[News] Leafs hire Babcock (8yr contract, $50 million)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Nylander has talent. But he is soft and selfish. I saw him a fair bit in the A last year and didn't like has game at all, despite the talent - very much a perimeter player.

I think he'll have to change a fair bit to become a solid NHLer - we'll see if he's capable.

Do not agree at all that he has elite #1 C potential. Maybe a 1st line winger, but no team is ever going to win a playoff series with Nylander as their top C.

He's probably not going to be much different than his father when all is said and done. A talented but flawed center that will put up points but will be marshmallow soft and disappear in physical games.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Nylander does look great. But the fact is, terrible teams like Toronto usually have a prospect or two like him. It comes from being terrible and drafting in the top 10. Not sure what makes Nylander so special here. If Toronto drafted Virtanen or someone else, people like BigTuna would be parroting the same stuff about them instead.

[codynw]

Stuff like this is why nobody wants to go to Toronto.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by codynw

Stuff like this is why nobody wants to go to Toronto.

The irony of this post is very funny.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

The irony of this post is very funny.

Where's the irony? Everyone wants to go to Vancouver. At least that's what we are told by the people of Vancouver.

[T@T]

I can't feel sorry for them but what Toronto paid Babcock just pissed off every sports team owner everywhere! Bettman must be choked.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Where's the irony? Everyone wants to go to Vancouver. At least that's what we are told by the people of Vancouver.

"This is Why Nobody Wants To Go to Toronto". That is said in an article about the biggest free agent coach signing ever signing and moving to Toronto.

And Cody Franson was on the radio yesterday. He talked how badly he wanted to return to Toronto.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can't feel sorry for them but what Toronto paid Babcock just pissed off every sports team owner everywhere! Bettman must be choked.

Well it's still not that much outside of the NHL.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can't feel sorry for them but what Toronto paid Babcock just pissed off every sports team owner everywhere! Bettman must be choked.

You do realize other league's top paid coaches still make more then Babcock. I doubt they care one bit.

Also, good on Babcock and hopefully others follow him. We want to put so much blame on coaches when the team sucks and get them fired. But ppl like you bitch about them making this much.

If you listen to Hartley and media guys, Hartley is in his office early hours of the morning and doesn't leave till 11pm-midnight. Most coaches are probably like that. The amount of hours they put in everyday, why shouldn't they get paid more?

[Hockey Fan #751]

Originally Posted by Meers

Whoa, the sort of profound, terrifying paradox just struck me that would cause Stephen Hawking's brain to hurt.

Now, Leaf fans tell us that Babcock means a guaranteed Cup for the Leafs.

And Oiler fans tell us that McDavid means a guaranteed Cup for the Oilers.

Doesn't that mean there will need to be TWO STANLEY CUPS????

Or maybe string theory is correct, and alternate dimensions exist in which EACH OF BABCOCK AND MCDAVID WIN CUPS AT THE SAME TIME???

(Or maybe, just maybe, one fan base is going to be terribly disappointed. Again.)

Only one?

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

"This is Why Nobody Wants To Go to Toronto". That is said in an article about the biggest free agent coach signing ever signing and moving to Toronto.

And Cody Franson was on the radio yesterday. He talked how badly he wanted to return to Toronto.

Everyone has a price. Maybe Babcock is happy in Toronto in the long run, who knows? The bottom line is he signed there because they paid him an absurd amount of money and gave him ridiculous term. He probably would've stayed in Detroit but they didn't have the stomach to give Babcock more money/term than they thought he was worth. It's hardly ironic, the Leafs just have more money than brains, that's all.

Good chance you guys get Franson I think. He's tailor made to play on bad teams as he clearly proved he can't hack it on a good one. He'll fit right in on a roster that is comprised mostly of overpaid players that don't win.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

So they might be 10 years away? How long are rebuilds?

Yeah....they might still be 10 years away. All depends on how draft picks pan out moving forward. This years picks will be 2-3 years away from making an impact sans the 4th overall pick. Same with next year and the year after...etc.

As for how long can rebuilds take? Look no further than the Oilers...they are in year 8 of theirs. Now they have rebuilt twice in that time frame but all the same, if the right pieces are not selected/added, then it can take a very very long time to get things turned around.....and that is with some universally accepted young studs on that club....not maybes/unknowns like Reilly and Nylander.

Toronto is in for a very long painful stretch, but if done right will pay off at some point.

So yes....it will take 4/5/6 years before they see any real chance of contending.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Yeah....they might still be 10 years away. All depends on how draft picks pan out moving forward. This years picks will be 2-3 years away from making an impact sans the 4th overall pick. Same with next year and the year after...etc.

As for how long can rebuilds take? Look no further than the Oilers...they are in year 8 of theirs. Now they have rebuilt twice in that time frame but all the same, if the right pieces are not selected/added, then it can take a very very long time to get things turned around.....and that is with some universally accepted young studs on that club....not maybes/unknowns like Reilly and Nylander.

Toronto is in for a very long painful stretch, but if done right will pay off at some point.

So yes....it will take 4/5/6 years before they see any real chance of contending.

Yet it didn't take the Flames 10 years.

This is "Worst Case Scenario". In otherwords, hope it will take 10 years.

The Oilers issues is everything they did aside from the top picks were horrific moves.

I'll take Babcxock/Shanahan over the morons the Oilers had for years.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Everyone has a price. Maybe Babcock is happy in Toronto in the long run, who knows? The bottom line is he signed there because they paid him an absurd amount of money and gave him ridiculous term. He probably would've stayed in Detroit but they didn't have the stomach to give Babcock more money/term than they thought he was worth. It's hardly ironic, the Leafs just have more money than brains, that's all.

Good chance you guys get Franson I think. He's tailor made to play on bad teams as he clearly proved he can't hack it on a good one. He'll fit right in on a roster that is comprised mostly of overpaid players that don't win.

Yet no one said thst would matter prior to his signing. The Leafs were always going to give him ridiculous money.

And to point out, Toronto was #2 in contract terms to Buffalo. Yet he didn't go there for more money and term.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

And to point out, Toronto was #2 in contract terms to Buffalo. Yet he didn't go there for more money and term.

Source? I must have missed this.

[JohnnySkittles]

Yeah, pretty sure it was the opposite. Toronto was #1 and Buffalo #2 in terms of term and money.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

I'll take Babcxock/Shanahan over the morons the Oilers had for years.

What exactly has Shanahan proven? He could easily be another Lowe, it's too early to tell. He's nothing more than another hire based off his name (like Linden) until proven otherwise.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Yet it didn't take the Flames 10 years.

This is "Worst Case Scenario". In otherwords, hope it will take 10 years.

The Oilers issues is everything they did aside from the top picks were horrific moves.

I'll take Babcxock/Shanahan over the morons the Oilers had for years.

Sure, granted Toronto has a few solid young players already to add to Nylander and whoever they pick up this year. But a large part of the Flames' quick turnaround was having an undrafted no-name develop into one of the very best defensemen and captains in the world, which is not something I would hang my hat on the Leafs being able to replicate.

The Flames also didn't have two massive distractions looming over the team the way Toronto does with Kessel and Phaneuf. Calgary was able to find success precisely because no individual player was bigger than the team, and I can't see those two ever fitting into that kind of system. This is especially true given the conditions of the market they play in.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by transplant99

So yes....it will take 4/5/6 years before they see any real chance of contending.

If it takes 4 or more years for them to be contending I would imagine Babcock and Shanahan will be on their last legs. It's easy to preach and buy into patience in the summer but that organization, media and fan base has never had the stomach for it. After two years if they still stink the knives will be out in full force.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Yet it didn't take the Flames 10 years.

No it didn't, but Calgary wasn't saddled with the boat anchor contracts that the Leafs are....and that makes a massive difference.

This is "Worst Case Scenario". In otherwords, hope it will take 10 years.

Worst case scenario? I suppose. It could take even longer however. My point was that it can take that long....the Oilers aren't the only team that has spun their wheels that long either but make the best example as they have had all those #1 overall picks along with all the money in the world to spend. Hasn't made a lick of difference.

The Oilers issues is everything they did aside from the top picks were horrific moves.

Right..and even the top picks have some questions about them. Again though, the Leafs have some of the very same issues now. Babcock is a great coach, there is no doubt about that. We have NO idea how good Shanahan is as a player personnel guy nor anyone else in that capacity currently on staff. So we cant even project that part of things.

The best chef in the world cant make a gourmet meal with canned vegetables and frozen hamburger. They need the proper ingredients.

I'll take Babcxock/Shanahan over the morons the Oilers had for years.

Babcock sure...Shanahan has zero track record as a GM and that is where the rebuild works or doesn't...period.