Babcock would help Buffalo, but he hurts the Leafs. It's simple, he forces his teams to work hard, and play a system designed around grinders like Polak and Hyman. This works really well for teams that don't have a ton of talent, but brings down talented teams like the Leafs or Detroit (which should have won more than one cup during his tenure).
His methods are becoming increasingly less relevant with the league moving to 18 skilled skaters and away from top-6/bottom-6 model.
The team had a better season than last with injuries to the great Matthews, Marner struggles, Nylander struggles and Kadri struggles in production and you want to believe this drivel? It's guys like Hyman & Polak who compete that make you good team. All the talent in the world doesn't translate into wins. Talent is the entertainment value of the sport that only prevails to winning when hard work & the drive to compete comes with it. It's compete and the drive to outwork your opposition that makes you a winner regardless of how much talent you have.
Why do you think JVR isn't being re-signed?
I get it your upset that we lost to Boston in the first round get over it. Some times you lose before you win. The Leafs didn't lose because of coaching or the ridiculous claims that Polak and especially Hyman hurt the team when the opposite is what both of those players provided in the post season. They lost because not all the players especially the so called talented players didn't execute on the core fundamental of compete. That will always be on the players as there's no excuse for not competing.
Matthews play, the teams so called best player deserved to be benched the way he competed in the playoffs but the coach didn't do that why? Because he's damn good coach who understands failing is how you get better. You can blame Babcock for Matthews play all you want your flat out wrong. Matthews & Matthews alone is to blame for his lack of compete in the playoffs.
Crosby isn't the best player in the world because he's the most skilled. He's the best player in the world because his high end talent doesn't out weigh his compete to work hard.
Make no mistake. When it comes to winning the Stanley cup you have to have each & every player on board to work hard other wise your only hope is goaltending to stand on it's head for you to win.
The NHL isn't an allstar game nor a talent competition when it comes to winning. It's a competition in drive to compete. 9 times out of 10 it's the team that's out working the other that wins. the 1 time it's not is because the goaltender stole the game. That's the basics. No compete no wins.
What do you want the Leafs to be? A team that wins do to the group as a whole deserving it or one that relies on goaltending?