Leafs need a new coaching staff

[Dubi Doo]

Oh man, I remember all the shit Leafs fans gave Buffalo fans for losing out on Babcock. That shit hurt. Glad to see he's failing.

 

[BAM]

Or a new fan base. 50+ years of failure and they still sell out every game. Vote with your wallets folks.

The NHL wouldn't exist in the way it does now if Leaf fans did that. Unless you want a salary cap of $50 million you probably want Leaf fans to continue what they do.

 

[BAM]

Is it really all about the coach? I think that Dubas has built the team like it's Fantasy hockey, and the Leafs are paying the price for it.

Dubas can't control playing a 39 year old more minutes than your 2 franchise centers in a game 7.
Dubas can't control Matthews and Tavares receiving less ice time compared to other franchise centers.
Dubas can't control having a rested Marner and Matthews on the bench with 1 minute left in the game in favour of Hyman and Marleau
Dubas can't control the systems that have plagued the Leafs since Babcock came aboard.

It's one thing to lose while emptying the clip and overplaying your best players...Babcock loses by playing his favourites the most.

Babcock is great with a team full of 4th liners because that's the only way his game plan works like in the tank year.

Even then, they weren't good, they just lost games by 1 goal instead of getting blown-out

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Leafs need a defense and goaltender

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

I don’t watch many Toronto games, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Babcock is past his expiration date. That being said the team lacks depth so the average results are not surprising. They’ve got half their cap locked up in four guys so when one of those guy are injured (Marner/Tavares) you are going to feel it. If the cap continues to grow and the leafs can draft well they will be competitive, but until then I think they are to top heavy to win it all.

 

[TBF1972]

This Leafs team actually has a ton of talent, they really do. As a Pens fan, and as someone who follows the Caps a lot, a competent coaching staff makes or breaks premium players. (Ex. Crosby under Bylsma/Johnston/Sullivan or Ovechkin under Hunter/Oates/Trotz).

The Leafs need to gut their coaching staff now.

NJD trades their coaching staff 1:1. They can even retain 20% on the Hynes contract.

 

[TBF1972]

the leafs need a Trotz

Tavares and a conditional* 1st for Trotz.

*If Tavares isn't booed in the first Islander home game, it beceomes a second.

 

[radapex]

Or a new fan base. 50+ years of failure and they still sell out every game. Vote with your wallets folks.

The population of the GTA is 6.4-million. Scotiabank Arena has a capacity of 19,800 which means they only need 0.3% of the local population to attend for a sell out. So of course they're going to sell out every game.

 

[Do or Die]

Babcock takes a lot of heat. (in some areas, deservedly so) But this Leaf roster is pretty unbalanced and top heavy, in a cap world. Team D is non-existent. Too many guys feather dusting and not paying the price over 200 feet of ice.

 

[Bandit]

The population of the GTA is 6.4-million. Scotiabank Arena has a capacity of 19,800 which means they only need 0.3% of the local population to attend for a sell out. So of course they're going to sell out every game.

6.4 million? That’s cute.

The population of the greater LA area is 18.79 million as of two years ago. Staples center holds 18,500. The Kings are not selling out because the team is bad, and we won two cups this decade. You’re proving my point.

 

[FerrisRox]

How will reduced attendance get the team a better coach? Has that ever worked before?

It's worked many times. Money talks. When fans stop showing up it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the ownership to make changes and improve the team.

When fans blindly worship the team there is zero pressure to improve the product.

Did this really need to be explained?

 

[The Podium]

Im glad a non-leaf fan made this thread. Babcock has to go as soon as possible, he is easily the worst coach in the league. His reputation is largely built on the back of arguably the best roster in the last half century and he hasnt done anything meaningful in over a decade.

List of problems:
1) Arrogant, throws players and management under the bus and never takes responsibility
2) Chip and chase or stretch pass zone exits, dump and chase zone entries are outdated
3) Special teams are an absolute joke
4) Inability to make in game adjustments
5) Inability to make the glaringly obvious lineup changes
6) Falls in love with blue collar players
7) Crazy ice-time distribution - Hyman had more TOI in his first game after a 7 month injury than Matthews
8) Playing the 3rd and 4th lines late in the 3rd while trailing

 

[The Podium]

Is it really all about the coach? I think that Dubas has built the team like it's Fantasy hockey, and the Leafs are paying the price for it.

This is largely the same roster as last season.... The only difference is Kerfoot, Ceci and Barrie in Kadri, Hainsey and Gardiner out.

 

[The National]

No, they need a new GM.

 

[DonCherryForever]

Show me a good team I'll show you a good coach. And conversely...

The team is bad.

 

[K Fleur]

Dan Bylsma has coached a team to a playoff series win more recently than Mike Babcock.

 

[gabeliscious]

What Toronto needs is a new gm who doesn't give out stupid contracts. That's what killing the team.

I don't think this is on Babcock. Team isn't just constructed very well.

the contracts arent great and i can see the argument for not making the kadri for kerfoot/barrie deal but i dont know what player dubas could have realistically brought in that would have made a difference here. even if matthews/marner/nylander were paid what you think is reasonable there isnt a ton of players out there that can fix the leafs imo. i think they have checked out on the coach. i suspect there has been issues with matthews and babs for years.

on paper a team consisting of the following players should be executing better then what they have. That is a reflection on the players and the coaching stuff. No the gm. There was a time when the leafs team lacked significant skill and the coach had to play what he was dealt with. The team below is flat out not executing. i am not event talking about things like wins or defensive metrics. a team with this much offence should be able to score a goal on the pp. thats on the coach. not the gm imo

johnson-matthews-nyander
hyman-tavares-marner
soup-kerfoot-kap
moore-goat-xxxx

rielly-ceci
muzzin-barrier
dermott-holl

andersen

 

[Snowpants]

No, they need a new GM.

why not both!!!

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

I'm happy for McDavid that Babcock didn't get fired after last year

 

[koyvoo]

List of problems:
1) Arrogant, throws players and management under the bus and never takes responsibility
2) Chip and chase or stretch pass zone exits, dump and chase zone entries are outdated
3) Special teams are an absolute joke
4) Inability to make in game adjustments
5) Inability to make the glaringly obvious lineup changes
6) Falls in love with blue collar players
7) Crazy ice-time distribution - Hyman had more TOI in his first game after a 7 month injury than Matthews
8) Playing the 3rd and 4th lines late in the 3rd while trailing

This is pretty much the exact list of his flaws that wings fans tried to warn leafs fans about while they were busy planning Stanley Cup parade routes.

 

[tony d]

Something's got to give in Leaf Land. I'm not a fan but even I know they're better than how they'e played thus far.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

Who they replace Babcock with?

Keefe? That seems a little risky to me. Jeff Blashill was similarly successful at the AHL level, but was clearly in over is head when he made the move to the NHL as a head coach. He's gotten better as time has gone on, but there was a pretty extended length of time where he was an absolute train-wreck. If they bring up Keefe, there isn't gonna be a whole lot of room for error.

I guess they could make Hakstol interim head coach, but I'm pretty sure that'd be a disaster -- he was awful in Philly.

 

[tucker3434]

The NHL wouldn't exist in the way it does now if Leaf fans did that. Unless you want a salary cap of $50 million you probably want Leaf fans to continue what they do.

The NHL isn’t one down leafs year from folding. The leafs aren’t even the most profitable franchise. You’re overestimating the impact a few non-sellouts would have.

 

[Dr Pepper]

This is largely the same roster as last season.... The only difference is Kerfoot, Ceci and Barrie in Kadri, Hainsey and Gardiner out.

No Brown, no Zaitsev, Spezza in, Hutch in. Babs just being totally stubborn and unable to admit his frequent mistakes

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Easily one of the most overrated coaches in the league who’s clout still somehow exists because of things he did 5+ years ago