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The Leafs Management vs NHL

Rick C.

Rick C.

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Shanny, Lou, Hunter, Dubas, Babcock...  I'm convinced they're on the right track. 

Name me a team that has a better group leading their organization?!  I like it.  A lot.
 
I'm hesitant to get to excited yet. However from one year ago until today, the organization looks amazingly different.  It's astounding.  Can't help but nod and smile a bit with optimism.  Could it be?  Really?  Man, what if....    :o :'( :) :) ;) ;D
 
I have good optimism that this season the Leafs will:
1.  Compete harder
2.  Continue to put better, younger players on the ice

I suspect it's 3-4 years before we're a legitimate threat for a deep playoff run.
 
Rick said:
I have good optimism that this season the Leafs will:
1.  Compete harder
2.  Continue to put better, younger players on the ice

I suspect it's 3-4 years before we're a legitimate threat for a deep playoff run.
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I couldn't agree more on all points.  I think this team will have younger better players who will put there all on the ice.  They will all have defensive responsibilities, and if they don't respect that, they will be gone.  If they don't put in effort, they will be gone. 

The last few years have been terrible hockey to watch.  I'd rather watch defensive hockey than the garbage of the past few years.  I hope that defensive effort changes above all, and the road to sustainable winning and eventually (hopefully) a Cup is built.
 
Well, 3 out of those 5 have no experience building an NHL team.  That's not to say I'm worried, but I'm not confident they're a home run or top group in the league either.

I can say I'm very happy about the direction of the team (rebuild).
 
AvroArrow said:
Well, 3 out of those 5 have no experience building an NHL team.  That's not to say I'm worried, but I'm not confident they're a home run or top group in the league either.

I can say I'm very happy about the direction of the team (rebuild).
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Why aren't you happy with the direction of the team?

EDIT: What bullfrog said.
 
Potvin29 said:
Bullfrog said:
You might want to re-read his sentence.
Click to expand...

I seriously read that 5 times before I saw it.  Time for new glasses.  I don't want to re-read it again.
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You know what?  I re-read my last comment after I saw your post and even I read it as "I can't say".  So don't feel bad. :P
 
I'm feeling really good about the state of the Leafs as well. Weird to say that after such a dismal season (dismal last 10 or so), but a turnaround is being staged. All this group need is some time.
 
I mean, it's pretty hard to argue with what's going on in Chicago and I'm very impressed with what Jim Nill has put together in Dallas but I like the Leafs group as well. They seem to be operating on a pretty sound strategy of putting smart guys in the right positions and I'm a pretty firm believer in that being the way to go.

The real wild card in all this though is the board and its apparently fairly fractious nature at times. This will hopefully only really be Shanahan's thing to deal with but I do think it's going to be the challenge in terms of managing expectations while at the same time staying on everyone's good side.
 
It sure is nuts to think of the changes that have been made in the front office and behind the benches in just the past year:

Lamoriello > Nonis
Dubas/Hunter > Poulin
Pridham > Loiselle
Babcock > Carlyle

Plus the additions of some really good OHL talent like D.J. Smith, Sheldon Keefe, and Lindsay Hofford. The addition of the R&D team. Revamping the player development system.

Obviously, in the end all these things still need to translate into wins, but there's definitely good reason to be optimistic about the future of this team.
 
I definately think that we are on the right track, what's weird is although I know we will likely stink for a while, I haven't been this excited about the leafs for the last 7-8 years or so. Now I check hockey sites every day basically.
 
This is awesome.
http://www.tsn.ca/talent/10-questions-to-consider-after-lamoriello-hiring-1.335730

In reality, the Leafs' decision-making process seems a little bit more nuanced, more tangled than "complete control" for Lamoriello. Shanahan said on TSN 1050 that Lamoriello will "be a leader, he will make decisions," he will "have a strong presence" but ultimately will "make the decisions within the group mentality."

[...]

"Winners know how to adapt to win," Shanahan told reporters Thursday. "Is it going to be a challenge? Yeah, sure ? (Lamoriello) comes into this job with his eyes wide open as to how I envisioned the organization, which is the same as Mike (Babcock). Which is (assistant to Lamoriello) Brandon Pridham is just as important to him as anyone else that I've hired, in his own way. As is (director of player personnel) Mark Hunter. As is Kyle Dubas. As is the coach, and the GM. As is (Marlies coach) Sheldon Keefe."
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Maple Leafs State of the Nation
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2015/09/10/toronto-maple-leafs-state-of-the-nation-full-transcript/

Fan: I just wanted to know, since you guys have hired so many new upper management [personnel] this year, a lot of similar roles and a lot of great hockey minds together, who is going to make the game day decisions when it comes to the team?

Babcock: I think what happens when you have a team is the President makes the decisions he?s supposed, the manager makes the decisions he?s supposed to, and the coach makes the decisions he?s supposed to. When you?re making those decisions, we?ve all got feedback in all those situations. What I mean by that is Lou and I talk every single day. When the game is on, and I decide who is playing, when the game is on I?m making those decisions. When we go to trade a player, when we go to acquire a player, Lou?s talked to me in advance, I?ve talked to Lou, and in the end he?s got to make that decision. I think what happens is different people are making different decisions at different times, but we all have input. That doesn?t mean we all agree all the time. In the end, the coach coaches, the manager manages. That?s the way it works.

Shanahan: It?s important to know we have a tremendous amount of respect for each other. If I?m going to make a decision, I want to know what Lou thinks, I want to know what Mike thinks, and I want to know what Brandon Pridham thinks. We trust each other; we trust the privacy of one another, but we also know, like Mike said, we all have different jobs. It doesn?t mean we don?t want to lean on each other, but at the end of the day, Mike is on the bench and I can?t change the lines. We all have our own jobs to do. I think that it?s going to work very well. I have absolutely no concerns whatsoever about this group that we?ve put together.
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The way the power structure has been described as of late has me a little less enthused about the team's direction post-Lamoriello's hiring.

But I think some of it is posturing.
 
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