With all due respect to those players, they are not Matthews. His overall game relatively speaking is way more complete than Marner's or Reilly's. Also, I'm not so sure the same couldn't have been achieved by those players with a different tact. They in fact might have been better players today by having been played more, or with different linemates. Fact remains, Matthews and Babcock have a rift of some kind, and it has been created by Babcock because we know that's his modus operandi. Break the spirit of the young'uns, play the heck out of vets like Komarov and Polak till he realizes the error of his ways. Most overrated coach in the league.
And with all due respect to Matthews he is not Marner or RIELLY. For starters they play different positions. lol
If Matthews ever finds the heart Marner has he will be a 100pt player for several years. There is no denying his talent.
I did not agree with the way Babcock handled RIELLY last year, specifically on the PP, or lack thereof in Morgan's case. As for this season Babs' decision to put Marner on the 4th line for almost half the year and mess with his head likely cost Marner his first 80pt season.
IN Babcock's defense he has coached some of the best to ever play the game and he must see glimpses of those past talents in some of the players on the roster now. If he believes this way is the best way to make Matthews the next Datsyuk and Marner the next Zetterberg, etc. then I am willing to give him a chance.
The biggest problem imo, probably could be its own thread, but the team itself is about 2 years ahead of the original Shana-plan. We weren't supposed to be this good yet. I don't think they originally planned on the LEafs making the post season until next year. This was supposed to the trade deadline where we moved JVR and Bozie et al. for picks and spects. But because of our unexpected success the past 2 seasons the original Shana-plan is out the window. Babcock's promised long term pain never happened.