dubas has the authority to fire Babcock?

Babcock was hired by Kyle's boss, probably makes 6x more annually, and has thrown Dubas under the bus in front of the media multiple times.

If Dubas had any authority over that decision, Babcock would have been termed right after the Bruins series.

And at the end of the day, the fact the GM has no control over who his coach is has led to the predicament the team is facing right now.

 

[saffronleaf]

He should have said he isn't betting on himself

I mean if he's smart he'd be betting on Vegas.

 

[Optimist]

Honest question: Why do people think Dubas has the authority to fire Babcock?

Babcock was hired by Kyle's boss, probably makes 6x more annually, and has thrown Dubas under the bus in front of the media multiple times.

If Dubas had any authority over that decision, Babcock would have been termed right after the Bruins series.

And at the end of the day, the fact the GM has no control over who his coach is has led to the predicament the team is facing right now.

Well whoever's job it is to fire him had better do it soon before we become the laughing stock of the league. The team has thrown in the towel on Babcock and things will only get worse.

 

[klmdg]

Well whoever's job it is to fire him had better do it soon before we become the laughing stock of the league. The team has thrown in the towel on Babcock and things will only get worse.

Absolutely! I just find it odd that anyone would blame Babcock's continued employment on Dubas when its pretty obvious he has no control when it comes to the coach.

 

[ToMaLe]

I think a lot can be said for building consistency in the locker room. Trotz had his ups and downs in his 15 years in Nashville, but he build a great environment that eventually led to consistent success.

Babcock hasn’t even been in Toronto for 300 or so games, and his first season was definitely a crazy atmosphere. Give him time and make sure the players know they have to work with him, as quitting won’t get him fired and see what happens.

I think there is consistency in the locker room. Consistently toxic. And I think it’s going to stay that way until Babcock is fired. The players have tuned him out long ago. This coach doesn’t stand up for his players, throws them under the bus, tries to get them to play a system they are not built for yet he blames everything on everyone else except himself. I am pretty sure that would make a locker room toxic. But Babcock was right, there is pain coming. And this team guided by this coach is painful to watch.

 

[jrgtml67]

For those saying Babs is stupid, garbage etc. Hes not.

But

Has he lost the room, is he the wrong type of coach right now?

Yes

Hes old school, coaching new school. Jt broke his finger right? Not his legs? Guy lost his skating, his battle..from a coach who preaches tenacity (hmm GM brian much).

To me Keefe is the answer. Half our guys have played for him. Year after year with different squads he milks every last ounce of compete out of them. Change must happen

 

[jrgtml67]

Once we change coaching we can move anyone who's still a problem. As things stand, if we move a big ticket name, they're going to explode on their new team when they're used properly.

Like Brian Burke said..you cant blame all 21 guys. Unfortunately..mike has had his shot. They brought in new assistants, not working. How many 1st period goals allowed? Hes lost the room..bring on Sheldon

 

[jrgtml67]

Also funny last yr Dubas came to Mike's defense.."hes the coach." Not yet..so far..since the rumors has Kyle denied that Mike maybe done.

New age players, old school coach? Makes no sense. Bring in Keefer..you made him highest paid AhL coach for a reason..because the plan was if Mike failed its Sheldons go

 

[jrgtml67]

I appreciate all the likes recently ladies and gentlemen. Been thinking about doing pod casts..what you all think?

 

[Faltorvo]

If a new coach comes, and the team comes back to life, how many of you GM critics will walk this back?

i will BUT

i won't right away

often new coaches get a false bump for 10 ish games and then the roster reverts back and shows it's true colours.

 

[Moonman]

Honest question: Why do people think Dubas has the authority to fire Babcock?

Babcock was hired by Kyle's boss, probably makes 6x more annually, and has thrown Dubas under the bus in front of the media multiple times.

If Dubas had any authority over that decision, Babcock would have been termed right after the Bruins series.

And at the end of the day, the fact the GM has no control over who his coach is has led to the predicament the team is facing right now.

I believe this to be correct. reading between the lines, dubas wanted to hire a coach on the same philosophical page as he, but was red-lighted by shanahan.

if this is true, then this disconnect makes a joke and a laughing stock.

 

[rumman]

What if firing Babcock just emboldens the ring leaders of this mess? Next coach is hard on them and they’ll quit on him too.... because they learned that the coach gets the axe instead of the players.

this is why it's a bad idea to let the lunatics take over the asylum.

 

[rumman]

That doesn't happen for a second time. Next time the players get moved.

if the players are the problem, why wait to fix said problem?

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Hey, I’m not saying coaching isn’t an issue. I don’t like a lot of what he’s done this year, but I think the players are a much bigger problem.

Could be, but the reason you make the coaching change first is so that you can see if anything changes before you make a stupid mistake with your roster.

If you change the coach and things don't turn around and spiral out of control, then you definitely can consider some big shake ups to the top guys on the roster.

If you trade a guy like Nylander or Marner now and they tear it up for their new teams while we're left with scraps then we'll be kicking ourselves for years.

This roster on paper is much better than last years and we changed out 11 guys. Let's start with the obvious change and if things get worse then players will need to be moved.

 

[TheBigThree]

I just can't believe this idiot still has a job.

You just know the Leafs are gonna win the next couple games in textbook pathetic fashion to keep this guy around though


Dubas I'm losing my patience with you man... are you serious about improving the team or not.

If dubas was serious about improving the team he wouldn't handicap it in cap hell when the defense is still absolute trash

 

[ACC1224]

Maybe, but nothing about the way he ever speaks suggests to me he is quietly telling his players he’s not doing a very good job and it’s on him

Seems that people hear what they want to hear when he speaks. Lots of proof on this very page.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

If dubas was serious about improving the team he wouldn't handicap it in cap hell when the defense is still absolute trash

Dubas didn't put this team in cap hell. He got us somewhat out of it.

This was always going to be the toughest year because of the 3rd Marleau year and our big players coming up.

Dubas had no choice but to unload Marleau and Zaitsev to make it all work, and he was able to find at least temporary stopgaps for the top 4 D so that we could contend this year.

Marners contract was an overpayment, fine, but his camp also ****ed us over big time by threatening that we couldn't go into December like we did with Marner. This forced Dubas to get a contingency in Clarkson to call the bluff and then they signed a day before the season started. So now instead of potentially unloading the last year of Horton and actually being able to accrue cap space with all these injuries, we had to add Clarkson and now our cap space at the deadline is non-existent.

Going into next summer we have a lot of space opening up with only Dermott and Mikheyev as RFA's. We'll be able to go after that top RHD and then hopefully develop a goalie by the time Freddie is up.

This whole Dubas put us in cap hell is way overblown. It was always going to be this way and could have been much worse.