The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the bidding war for the services of now-former Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, signing him to an eight-year, $50 million contract.Â
Mike Babcock is the new head coach of the Maple Leafs.
 SPECTOR’S NOTE: After weeks of speculation and reports claiming the Leafs had little or no chance to sign Babcock, they outbid the Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres for his services. Babcock claimed that his decision wasn’t all about the money, but the Leafs gave him 50 million reasons to join them.
Babcock, 52, faces the biggest test of his lengthy and successful NHL career: helping turn the moribund Maple Leafs, who’ve made the playoffs only once since 2005-06, into not just a perennial playoff contender, but also a Stanley Cup contender. That’s the mission statement of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, who must also hire a new general manager andrestock his front office before the NHL Draft next month.
The new Leafs head coach is likely to have considerable sway in player decisions and the makeup of his coaching staff. When training camp opens in September, Babcock could have a roster considerably different from the Leafs’ current one. Top stars Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf are among those believed on the trade block this summer. Perhaps the addition of Babcock changes their trade status. Perhaps not.Â
 Landing Babcock was a big catch for the Leafs, but their fans must not expect him to produce instant success. The club is undergoing a complete overhaul, which means it could take three seasons (depending on their draft picks, trades and free-agent signings over this period) to at least make them a playoff contender. It will take time, but with Babcock behind the bench, it could prove well worth it.Â
I think this is good for a bunch of reasons. I think he’s more respected than Carlyle so the players will listen and maybe come into camp more prepared **cough** Kessel **cough**. there won’t be any more “I skated 10 times all summer” quotes, that’s for sure. Also I think this makes Toronto more attractive to players with control over where they get traded and for signing free agents. I think this is the biggest news to hit Toronto since they signed Curtis Joseph (the first time) or got Pat Burns out of Montreal, good move and will help in many ways.
Spot on Lyle,
We need patience from everyone in Leafs org to be on the on same page from top to bottom. Most exciting news we Leaf fans have had in some time. #Hopespringseternal
Wow.. Now that’s a lot of money.I truly thought he was staying put in Detroit.
Babcock has now raised the coaching bar for sure on this contract and hopefully in a few years time,the Leafs resembles a team on the rise.
*Still laughing at the haters so hard he is crying*
What did McLellan sign for in Edmonton? Just as Rogers, owners of the Lefs, impacted the salary cap by signing that massive tv deal the Leafs have now changed the salary structure for coaches in the NHL…hope McLellan got decent money ‘cuz he may have signed a day too early.
Very smart by the Oilers to get him while the getting is good. Very good coach that is cheaper than he would be today. Weird 2 bad Canadian clubs doing big things on consecutive days.
I hope you don’t think I’m a Leaf hater or a Babcock hater.I’m happy for him as a coach and person as I do believe he can and will help the Leafs going forward.
I just truly thought he was staying put in Detroit but thumbs up to the Shannaplan for pulling off this signing
I agree Lyle it’s going to take three years for sure if they do it properly. my question now will they break down to bear bones or will they see what they have with Kessel under Babcock will do I am hoping they move him but only for the right price
They keep him, if only for the reason that you don’t trade him at his lowest value. he is coming off the worst season of his career, why trade him now? He comes in under a good coach, new team attitude and he goes back to his normal level of scoring.
Doubt one season where the entire team tanked hurts his trade value much. Fact is, Leafs are years away from becoming competitve so keeping Kessel doen’t make much sense and you don’t build a team around a winger. He should fetch 2-3 assets this summer.
There is no reason outside the money & challenge for Babcock to make this move and he won’t bring some dream success story to the Leafs. But good for them for doing something to appease the fan base and maybe bring a new culture to the Leafs locker room and quite likely player development.
I do feel sorry for Babcock however for 3 reasons.
1. He will probably suffer his first losing season of his NHL career next year.
2. By November the media will be calling him overpaid and a waste of money.
3. By Feb, when it is clear he didn’t deliver a cup right away the more vocal (and obscene) Leafs fans will be calling for his head.
As a Senators fan I am much happier having Babby with the Leafs then with Buffalo or still in Detroit that is for sure.
Well pat yourself on the back because you made no sense or better yet, what you said was nonsense. I guess being happy for the guy isn’t an option so you pull out your crystal ball to foretell what to expect? Wow.
I’m super happy for the guy, landed a great pay day and it did amazing things for coaches around the league in getting huge pay days soon. Doesn’t change the fact that the Leafs are a long way from being successful and it is an impatient hockey market that isn’t kind to ANYONE regardless of their career.
Babs is an amazing coach, but he doesn’t magic Bozak into a #1 center, Phaneuf into a #1 dman, or Bernier into a solid starting goalie. The Leafs have a great coach now, but lack any of the true building blocks to become a franchise team. Babcock will have to lose for high draft picks or install the Detroit development system in order to ensure players develop to his standards (years in the AHL).
This equals a) a losing season (his first) b) the media criticizing him (because that is what TO media does) c) the vocal impatient section of the Leafs fan base wanting him out for not turning the team around. So, actually everything I said is rational and makes perfect sense and is pretty much historically accurate with the way those segments have acted.
Cheers
So Mazarek Howard or Gusstafsson are a solid no1 goalie? and how many true no1 D men the Wings have again? But hey 2 days ago you said the Leafs have absolutely no chance of landing Babcock so you must know what youre talking about right? lol Surely the hate cant be clouding any judgment.
lol Schticky, c’mon man you are being a bit ludicrous right now my friend. Everyone wrote the Leafs off in the race 2 days ago other then die hard Leafs fans who were holding out hopes and it was reported that Babcock himself ruled them out. The fact that I didn’t 100% accurately predict where a coach would sign hardly makes an analysis of a team less worthy.
The Wings don’t have solid goaltending, a massive issue that they faced, but they did have defensive depth something the Leafs aren’t close to having. They also have talented veterans in Zetterberg and Datsyuk who are also great leaders, plus successful young players in Nyquist & Tatar, along again with depth. Something the Leafs lack.
If Babcock is coming in and it is derailing the idea of the Leafs rebuilding, then this will actually be a massive mistake. How the same fans on here (including you) could be talking how the Leafs need a full scale rebuild, land a coach and now all of a sudden should be evaluating their roster and thing that Babcock turns everything around is just silly.
You lack any of the core rebuilding pieces and Babcock, very unlikely suddenly MAKES you a better team. Now, in a few years of implementing a new culture in the locker room, getting input on player development, and getting some organizational depth Babcock is the guy you want to have in place to coach that team (one of the things I congratulated the Leafs for bringing him in to do).
But to say the media won’t be harsh, that vocal fans will remain patient, and that expectations won’t be through the roof and that it is likely the next 1-3 years will be the worst of Babcock’s career isn’t an unfair evaluation. So please counter with something other the insinuating I hate a coach, player, or team.
I’m with you JJB I did not think Babs would sign with the leafs due to his comments regarding Carlyle when Carlyle was canned. But hey 50 million and 8 years can convince many to do stupider.
Haha. I guess Babs will spread the magic dust he has over the players and turn this team to a contender. Some how McLellan and McDavid and Chiarelli can’t do that for the Oilers but the Leaf faithful pick up one guy and suddenly their are calls to trade no one and suddenly the leafs are playoff bound again.
weird.
Yeah, that makes me the most irritated. The Oilers implement a massive overhaul of management, bring a whole new culture to their dressing room to go with a team stacked with talent and somehow that doesn’t change them and they are still lousy. But Leafs bring in a singular coach (a good coach who will help shape their organization for sure) but now all of a sudden everywhere you see Leafs fans planning the parade.
Who? Point one out on here thats “planing a parade”…seems to me most are just laughing at the shleps that cant do anything but blindly critisize.
Yes because nobody has raised a valid point at all, the Leafs are just totally above critisizm of all the other aspects they need to take care of beyond a coach. Also, this post isn’t the bubble of where all Leafs fans talk.
jeff I would argue that a coach and/or a goalie can make a significant impact in one season and maybe just maybe even win a cup..especially with some luck. I recall pat burns + potvin + gilmour (who was already on the team by the time Burns was hired) doing it in a season in a half….and it all started when burns said “no more cross ice passes = turnovers)…simple as that!
just my 2 cents
yes it sucks, but i concur
truth hurts
Lol that’s an awesome post. Hats off to you sir.
For 0.5 million I would take that abuse
Im not sure they tear it down as far as some of the fans like. It would make sense to let Babcock coach and year and reevaluated what you have with a coach you are married to for the next 8 years. Also allow Babs to see what players he sees potential in.
You would have to think that was part of the decision before the was hired, there is no need to bring him in if you plan on stockpiling picks for the 1-3 years.
Exactly right I think. If the team would listen they aren’t as bad as they have played the last few years. I would have thought Phaneuff was a goner, but apparently Babcock has control of the roster and also apparently Detroit was interested in Phaneuff at the deadline. I don’t think Phil or Dion are going anywhere this season.
Check back in about this time next year and fill us in on how they “aren’t as bad as they have played the last few years.” Years of futility do not add up to “hidden talents not yet tapped.”
I kinda agree with some of this to a point, you are right, but I am not sure it is meant to turn around 180 degrees in a year personnel wise, but alot of what has plagued this team for a decade has been bad management scouting and coaching…seems like this is a pretty decent start to brighter days….still not a playoff team but should be better than 4th from the bottom, and if they scout and devellop properly which judging by what some in management seem to realize now ,it for the first time in a long time might not lead to terrible results.
In my bias, I was hopeful, but never thought this would happen.
Still in shock.
Be funny if the new GM decides to bring in his own guy. haha. Oh wait this is Toronto where 6 cooks decide how to cook the nights dinner. The New GM can’t decide that. Why doesn’t Shanny just admit he is the GM.
Maybe because he is not…why dont Sakic Burke Linden Neely admit they are GM? Lots of teams have presidents that have control over the team, and it was talking to Hunter a day or 2 ago that got the ball rolling again, not Shanny…maybe the Leafs should just give the job to him or Dubas, seems like despite being from junior hockey they seem to be doing alright..not so sure what the issue is Nonis Carlyle Loiselle Clarkson gone, Dubas Hunter Babcock a high first round pick an extra first round pick aswell as a good prospect an extra couple seconds and later picks in and still critisizing, funny people just keep throwing stuff out there to see what will stick. Do you guys not realize how rediculous you are starting to look?
Of coarse they are being criticized. Why do you think they are exempt. The Oilers accomplished so much more and you had no problem critiquing them.
So much more ? Jeff how you figure they finnished lower in the standings with all the untouchables…so much more lmao they have how many top 5 picks and still finnished worse give your head a shake…they finnished 3 from the bottom of the league great year! Jeezus jeff you wonder why people rip you apart?
Jeezus Jeff cant figure why people rip you apart on here daily…how did a team with all the numerious bottom 5 finishes and high draft picks that finnished even worse than the Leafs accomplish so much more? The only thing that the Oilers accomplished was winning yet another lottery. Seriously man give your head a shake they finnished lower than the Leafs, third last great year! They really accomplished alot!
I think that Jeff may have been referring to the complete and utter management overhaul that the Oilers have done so far since their season ended as doing so much more. They hired a new President, brought in a solid and respected GM, and a solid and respected coach all from outside the organization.
They have completely changed the philosophy of management and how they will operate and brought in a lot more proven experience. The biggest call from observes of the Oilers was their glaring need to change their management and they have addressed that from top to bottom.
Now they will add another top pick to the organization, yes, but a brand new management structure is put into place. How can that not be respected for the Oilers and we are expected to bow down in awe because the Leafs hired a coach? A coach who will certainly change the culture of the team and hopefully do good things, but it is still less overall then what the Oilers have done to improve this offseason.
@jjb no insult but
#1 if you went to an edm specific website you’d probably see more praise for them
#2 toronto just overhauled also and specifically today
#3 edmonton has way less fans
I get ripped up Shticky cause people like you can’t follow a conversation. As JJB points out I was referring to the complete over hall of the oilers management structure, I mean hat is the topic at hand, how the how to you think I a, talking about season records is beyond me. Perhaps we can discuss how each team did in the 80s or maybe the 50s as if that matters to the topic at hand,
This is what I am getting at about people sounding ignorant, the Oilers make changes and that equals they have accomplished so much more? Over the sametime that the Oilers made all these moves of changing this and that tthe Leafs have done the same things, but in their case its all about inexperience and money? All the previous
management coaching aswell as changing over the farm system.and scouting Staff
gone 3 new assistants a new President hire
probably one of the top 3 respected coaches
in the game get rid of Clarkson add Draft
picks and “the Oilers accomplished sooo
much more” do you guys even read what you put down before you hit submit comment? I am not trashing on the Oilers or other teams, go back thru posts I dont do that just people who post nonsense the Oilers have done some very smart moves to change the course of a bad team but they really havent touched the roster, the Leafs have touched or started to over haul virtually every part of
their team.
Hey Lyle it wasn’t just the 50 million that caused Babs to pick the leafs. He is also guaranteed lengthy summer Holidays. How to walk away from a job like that.
Woah Jeff, didn’t expect to see you here. Thought you would be recovering from your liver donor surgery. Guess you saw the Leafs made news and you needed to offer the Ottawa perspective.
co 1 – Jeff 0
So, Ringling Brothers has joined Barnum & Bailey again. File that under “they deserve each other.” Remember the euphoria when Saint Burke appeared on the scene? Then the “Stanley Cup Winning Coach” Carlyle? The inmates have taken over the asylum.
Ehh there were a tonne of Leaf fans that never wanted Carlyle hired or were at all happy with Brian Burke, just saying. For once a rather large fan base, that for many years has been devided by the boards decisions seems pretty all on board for the most part (I have always thought Babcock was a good coach, cant say I felt that way about Randy ever but I am still not sold on Babcock being the right one) The only fans you seem to be speaking of are the ones who only watch games on Saturday night. The rah rah Leaf fan that doesnt seem to really pay attention to much else in the NHL. Just wondering if thats on purpose or do you assume that thats the majority of us?
I’d suggest that whats viewed as a positive would bring cheer and is normal, which in turn brings negativity such as yours which is fine also…but
I personally praise burke for trying a rebuild, trying to get better when appropriate and especially for fighting the media on their negativity…all major issues that he did his best to address.
since burke the leafs have up to 10 first round picks. Since Carlyle left they dropped significantly in standings. Both have a proven track record in the NHL
Yes they suck but…
The odds are 1 in 30 to win a cup. Second place is no different than 30th.
I guess your team/gm/coach can’t do wrong. Are you suggesting that a rebuild and a presidnet with 3 sc rings and coach with same team for 10 years was a bad move??? Whos insane
Its huge news…deal with it
sorry george didnt mean to come accross like an arse (replace negativity with sarcasm) just a leaf fan and facts are facts and I was one of the burke/carlyle fans you mention and perhaps a lil insane đ
Personally I am stoked that we got a plan that I have been waiting for now for over 10+ years
Prior to them we had nobody…zilch… and they attempted to fix that circus..so I was defending them for some reason
The real problem is that this circus needs some wild animals not just clowns on the ice
Wew, them’s sour grapes. I can understand your senstivity on this topic given that historically every one of Ottawa’s best players have left town for better money or asked to be traded.
Shanahan has done well today. He arguably went out and got the best coach out in the market.
Dubas’s comments yesterday are more telling as to on Shanny’s vision and thus far the right steps are being made. For the first time in my time watching the Leafs (42 years) I see a path that will have a better chance of succeeding long term.
It will be interesting to see if Shanny will be able to keep the focus where it needs to be.
Agreed. Never thought his hiring in Leaf land would happen; and by all reports by those most of us have come to trust in, wasn’t supposed to happen either, but there it is;a done deal.
I still think for the next 3 years anyways, this team will struggle on the ice; but I’m confident Babcock will do his best to ensure no more jerseys hit the ice either from lack of effort on the part of the players
i agree
50 million on a coach probably will produce 50 million in merchandise sales anyways
geez
This signing does not change what the leafs plans were for this offseason. They are not looking just to rebuild the roster. They are looking to rebuild the organization. They are building it to support growth both at the NHL level but also below. They want to have a system that promotes growth from within. This is what Detroit has been doing for years.
The Buffalo Sabres missed the opportunity to hire either of the two best candidates that were available, Todd McLellan and Mike Babcock.
General manager Tim Murray would like to hire an excellent candidate that can win quickly and consistently. I do not know if such a candidate can be found now.
2 words ken hitchcock
I do not see Hitchcock separating from the Blues yet. I say he stays around for another season. If the Blues qualify for postseason play and find another quick exit, then it could be time to part ways.
babcock will have a good big important defensive centre to start his era in TO with Freddy Gauthier