Does no one else question..

[burpsalot]

However, this talk of patience to bring in a GM and wanting to fit one in to their management structure is looking less and less true by the day. Are they even interviewing for GM anymore? See here's the thing, once you get a taste of power and control (Shanny) it starts to taste real good and you want more and more and want to give away less and less. Shanny has become the defacto GM, on top of his many other duties, and that's not looking like it's changing any time soon.

Is everyone comfortable with this? Personally I am not and hope they get this sorted sooner rather than later because it's my personal opinion that they aren't just dragging their heels on this one it's more like they don't want to have someone come in at all.

You do realize that the President is the boss of the GM right? Shanahan is the boss whether they hire a GM or not.

I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna pat them on the back too much for signing decent roster player for short term. That's like, the easiest thing they can be doing right now.

I like most of the signings mind you, except Parenteau. And Robidas (last year).

I'll just state for the record again that we are the only team without a GM. Ok, we are looking. Still. Still looking...

Which is fine. I guess. But what troubles me is the fact that the current management group has NO EXPERIENCE AT ALL at the NHL level running a hockey team, making trades, making signings, on the phone negotiating with other general managers, etc etc.

Ahh, yes the whole off season has been in shambles.


To be honest I find it kind of amusing reading a thread like this. I didn't expect any GM to be announced until post July 1st, makes most sense but we'll still have people complaining that we didn't hire a GM before we hired a coach (even if it meant losing the opportunity for Babcock?).

Then they complain that we didn't sign a GM before the draft (& lose a 2nd round draft pick).

The Leafs will hire & announce a GM when the timing is right, the desires of you or the media mean SFA to the management team & I like that.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

?

-Brought back Carlyle
-Set franchise records in losing his first year
-Still walking funny from the Kessel trade
-Passed on Hanifan

?

+Fired Carlyle, got Babcock, timing was everything
+Got the board to finally agree to the tear down and give a proper rebuild even if we did waste a season to get to that point across
+Made it so Kessel wasn't the focus of the team anymore, trading from a position of weakness still got good quality rebuilding pieces back for the future
+Drafted Marner

I agree with most of this actually. Carlyle being brought back was dumb as ****. Deciding to retain the core and give it another shot at playoffs was dumb as ****. Getting garbage back for Kessel probably wasn't the best move but I guess like you said, time will tell. Hanifin and Marner is definitely the most questionable one, no way you can pass any judgement on that decision just yet.

But yeah the blind faith in Shanahan can get a little uneasy to read around here. I started questioning him after that Gunnar for Polak trade and have been questioning his moves ever since.

Getting the organization focused on a real rebuild is definitely good and noteworthy. Beyond that, its a little too early to judge how things are really working out.

 

[Ovate]

It's important to remember that Shanahan doesn't have absolute control of the team. Everything he wants to do gets run by the board of directors, who are more concerned with making money than winning a cup.

When Shanahan came in, the Leafs were one year away from almost making the second round of the playoffs. They were 20 games removed from being 3rd in the East. There is no President, GM, or advisor in the league that could have convinced the board to scrap it all and go for a multi-year rebuild.

So what does Shanahan do? He shows them the need for a rebuild. Carlyle and Nonis are kept on as fall guys for when everything goes to ****. He doesn't commit to any onerous UFA contracts as the "final piece". He lets the team fall apart and end up picking 4th overall.

Last year was the first true year of the rebuild, and there's not much else Shanahan could have done to promote it.

 

[A1LeafNation]

2nd = Spalding
Biggs/Erixon = 3rd
Kessel = Kapanen + 1st + 4 2nds + 4 Thirds

Trades: Parenteau Bozak Lupul Arcobello Matthias Frattin Polak Robidas Reimer Spalding

End of season:

JVR Kadri Nylander
Panik Holland Kapanen
Leivo Winnik Bailey
Komarov Carrick Hyman

Rielly Phaneuf
Gardiner Marincin
Percy Hunwick
Granberg

Bernier
Bibeau