Babcock III (not starting on time)

[Gary Nylund]

I'm not down on the Muzzin pickup, Dubas' best move.
Not adding additional defensive depth is one of his failures.

Nah. Burning assets to add depth players who would never see the ice had multiple unforeseen injuries not happened wouldn't have been a smart move, especially when even at full health, we're underdogs to get past the 1st round anyway and HUGE underdogs to get past the 2nd round.

We should be in the mix for many years to come and we simply can't afford to spend futures every year so we have to pick our spots. We spent a good chunk of futures already to get Muzzin and we're going to need to replace guys we can't afford to keep which isn't going to be easy as it is.

Our problem is that our 80+ million worth of talent has been playing a few tens of millions below that level, not that we didn't pick up some cheap filler pieces.

 

[ULF_55]

Babcock is ill?

Perhaps that explains it.

 

[mclaren55]

Guys, don't you think some of the problem with our defence right now is its composition? We literally have 3 AHL calibre Dmen filling out our top 6. I'm not saying some of this isn't on Babcock, it is, but you can't get blood from a stone...

 

[Trapper]

Over the course of a season, these usually get sorted out with stats like SCF%, HDCF% and personal goal differential while taking into account quality of comp and zone starts.

If I watch the game and don’t look at the numbers posted, I know Rielly needs a legit top 4 partner and Hainsey plays to much.
But...
If the game is close and I know a Mortal Kombat finish him killer move is coming, Hainsey isn’t the first name I’m associating with it.

And that sometimes is the paper problem.
Hainsey might make 3-4 great plays in OT that won’t really affect the overall underlying numbers while the other guy has a habit of twilight zone WTF play that means game over and doesn’t really affect the underlying numbers.

That’s why the game is played on the ice.

 

[zeke]

I didn't know he had complained, thought it was you complaining about ice time distribution.
What little I saw of him speaking after the game I thought he said the team played well?

no this is about the tweet above that Babcock actually compplained that he was being forced to play his players too much because of a lack of depth, compared to nashville who was so deep they didn't ahve to.....even though, of course, nashville PLAYED THEIR TOP PLAYERS MORE THAN THE LEAFS DID.

 

[supermann_98]

why was a LHD the target when a RHD is what this team really needed/needs???????

Probably because RHD are not as readily available.

I’d argue that Babs dropped the ball on not trading for Jensen but who knows what Detroit was asking for if there were any discussions to begin with

 

[ACC1224]

Nah. Burning assets to add depth players who would never see the ice had multiple unforeseen injuries not happened wouldn't have been a smart move, especially when even at full health, we're underdogs to get past the 1st round anyway and HUGE underdogs to get past the 2nd round.

We should be in the mix for many years to come and we simply can't afford to spend futures every year so we have to pick our spots. We spent a good chunk of futures already to get Muzzin and we're going to need to replace guys we can't afford to keep which isn't going to be easy as it is.

Our problem is that our 80+ million worth of talent has been playing a few tens of millions below that level, not that we didn't pick up some cheap filler pieces.

They have more than one problem

 

[zeke]

Team game. Sample size. While Muz-Rie is 55%, what is the other two lines ? 47% ?

hard to tell exactly.

but here's the stats of the main pairings in those first 6gms after the trade when Muzzin-Rielly were mostly together:

Muzzin-Rielly: 75:00, 54.0cf%, 52.5scf%
Gardiner-Zaitsev: 70:15, 49.1cf%, 54.6scf%
Dermott-Hainsey: 66:40, 58.7cf%, 61.7scf%

 

[zeke]

@zeke - are there any stats that show how Left shot D play on the right ?
I know on average Right D make more money with worse overall stats than Left D.

I saw one study a few years ago but not enough to convince me there's anything there.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Guys, don't you think some of the problem with our defence right now is its composition? We literally have 3 AHL calibre Dmen filling out our top 6. I'm not saying some of this isn't on Babcock, it is, but you can't get blood from a stone...

Yes it's a factor for sure right now but they were pretty crappy when everyone was healthy too. For 3 years now

 

[zeke]

Maybe, just maybe, professional coaches like Sutter and Babcock understand something that CantLoseWithMatthews (of hfboards fame) doesn't and that handedness matters as a defenceman?

ron hainsey shoots left.

 

[zeke]

Probably because RHD are not as readily available.

I’d argue that Babs dropped the ball on not trading for Jensen but who knows what Detroit was asking for if there were any discussions to begin with

Jensen is playing a strict bottom pair role with Washington, as he should.

 

[BertCorbeau]

The depth concerns might not be depth concerns at all if the called up Sandin/Liljegren

 

[BertCorbeau]

But seriously even asides from that, a team with Matthews-JT-Kadri down the middle with Nylander-Marner on the wings, and Rielly-Muzzin in the blue line should be able to compensate for that lost depth

And that’s not even mentioning some other solid names.

Babcock should be really publically holding himself accountable. If he’s unwilling to do that even privately, he needs to go

 

[rumman]

I'm not down on the Muzzin pickup, Dubas' best move.
Not adding additional defensive depth is one of his failures.

it would have been two thumbs up for me if his contract had term, time will tell if this was a good move or another expensive rental.

 

[ACC1224]

it would have been two thumbs up for me if his contract had term, time will tell if this was a good move or another expensive rental.

I thought he was signed for next year as well?

 

[rumman]

Probably because RHD are not as readily available.

I’d argue that Babs dropped the ball on not trading for Jensen but who knows what Detroit was asking for if there were any discussions to begin with

wasn't aware Bab's was making trades?

 

[IPS]

Guys, don't you think some of the problem with our defence right now is its composition? We literally have 3 AHL calibre Dmen filling out our top 6. I'm not saying some of this isn't on Babcock, it is, but you can't get blood from a stone...

You'd swear were the only team who's ever dealt with injuries in the history of the NHL with some of the posts you read around here.

The problems we're seeing were apparent long before Dermott/Gards got injured.

 

[zeke]

But seriously even asides from that, a team with Matthews-JT-Kadri down the middle with Nylander-Marner on the wings, and Rielly-Muzzin in the blue line should be able to compensate for that lost depth

but this is why Babcock's complaints are so hilarious - he complains that he has to play his best players too much now because he doesn't have depth, BUT HE"S NOT EVEN PLAYING THEM AS MUCH AS EVERY OTHER TEAM PLAYS THEIR BEST PLAYERS, even now, when he needs to compensate for injuries.

it's insanity.

he doesn't even seem to realize what his own coaching decisons are.

 

[A1LeafNation]

The depth concerns might not be depth concerns at all if the called up Sandin/Liljegren

What depth concerns. It's all in Babcock's head. We are deep on forward and in goal with NHL experience. We literally have 9 guys with 50+ games experience.

Rielly Hainsey
Gardiner Zaitsev
Muzzin Ozhiganov
Dermott Marincin
Borgman

We also have 4 more guys who are NHL ready in a pinch. Holl Liljegren Sandin Rosen.

This coach is full of shit. What other coaches go on about depth when injuries hit...Cassidy? Gallant? No they f***ing coach.

Undermining the GM. f*** off.

 

[supermann_98]

wasn't aware Bab's was making trades?

My bad, I’m so used to blaming Babs for everything it autocorrected .

This one I hang on Dubas

 

[rumman]

I thought he was signed for next year as well?

he is, so will they be able to afford him? Use him as "own rental?" He'll be another quality player they won't be able to resign due to cap issues, just like Gard's this year. Lots of talent walking out of Toronto for nothing these last few years, our system must be incredibly deep?

 

[Trapper]

Babcock is ill?

Perhaps that explains it.

Coaching depth is vital.

 

[zeke]

Babcock complained about having to play his best players too much in a game he did this:

Rielly 24:37
Muzzin 22:00

Tavares 19:28
Marner 19:13
Matthews 18:19


seriously.

in a league where other teams are playing forwards 25+ mpg and dmen 30+ mpg when they need to, Babcock is actually complaining that he's being forced to play dmen not even 25mpg and forwards not even 20mpg.

it doesn't even make sense.

the man has lost it.

 

[sxvnert]

By now, we all know why the Red Wings only won 1 cup with such an amazing roster.

Too many left shot defenceman.