News Article: Babcock to Toronto - for all the monies

[Le Magnifique 66]

Honestly Toronto has thrown/attempted to throw money around for a long time. Their ownership group has it and no problems w/ spending it.

This is nothing but a great move for Toronto. I can't believe people waste their time bickering over how much they are paying a coach. It's one of the best moves Toronto could have made. So what... they over paid and gave too much term for a coach? If they can afford it, who cares?

I'll never get the overall Toronto hate. Their team finally makes a good move.

Exactly, this is Toronto's best move in YEARS, and they don't give a **** about money

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Consider my mind boggled that this thread has reached 25 pages lol

 

[wgknestrick]

I want Babcock's agent, 3 playoff series wins in the last 6 years got him 50 million.

Does Babcock ever step onto the ice to shoot or save the puck? People like you is why I stopped reading this site. Regardless of what anyone thinks of his coaching ability, he cannot control the players he is given. You are assuming he was gifted a roster capable of doing so much more during that time. That is highly debatable. He is pretty much the undisputed best coach over the last 7-8 years, yet is supposed to be able to take any team to the SCF at will.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Consider my mind boggled that this thread has reached 25 pages lol

It's not like we've had any Penguins-related hockey topics to talk about for about a month.

 

[ColePens]

Consider my mind boggled that this thread has reached 25 pages lol

Umm why? Pens needed a long-term coach and he would have fit that mold.

No, THIS organization couldn't afford that price, but it wasn't out of the realm of what we needed to discuss.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Does Babcock ever step onto the ice to shoot or save the puck? People like you is why I stopped reading this site. Regardless of what anyone thinks of his coaching ability, he cannot control the players he is given. You are assuming he was gifted a roster capable of doing so much more during that time. That is highly debatable. He is pretty much the undisputed best coach over the last 7-8 years, yet is supposed to be able to take any team to the SCF at will.

Hes extremely overrated IMO, i'm not saying he should of won the cup every year, but any decent coach IMO could of took these wings teams to the playoffs.

He hasn't done anything with his wings team that any decent coach couldn't of done.

And if you don't like my posts hit the block button, that's what its there for.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Umm why? Pens needed a long-term coach and he would have fit that mold.

No, THIS organization couldn't afford that price, but it wasn't out of the realm of what we needed to discuss.

Agreed on why it was being discussed, and on it being a good move for Toronto.

As far as how we handled the whole situation: assuming we had an idea of how much he was asking for, I have no problem with upper management just flat out denying interest.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Typical MLSE throwing money at problems way of business. That is what they always do and it always fails, no matter the sport. The worst thing is that they skew the market for high-profile players/coachs (as they have done by overpaying Giovinco, a very good soccer player, by a mile. yet, they still suck ass) by overpaying guys by a mile.

Don't get me wrong, Babcock is a great hire, but he is not a miracle-worker. This organization is in shambles and even a great coach can't fix it short-term. They signed him for 8 years showing that they intend to be patient and build properly... however, in that market, he will get crucified after 2 losing seasons... and those two losing seasons will happen because their roster and prospect pool are very very very underwhelming.

They will lose and the media/fans will ask for some heads. And the wheel of suckiness will turn and turn. Babock went for the money and considering the market he joined, it was a bad idea. Can't blame him though. He might get fired after 2 or 3 years, but he will still get that sweet paycheck.

As far as the Pens were concerned, paying that kind of coach a lot of money would have been a good idea as we have the pieces to contend. I mean, sure, paying him what Toronto is paying him for the term they gave him is bat-**** insane, but Babcock is the kind of guy we need: experienced, credible and hard-nosed.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

It's not like we've had any Penguins-related hockey topics to talk about for about a month.

A fair point. Its sad when your team is so lacking of news that we have to resort to the Leafs for entertainment

Umm why? Pens needed a long-term coach and he would have fit that mold.

No, THIS organization couldn't afford that price, but it wasn't out of the realm of what we needed to discuss.

mmmk

 

[Ogrezilla]

Consider my mind boggled that this thread has reached 25 pages lol

just for the record, this thread was started long before he went to Toronto. The post saying he was signed was on page 22. It was started when we announced that we would not be going after Babcock. The thread was basically a coaching thread with a sort-of-focus on whether we should go after Babcock or not. But really it was a discussion of our coaching and management situation in general. We have no talked for 25 pages about Babcock signing with Toronto.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

just for the record, this thread was started long before he went to Toronto. The post saying he was signed was on page 22. It was started when we announced that we would not be going after Babcock. The thread was basically a coaching thread with a sort-of-focus on whether we should go after Babcock or not. But really it was a discussion of our coaching and management situation in general. We have no talked for 25 pages about Babcock signing with Toronto.

Ahhhh that's where I went wrong then. I thought I saw a second thread (the original) and then this one. I was shocked that there was a dedicated thread to the hiring and a subsequent 25 page discussion. Which, to be fair .. would be ridiculous.

My bad.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Ahhhh that's where I went wrong then. I thought I saw a second thread (the original) and then this one. I was shocked that there was a dedicated thread to the hiring and a subsequent 25 page discussion. Which, to be fair .. would be ridiculous.

My bad.

no worries. that would be ridiculous. I got good at picking up miscommunications like that when I was teaching.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

no worries. that would be ridiculous. I got good at picking up miscommunications like that when I was teaching.

Yeah I dont know how I made the mistake. I could swear I saw a second thread. To be fair, I was on a conference call at the same time and was distracted

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Hey guys, Buffalo fan here. I was wondering if you could give me a quick positives vs negatives analysis regarding Bylsma as a coach. He's been linked to Buffalo (and other teams) quite a bit, and had a fantastic regular season winning record with you guys. Anyone care to give me your thoughts? It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Waffle Fries]

Hey guys, Buffalo fan here. I was wondering if you could give me a quick positives vs negatives analysis regarding Bylsma as a coach. He's been linked to Buffalo (and other teams) quite a bit, and had a fantastic regular season winning record with you guys. Anyone care to give me your thoughts? It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Positives: He was very good at getting grinders to buy in and play hard

Negatives: Treatment of young players, identifies with grinders and therefore overplays them, can't adjust or is too stubborn/arrogant to do so, fails to identify and utilize the strengths of his roster etc. etc.

I can't see him being a good fit for Buffalo. Too many young guys.

 

[Jacob]

Hey guys, Buffalo fan here. I was wondering if you could give me a quick positives vs negatives analysis regarding Bylsma as a coach. He's been linked to Buffalo (and other teams) quite a bit, and had a fantastic regular season winning record with you guys. Anyone care to give me your thoughts? It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Players like playing for him. Has a clear message and prefers an up-tempo attacking style. Squeezes a lot out of muckers/grinders. Doesn't make any adjustments to anything ever. Not an Xs and Os guy. Doesn't trust young players.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Positives: He was very good at getting grinders to buy in and play hard

Negatives: Treatment of young players, identifies with grinders and therefore overplays them, can't adjust or is too stubborn/arrogant to do so, fails to identify and utilize the strengths of his roster etc. etc.

I can't see him being a good fit for Buffalo. Too many young guys.

This.

I would add the "Disco Dan" also seemed to be "just one of the boys."

Sometimes, you need to lose your cool to get a point across. Disco didnt seem to be the type to do that. Im sure his heart rate never went above 60bpm in his entire coaching career.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

Hes extremely overrated IMO, i'm not saying he should of won the cup every year, but any decent coach IMO could of took these wings teams to the playoffs.

He hasn't done anything with his wings team that any decent coach couldn't of done.

And if you don't like my posts hit the block button, that's what its there for.

I was stressing this during the whole Babcock watch, he's a good, hell even great coach, but he's not a coaching God. I'm not going to repeat anything I've already said because it would be beating a dead horse at this point, but yeah he wouldn't have been anymore of a solution here than Mike Johnston can be.

 

[Sideline]

Hey guys, Buffalo fan here. I was wondering if you could give me a quick positives vs negatives analysis regarding Bylsma as a coach. He's been linked to Buffalo (and other teams) quite a bit, and had a fantastic regular season winning record with you guys. Anyone care to give me your thoughts? It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Negatives:

He plays favorites with veteran grinders and career minor league guys to a comical extreme.

He will decide on lines that he likes and NEVER change them. If you acquire a Hall-of-Fame right winger with a history of success playing with one of your centers expect him to play the left wing on a different line.

Stretch passes!

He is incapable of or unwilling to make in game systematic adjustments.

If you are playing the Philadelphia Flyers your PK will be a disaster.

Positives:

Players love him. He gets everyone to buy in.

He'll get you blood from a stone when you're talented guys are hurt.

As long as you aren't playing the Philadelphia Flyers your PK will be damn near unbeatable.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I was stressing this during the whole Babcock watch, he's a good, hell even great coach, but he's not a coaching God. I'm not going to repeat anything I've already said because it would be beating a dead horse at this point, but yeah he wouldn't have been anymore of a solution here than Mike Johnston can be.

I have no idea how somebody can come away with that opinion, when one of our fundamental problems is the players not respecting the coach enough to listen to what he's telling them to do. How many times does Johnston or Tocchet have to say how they want the team to play without it actually translating to on the ice? Those players need a coach that commands respect because he has a long resume to point to. Maybe Babcock isn't the cure-all, but to say he's no more a solution than Johnston is quite frankly just plain ignorant.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I don't know how much players like playing for him. I think the guys on this team got comfortable with him, but when he coached the Olympic team, outside of Kesler, he was not liked at all.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

I have no idea how somebody can come away with that opinion, when one of our fundamental problems is the players not respecting the coach enough to listen to what he's telling them to do. How many times does Johnston or Tocchet have to say how they want the team to play without it actually translating to on the ice? Those players need a coach that commands respect because he has a long resume to point to. Maybe Babcock isn't the cure-all, but to say he's no more a solution than Johnston is quite frankly just plain ignorant.

Do we know this as fact that the Penguins don't listen to Johnston? When I look at our playoff games, the players seemed to play pretty good aside from scoring more than 1 goal. To me, that's coaching.

This team's problem isn't coaching, which is why I said hiring Babcock wouldn't have done much. It wouldn't be worth firing Johnston with 2 years left on his deal to give Babcock an 8 year, $50M deal. This team can still be successful with Mike Johnston as the head coach, we just need to address the problems on the roster. The question is, another one of our problems is management, can our front office stooges fix the roster? We'll see...

 

[Hobodrifter]

Do we know this as fact that the Penguins don't listen to Johnston? When I look at our playoff games, the players seemed to play pretty good aside from scoring more than 1 goal. To me, that's coaching.

This team's problem isn't coaching, which is why I said hiring Babcock wouldn't have done much. It wouldn't be worth firing Johnston with 2 years left on his deal to give Babcock an 8 year, $50M deal. This team can still be successful with Mike Johnston as the head coach, we just need to address the problems on the roster. The question is, another one of our problems is management, can our front office stooges fix the roster? We'll see...

Agreed. Too many here presume to know opinions,feelings, and other factors that are impossible to know. Management is worrisome though with deals like the Despres/Lovejoy swap.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Positives: He was very good at getting grinders to buy in and play hard

Negatives: Treatment of young players, identifies with grinders and therefore overplays them, can't adjust or is too stubborn/arrogant to do so, fails to identify and utilize the strengths of his roster etc. etc.

I can't see him being a good fit for Buffalo. Too many young guys.

Negatives:

He plays favorites with veteran grinders and career minor league guys to a comical extreme.

He will decide on lines that he likes and NEVER change them. If you acquire a Hall-of-Fame right winger with a history of success playing with one of your centers expect him to play the left wing on a different line.

Stretch passes!

He is incapable of or unwilling to make in game systematic adjustments.

If you are playing the Philadelphia Flyers your PK will be a disaster.

Positives:

Players love him. He gets everyone to buy in.

He'll get you blood from a stone when you're talented guys are hurt.

As long as you aren't playing the Philadelphia Flyers your PK will be damn near unbeatable.

Thanks so much for the feedback guys. Exactly what I was hoping for. Funny how everyone pretty much agrees on all aspects. Sounds about right, from what I've seen.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Thanks so much for the feedback guys. Exactly what I was hoping for. Funny how everyone pretty much agrees on all aspects. Sounds about right, from what I've seen.

I like your Kunitz avatar.