Updates on the Maple Leafs, Jets and Oilers, plus P.K. Subban plays street hockey.
Leafs president Brendan Shanahan still hasn’t found a suitable GM.
TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs will go into the 2015 NHL draft without a new general manager in place. Team president Brendan Shanahan along with assistant GMs Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter are currently filling the role. There’s speculation the GM role will remain vacant for as long as it takes Shanahan to find a suitable replacement.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This summer could be one of the most important in the history of the Leafs franchise. They’ve signaled their intent to stage a significant – and long overdue – roster overhaul. It’s believed they’re trying to trade stars Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf for younger, more affordable talent. They’re heading into the draft with two first-round picks, one of them fourth overall. Staging this rebuild without a new general manager in place is unusual, if not foolhardy.
However, the current front office group also persuaded Mike Babcock, one of the NHL’s top coaches, to join them as their new bench boss on a long-term deal. If we go by that hiring, perhaps the Leafs will be all right with Shanahan, Dubas and Hunter handling the GM duties.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens star P.K. Subban recently made a surprise stop to play street hockey with several Montreal children.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This wasn’t anything planned by Subban. He was driving by, saw the kids playing hockey and decided to join in for a few minutes. Add that to the many reasons why Subban is beloved in Montreal.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Former Oilers head coach Todd Nelson was recently interviewed for the Pittsburgh Penguins vacant AHL coaching position.
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: The fourth annual Jets development camp is slated for July 3-7 at the MTS Iceplex.
I think the Leafs will be fine without a GM in the Draft. Post draft I predict they announce Mike Futa as their new GM, VP of Hockey Operations and Alternate Governor.The draft is about identifying and selecting the best players coming out of the CHL and USA Hockey and nobody has been closer to seeing that talent than Hunter and Dubas. The other activity at the Draft, potential trades, if any, are likely to be for Kessel, Phaneuf, Bozak and Lupul. With Dave Nonis last year they had a pretty good idea of those players value. At this years draft they would likely want to trade for picks, not players, which can also be flipped later on if necessary. I could see Kessel traded to Arizona or New Jersey as part of a deal to obtain a second pick in the top 6 at the draft.
GMs are judged by the success of their respective teams and to this end GMs surround themselves with people they choose to bring out the best in their club. In TOs case, the GM cannot pick his AGMs nor his coach since this has already been done. IMO the next GM for the Leafs will be a puppet to rubber stamp Shanny’s decisions. This may be a tough position to fill.
The general feeling expressed by lots of individuals before when Babcock was first hired was that any GM who wouldn’t want to work with one of the best coaches in the league you probably wouldn’t want anyway so I have to disagree with your comment.
Stan Bowman is the GM of the Hawks but, if you look how that teams front 8ffice was built it kinda mirrors what Shanny is doing with the Leafs the group is put together as a team Tallon was the GM but coach is the same coach the agm (who didnt have a tone of experience as a GM ) Stan with Scotty and others were promoted and they continue to follow a team kind of aproach with coach Q Scotty Stan Gauthier Kelly Stwart and more all having titles of some sort and some sort of say in the operations of things..with the cap to provide parity on the ice the advantage big market teams have is to hire a big front office with lots of voices and responsibilities. The GM isnt the same as it used to be. Maybe Shanny realizes this and will just have to wait it out for that type of candidate to present himself. Id rather have no GM than some of the guys that have been available and their questionable records. The Mc Phee and Feasters of the world…no thank
pk is such a good person whenever you hear anything about him other than hockey he is helping a charity or doing fun stuff with kids! good on you pk