Top Leafs Storyline from 2019-20 Season?

AndrewGForbesTHW

Registered User
Sep 8, 2014
272
5
Canada
With the league expected to make Toronto and Edmonton the two hub cities and hockey possibly just around the corner, I'm curious. What was your top storyline from the Maple Leafs 2019-20 season?

Just a few - Babcock firing, Matthews on the verge of 50 and Rocket Richard, Nylander's breakout.
 
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LeafsNation75

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Jan 15, 2010
37,975
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Toronto, Ontario
I would include the following.

Mike Babcock getting fired and replaced by Sheldon Keefe.

Auston Matthews almost scoring 50 goals and he would have if not for Covid-19.

William Nylander rebounding after a horrible 2018-19 season, although that was of his own doing with the contract situation.

Jason Spezza proving Mike Babcock wrong that he could still play, despite being made a healthy scratch multiple times before Babcock was fired.
 

ottomaddox

Registered User
Oct 31, 2017
10,592
4,600
Toronto
+Matthews scoring
+Nylander bounce back
+Spezza

-firing Babcock
-Barrie/Kerfoot for Kadri not working out
-Backup goalie situation continues
-Lack of toughness continues
- inconsistent play near the end of the season
-zamboni driver
- trading Marleau to CAR for a 1st
 

LeafsNation75

Registered User
Jan 15, 2010
37,975
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Toronto, Ontario
the top story is that we have a President GM and coach all on the same page about how the team should play and what players to go after.

Sounds simple, but things are rarely simple in the land of the Leafs.
It's also the first time since Brian Burke hired Randy Carlyle that the Leafs had their GM hire their current coach. The only minor difference is Brian Burke was both the President and GM at the time, where as Kyle Dubas is the GM and Brendan Shanahan is the President.
 

67Leafs67

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Nov 8, 2014
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I think the biggest storyline has to be Babcock --> Keefe transition, no? It was brewing all off-season, with the fanbase calling for Babcock's head after a third first round exit in a row, and apparently Dubas trying to make the head coach swap that spring, but getting blocked.

Then, the team's poor performance through October & November, the losing streak, Babcock's eventual firing, and all the dirt that rose the surface on Babcock after the fact - contrasted with the team's immediate improvement - made for quite the media and fanbase uproar.

It isn't necessarily the most fun, feel good, or pleasant story, but probably the single biggest one that carried through the largest part of the season, and had the biggest impact.
 

Wafflewhipper

Registered User
Jan 18, 2014
14,114
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The real story never was. Keefe coached the leafs to 8 best record in the league this year and wasn’t very far off of improving them more. The loss of Rielly hurt the team more than is ever a narrative also.
We had a fully healthy lineup for 40 minutes all season. Marner,Tavares,Mikheyev,Dermott,Muzzin etc all spent time injured. Andersen was injured also and did not play big at all. Down year for him too.

Keefe is the story and i believe he will start getting talked about as the playoffs progress if we can possibly keep advancing.

Babcock getting fired was because he killed the teams spirit. This team goes against the grain and it goes against a popular hockey slogan “ The best offense is a good defense” for this team “The best defense is a good offense”.

Maybe this series against one the leagues best defenses matching against one of the leagues best offenses is the story.

Likely the best story will be when we heist the cup here shortly :)
 

The Iceman

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Sep 22, 2007
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Backup goalie that couldn't stop a puck caused extra stress on the players/coaches and specifically Andersen.
 

AndrewGForbesTHW

Registered User
Sep 8, 2014
272
5
Canada
+Matthews scoring
+Nylander bounce back
+Spezza

-firing Babcock
-Barrie/Kerfoot for Kadri not working out
-Backup goalie situation continues
-Lack of toughness continues
- inconsistent play near the end of the season
-zamboni driver
- trading Marleau to CAR for a 1st

You've got a helluva lot of top storylines, but I love it! Great input!
 

AndrewGForbesTHW

Registered User
Sep 8, 2014
272
5
Canada
I think the biggest storyline has to be Babcock --> Keefe transition, no? It was brewing all off-season, with the fanbase calling for Babcock's head after a third first round exit in a row, and apparently Dubas trying to make the head coach swap that spring, but getting blocked.

Then, the team's poor performance through October & November, the losing streak, Babcock's eventual firing, and all the dirt that rose the surface on Babcock after the fact - contrasted with the team's immediate improvement - made for quite the media and fanbase uproar.

It isn't necessarily the most fun, feel good, or pleasant story, but probably the single biggest one that carried through the largest part of the season, and had the biggest impact.

I couldn't agree with you more!
 
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Wafflewhipper

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Jan 18, 2014
14,114
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The team was inconsistent both during the Babcock era and the Keefe era.

The top storyline can't be something in a positive light.
Why can’t it be! Definitely can be.

Muzzin has played 83 games as a Leaf and put up 39 points as a player that was viewed as very defensive. 11 goals and 28 assists. Muzzin is such a all around player that is completely missed as to his contributions to the team. Thats a nice season by Muzzin counting a 82 game span. So so many other supposed offensive defensmen get hyped off the chart and this guy gets a little mention ever. Half the defensemen in the league couldn’t carry his cup. :)

Leadership,leads in hits, blocks shots,plays the hardest minutes against the best competition. Quality person on and offbthe ice. Kills penalties,plays powerplay communicates on the ice, calls out the team to play better, arranges activities for the team on his own time etc etc.

What a awesome pick up
 
Last edited:

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
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St. Paul, MN
I think the most impactful is thr coaching saga

For the firet time since the GM transition Dubas has control over every aspect of the team.
 

ottomaddox

Registered User
Oct 31, 2017
10,592
4,600
Toronto
You have a perception not based on facts. He has taken a points % this season that ranks keefe 18th all time. Taking points at a .628% is far from inconsistent.NHL Coach Register | Hockey-Reference.com

Hardly. Toronto has to play a play-in round vs CBS to be in the playoffs. TOR almost didn't make the playoffs. TOR had a great run at the beginning of Keefe's tenure, but played .500 hockey after that. There's nothing that Toronto did in Keefe's time that made them look like they were a strong/competitive team. I really hope that this post-Covid playoff is a reset, but I have my doubts.
 
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Wafflewhipper

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Jan 18, 2014
14,114
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Hardly. Toronto has to play a play-in round vs CBS to be in the playoffs. TOR almost didn't make the playoffs. TOR had a great run at the beginning of Keefe's tenure, but played .500 hockey after that. There's nothing that Toronto did in Keefe's time that made them look like they were a strong/competitive team. I really hope that this post-Covid playoff is a reset, but I have my doubts.
Not his fault Babcock went 9-10-4 man i just told you what his record was. We can all count our lucky stars he was able to turn it around to get us in the playoffs by points % at the cancellation. You go ahead and call it inconsistent. We had a full roster for 40 minutes all season.
 

LeafsNation75

Registered User
Jan 15, 2010
37,975
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Toronto, Ontario
Not his fault Babcock went 9-10-4 man i just told you what his record was. We can all count our lucky stars he was able to turn it around to get us in the playoffs by points % at the cancellation. You go ahead and call it inconsistent. We had a full roster for 40 minutes all season.
With Babcock the Leafs lost six games in a row this season which was the most they had.

With Keefe the most consecutive games in a row they lost was three games in a row, which happened two different times.
 
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Wafflewhipper

Registered User
Jan 18, 2014
14,114
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With Babcock the Leafs lost six games in a row this season which was the most they had.

With Keefe the most consecutive games in a row they lost was three games in a row, which happened two different times.
With Keefe the Leafs were 8th best. With Keefe’s 628 points % had he been here and maintained that The entire year that would be 7th overall.

Rielly missed all his games under Keefe and Andersen had a down year. Lots makes me believe he is the right coach for the team. I see room for the team to improve coming up here :)
 
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