Speculation: Maple Leafs To Add Kelly McCrimmon to Front Office.

[HarrisonFord]

This post is a little optimistic. Powerhouse franchise really? They're drafting 4th.

Can you remind me what position Toews and Kane were drafted overall again? Chicago seems like a powerhouse franchise to me

 

[Swervin81]

Think about just how hard it is to be a perennially successful in the CHL. You have massive roster turnover because players usually only last, what, 4-ish years? And high end talent is pretty much everything there. To be able to constantly draft well is a necessity to stay at the top and teams like London and Brandon are elite drafting teams with the amount of late steals they find. Sure, there's some under the table shady crap that goes on but to stay at the top as long as they have? Gotta be doing something right.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

Shanahan's focus is on drafting and developing prospects, and he's bringing in the best and the brightest minds from the junior leagues to do so. These are guys who have had some of the most success in the OHL/WHL with this exact strategy..

Not sure why some in this thread are comparing this to anything that the Leafs have done before.

Because deep down they know that the Leafs have finally turned a corner with their front office and are hiring some of the best and most successful hockey execs in the CHL.

So jelly.

 

[Neutral Hockey Fan]

AMAZING news! The rest of the league is hating how well the management team I toronto is coming together. This looks very familiar to chicago's situation just before they won the cup. There isnt a management or coaching staff in the league as well put together as this leafs team

 

[Pi]

So many people need to understand the difference between what Burke did and what Shanahan and co are doing.

Burke on his first day of the job said he's too old and impatient and believed he can help this team get better right away. He didn't want patience, no rebuild, he wanted a retool and an exciting star player on his team (hence Kessel trade). He said "July 1st was our draft" whereas now we're hiring the top guys from the OHL and WHL because we realize the only way to sustainable success is through the draft.

The Leafs have sucked at drafting outside of the top 5 or so picks. We need to draft more players from the WHL and the OHL.

Burke hired his best pals, Shanahan is going out and building a collective group who will make decisions. Burke wanted to run the entire show whereas under Shanahan it is a collaborative effort.

As Tannebaum said yesterday, Burke wanted to be in the driver's seat at all times, he wanted to make all the decisions himself from top to bottom. It lead to failure.

The Leafs aren't hiring any more than the other teams in the NHL are, they are just getting more publicity because it's the Leafs. Most teams in the league have just as many management people but we just don't hear about them as often.

 

[dubey]

I'm with you. They made a fatal mistake by not hiring a gm first. That is the most critical aspect. This whole managing by committee thing is a big flop and basically you now have a coach who has the team by the balls with an unheard of 8 year deal. What's to say Shanahan knows anything about building a team? This is his first attempt and he landed a top 5 pick and frankly I could do that too. This will end horrible.

blah blah

Mark Hunter is for all intents and purposes the GM of the team

 

[Pi]

I'm with you. They made a fatal mistake by not hiring a gm first. That is the most critical aspect. This whole managing by committee thing is a big flop and basically you now have a coach who has the team by the balls with an unheard of 8 year deal. What's to say Shanahan knows anything about building a team? This is his first attempt and he landed a top 5 pick and frankly I could do that too. This will end horrible.

In that sense, this isn’t a typical hire. Babcock will essentially be part development coach, part assistant GM and part bench boss in Toronto, one of a chorus of voices in a group that Shanahan referred to as “people way smarter and way better at this than me.”

If you can find that sort of humility from Brian Burke, please let me know.

Shanahan knows he's nowhere near capable of building a team on his own. Hence, he's hiring some of the brightest minds from the OHL, WHL and NHL.

He's a player turned president of the Maple Leafs. He knows he's not a scout, nor GM but he knows people who are way better than him at that.

I've never had as much confidence in Leafs management as I do today. Shanahan finally convinced those dinkheads running MLSE that gunning for the playoffs every year and failing isn't going to get this team anywhere. They need to draft their own players instead of hoping that Stamkos/Tavares etc will come home like Parise/Suter.

 

[Antropovsky]

I'll believe it when I see it..... what evidence down Simmons have? Is it just because Babcock mentioned him in the press conference?

 

[tony d]

Seems like a decent hire, think they'd get themselves a GM now though.

 

[I Am The Stig]

I'm with you. They made a fatal mistake by not hiring a gm first. That is the most critical aspect. This whole managing by committee thing is a big flop and basically you now have a coach who has the team by the balls with an unheard of 8 year deal. What's to say Shanahan knows anything about building a team? This is his first attempt and he landed a top 5 pick and frankly I could do that too. This will end horrible.

He doesn't, that's why he hired other people to help him build one, i.e. Mark Hunter, Kyle Dubas...possibly Kelly McCrimmon. All people who have helped build successful franchises in the Junior level. So while HE may not know, he has a lot of people around him that do know. As for not hiring a GM, they could for all we know promote someone from inhouse. Mark Hunter supposedly already knows who he wants this upcoming draft so whose to say he wont be named GM?

 

[SenzZen]

Retirement contracts all around, it seems.

Good for him.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Seems like a decent hire, think they'd get themselves a GM now though.

I think that's gotta be the plan. IMO though, getting these guys before the draft happens is what altered the timetable. I don't think a potential GM is going to look negatively at hiring some of the best OHL talent to work on your player development and scouting. It might even work in their favour, though I don't think they're really competing with anybody at this point now that Boston has a GM

 

[Commander Clueless]

At this rate, all the CHL General Managers will soon be working together for the Leafs.

 

[Countryjunkie]

So many people need to understand the difference between what Burke did and what Shanahan and co are doing.

Burke on his first day of the job said he's too old and impatient and believed he can help this team get better right away. He didn't want patience, no rebuild, he wanted a retool and an exciting star player on his team (hence Kessel trade). He said "July 1st was our draft" whereas now we're hiring the top guys from the OHL and WHL because we realize the only way to sustainable success is through the draft.

The Leafs have sucked at drafting outside of the top 5 or so picks. We need to draft more players from the WHL and the OHL.

Burke hired his best pals, Shanahan is going out and building a collective group who will make decisions. Burke wanted to run the entire show whereas under Shanahan it is a collaborative effort.

As Tannebaum said yesterday, Burke wanted to be in the driver's seat at all times, he wanted to make all the decisions himself from top to bottom. It lead to failure.

The Leafs aren't hiring any more than the other teams in the NHL are, they are just getting more publicity because it's the Leafs. Most teams in the league have just as many management people but we just don't hear about them as often.

Well said Pi!

 

[Countryjunkie]

In that sense, this isn’t a typical hire. Babcock will essentially be part development coach, part assistant GM and part bench boss in Toronto, one of a chorus of voices in a group that Shanahan referred to as “people way smarter and way better at this than me.â€

If you can find that sort of humility from Brian Burke, please let me know.

Shanahan knows he's nowhere near capable of building a team on his own. Hence, he's hiring some of the brightest minds from the OHL, WHL and NHL.

He's a player turned president of the Maple Leafs. He knows he's not a scout, nor GM but he knows people who are way better than him at that.

I've never had as much confidence in Leafs management as I do today. Shanahan finally convinced those dinkheads running MLSE that gunning for the playoffs every year and failing isn't going to get this team anywhere. They need to draft their own players instead of hoping that Stamkos/Tavares etc will come home like Parise/Suter.

LMAO! You're my hero Pi!

 

[Pyrophorus]

How many Jr GM are we going to hire?

All this without somebody with the actual title.

Now all we need is a Q GM.

 

[Stats01]

I love this! Shanny said he was going to focus on drafting and development, what better way then to corner the junior market with your clout and money and gather up all the best minds in junior. He's hired Hunter (London), Dubas (SSM), Paliafito (Sarnia) and now McCrimmon (Brandon). He's creating a monster management team.

 

[Flair Hay]

What is your point? You can do everything right and still fail. Doesnt take a way from the fact that you went through the process in the right way. I said they are building a power house franchise and they are. They are getting the absolute best minds in the sport in one spot.

Easy tiger. McCrimmon would be a great hire for sure. But let's not get way ahead of ourselves.

There's 29 other teams in the NHL too, and some of them already have very good coaches and GMs. And many of them have better foundations to work with.

 

[Pyrophorus]

I'm with you. They made a fatal mistake by not hiring a gm first. That is the most critical aspect. This whole managing by committee thing is a big flop and basically you now have a coach who has the team by the balls with an unheard of 8 year deal. What's to say Shanahan knows anything about building a team? This is his first attempt and he landed a top 5 pick and frankly I could do that too. This will end horrible.

I would say you're right IF, we were getting a boss, a guy who wants to run it all, then yes it was a mistake.

Name the last managing by committee, that was a flop?
Unless you're one too...never agree with a hater.

 

[Stats01]

Easy tiger. McCrimmon would be a great hire for sure. But let's not get way ahead of ourselves.

There's 29 other teams in the NHL too, and some of them already have very good coaches and GMs. And many of them have better foundations to work with.

Ok....posting that there are other teams *many other teams with a better foundation to work with is like saying the sky is blue...what's your point? It would be a great hire, and right now Shanny is relentless just like Babcock is. Babock will do it on the ice behind the bench, Shanny is doing it right now off of it. Hunter built a dynasty in London, Dubas built up the Soo, McCrimmon built a beast in Brandon..it's great hire after great hire after great hire. He's creating a monster here.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Easy tiger. McCrimmon would be a great hire for sure. But let's not get way ahead of ourselves.

There's 29 other teams in the NHL too, and some of them already have very good coaches and GMs. And many of them have better foundations to work with.

I think these hirings are the Leafs realizing that their foundation isn't great - and this is their attempt at building up their own one. The best ones with NHL experience are obviously currently employed, so if you want to try and get similar talents you have to look to the CHL IMO

 

[Aceboogie]

Leafs are building a monster CHL team

 

[SenzZen]

Leafs are building a monster CHL team

They'll rue the day they fired Steve Spott.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

He is likely the best executive in the league. I dont see why he would give up what he has going there for a mid level management job, likely a volatile one at that, where he could well be wearing the goat horns should the Babcock express leave the tracks and go into the ditch.

It's the NHL,the best league in the world...and I'm sure the money is MUCH better too.

Oh,did I say it was the NHL?

 

[Aceonfire*]

Leafs are building a monster CHL team

Yup. They have to be favorites for the Memorial cup next year.