Culture Change

[Teeder9]

Culture is defined by the way a team plays, and the results that team gets.

We won't know for sure if the culture change worked until the season is underway.



Unless "culture" now means "core of the team", somehow.

My definition of culture change as it pertains to the Leafs is the way the team is run, not the players on it.

 

[67Cup]

I think "culture change" requires bigger moves than have been made thus far. But the offseason isn't over yet. The teams who didn't get what they wanted/needed out of the FA frenzy will start to look around for trading partners and, in my view, the Leafs should be ready and willing.

 

[masarume]

It's tough to say whether the culture's changed, and it's even tougher to say if we've improved.

Is Komarov better than Kulemin?

Is Frattin better than Raymond?

Is Holland better than Bolland?

Is Polak better than Gunnarsson?

Is Robidas better than Gleason?

Is Kontiola better than Mcclement?


Some are yes. Some are no. Most are "we'll see."

Nothing screams to me "culture change!" or improved roster. I will say this though, we are better equipped now to win a 2-1 game than last year (which we seemed to never be able to do).

This is it basically. You look at the sum of what we gained and the sum of what we lost and net them out. At this point, I wouldn't say "hands down we have made our team better".

The locker-room is the same. The cultural is the same. The leadership is pretty much the same. Wait a year to figure that out? Or do we want to look at our past three and realize our core isn't getting it done. Miss out on the McDavid draft and sneak into the playoffs? or tank this year and try to add a 1C to this team.

These questions will be answered mostly before early October.

 

[Menzinger]

"culture" wasn't the leaf's biggest problem last season - it was giving up 35-45 shots per game. I don't care what attitude the players have - it's all about how the perform.

 

[Mitchy]

We won't win when we never have the puck. Our defence can easily be improved if we possessed the puck more. It would improve our defence drastically as our d-men won't have a burden such as the opposing players always being in their zone. We would face far fewer shots, which would also stress our goalies less. After all, Bernier was injured because of all the shots he faced.

The best defence is a good offence. Puck possession = the key to winning in today's hockey.

Unfortunately, Carlyle is too dumb to implement a possession system and we'll likely see us stuck in our own zone, endlessly collapsing, facing 40+ shots a night, next season.

 

[Mess]

Komarov IS the culture change.

In a way you're absolutely right.

Player's like Komarov have a high compete level and tend to pull teammates into the fight and get them engaged.

This is the general belief behind the "culture change" attempt to inspire and get more players draw into the battle and motivate them to higher compete and push back levels.

Komarov will be at the front of the line leading the charge as only Leo can.

 

[stealth1]

The way I look at it is there hasn't been a culture change at all. You have the same core that has collapsed the last 3 seasons. Its not the core that's the problem Just keep rearranging the deck chairs and hope it works.
What should have been done is to trade one of the core guys. Cause right it looks like its ok to collapse at the end of the season. No repercussions for a bad season. Bring back the coach and the same core and hope that they are better.

Before guys like Holymakinaw and others come in and say they are a young team. No they are not anymore. Yes you have some young players but when you compare them to the cores of teams like Chicago and L.A. you see that they really aren't that good.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Culture change for me is when Caps blow it up and traded Jagr along with a long list of other really good players and completely rebuilt the whole team in a season. That is of course the extreme variant.

Another change in culture was when Boston traded away Thornton, signed Chara and gave Bergeron a bigger role. That changed the culture immediate and they went from a team feeling entitled to a team doing what it takes on and off the ice to win. They also changed management during that culture change.

Columbus have also recently changed culture and management within their franchise. Nash going out, Horton coming in, bigger roles to the younger players. And they now identify them self as a hard working team and takes pride in it.

That is how you change the culture. Making minor deals and signings around a flawed core is not a change of culture, it is poor evaluation but it will lead to a change of management at least. That is how the league works.

 

[stealth1]

Culture change for me is when Caps blow it up and traded Jagr along with a long list of other really good players and completely rebuilt the whole team in a season. That is of course the extreme variant.

Another change in culture was when Boston traded away Thornton, signed Chara and gave Bergeron a bigger role. That changed the culture immediate and they went from a team feeling entitled to a team doing what it takes on and off the ice to win. They also changed management during that culture change.

Columbus have also recently changed culture and management within their franchise. Nash going out, Horton coming in, bigger roles to the younger players. And they now identify them self as a hard working team and takes pride in it.

That is how you change the culture. Making minor deals and signings around a flawed core is not a change of culture, it is poor evaluation but it will lead to a change of management at least. That is how the league works.

But they are a young team still learning how to win. Atleast according to some people on this board.

 

[Ed Belfour]

I'm not really advocating that we do this, but you say that if we trade Phaneuf and Kessel then we're a lottery team...as if it's a terrible thing.

I think we are all realistic enough to know that the Leafs aren't challenging for a cup next year..not even close really. Changing some crucial components of a failed model should be step 1 to a culture change...not the bottom 6. This current group that we still have has accomplished nothing, yet we want to hold on to them? Our biggest accomplishment with this current group is ALMOST making it out of the first round.

We are actively setting ourselves up for a 10th place in the East finish next year, with no playoffs and a mediocre pick. It's mind-boggling, or as Carlyle will put it in his "just got fired" speech, I really have no idea what's going on.

 

[Mess]

Here is how Nonis addressed this question

NONIS: NEW ADDITIONS WILL 'BRING PLAYERS INTO FIGHT WITH THEM'

Following their end-of-season collapse, Dave Nonis told TSN Radio 1050 that he's looking to get the Leafs back to where they were two seasons ago when the team broke their seven-year playoff drought.

The GM said the additions of Leo Komarov, Stephane Robidas and Roman Polak were made with the expectation that the veterans would set an on-ice example of the way the Leafs want their top players to compete.

“Those players can generate a lot of emotion and they can bring players into the fight with them, and that's what we had two years ago and we need to get it back this year,” Nonis said.

“We wanted to change the way we played the game. With Robidas and Roman, you're talking about guys who play very very hard and the compete-level of those guys is a big part of their game and we think it'll rub off with the rest of our group.”

Full Story: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=456284

 

[AustonMitchWilly]

It's tough to say whether the culture's changed, and it's even tougher to say if we've improved.

Is Komarov better than Kulemin?

Is Frattin better than Raymond?

Is Holland better than Bolland?

Is Polak better than Gunnarsson?

Is Robidas better than Gleason?

Is Kontiola better than Mcclement?


Some are yes. Some are no. Most are "we'll see."

Nothing screams to me "culture change!" or improved roster. I will say this though, we are better equipped now to win a 2-1 game than last year (which we seemed to never be able to do).

Culture change isnt about skill level. Its about attitude and leadership. Something of which we lacked coming down the stretch. So even if the skill level is a push, we've won.

Leadership comes from the entire room, not just the C by the way.

 

[MSG*]

Tinkering.....far from culture change. As long as Dion is the guy and the offense runs through Kessel (rush based)...not a culture change.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

I think culture change is when ALL the players buy into a system and don't want to let their team-mates down...It's like a peer pressure to keep up with your end of the bargain.

I'm not sure that's possible with floaters like Kessell and Kadri (on defense) in the lineup...Even Lupul played softer last season,which was a big disappointment to me. At times the previous year he was the Leafs best player in my opinion.

 

[ULF_55]

No large moves have been made, but make no mistake, this is a different team than last year's.

A lot of people were advocating the removal of big names, but without Phaneuf/Kessel, this is a lottery team.

Instead, the Leafs identified a core of regulars they wanted to keep (F: Kessel, JVR, Bozak, Kadri, Lupul / D: Phaneuf, Rielly, Gardiner / G: Bernier) and had to keep (F: Clarkson) and let the rest walk.

The bottom six has gone from:

Raymond - Bolland - Kulemin
Bodie - McClement - Orr

To (barring any further moves):

Komarov - Kontiola - Frattin
Leivo - Holland - Ashton

On D, moving Gunnarsson allows a new option for the top pairing. It allows change. This team isn't necessarily better than last year's, but it's different, and I'm excited at that prospect.

I'm curious about the team every year. Sometimes excited.

If Bernier can stay healthy they should make it into the playoffs.

Lupul is probably the key player. If he can carry his line it would give the team secondary scoring.

Lupul and Bernier are the keys to their success, he's their 4th. best forward, and probably one of the few with half a brain(the others had a half get lost so the other half is out searching for it.).

 

[Tak7]

Only we could analyze two words in a cliche phrase like culture change, to death.

Here's something - the Toronto Maple Leafs are an AWFUL hockey organization.

Want to change the so-called culture? Start winning consistently, and everyone will forget.

With that being said - big changes needed to be made at the end of last season, that weren't.

Do you folks really believe that a few of Randy Carlyle's assistants, Nikolai Kulemin, and a guy who played less than 30 games were really the problem with this team last year? Because that's what the organization is essentially implying.

 

[GoonieFace]

The problem is Nonis does not seem willing to make a big move and trade some of the "core" pieces of this team. Maybe he's willing and other teams are not, maybe he's willing but ownership won't let him or maybe he is afraid to shake it up. No amount of tinkering with the bottom 6 and fringe players is going to change this team.

The core of this team is what it is:

Kessel - great offensive talent, soft, useless defensively
Van Riemsdyk - great offensive talent, somewhat soft, fairly useless defensively
Lupul - often injured, shows up when he wants, seems a little lazy and flaky
Kadri - good NHL player, useless defensively, takes stupid penalties, dives alot
Phaneuf - #2/3 dman disguised as #1 dman on this team, not a leader on the ice

This needs to be re-arranged or forever will the Leafs finish 6-12 last in the league most likely. Not bad enough to get top end talent, not good enough to contend for a Cup.

Drop the donuts and make a decision Nonis and company

 

[Avec Fromage*]

Only we could analyze two words in a cliche phrase like culture change, to death.

Here's something - the Toronto Maple Leafs are an AWFUL hockey organization.

Want to change the so-called culture? Start winning consistently, and everyone will forget.

With that being said - big changes needed to be made at the end of last season, that weren't.

Do you folks really believe that a few of Randy Carlyle's assistants, Nikolai Kulemin, and a guy who played less than 30 games were really the problem with this team last year? Because that's what the organization is essentially implying.

It's more than Carlyle, Kulemin and Bolland though. Half the forwards, half the defence and potentially half the goaltending will be different next season. That's not small tinkering.

 

[Dreakmur]

Hopefully the new leadership do what Iginla and Regher did in Calgary. Would be funny to see Dion dress in the hallway again.

 

[Ace88*]

Here's what you guys are totally missing in regards to Komarov.

Remember when we made the playoffs? How everybody had each other's backs and they played with a certain fire and intensity? Burn the boats and all that? I'm not surprised that Komarov and Frattin are so well-received by their teammates, because they play with that fire and intensity. The lackadaisical results of this past season compared to the previous one tells me that these guys, outside of stretches here and there, just seemed disinterested in going to battle both for each other and with each other.

The significance of Frattin and Komarov especially is not to be understated. Im not saying that they're our saviours or any nonsense like that, im not saying they're going to put up huge points, what i am saying is that they had an effect on the dressing room. This is not new, either. Komarov's had this effect on every team he's every played for. He's a damn war general and leads by example on the ice. Again, not take that out of context and think im proclaiming him as captain or even "A" material. But what i am saying is that for the effect on the team he had and how he and Frattin kinda brought the whole team from just a bunch of rich guys playing hockey to a an actual TEAM that goes out there and fights for each other.

Komarov at $2.95 is a-ok in my books. He's going to have a bigger impact on the team than any other scrub we would use that $2.95 million on (cough raymond). There's a reason so many teams wanted this guy. He's a winner. He's the glue that sticks the team together. Just watch, the leafs aren't going to be looking nearly as lazy and uninspired next season. He brings that fire that like 2 other players on the team bring.

THAT'S culture change.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

There will still be a trade coming.

 

[Henderson19]

Carlyle is the biggest issue now.

He was the biggest issue last year, too...

 

[Ricky Bobby]

The culture is definitely being changed by adding in heart and soul type players like Robidas, Polak, Komarov.

Whether it makes us better is another story. Sometimes you can change the culture all you want but if you don't have enough high impact players at the top of the lineup then you'll still suck.

Last off-season we also added in Bolland + Clarkson to change the culture but it had minimal impact largely due to injuries.

Expectations for this team need to be kept in check as we could grab one of the final playoff spots if a lot goes right like it did two seasons ago or just as easily be close to a lottery team if only 1 or 2 things go wrong again like last season.

Fact is this team still has no top line caliber center and only 1 top pairing Dman with so-so depth in the middle of the lineup.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Here's what you guys are totally missing in regards to Komarov.

Remember when we made the playoffs? How everybody had each other's backs and they played with a certain fire and intensity? Burn the boats and all that? I'm not surprised that Komarov and Frattin are so well-received by their teammates, because they play with that fire and intensity. The lackadaisical results of this past season compared to the previous one tells me that these guys, outside of stretches here and there, just seemed disinterested in going to battle both for each other and with each other.

The significance of Frattin and Komarov especially is not to be understated. Im not saying that they're our saviours or any nonsense like that, im not saying they're going to put up huge points, what i am saying is that they had an effect on the dressing room. This is not new, either. Komarov's had this effect on every team he's every played for. He's a damn war general and leads by example on the ice. Again, not take that out of context and think im proclaiming him as captain or even "A" material. But what i am saying is that for the effect on the team he had and how he and Frattin kinda brought the whole team from just a bunch of rich guys playing hockey to a an actual TEAM that goes out there and fights for each other.

Komarov at $2.95 is a-ok in my books. He's going to have a bigger impact on the team than any other scrub we would use that $2.95 million on (cough raymond). There's a reason so many teams wanted this guy. He's a winner. He's the glue that sticks the team together. Just watch, the leafs aren't going to be looking nearly as lazy and uninspired next season. He brings that fire that like 2 other players on the team bring.

THAT'S culture change.

The season we made the playoffs we still got outplayed by most other teams. We was the worse possession team in the league. But we also had the highest shooting % in the league. Now with a shortened season we some how managed to get in before the team collapsed and the poor play cached up to us like it did the season before and the season after. I dont know why on earth we would want to recreated the 12/13 season. Just because we was lucky to make the playoffs?

A good read about it.

http://blog.philbirnbaum.com/2013/10/corsi-shot-quality-and-toronto-maple.html

 

[TheGroceryStick]

what is our PK units?


Bozak-JvR
Phaneuf-Polak

Santorelli-Komarov
Robidas-Granberg/Franson

??