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

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Nylander was just named the 8th best prospect in the world. Nothing there?

The 4th pick will be very good.

Well, you do have superstar Roman Polak, so there's that too.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Well the Leafs are now ten years out from making the playoffs in an 82 game season so... why don't you tell me?

Saying the Leafs have nothing was as accurate as saying Babcock would never go to Toronto.

Everything is so negative. It's ridiculous.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by heep223

Kadri is the most overrated player on the team (by leafs fans).

As poster above says, likely 4-5 years of pain (as Babcock also said numerous times).

No. Statistically he's very good and underutilized. He can get 50+ points a season with no PP time.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Saying the Leafs have nothing was as accurate as saying Babcock would never go to Toronto.

Everything is so negative. It's ridiculous.

Dude, What do you want? Your claims last year about how great the Leafs were ridiculous then they fail and you disappear.

Now they hire a good coach and you're back loving your leafs.

Leafs centers, wings, defence, goaltending is probably worst in their division outside of Buffalo who have some top prospects coming through.

So keep living in your bubble but spare us.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Dude, What do you want? Your claims last year about how great the Leafs were ridiculous then they fail and you disappear.

Now they hire a good coach and you're back loving your leafs.

Leafs centers, wings, defence, goaltending is probably worst in their division outside of Buffalo who have some top prospects coming through.

So keep living in your bubble but spare us.

You mean their wingers are the best in the division.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

If I had a nickel for every "I am outraged at Buffalo's tanking!" post on this board...

Give it up already. Every thread that even sort of relates to the Sabres has the same people posting the same post verbatim over and over. We get it. You're annoying.

You mean the same way every other fanbase feels about your team taking a hot dump like over the integrity of the game?

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

You mean their wingers are the best in the division.

You mean the group that finished 2nd last in their division is best? After Kessel and JVR it's whole lot of nothing.

Which group would you take?

Kucherov, Callahan, Palat, Drouin
Kessell, JVR, Komarov, Lupul
Pacioretty, Gallaghar
Zetterberg, Tatar, Nyquist, Abdelkader
Ryan, Hoffman, Stone, Michalek
Lucic, Eriksson, Marchand, Smith, Pasternak
Huberdeau, Hayes, Jagr

I guess my bad. Not the 2nd worst but one of the worst. I'd easily take Tampa, Ottawa, Detroit and Boston. You'd be equal to Montreal and likely surpassed by both Buffalo and Florida soon. Good luck.

[northcrunk]

It's pretty funny Babcock calling himself in the 3rd person. The NHL version of Bob Dole.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

You mean the group that finished 2nd last in their division is best? After Kessel and JVR it's whole lot of nothing.

Which group would you take?

Kucherov, Callahan, Palat, Drouin
Kessell, JVR, Komarov, Lupul
Pacioretty, Gallaghar
Zetterberg, Tatar, Nyquist, Abdelkader
Ryan, Hoffman, Stone, Michalek
Lucic, Eriksson, Marchand, Smith, Pasternak
Huberdeau, Hayes, Jagr

I guess my bad. Not the 2nd worst but one of the worst. I'd easily take Tampa, Ottawa, Detroit and Boston. You'd be equal to Montreal and likely surpassed by both Buffalo and Florida soon. Good luck.

Heck even Buffalo's top 6 wingers group has guys like Moulson, E. Kane, and Ennis. We're in the conversation.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

It's pretty funny Babcock calling himself in the 3rd person. The NHL version of Bob Dole.

That, plus turning this into a LeBron James "decision" event, plus kind of using Buffalo as a stalking horse, plus the "Canada's team" line, might turn Babcock into a bit of a prima donna in the public's eyes.

[northcrunk]

Mike Babcock likes Mike Babcock money

[Erick Estrada]

I love all the hoopla about hiring the greatest head coach in the history of the NHL who now refers to himself in the 3rd person yet during this great coach's introductory news conference all he talks about is how low expectations should be and how they are going to suck for years during the "process". They could have saved all that money and hired Dallas Eakins if hitting rock bottom is the master plan.

Does the great Mike Babcock not have the faith in his own coaching skills that he can't do a fairly quick turnaround with a lottery team? I guess as great as he thinks he is, deep down he feels he's no Bob Hartley.

[bubbsy]

Remember when BigTuna was boasting how Gardiner > Brodie

On the topic of the leafs.... good hire.

I have 2 questions however:
1) Who's the GM??
Toronto was deemed a complex management structure for a new GM to come into. Now a coach has been hired, traditionally, a GM responsibility. Definitely helps that the Coach is one of the best out there, but still, a new GM has a few ways to leave an imprint on his team, and a coach is a big one. Curious how this affects the GM hunt in TO.

2) Rebuild/Retool?
i just don't see the leafs ripping this thing down to the ground. I'm not so sure the leafs move out kessel/phaneuf, i wouldn't be shocked if they do, but it seems viable that they keep a lot of what they got and see what happens, while growing through the draft/youth. This was a playoff bubble team until they called it in, and fired the coach. their roster really doesn't justify a lottery pick, it's of bubble team quality. They got some good picks last year, will again this year, have some of their core that is still very young, maybe they try to retool and grow from there.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

That, plus turning this into a LeBron James "decision" event, plus kind of using Buffalo as a stalking horse, plus the "Canada's team" line, might turn Babcock into a bit of a prima donna in the public's eyes.

Kind of an insult to James to compare him to Babcock as at least LeBron told Heat fans in his introductory conference that they were going to win not one but multiple championships. Babcock makes an event of his coaching decision, holding teams hostage while he makes his big decision about which is going to get the privilege of his employment. That's one thing but then has the audacity to say in his introductory conference that the Leafs are still going to suck under him. He's basically saying he shouldn't have to be judged like former Leafs coaches because he's Mike Babcock.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

You mean their wingers are the best in the division.

Laughable. The Lightning's top 7 forwards alone (Stamkos, Filppula, Johnson, Kucherov, Palat, Killorn, Callahan) are better than the entire Leafs roster and entire farm pool combined. And Drouin is still a higher level prospect than anyone Toronto has.

And that's the team you need to get past to win the division, nevermind beating them in a playoff series. Toronto is 5 years away at least, and that's if they draft well which given their recent history, means they probably are 10 years away.

[Da_Chief]

Great Babcock media scrum as he leaves the Wings.

http://www.tsn.ca/video/babcock-i-wa...lenge-1.288971

Loved the honesty and candid answers.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Nylander was just named the 8th best prospect in the world. Nothing there?

The 4th pick will be very good.

I will assume this ranking was by Corey Pronman who's been in love with Nylander and ranks him much higher than anyone else.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Great Babcock media scrum as he leaves the Wings.

http://www.tsn.ca/video/babcock-i-wa...lenge-1.288971

Loved the honesty and candid answers.

He seems like a really good guy. People should watch this.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

The Cowboys are Dallas' team. They are Jerry's team. They are not America's team by any means, ask any knowledgeable nfl fan. Patriots Redskins Giants likely have similar fan bases by volume. Packers Bears likely have more committed and more dedicated fan bases by longevity.

Some stupid moniker does not make the cowboys "americas team" any more than babcock proclaiming toronto makes them "Canadas team".

The Leafs are Toronto's team. The Cowboys are Dallas' team. end of story.

Actually as a very knowledgeable fan it is quite known that the Cowboys are referred to as "America's Team".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_Team

But it doesn't really mean anything outside of a media thing.

[BigTuna]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/d...e-than-sabres/


Great article from usual Leaf-Hater, Cox.