I'm going to play the optimist devils advocate right now.
Right now we're still very upset and "blow everything up!" [even though we think it may or may not be true]. I think we can all agree that most of our assets aren't that very valuable, and those that do have some weight to them, we don't want to trade right away (Gardiner, Kadri) or at all (Bernier, Rielly) [and/or insert your particular guy here, say like JVR etc]
So. unlike some markets (Buffalo, Florida, the Islanders) that can go, yah we're going to start selling everyone off and get some pieces, the Leafs can't do that because we WILL be undersold. Also - Shanahan said constantly, he can't come in and just 'say' things, he needs to work and assess things. That doesn't mean he won't start blowing things up - he's just not going to say so as of yet.
I am willing to give Shanahan the benefit of the doubt for a bit to see what he's going to do. 5 months is a long time for the most part, so the fact that he hasn't done anything in three days isn't bothering me. if in 5 months we don't see any changes, then maybe I'll be a bit cranky.
I do expect to see a new coach that will pay to the strengths of the team, as well as [buzz word!] apply some accountability to everyone
I do expect some of the scouting to be addressed (probably after the draft. no team really is going to let their scouts go somewhere else 2.5 months until the drat).
I do expect that sooner or later Shanny's going to bring in his own guys. (and that's why I think whoever becomes coach is very important. I think if it's a guy like Laviolette or "Insert big Hockey Name Here." vs Jeff Blashill or "Insert a Rookie/Chance (Dineen) guy here" we'll see where the direction is going to go. I feel that a very strong NHL presence (excluding the coaches that are amazing and are free agents) means that they are going to give this team one more chance - along with some fat culling), and see what's up.
If it's a new guy (especially like a Rookie coach) - to me it will signal that a rebuild of some kind is going to be on the way, and you don't hire a Rookie guy unless you're planning on bringing in some more help. (that will exclude Nonis at one point).
So Shanny - i'm all willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Nonis - just sounds deluded and stupid. Everyone was telling the team from management down that they looked wrong when they were winning. and NOW they keep saying oh yah but we said, but we knew we had work: no. your job is to do the work. why couldn't you do the work? because you gave out stupid contracts and capstrapped the team.
everyone and their mother kept telling you about how all the elevated stats were showing how hot garbage the team was on aspects that = more wins, and he's like "Oh. well we have our own way of calculating success." well don't market it because it'll fail.
if you remember almost everything Nonis said, and then listen to the Shanahan presser + interviews,, Shanny undercuts a lot of that noise, especially the "well I have an open mind. if someone presents with other options of evaluation, like corsi etc, and you choose not to do them, then that makes you ignorant" (paraphrase) comment.
And - more importantly. I do not think that Shanny with his job in the NHL would quit (and the rumours were saying he was being groomed for bigger and better things there), to be the figurehead of MLSE.
I'd rather him take the time and get it right, then to be all
I haven't heard the interview yet for myself and I should have probably have said nothing until I did because people on here tend to take a neutral comment and make it seem incredibly negative or make it seem like the meaning is much more obvious than it really is.
