Confirmed with Link: Maple Leafs hire Mike Babcock for reported 8 years, $50 million

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

It isn't about the money.
It is about respect.
It just so happens the team that is willing to pay the most always has the most respect.

Or an organization that has stumbled and bumbled for 40 years and always thinks throwing money at the problem will solve it.

 

[ksp1957]

Or an organization that has stumbled and bumbled for 40 years and always thinks throwing money at the problem will solve it.

And here I was thinking that Babcock wanted to win one more Stanley Cup before he retired. Guess I was wrong.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I think Babcock has certainly proven himself.

All I will say though is things could go south. With an ego that big, conflicts will certainly rise up, and I'm not sure how boatloads of conflict from all directions are going to be avoided in Toronto.

My feeling is it's either going to go really, really well or will be an utter disaster. I'd be telling a gross lie if I said I wouldn't enjoy the latter.

 

[ODAAT]

I don`t doubt that Babcock is of the top coaches, but since the Cup finals in 08/09, hasn`t made it out of the 2nd round


Great Olympic success which can`t be taken away from him but that price tag is, IMO, insane

 

[Estlin]

I don`t doubt that Babcock is in the top 5 coaches, but since the Cup finals in 08/09, hasn`t made it out of the 2nd round


Great Olympic success which can`t be taken away from him but that price tag is, IMO, insane

With Team Canada stacked with talent, I think that almost any other NHL coach would have done as well as Babcock.

 

[ODAAT]

With Team Canada stacked with talent, I think that almost any other NHL coach would have done as well as Babcock.

disagree, there are a lot of coaches who would have let that team play hog wild, pond hockey, he and his coaching staff made a clear decision that D-first would win on the big ice and he got the boys to buy in

 

[RustyBruins72]

Or an organization that has stumbled and bumbled for 40 years and always thinks throwing money at the problem will solve it.

Tell me who would be your choice of coach if you were in charge on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Tell me who would be your choice of coach if you were in charge on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Babcock, but I wouldn't have given him that much money. Way too much.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Considering the Leafs are eating Nathan Horton's contract willingly, I am not surprised they shelled out a huge amount for someone probably considered the league's best coach.

 

[ODAAT]

how quickly does Babcock go to Shanahan and say "ship 81`s arse outta town"??

 

[Scotto74]

Good for him cashing in with that much money and over such a long term.




I hope the leafs crash and burn with him in charge.

Nothing personal

 

[EverettMike]

"It's not about the money!"

 

[qc]

How much of the 50m is guaranteed?

 

[BB88]

Babcock to the Leafs, Eichel to Buffalo, Florida on the rise. Man, our division looks a lot tougher than it did not too long ago

I was going to say pretty much the same thing.

Babcock and those prospects they have and are going to get I have zero intrest on how much he will make, I'm more scared that how will we compete soon.

I hope our boys will wake up or in 2-3 years we are a bottom team.

 

[Kate08]

Good for Toronto, but they need more than an A+ coach to turn that dumpster fire around.

 

[Three Dog]

Good move for Toronto. I don't perceive him as a God like the media (and a lot of fans) seem to. I'm not even sure where that comes from. ...but good coach nonetheless.

...it will be interesting to see what else they do in the off season, because that says to me that they may be getting aggressive with roster moves as well.

...and if thats the case, I feel good about Sweeney now being at the helm for the Bruins. (not because I'm wanting leaf players...)

 

[Shoebottom]

Right now he is the lipstick and TO isn't called hog town for nothing. Interesting to see who will get wads of cash thrown at him to be their GM? Good for TO, they got cash to burn.

 

[Man Rocket]

Leafs doing what they do best, overpaying

 

[dredeye]

Insanity

 

[Ice Nine]

Holy ****. That's one hell of a cap hit. Who will they trade in order to free up some space?

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

How much of the 50m is guaranteed?

All of it.

 

[ashnathan]

Do the Leafs ever learn? I still hold faith in my pre deadline dream of Kessel coming back to Boston Gee Wally was quick to shoot it down but are the stars starting to allign ?

 

[mislysBB]

Babcock to the Leafs, Eichel to Buffalo, Florida on the rise. Man, our division looks a lot tougher than it did not too long ago

I think even with Babcock, the Leafs are going to stink for a little while (which by the way, is a ridiculous contract). Eichel is not going to save Buffalo overnight, even though he will give them some scoring.

 

[dredeye]

Apparently he has an opt out clause after the fifth year and its heavily front loaded.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

I never heard of a coach that is tremendous and overrated at the same time.

I have a pet peeve about the whole underrated overrated thing... I mean wayne greatzy was horribly overrated the final 10 years of his career. he was still a great playmaker and usually finished near the top 10 in scoring but he wasn't crushing the league anymore once he reached 30 years of age. people still called him the greatest player in the world though.

in truth gretzky wasn't even a top 5 center in the league over his last 10 years which doesn't mean he sucked. he was still great but he was now very overrated.

overrated and underrated term doesn't mean good and bad player. it just means that a guys reputation is bigger or smaller than his actual performance.

Dionne phaneuf is called the most overrated player in the nhl and he might be, but that doesn't make him a bad player. he is a huge talent with the potential to be worth 7 mill a year and the ability to be played on the ice 23-25 mins a night by his coach.

my own opinion of babcock is that his players believe in him and listen when he speaks... that's about all you can really ask of a coach. I don't think he gets more or less out of his talent than most coaches would get. I mean its not like this guy coaches his team to cup contention every season.

paying him 2-3 times what a normal coach would cost is pretty crazy. at least it doesn't count against the cap