News Article: Friedman: Shanahan's Coach Not (Currently) Available

[Myke]

That quote makes it seem they are bringing in assistant coaches to coach the team and Carlyle is going to stand there and do nothing

Let's hope so. haha.

 

[ShaneFalco]

As stated in another thread

“Sometimes the mix and the freshness of maybe some new people working with Randy and some different personalities, guys with different personalities from Randy, might complement what he is more. Our hope is that the success that he has had as a coach, he’s won a Stanley Cup, you look around at the different people are available, but Dave and I made the decision that Randy deserved [a shot] to give us the best chance to have success.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...fs-down-and-rebuild/article18674088/?page=all

Translation - Randy is a jackass and we need the assistants to be better communicators and "softer" than Randy

 

[Cor]

Randy Carlyle won his stanley cup almost a decade ago.

I could care less if he won a a cup. What has he done in the past 5 or 6 seasons?

 

[Mess]

Maybe Shanny's coach is Marlies Steve Spott and the plan is to groom him internally for the job.

So step one is let him have AHL experience and then promote him to Carlyle's assistant coach to the learn the NHL ways and the players on the team and the opponents. Then in a couple years down the road when Carlyle's contract expires he is promoted to head coach.

He will have a lot of his own internal players if the goal is to draft, develop and promote internally.

 

[Cor]

Maybe Shanny's coach is Marlies Steve Spott and the plan is to groom him internally for the job.

So step one is let him have AHL experience and then promote him to Carlyle's assistant coach to the learn the NHL ways and the players on the team and the opponents. Then in a couple years down the road when Carlyle's contract expires he is promoted to head coach.

He will have a lot of his own internal players if the goal is to draft, develop and promote internally.

Wouldn't be shocked to see him on the Leafs bench next year in an assistant's capacity, and then come Carlyle's firing, Spott taking over.

 

[Mess]

Wouldn't be shocked to see him on the Leafs bench next year in an assistant's capacity, and then come Carlyle's firing, Spott taking over.

The way Carlyle's contract is structured as 1 year extension + 1 year team option by Shanny almost suggests that timing and potential grooming for the job is the goal for the next Leafs coach.

Now Spott could be that person, but it could also be who the Leafs plan on hiring as assistant coaches this summer. If Shanny has a young inexperienced NHL coach in mind that he feels needs more time and experience still, then that would make him (not currently) available (or ready yet ) to be Leafs coach today.

So he is buying himself time through Carlyle's extension. Its actually a well thought out calculated strategy if that were the case.. No use rushing out and getting a different coach if you plan on making another change in a year or two down the road.

 

[The Blue Devil]

Carlyle believes that players should surrender the half-boards since it's unlikely that the opposition will score from them.

Guess what happens when you surrender portions of the defensive zone to the other team? You get stuck in your zone.

Carlyle never lets the team forecheck after a lost faceoff in the offensive zone. Guess what happens when you don't forecheck 50% of the time? You rarely get into the opposing zone.

His line matching is also ridiculous. Players can't get into a rythm when they're being taken off the ice after 10 secs.

 

[Diatomic]

His line matching is also ridiculous. Players can't get into a rythm when they're being taken off the ice after 10 secs.

Funny how that's typically considered the main strength of his, something commentators would brag about. Thanks to his amazing line-matching we gave up the most SOG in the history of the NHL.

 

[Mess]

Funny how that's typically considered the main strength of his, something commentators would brag about. Thanks to his amazing line-matching we gave up the most SOG in the history of the NHL.

How do we know it wouldn't even be worse without line matching?.

Instead of having Kessel or Raymond on for defensive zone starts you have Kulemin and McClement for example. Players far better to defend and block shots and win puck battles etc.

In the playoffs last year Carlyle's line matching getting Kessel away from Chara increased Kessel's effectiveness offensively.. Without it I think we would see lower Leaf totals as another example of effect line matching benefits.

 

[WinB4IDIE]

Is Shanahan a patient man or in over his head we have nothing to judge him on, is he happy with the scouts, has he evaluated the Jr system and the players? I'm sick and tired of the Leafs treating the fans like they are the problem. This has nothing to do with the pressures of a Canadian market, and everything to do with laziness and mismanagement.

 

[JackJ]

I guess it just makes too much sense to keep Carlyle short term if the head coach you really want isn't currently available.

If Shanahans goal is a top 2015 pick, then yes it does make a lot of sense.

 

[Menzinger]

Wouldn't be shocked to see him on the Leafs bench next year in an assistant's capacity, and then come Carlyle's firing, Spott taking over.

That's my impression from the Spott rumors: if Carlyle crashes and burns this season, Spott can take over as interim for the remaining games in a try out capacity. If Shanahan likes what he sees, maybe Spott will get the permanent job.

 

[Drew75]

I admire Shanny even more for not caving to public opinion and pressure for a coaching change and doing it his way.

It shows despite being new on the job that public pressure even in Toronto media frenzy market will not effect his decision making.

A coach can be replaced in a minutes notice should Shanny have his guy available and signed to come in. Firing Carlyle bring in a new coach but not Shanny's choice and then firing him shortly thereafter and replacing him reflects poorly on Brendan as being reactive and not someone that is in full control.

If I was about to take a machete to the Leafs roster and ship players out, I wouldn't want to expose my new coach to trying to win under the conditions of change and roster flux.. I think its actually promising that Carlyle is staying for now because he is already on borrowed time and if he fails to get success not one will care if he is fired down the road.

This.

It's pretty simple really, by giving RC the contract they did, Shanny sent a very clear message:

1. The onus is on the players to be better. Firing RC would have given most players a pass and fresh start with a new coach, would have let breath easier this summer.
2. They are not setting up RC to fail (lame duck scenario), but have not given him a comfortable position either. It's a very short term deal, with the second year being a club option - yes he's back, but with just as much pressure as the players must now be feeling.
3. Shannonis will do what they feel is the right thing for the team - public & media opinion be damned.

It's pretty genius really. There was not a significant upgrade out there that you would want as your coach for the next decade. Why hire a guy who MAY be OK just because your guy pissed you off? That is 'making a move for the sake of making a move' - what the fans want, but not in the best interest of the Leafs long term. RC is a proven coach - and Shannonis managed to buy time to change the direction of the roster while putting BOTH the players and coach in the hot seat. If a guy that makes sense (long term) comes along at any point, they have kept the flexibility to make the change.

Remember - change for the sake of it, and going after the shiny new toy is not the right approach long term - I for one am happy we have people that see that.

 

[The Blue Devil]

How do we know it wouldn't even be worse without line matching?.

Instead of having Kessel or Raymond on for defensive zone starts you have Kulemin and McClement for example. Players far better to defend and block shots and win puck battles etc.

In the playoffs last year Carlyle's line matching getting Kessel away from Chara increased Kessel's effectiveness offensively.. Without it I think we would see lower Leaf totals as another example of effect line matching benefits.

And on the opposite side of the spectrum, is it better to have Kessel or McClemment in the O-zone?

 

[Wendel17]

Carlyle is Shanny's interim coach during roster upheaval and then disposable once the dust settles.

He isn't going to bring in his new coach and then pull the rug out from underneath him by sending vets packing, that would be setting him up for failure.

Well said!

Well said, Mess.

It makes even less sense to fire Carlyle to appease the fans, and hire another guy to keep the chair warm while Shanny waits for a guy he really wants.

Shanahan's clearly a smart guy, who knows how good organizations are run.

It's interesting that this runs against the grain of Leaf fans so much... we've been a disastrous organization for so long, people shun actually smart decision like Butthurt Dwellers shun the scorching rays of sunlight creeping in through their mothers' basement windows.

I was skeptical about Shanahan taking over the team, but I like what he is doing. Change for the sake of change is never a good thing. I would wait for Mike Babcock too if I were him.

The fact that Shannahan indicated he wanted Bolland back and stands behind Phaneuf would suggest compete now

What they say publicly and privately are not always the same. If they could trade Phaneuf and get back another player to take his minutes I'm sure they would entertain it. But realistically, as much Dion is disliked, who takes his minutes if we trade him?

Well basically we can agree by saying that Shanahan probably feels that Carlyle is the best coach of all the coaches currently available (and putting ethical behaviour ahead of "hoping to find that diamond in the rough"), and that the potential to bring in Babcock also outweighs the value of taking a risk on a new incumbent.

So it's not a stupid decision to keep Carlyle as interim.

Well said. Shanahan realizes that in Carlyle he already has the best coach that is available to him. Keep him until someone better comes along.

LOL Wow this team baffles me more and more..so apparently Randy and co. randomly decided with 5 games left...guys this isn't working let's go back to traditional defensive zone coverage. I need a face palm emoticon...that is the dumbest thing I've ever read. A little late to start switching things up with 5 games left. Man this franchise is a freaking mess. I just don't know what happened this year but it seems like nobody was on the same page.

That whole "swarm" system can go in the trash, I have no idea what that was about but it clearly didn't work.

5 games left = 10 points on the table. The season was slipping away. They were desperate.

How do we know it wouldn't even be worse without line matching?.

Instead of having Kessel or Raymond on for defensive zone starts you have Kulemin and McClement for example. Players far better to defend and block shots and win puck battles etc.

In the playoffs last year Carlyle's line matching getting Kessel away from Chara increased Kessel's effectiveness offensively.. Without it I think we would see lower Leaf totals as another example of effect line matching benefits.

RC line matches and Leaf fans complain. RW never line matched and Leaf fans complained then. Like Marv Levy said, never listen to the fans otherwise you will end up sitting with them in the stands.

 

[JackJ]

A shame we missed out on Jim Benning as GM.