The Star: Maple Leafs: Shanahan's gut tells him to go slow: DiManno

[Tyler Biggs*]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...anahans_gut_tells_him_to_go_slow_dimanno.html

Ninety-two days into the Brendan Shanahan Era and damned if the guy doesn’t look as if he’s aged a bit already — handsomely of course, in that slightly silvering Esquire Man way.

The job — Master of the Maple Leaf Domain — can wrinkle and wizen a fellow quickly, though Shanahan wryly demurs.

“I’ve still got the same amount of greys that I walked in with.â€

Click to read more...

 

[kesleaf]

Can't wait till he steals Stamkos from Yzerman in 2016.

I can hardly wait.

 

[TheThrill81*]

Can't wait till he steals Stamkos from Yzerman in 2016.

I can hardly wait.

Please post this in the main forum, I want to see the onslaught that ensues.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Kudos to Shanahan for telling it like it is in the world's hungriest --some would say most impatient-- hockey market. For decades, a succession of Leaf management teams have traded away draft picks and gone shopping for 'magic bullets' instead of patiently stockpiling and developing team talent. For decades, fans have bemoaned the Leafs inconsistent compete level on the ice. Increasing the competition for jobs at prospect camp, and at training camp, will hopefully translate into an increase in the team's compete level during the season.

 

[cack]

It sure sounds like Shanahan's culture change is avoiding stupid decisions like trading Dion or blowing up the entire team to foolishly tank. This will certainly make some fans upset who did not understand what he meant by culture change in the first place but Shanahan is doing the right thing.

 

[hobarth]

Is Shanny being cautious or is he simply in a position where he has few options?

Why sign a 37 year old for 3 years at 3 mil. per when TO's cap situation is so dire?

 

[Daisy Jane]

Is Shanny being cautious or is he simply in a position where he has few options?

Why sign a 37 year old for 3 years at 3 mil. per when TO's cap situation is so dire?

because A: we need older people on the team and
B: our cap situation isn't so dire?

 

[1995]

Is Shanny being cautious or is he simply in a position where he has few options?

Why sign a 37 year old for 3 years at 3 mil. per when TO's cap situation is so dire?

Don't sweat it, small potatoes. Hmmm, my gut tells me to get a cheeseburger.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Is Shanny being cautious or is he simply in a position where he has few options?

Why sign a 37 year old for 3 years at 3 mil. per when TO's cap situation is so dire?

I thought it was fairly clear that the direction is to change the culture of the club and support the leadership in the room with more leaders

Robidas does that and provides a much needed veteran presence on the back end

Could you elaborate on how the cap situation is so die?

 

[Amadeus]

Respect to Shanahan.

Has a good head on his shoulder and I'm more confident with him at the helm than I was with Burke.

 

[Stephen]

I can support a patient approach. If anything this gives him time to diagnose the situation and make appropriate changes instead of coming in and just throwing out the equivalents to Stralman, Tlusty and Stalberg for no reason.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Ah yes the offseason ..

 

[agropop]

Rosie DiManno's articles make my skin crawl, I think I hate her more than Simmons.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Is Shanny being cautious or is he simply in a position where he has few options?

Why sign a 37 year old for 3 years at 3 mil. per when TO's cap situation is so dire?

Toronto's cap situation isn't in bad shape at the moment and Robidas is a really good top-4 defenceman. He may look 37 but he sure as hell doesn't play like it. The guys feet are always moving and he's still willing to sacrifice his body to win. He's going to win over a lot of fans in Toronto, assuming he didn't just sign a retirement contract here.

 

[hobarth]

because A: we need older people on the team and
B: our cap situation isn't so dire?

Not dire?, why do you say that?

 

[GardinerTheForward]

It sure sounds like Shanahan's culture change is avoiding stupid decisions like trading Dion or blowing up the entire team to foolishly tank. This will certainly make some fans upset who did not understand what he meant by culture change in the first place but Shanahan is doing the right thing.

Trading Dion isn't stupid if the price is right.

"Culture Change" promises a drastic makeover. The way I see it, a teams's culture can be
1. Contendor
2. Bubble team
3. Bottom Five

Right now we're a bubble team; being complacent will not make us either a contender or a bottom five. I'm not saying he should do something right away or make a big splash but our retool formula hasn't worked this far. Care to explain what Shanahan meant by Culture Change.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Not dire?, why do you say that?

don't we have like 4-6 million dollars to play with AFTER everyone gets signed? that's not dire to me..

 

[Donald McRonald]

Robidas, Polak, Santorelli, Kondriata, Komarov, Frattin is at worst equal to Gunnarsson, Ranger, Bolland, Kulie, McClement...from my perspective.

If reports are true that the TML want to roll with four lines this year then this team already improves our position in the standings. Carlyle's 'system' this year will have a major impact on the success of 2014-2015.

 

[Mess]

Robidas, Polak, Santorelli, Kondriata, Komarov, Frattin is at worst equal to Gunnarsson, Ranger, Bolland, Kulie, McClement...from my perspective.

If reports are true that the TML want to roll with four lines this year then this team already improves our position in the standings. Carlyle's 'system' this year will have a major impact on the success of 2014-2015.

Rolling 4 lines means more icetime for role/support players and less icetime for star players.

More Holland and Komarov and less Kessel and Kadri etc.

That will be interesting to see how it effects the team results and the individual players stats.

 

[Donald McRonald]

Rolling 4 lines means more icetime for role/support players and less icetime for star players.

More Holland and Komarov and less Kessel and Kadri etc.

Yeah, but by the time the stretch drive came around last year how many times did you see Kessel gasping for air at the bench, and not even just then, it pretty much went on every game last season.
Just to clarify my post though, I meant more ice time for the bottom six than what was divvied out last year. Doesn't bother me a bit if Phil and co. get less ice time.

 

[rdawg1234]

Rolling 4 lines means more icetime for role/support players and less icetime for star players.

More Holland and Komarov and less Kessel and Kadri etc.

That will be interesting to see how it effects the team results and the individual players stats.

It's a good thing, we had way too much time given to the top 2-3 lines during the year.

your top 6 is going to go dry for a couple games at a time, you need those tweener guys in your bottom 6 that can step up and provide secondary scoring.

we had no 4th line last year, I think the 4th line scored a total of 15 points. most good teams 4th line is capable of 30-40.

 

[VO5]

The leafs are not in a bad spot cap wise... We have our core players (whether we like them all or not) under contract for pretty respectable cap hits.

I like the Robidas signing...Not sure why some people tend to focus solely on the number (age) rather than the individual.

 

[Mess]

Yeah, but by the time the stretch drive came around last year how many times did you see Kessel gasping for air at the bench, and not even just then, it pretty much went on every game last season.
Just to clarify my post though, I meant more ice time for the bottom six than what was divvied out last year. Doesn't bother me a bit if Phil and co. get less ice time.

You're not wrong in your belief as management as stated publicly it plans to play the 3rd and 4th lines more this year.

By process of elimination it means Leafs top 2 lines get less ice time.

Can the top 6 forwards be as productive with less ice time by being fresher and can the Leafs be better defensively by keeping its weakest defensive players off the ice more?. That is the million question as to how it will effect team results.

 

[rdawg1234]

Please post this in the main forum, I want to see the onslaught that ensues.

dream for me in 2016:

JVR-Stamkos-Kessel
Lupul-Nylander-Kane

can easily fit with JVR and Kane's cheap contract+ Nylander still on ELC.

pipe dream though, would take Kadri+ to get Kane and would have to hope Stamkos follows through with his twitter favourite, we leafs fans take those favourites seriously.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Rolling 4 lines means more icetime for role/support players and less icetime for star players.

More Holland and Komarov and less Kessel and Kadri etc.

That will be interesting to see how it effects the team results and the individual players stats.

When it comes down to it, fans just want to see a team that is competitive every game. You can't burn out your top line and expect them to win games for you at the end of the season. Hopefully the attack will be more balanced now.