The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced head coach Randy Carlyle has been fired. No word from the club yet as to his replacement.
Randy Carlyle relieved of his duties as Maple Leafs head coach.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: So the Leafs make the move they should have made last summer, rather than not only stick with Carlyle for another season but also signing him to a contract extension. While the Leafs can easily afford to pay out the remainder of Carlyle’s contract, this merely serves as yet another example of how poorly run this organization truly is. The Leafs were among the worst puck-possession and defensive teams in the NHL last season. There was no reason to believe they were going to significantly improve in that area.
While the players bear their share of the blame, as well as management for building this roster, it was apparent at the end of last season the Leafs needed a coaching change. This isn’t hindsight on my part, as I said last May retaining Carlyle as head coach made no sense. And I was just part of a large, loud choir.
So, what’s the plan now? Do they aggressively search for a replacement? Do they promote one of their assistant coaches on an interim or full-time basis? Do they wait for the off-season and hope to woo Detroit Red Wings bench boss Mike Babcock? Carlyle may be gone but the Leafs head coaching saga seems far from over, and there’s still have a season to play with a playoff berth on the line.
Good riddance.
unless the leafs offer a boatload of cash to babcock I don’t see him coming to the mess that is the leafs lineup!
Until the Leafs focus on the actual hockey being played rather than smoke and mirrors to impress the media Toronto will remain a bottom feeder.
It has been 48 years since Harold Ballard brought the Leafs an atmosphere of failure.
The Leafs have the money to have the best development and drafting in the NHL but instead keep looking to quick fixes and band aids.
If there is an organization with a worse culture of losing than Edmonton it is TO.
well they don’t and never will theire scouting staff and director of player procurement/ player pesonel sucks and until they hire a trevor timmins they will still be very below par i drafting
They hired Hunter in the fall to take over the scouting &player development department…judging by the success he had building the London Knights Id say he has a pretty decent eye for evaluating young players.
They may take some time and wait, but I doubt it all tied to wainting on Babcock, there are going 5o be some good candidates and they may want to get the biggest possible pool to choose from which will come after the playoffs, and I am not certain that its not a legitimate shot for Horachek to take over tho that seems less likely.
Bylsma?
Please no, he couldn’t do anything when it counted with crosby and malking. What would he do with the leafs?
Quick! Where’s Torts when you need him? He’d teach Kessel how to block shots. 🙂
Lets not kid ourselves- Leafs weren’t planning on firing Randy- until he pulled a Paul Maclean with the “these are the players I have” schtick. He wanted out. Unless this is followed with a major move- it will not serve a purpose. I will start the Kessel to insert team here, for prospects and picks….drum…its time
Doubt any earth shattering trades happen now, they just fired the coach…deadline if they are out of the playoffs. Wont be Kessel then either. If they miss the playoffs or are out of it by then a couple deals might be made for picks and the next GM I doubt it would be Nonis will be left to deal with the rest around the draft. This move makes more sense than trading to save guys jobs that are on a short leash anyway.
So now the focus shifts to Dave Nonis and the core players. I thought all this would happen after the season but here we go now. Good luck to Horacek and Spott – a couple of home games followed by a four game road trip to California and St. Louis. Talk about jumping into the deep end.
Indeed,
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/o-neill-not-surprised-by-carlyle-firing-1.175894
Definitely and interesting interview from the 5 minute (ish) mark getting Jeff O’Neill’s take on Carlyle being fired. I spoke yesterday about the bad attitude in the dressing room and was roasted for it…well as O’Neill is around the dressing room and the players, he would have an actual opinion of the attitude in the dressing room. When asked his opinion on whether or not the players would have any guilt about Carlyle getting the door, he says and I quote “I dont know how much these guys would think about stuff like that, they just show up and do their thing and they leave. Would they have any guilt about it? I got to be honest, sometimes the way these guys conduct themselves…I’ve got to say highly unlikely.”
So to emphasize the point about attitudes in the dressing room and the need for a culture change, O’Neill basically called out the team as being nothing more than a bunch of self centered prima-donnas. It’s time for Shanny to clean house, not the players that play for the team, the players that play for themselves.
This is not directed at anyone but to start off, Jeff O’Neill is an ass. No media knows what happens in the room or knows the room, they see what they want to see. Anyway you look at this, it’s a great move by the team to dump the coach now, place a new voice and see which players fall in line and which still won’t.
This is a process and if you don’t get that, well… Most people pegged this team not to make the playoffs or a bubble team at best. That is exactly where they are but I guess fans share in the mentality if you’re not first you’re last.
You can call Jeff O’Neill whatever you want, but the fact is as a former player what he sees is probably considerably more accurate than what a bunch of random readers on Spector’s Hockey come up with.
well said sovtech!!
No one is saying he doesnt know some guys, just calling his judgement in to consideration…again O’Neill had attitude problems second to none, was sat repeatedly for no backchecking not physical etc…remember? maybe one of the most one way players who ever played for the Leafs its a joke now because he sits in a nicey comfortable chair in the studio ” let her rip “Odog”we need listeners!”
Its rediculious jeezus do you take everything a radio dj says serioisly because he may have met a guy or 2 who know? They are being paid to sell avertising O’Neill is not a journalist or a reporter he is personality, and most the reporters (some exceptions Mirtle being one of the better ones) dont really report much they are just there to stir the pot. Reporters report facts dont try and make their own.
and he still knows more about anything that goes on in the nhl than anyone who writes on here!
“Most people pegged this team not to make the playoffs or a bubble team at best. That is exactly where they are …”
Nonis clearly believes this team is better than their current 21 – 16 – 3 record and that’s why he ostensibly fired Carlyle. Does anyone in here truly believe they are a batter team than their record shows? If so, I’ll show you a hapless Pollyana. And that begs the question – why has Nonis been able to hang onto his job? He clearly is no judge of team talent.
No but if I just turmned over half the roster and made the number of changes Nonis did as a GM and sees the way this team is trending (down) I fire the coach…There isnt any other option for the guy who for one built the roster, for 2 say all these “experts” like jeff O’Neill (laughable really) are right and Kessel and Dion and all these guys that Nonis has now signed long term are problems…what does thzt say about how he has done his job? Good luck going to the board and they would probably have to for some of these trades) and saying I made a 64 million dollar mistake. You fire Carlyle first Nonis has no choice he has been responsible for building this team for over 6 years. Trading away all the core meand your judgment was way off.
And I second the call for darker or nolder font…I am not quite as old as George I doubt but no longer young either, grey on grey is tough. lol
self centered prima-donna pretty much describes Phanuff to a tee.
The Toronto Media is brutal. Most of them would sell their mother if it gave them a chance to garner a larger following.
The media is a big part of the problem in TO. When you have people with questionable integrity like Dave Feschuck (the one that put the questions to Phil today and that Phil called an ass) it makes things difficult. By antagonizing Phil at every opportunity does it help the Leafs? I argue no.
In regards to Dave Feschucks credibility and that of the Toronto Star on the whole I will let you guys google and decide. You will notice though other reporters in TO are not calling Feschuck out on his credibility. Why is that exactly.. He is a public figure.
Why is that in the last 20 years no Free Agent stars have chosen to sign with Toronto??? It is more than just the state of the hockey club.
Every player in the NHL sees the Toronto Media as sharks circling for the first sight of blood. Ever since Harold Ballard started waging his war against the NHLPA the media in Toronto has seen it as open season on the Toronto players and it has not stopped for 48 Years.
As much as there is a losing culture in the Toronto hockey club, there is a culture within the news organizations to crucify the local athletes and that must be brought into check.
I guess if the Toronto Star can blame the PM for Obama’s foot-dragging on the Keystone Pipeline their sports reporter is more than justified in posing a valid someone to someone who makes over 8 times for chasing a puck than what a PM or President pulls in yearly. His “response” spoke volumes about his true character. As Doug MacLean said today, Kessel has taken the same approach to the game ever since he played midget. First off the ice to play ping-pong, win or lose, and never taking any personal responsibility for his teams woes. Great leader.
“valid question” – Lyle you really have to adjust your site to allow for type corrections. Also, can you do anything about the faint script when we compose this stuff? It may be alright for a 20 year old with 20-20 vision but it’s a Royal pain in the you-know-what for us older duffers.
Phil Kessel has scored more goals in the NHL since 09/10 than everyone but 3 guys, Stamkos,Perry and Ovechkin. Say whatever you want but the guy gets paid to score goals and is very good at it. He deserves more respect. Sure he goes through slumps but so does everyone else.
I concur with your assessment of the media’s role in this mess that is the Toronto Maple Leafs.By no means are they contributing directly to the team’s on-ice woes, but they certainly exacerbate the situation.
They over-analyze, speculate, pass judgement and leave no stone unturned in their search for a “scoop”, and nothing sells like controversy, misfortune and misery. As one scribe once noted, ” We don’t go to the airport to report on the planes that land safely”.
Yeah, um, some of us wish the media in Toronto would have been asking questions like this all along. ‘Randy, why do you play three lines? Are you aware every other team in the league plays four?”…’Dion, can you explain why you just stand in front of the net while three of your team-mates try to block a shot?” “Phil, do you know the name of a goaltender who plays for your team?”
Definitely and interesting interview from the 5 minute (ish) mark getting Jeff O’Neill’s take on Carlyle being fired. I spoke yesterday about the bad attitude in the dressing room and was roasted for it…well as O’Neill is around the dressing room and the players, he would have an actual opinion of the attitude in the dressing room. When asked his opinion on whether or not the players would have any guilt about Carlyle getting the door, he says and I quote “I dont know how much these guys would think about stuff like that, they just show up and do their thing and they leave. Would they have any guilt about it? I got to be honest, sometimes the way these guys conduct themselves…I’ve got to say highly unlikely.”
So to emphasize the point about attitudes in the dressing room and the need for a culture change, O’Neill basically called out the team as being nothing more than a bunch of self centered prima-donnas. It’s time for Shanny to clean house, not the players that play for the team, the players that play for themselves.
O’Neill critisizing players attitudes eh? …Do you remember the “O’dog” as a player? Honestly.
Again to much like taking everything the media says and running with it…lots of really rich 20-30 that have been told how great they are since they were 7 or 8 years old might not be the least self centered people on the planet…ONeill being a pretty good example of this. Richards and Carter remember them? Gaborik? Same was said about Getzlaf and Perry in Anaheim, Subban and Price Hall in Edmonton Kessler Giroux Kane mugging a cab driver…the list goes on and on all problems when they dont win but leaders once they do.
Quit taking what the media says as gospel.
cause you are around players more than oneil?? who do fans listen too than? anyone can see that kessel is there for him self anyones who tells the captain to STFU is not a team player
Problem with that suggestion, and indeed it’s a popular one, is that no one will take these so called prima donnas. Their reputations are known, who would want to pick up a player like that unless major carrots like 1st round picks and top prospects are dangled along with them.
Sorry, are you saying that nobody would take a player like Kessel without a 1st round pick being dangled with him? Yes, eh’s in the top 10 scoring in the league every year, but you’ll have to sweeten the pot a bit, Jeff O’Neill says he has a bad attitude…
Not that they are trading Kessel. This is a team still in a playoff spot halfway through the season, nobody is blowing up thie roster, they fired a coach everyone knew was going to be fired the next time they had a rough streak. As with everything Leafs overreactions are the norm.
kessel wont need a first dangled with him to get traded! they might be in a playoff spot but even leaf fans can see that they shouldn’t be the way they have played on the defensive side of the puck
I would take Phil Kessel on my team (Wings) any day of the week. The guy is one of the elite wingers in the game, but he has to be used properly and have other vets to take the heat off of him. He’s just not great with the media.
I don’t take it as gospel, I see it as validation of what I already believed. Yes O’Neill was an over paid player that didn’t live up to his hype, but we aren’t talking about his career on the ice. I work with a lot of young prima donnas in my profession. None of these guys are willing to admit it’s their fault when they lose. Look what happened after a few jersey’s hit the ice and Phanuef is publicly called out in a press conference by Simmons. For a brief period he becomes accountable (8-10 games) and they start playing solid hockey. But, as the wins pile up the poor play starts to return and accountability disappears again. Their is pride in that dressing room, some guys wear it on their sleeves, but they are the ones that are battling for ice time, not the ones who feel they are entitled to it. First move new coach should make, is to balance the ice time of all the players over the next few weeks, those that perform, and play solid two way hockey get to play more, those that give up week goals, lazy D, avoid the corners and boards, and float at the blue lines fill in the holes. If Kessel wants to float, then let him, on the PP, and the third line. As much as winning every game is important, instilling accountability and a sense of pride will take the team further when it counts.
what we have forgotten or fail to see is that even though the team made major house cleaning moves in the off season, by relieving some of the old boys in the front office and injecting some new blood there with bright young hockey minds; turned over almost half the roster thus gaining a playable bottom 6 but still, even though they were winning and beating a lot of very good teams last month, still didn’t hide the fact that the team was still trending in the wrong direction. Their advance stats, possession or shot totals (whatever metric you want to use) where still not where they should be when they should of been.
Whose to blame? Coach? Players? Management? Well now that there has been changes to all three, we will have to wait for the next changes which will be players being moved followed by management and coach again…round and round we go, adding on to the 45+ years and waiting.
I 100% agree with you that there is pride among players, and every so often players need to be called out to up their effort, but every 10 games or so? Seriously? These are professional athletes who all their lives were goal oriented, worked hard and did everything they needed to do get drafted or get signed into the NHL. This is proof the leadership is poor. Nonis, Carlyle, Phanuef, Kessel and etc. I remember watching a Carlyle interview where he said “It is not my job to motivate these players, my job is to coach them.” Well i am sorry, I have coached for about 20 years and when I can not longer motivate my team/players, it is time to move on. Motivating your player IS a large part of coaching. If a coach cannot show/explain the players how the system will benefit them and the team they will not be motivated to execute it. Sure you will always have star players who are hard headed…aka Kessel…so instead of coddling him, treat him like Jake Gardiner and put him in the press box for a game or two. Remember how well Kessel played after being picked last at the All-Star game. No star enjoys being called out…Carlyle never called out his stars like he did Reimer, Rielly, Gardiner and most of all Kadri…and it cost him his job and may cost the Leafs the season again.
How many Leaf coaches have been fired with a winning record?
This team is where it should be in the standings-maybe even doing better than expected until CBJ and Bruins move past them.
LEAFS
This is an absolute ….JOKE!!
Kessel & Phaneuf are …..AWEFULL !!!!
This team is built wrong
And Nonis has signed players to terrible contracts …this team is flawed below average …in its leadership and the single reason it will go no where.
So sick and tired watching this core play the way they do and getting by on the flashes of quality hockey they muster on a single occasion every month !
Absolute turmoil !
Liewicki is leaving …
( good for him he can see the dissfunction and has had enough )
Nonis is a stooge !!!….Terrible GM for the Leafs they have mis read the character and quality of players and have signed to many guys to the wrong contracts !
Fire a quality coach that has CRAP core lazy low hockey IQ players
Your #1 D man and captain is really a 2- 4 D man and a poor leader
Your main so called star ( Kessel ) is a dead weight – floater sucky baby spoiled rotten came to camp out of shape and is now showing it …disgrace of a hockey player and needs to GO RIGHT NOW !
TRADE HIM TODAY !!
This is in NO WAY Carlyles fault …anyone who has any hockey sense and even just a little bit of hockey sense for that matter can see that the top 2 lines on this club and the leadership front is dreadful and needs to GO >>>>NOW!!!
No Number 1 D man
No true power forward on the top 2 lines maybe ( Komorav)
To many bad long term contracts ( again )
Poor leadership on the ice ( cant keep leads )
Poor defensive players
No franchise player …sorry Kessel aint it !!!
The quality coach did the same thing with a better team, in Anaheim…but go on tell us how you really feel… Torts won a cup too not sure how many are saying he is a quality coach now? Same as a guy like Crawford, Kennan…if winning a cup makes such a valuable coach how come some of these guys have such a hard time getting back in the league? 1 Cup is not the only thing that defines “quality coach”.
Torts might actually be good for this team…short term
Like he was in Vancouver? This is not a Torts team. Nor was Vancouver. A huge mistake taking the job in the 1st place.
simple fix: Scotty Bowman
Maybe hes tired of being successful all the time and can join us for awhile now that we got a president who wont turn him down
You couldn’t have hit it better. I also think that like him or not, Don Cherry’s banter about having more Canadians on our team is right on the money. Players who show up to games putting a Leaf sweater on and playing with the pride the franchise represents.
Wow that’s weak. Both Don’s and your opinions about the lack of Canadian players being a big problem, is ridiculous. They are playing for the franchise, not the country. It comes down to individual pride and work ethic. Just an example but Yzmerman playing for Detroit sure showed a lot of pride for a Canadian playing on an American team. The amount of examples that prove how wrong that is, is endless. Why does your country of origin determine your dedication to the team? Just stupid. You get both sides no matter what country the players are from. That means that some Canadians don’t have the same dedication as some Russians or Swedes or where ever! Crazy right?! My god, what a childish argument.
Yup, that’s why Alfie didn’t work out in Ottawa, Koivu didn’t last in Montreal and Anaheim only kept Sellane until he was 62 years old. Boston would be ok with a tough, strong Canadian instead of a weak plug like Chara. Tell me that JVR isn’t as tough as a Canadian kid…he took a puck in the mouth in the last game and stayed in. the 2 hardest playing and toughest guys on the Leafs are Komarov and Pollack, neitgher of them are from Sudbury i’m afraid.
This is in NO WAY Carlyles fault …anyone who has any hockey sense and even just a little bit of hockey sense for that matter can see that the top 2 lines on this club and the leadership front is dreadful and needs to GO >>>>NOW!!!
Hahahahahaha!!! Breathe, hahahahaha!
Thanks for the laugh SS. You sure know what you’re talking about.
it might be a bit carlyles fault but lets be honest ron its the players on the ice that aren’t listen doing there job or showing up sometimes for that matter! if you think a new coach is gonna turn this team around its time for a lesser shade of rose colored glasses
Really think they are coach killers? How many coaches Giroux Taveres Malkin Crosby been thru in the same ammount of time as Kessel and the prima donnas?
when the majority of the media ex coaches ex players are saying it than yes I do! whose yours source that says otherwise?
Doesnt really surprise me nor do I care particularly what you think jello but honestly what do you think a coach who still hasnt got a job since being fired almost 3 years ago from the Leafs is going to say? “Phil was a great guy it was all my fault…” lol Kessel gets paid to score goals, not block shots, not “lead the team” he is top 5 in points (what he gets paid for) over the past 4 years. If they want a better team get a better coach and better players to play around him. How bout a center better than Bozak or guys like Clarkson making 5 mill and 3 guys to play D.instead of the 3 AHL defensemen they got playing for them now Holzer Robidas Polak there are lots of issues with this team the coach was a big one. If you actually looked at things from before he was a Leaf you would see its the same issues he had with the Ducks. Piss poor posession team that won a cup despite of him as a coach, once the Norris winning D left. Ryan and other young guys sitting underdeveloped, rolling 3 line leaning to much on top line, guys like Getzlaff were called uncoacahble…blah blah blah same thing different team.
Can anyone find anywhere where “writers” aka hacks, get away with writing crap like this of their stars on a daily basis:
“… the real slump, with Kessel, is arguably inside his rib cage. No heart, no grit, no hockey IQ and precious little accountability.”
If only she added talent which would complete the wacky statement or is that what she is implying with hockey IQ?
lmao cmon shticky quit trying to bash randy so much! your trying to convince yourself that it is the coaches fault!! phil kessle makes 8mill a yr and he cant backcheck? yells at his own teammates? flips out on a reporter on a simple yes or no question and comes into camp out of shape? if you cant see he is a bit of a cancer on this team you are very blind!
After tomorrows game, Peter Horachek will be promoted as an Interim for the remainder of the season as he has had success as a possession coach taking over midway through. The Leafs will wait to see if Babcock is available, if he is not the Leafs will look at either making Horachek coach full time or pursuing Debeor or Bylsma. This is my prediction.
Id say Mclennan depending on how the Sharks finnish could also have a good shot.
Sorry McLellan…long day already lol
Nah, give Jamie McLennan a shot, I like that out of the box kind of idea! 🙂
It’s funny how the story is always patience at the beginning of the year, 5 year plan, etc, etc. by November fire everyone, trade everyone. Mid-season in playoff position, fire coach (though rightly) trade everyone, start over….if you go by some of these comments the only way to get better would be to trade away every player and fire the entire management and coaching staff, so basically get yourself to the point of a new expansion team. they always do well. They have quite a few good players, more than they had last year. they could make the playoffs, aren’t going to win a cup, aren’t going to get the 1st overall pick. Look at them5 years ago and they’ve made progress. they are a better team and have a better minor league system than in the past, they are definitely not in the time to panic ‘cuz we’re screwed position some seem to think. And this is not a team of castoffs that no other team would possibly want, despite what some think.
I think that Babcock will resign with Detroit. Illitch is an owner that is fair and loyal to his charges, and they tend to return in kind.
Chances are you will see DeBeor or Bylsma behind the bench next year, unless another big name becomes available after the playoffs.
I think Babcock may want to come to Toronto for a reason. He’s a fairly young, ambitious coach who has had a lot of success. There is an argument to be made that being the guy to bring the Leafs to a cup after such a long drought could be one of the biggest and most difficult achievements in professional sports, up there with coaching the Cubs to a pennant. If he is that ambitious and ownership gives him the leeway and authority he’d want then I think it could be something that could happen. He’s won the cup, he’s won the Olympics, he’s been successful at every level, what bigger challenge is there for him at this point?
I’d agree with that thinking, though there are always cautionary tales that might steer Babcock away from T.O.
A similar thing just happened in England’s Premier League (soccer), where a very successful manager, David Moyes, left a long, extremely successful career at a mid-sized club, Everton, to go to Manchester United, biggest club in the World. Due to failed expectations (whether his fault or not), he was fired less than a year later and now manages a much smaller club in Spain. Not a bad recovery, but I doubt it was his choice. I imagine he wishes he was still at Everton, surpassing moderate expectations.
For Babcock, I am sure he is ambitious and guiding the Leafs to glory would entice him. But maybe he doesn’t think the lineup is good enough for that to be possible right now? Maybe he loves Detroit and he’s just driving up the price and will stay with them no matter what? Or maybe he stays with Detroit because, as the saying goes, “Better the devil you know…”
I agree him coming to T.O. is possible, but if I was the Leafs, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
fair enough, though Everton is maybe not comparable to Detroit, I don’t think Detroit is a mid market for NHL being an original 6, but that’s a bit of a quibble, your rationale is right. I have nothing to back this up but have a feeling that Babcock may even want a shot at being coach and GM, hasn’t been done here since Quinn and can’t think of another team that does that now, except Edmonton in the short-term and they are not a team to hold up as an example of how things should be done. I would like to see Babcock come here though, after Ron Wilson and Randy Carlyle the Leafs may be in danger of scaring off good coaches as the media here is ridiculous…what other city would have articles in the paper about the coach having difficulty with the toaster in 24/7? Also Babcock would be giving up a significant amount of free pizza, but would probably get a good deal on a cell phone and cable from Bell and Rogers…
I’ll agree with you regarding the challenge that Toronto and the media circus brings. I also think that Babcock would definately be up for the task. I just don’t see Illitch letting Babcock walk without matching any offer, short of dual role in order to keep him in the “family”.
babcock doesn’t want to coach a project,and the leafs are just that a project plus why would he leave detroit ? he see what they have there with there young talent and their future and it’s way brighter than the leafs he won’t go there period
If you think Babcock is the holy Mecca and savior of this team you are wrong. We should have cleared house years ago and dumped everyone.
Please clean house and rebuild properly. I’d rather wait another 8 years and actually have a good team rather than watch this circus unfold for another 50 years.
Scotty bowman couldn’t help us at this point. I’d rather see the whole Marlies team than watch this dis functional bunch of toddlers.
OK, so this again? Burke came in and guess what? he replaced the entire management team and every single player. in his 3rd season Schenn was the longest serving leaf…by far. so they’re in 6th place in the east and it’s time to get rid of every single player and all management again, and start over. This time we’ll wait patiently for 8 years? that’ll happen.,
Lol Burke came in and traded draft picks for Phil remember? That is not a rebuild. That is a bad call by a bully of a GM.
Do it properly or don’t do it at all. Look at what Jarmo Kekalinen (spelling) did with CBJ. Yes he traded guys, it he also got rid of high priced babies and he now has a good squad playing every night.
The Leafs have been treading water for years and keep going under. I love my leafs but if you think we’re okay and everything is great. You’re silly.
didn’t say everything was ok, obviously there are some issues. of course CBJ is better, that’s why they are BELOW Toronto int he standings. What i’m saying is it makes no sense at all to say there is nothing good in this team, get rid of it all, that’s ridiculous. Burke traded draft picks for a 21 year old forward who has more points every year he plays than he did the previous year…for tyler segan, which worked out great for boston. and that’s hindsight, which is an easy call to make isn’t it? all you’re saying to do is abandon all the progress they’ve made, dump everyone, including the guy in the top 10 for scoring every year, a real starting goaltender, morgan reilly, kadri and lots of other better than average players. Rebuild from scratch and make no mistakes when you do it or else there’ll be comments like ‘he traded draft picks for kessel…’ sounds reasonable and quite easy, guess that’s why it’s worked out so well for Edmonton.
Okay let’s be realistic for one minute. Do you see Kessel ever hoisting the Stanley cup with the leafs? I personally do not. I like certain players. JVR, Riley, komarov, even Kadri at times. But over half the team is junk and we have no budding stars in the minors.
We have no Stanley cup winners on the roster except Bernier….. As a back up. What do we really have? Ya Kessel is great when he wants to be. The guys fat and has one damn move on the ice. A four year old knows what he’s going to do. Come off the half boards and try and snipe it.
Yes “HE” gets better every year but the Leafs don’t, that’s the problem.
I wouldn’t say CBJ’s are the better team, But they have also been dealing with more injuries than any other team this year. (244 man games lost) They are 8 points behind Toronto with 3 games in hand. Quietly, Columbus has been one of the better teams in the league recently.
Must be a lot of 4 year old goalies in the league then, because he scores a lot of goals. Who are the players you would qualify as junk? How many of these players would not be signed by another team if they were free agents, which I would say is how you could define them as junk. They of course have possession issues, defensive issues and did not buy into Carlyle’s system. you’ve now gone from scrap them all to half of them being junk, so that’s omething. you don’t see progress? they missed the playoffs 9 years in a row, now they are a bubble team that with some effort should make the playoffs every year. this is actually how you build a team. building a team is not getting rid of everyone, then you win the Stanley cup…it takes time. There always have and always will be snipers who are called floaters, but they serve a necessary role. Mogilny wasn’t a strong defensive player, but they needed his scoring. Pavel Bure is in the hall of fame, don’t think he ever went into the defensive zone further than the blue line. Kessel has to score, and he does. Of course he could improve, but if you build the team up by getting rid of him you’ll be out looking for a scorer…
You have some very valid points but when guys are refusing to buy into Any system, there is a problem with the players. We’ve seen 4 coaches in the last 8 seasons. It’s not the coaches!!! It’s the players. When I reference CBJ, they’ve moved out enigma players, Nash, Gaborik, Carter etc. they have built a nice young core of players who compete. Murray, Johanssen etc.
We’ve struck out in the draft in multiple years aside from Riely and Kadri to a lesser extent. Or we haven’t had a pick at all. I don’t see this core of players taking us anywhere. Maybe we can finish in 9th or 10th. Then you can say next year is the year like I’ve been saying for 28 years.
Just to add. Bure never won a cup and AlMo was on a stacked team when he won a cup. Fat Phil doesn’t have that luxury. Dion doesn’t have that luxury.
What point are you trying to make that Kessel amd Phaneuf are some how responsible for the guys Nonis and Burke have brought in? Not sure Nylander is exactly “striking out” Schenn led to JVR…I agree a Nonis kinda (really) sucks but Im not sure after reading your posts what you are getting at by calling Phil fat and saying because a manager didnt bring in better players its somehow Phil and Dions fault?… Are you drunk?
My point is we can’t win with who we have. I’m saying we need a proper rebuild. We can’t win with the guys we have. No coach can fix the issue. That’s my point or points
Heard a great comment today about successful teams – they all have a core of five or more exceptional players. Name five exceptional players on the Leafs.
Having said that, I look forward to seeing this group under Horachek. Hopefully we’ll see some prospects from the Marlies as well before the season ends.
Let’s see what happens. I’m hoping for the best but I really don’t expect much. I’m trying to think of the last time a new coach came in and actually made a significant difference for a team. Sutter in LA maybe? Once again, we dont have the right group of guys to win.
Berube last year turned around a bad Flyers team with huge issues and got them to the playoffs, Boudreau took over the Ducks who were a mess with Randy turned them around… there are some examples out there…the Leafs still might make the playoffs but I think they are heading in the right direction with some of the changes since Shanny has got there.
Interesting listening to Horachek, kept bringing up and using the word “accountability”. Like I said earlier, there is a culture of no accountability in this club. All you need to do is watch these guys after the they make a bad play. Their body language doesn’t look much different than if they were taking a bad penalty. Really really pay attention to the body language on the ice, as a team, these guys do not communicate, and regardless of whatever you hear the players say in the dressing room, they don’t have each others backs. There have been multiple times where I have watched the glaring stares these guys have given each other after a bad play that reminds me of a team of 8 year old boys all pointing the finger at the guy who made the mistake.
Randy getting canned is long overdue but no matter who comes in to take over has a mess to deal with.Clarkson, Phaneuf and Kessel have 3 relatively ugly contracts that make them largely untradeable to any of the other 29 teams complete.
It’s been suggested that Dion and Phil are prima donna’s who dont give a s**t about anybody else but themselves. Maybe that is true I don’t know; but the team, on the ice is a dysfunctional mess including both of these players and their performance.
Fans tossing jersey’s on the ice in disgust? Really? Ok, you made your point at the time; but nothing has changed in the character aspect of this team inside that dressing room that shows to us all.
Mike Babcock would be nuts to come to Toronto; no matter how much money we threw at him. Not sure any coach deserves the sh*tshow that is Toronto but there is always some poor coach who needs a job who is highly skilled and knowledgeable believing that he can make a difference. I wish you well and will laud your feats in doing that very thing.
Many have tried since 1967 so you have my blessing and sincere hope that your relationship with management is beyond the ice and you can actually convince that ” old school” think shop that the product on the ice, in relation to the price being charged for admission, is not worth it and actually make a difference