McLellan vs Mike Babcock

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have to wait and see if Mclelland has a G and a D corp. if yes, then Todd, hands down.

McLellan there is no D on his name!! This is driving me crazy on this board

 

[AddyTheWrath]

This is what oilers fans actually think.

Well the Leafs might be undergoing a complete rebuild by giving away big pieces like Kessel and Phaneuf whereas the Oil just need 2 top D and a starting goalie before they are contenders.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

McLellan there is no D on his name!! This is driving me crazy on this board

Don't forget Maclellan and Mclelan

 

[PaPaDee]

If the Leafs do go ahead and move out Kessel & Phaneuf this off-season, it will be a long road for them.

 

[shoop]

McLellan there is no D on his name!! This is driving me crazy on this board

Let's just go with Koala and call it a day.

I voted for the Oilers simply because I have more faith in Chia than in Shanahan.

The Oilers are coming out of the rebuild. Need a revamp of the D and a starting goalie. They also have a fanbase that will show patience for next season. If the Oilers are showing improvement and are still in the playoff hunt by Christmas then things will be all good here.

Babcock will face immense pressure right away. Shanahan has proven his commitment to patience is a farce. No way a patient team hires Babcock. You only hire Babs if you want to win now. I bet he lasts three seasons before throwing in the towel.

 

[KCC]

EDM is much further along obviously than the Leafs, but the East is so weak right now that who knows, they could squeak in for that reason alone. lol

 

[ekcut]

McLellan there is no D on his name!! This is driving me crazy on this board

What a coincidence, there is no D on his team either...

 

[RCee]

What a coincidence, there is no D on his team either...

ba-dum-CHA

 

[Halibut]

If the Leafs do go ahead and move out Kessel & Phaneuf this off-season, it will be a long road for them.

Depends on what they get back.

 

[joestevens29]

Depends what happens this summer. Too early to tell considering both teams will also have new GM's.

 

[McShogun99]

Depends on what they get back.

Call me a pessimist but I don't see the Leafs winning the Cup in the next 8 years. Winning this years lottery was their "golden Ticket." Prime Hanafin/Strome/Marner won't be enough.

 

[SPIRIT]

If the Leafs do go ahead and move out Kessel & Phaneuf this off-season, it will be a long road for them.

You're right. Very unlikely Kessel or Phaneuf could wrangle a top line center, which is what they need.

Building around Strome would be a bit tough.

Scouts say Draisaitl is the better player (age relative), and building a winner around him as your 1C is one thing... but around Nuge, McDavid, AND Draisaitl a whole 'nother ...

That's what TO is looking at.

 

[NeutralZone]

Toronto might squeak into the playoffs with Babs as coach. The Eastern Conference is a lot softer, and they can spend to the cap so with some free agents and good systems they might make it. They don't have the star power to go deep though. To Win a cup, Toronto is going to need spectacular luck, or a rebuild through early draft picks, or a very slow, difficult process of smart drafting, trading and development to gradually rebuild the team without early draft picks.

Babcock is the kind of coach who might make that last approach possible, but it's a very rare team that can pull that off. Most likely having a good coach will just keep the team in the bubble for a long time, which I imagine most Toronto fans will be okay with.

Edmonton has a real chance at putting together a team with a long window and a real shot at multiple cups, but there's an awful long way to go to make that happen. They're going to need a #1 dman, and that's going to take a lucky trade opportunity or a player exceeding expectations.

 

[McDrai]

I voted Babcock making the playoffs first because...Oilers
Also, the maple leafs are a lot better than what their record was this season. They were actually pretty decent under Carlyle

 

[Asher]

Does voting for Babcock mean he has to make it coaching the Leafs?

 

[SchultzSquared*]

Babock will make the play offs first because Eastern Conference... and Babock is the better coach... I see no reason why we are arguing that

However Chia knew who he wanted... and more precisely he knew that he did not want to end up in the Babcock circus and then have to scramble with three other suitors for a HC after the fact... better to show interest in the #2 option and lock him down than put all the eggs in the Babcock basket... ala Tim Murray who walks out of this season with no McDavid and no elite head coach... smart move all around and Todd is already familiar with Ebs and Taylor now thanks to the WCs... excellent strategy... Murray out played on all sides by a better more experienced GM... happy to be an Oilers fan and not cheering for the Almost Hads in Buffalo

 

[sepHF]

Babcock made it sound like it's going to be a while before they make the playoffs... looking 3-4 years down the line after they blow things up and bring in new young players.

If we still haven't made the playoffs in 4 years I will lose my mind.

 

[tiger_80]

Leafs have a good core of Bernier, Phaneuf, Reilly, Gardiner, Kessel, JVR. They will have a high pick this year and will easily sign a couple of quality free agents. I won't be surprised if they are a play-off team next year.

 

[redgrant]

Canadas team will make the playoffs before GTAs team.

 

[McBooya42]

Anyone else notice how much Babcock spoke of himself in third person during the presser today? All I can think of now is him saying his name like Matt Damon in Team America World Police.

Just change it to Babs and away you go!

 

[Kuudere]

I honestly think Oilers are further down the road in the rebuild but we've been it for what seems like eternity lol. IMO both don't make the playoffs next year.

 

[PBandJ]

Babcock easily.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

The Oilers have a very tough division. Hard to say who makes it first.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Babcock easily.

McLellan wins the cup sooner, but in the pacific you basically build a championship team to make the playoffs whereas in the east you can probably just roll out of bed and into the playoffs.

 

[Bangers]

McLellan there is no D on his name!! This is driving me crazy on this board

I'm going to go with MacClleland, a hybrid of all of the mistakes that you will see on the spelling of his name.