Sportsnet: “All bets are off” in regards to Babcock

[Nithoniniel]

And Dubas, the one who made this downy soft team!

The team was already soft when he took over. I'd argue adding a guy like Muzzin is a step in the other direction, Tavares and Kerfoot aren't exactly soft either. The toughness out has come from very mediocre players, some of them also vastly overpaid.

Funnily enough, most of the soft players were added under Lou.

 

[Trapper]

i've worked for people i hate.
but that doesn't stop me from doing my job to the best of my ability. most others. chances are because if you did you'd be fired.

they can hate them all they want but it shouldn't excuse them from not doing their jobs. people wanna talk about pride and crap about standing up for each other if they get breathed on wrong, well have some damned pride in your work. and just do it, hating your coach aside.

And just because you hate your boss, does that mean you hate your coworkers too?
Like having your teammates back, protecting a new goalie when you know the issues with goaltending?

 

[Peasy]

The team was already soft when he took over. I'd argue adding a guy like Muzzin is a step in the other direction, Tavares and Kerfoot aren't exactly soft either. The toughness out has come from very mediocre players, some of them also vastly overpaid.

Funnily enough, most of the soft players were added under Lou.

Its a funny narrative. Dubas has only traded one "tough guy" in Martin and that is because he was getting paid over 2m to sit in the press box. Of course he let Komarov go because signing him to 4x4 is a terrible idea. Who other than those two have left that were considered tough?

 

[All Mod Cons]

Top 10 protected.

Is that like top 10 pre lottery by any chance? Or of we finished 8th last, lost the lottery and picked 11th, Carolina gets it?

 

[All Mod Cons]

Its a funny narrative. Dubas has only traded one "tough guy" in Martin and that is because he was getting paid over 2m to sit in the press box. Of course he let Komarov go because signing him to 4x4 is a terrible idea. Who other than those two have left that were considered tough?

Kadri a bit?

 

[Nithoniniel]

Its a funny narrative. Dubas has only traded one "tough guy" in Martin and that is because he was getting paid over 2m to sit in the press box. Of course he let Komarov go because signing him to 4x4 is a terrible idea. Who other than those two have left that were considered tough?

Yeah. So it becomes a question of acquiring players. If I looked at a different team known to be soft and they acquire a top pairing d-man who is physical, tough, and can play, I would say that goes a long way towards addressing it. Somehow it's ignored here.

 

[Trapper]

Kadri a bit?

People dismiss the loss of Brown but he had defensive forward ability, PK plus forecheck and cycle. That part hurts in itself.

 

[ottomaddox]

Figured this is thread worthy.

Seems like we are closing in on a coaching change unless things drastically turn around.

Both Friedman and CJ seemed to give the sense that there’s great concern with how the team has been playing overall and how they’ve started periods and games overall.

Who said "all bets are off"?

 

[Daisy Jane]

And just because you hate your boss, does that mean you hate your coworkers too?
Like having your teammates back, protecting a new goalie when you know the issues with goaltending?

apparently for this team. that's a yeup.
honestly. go figure. we finally strip the team down, try for a rebuild, we get lucky and get really great players and then all assembled they are a bunch of selfish, me only, give us the spotlight team (Like we basically had before. just more talented, so there is that).

 

[ottomaddox]

Here’s where we are:
Step 1: change the coach
Step 2: evaluate team under new coach (if same):
Step 3: change GM
Step 4: new GM change core

I wouldn't disagree, but this sounds like a 4 year plan. Might lose someone like Matthews, and Tavares might look long in the tooth at that point.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Babcock is due $18.75M after this season. He isn't going anywhere.

MLSE stands to lose more money than that via lost playoff revenue and decreased television ratings if this team continues to spiral into oblivion.

 

[Tit]

18M for MLSE is pocket lint.

 

[TOGuy14]

Don’t see them making a change in the middle of a hectic road trip but if play continues like this I think he gets a pink slip when the boys return home at the end of the month

 

[egd27]

Would a player like Matthews demanding a trade behind closed doors be enough to get Babcock fired? Got to think there are a few of these guys wanting away from this guy and the players hold the power in 2019.

And IMO you've just identified the main problem.

I realize that I have zero evidence to back this up, but I think there are a couple of specific players on this team that are essentially very young prima donnas.

I think they roll their eyes when Babcock tries to teach them, and I think they all but giggle about "the old man" when they are talking among themselves. They have been brought up outside of what we would consider the "traditional" hockey culture and they therefore don't respect its values. They have gotten through most of their lives on their ability to essentially score at will in their lesser leagues and don't believe they have anything to learn.

Again, I have zero proof of this other than a gut feel and watching body language and their "statements"

 

[SwissLeaf]

Is that like top 10 pre lottery by any chance? Or of we finished 8th last, lost the lottery and picked 11th, Carolina gets it?

I guess it's after lottery.

 

[Trapper]

I wouldn't disagree, but this sounds like a 4 year plan. Might lose someone like Matthews, and Tavares might look long in the tooth at that point.

I’d have to ask, what’s the plan at the moment?

 

[Rainney]

They should fire this guy before they waste another season on him. There's no point even debating his credentials/ability, he clearly can't make it happen with this team.

 

[Trapper]

Except Keefe has been working with this generation of kids for years, whereas Babcock is 17 years removed (about a hockey generation) from working with these kids in the minors.

What’s the worst that can happen?
We look like a cap strapped team that misses the playoffs.
I think we are on the ride right now.

 

[Bluelines]

Figured this is thread worthy.

Seems like we are closing in on a coaching change unless things drastically turn around.

Both Friedman and CJ seemed to give the sense that there’s great concern with how the team has been playing overall and how they’ve started periods and games overall.

First I want to say I think Babcock is a great coach but coaches like Babcock (the drill Sgt. type) has a best before date, I think he is past his.

When I watch him say something to the extent, this is our year, then hand off a basketball to AM, to a room that has 10 new or new-ish roster players, I though either this guy has a set of stones the size of the CN tower or he just dug his own grave. Why put so much needless pressure on a team that is basically 50% new, a team that is the youngest or very near the youngest team in the league. It' s just needless pressure on a young team that probably lacks the coping skills of said pressure.

When I see one brad Marchand beat 3 Leafs down the middle of the slot, I think WTF? When I see 3rd and 4th lines dominate the cycle down low against our 1st and 2nd lines, I think WTF? When I see the same PP and same PK game after game and the coach thinking doing the same thing will get better results, I think WTF? When I see elite players like Morgan, Barrie, AM, Mitch, JT look totally lost in all three zones, I think WTF? When I see our players give away the puck, just dump it in a corner, time after time after time, because they are more worried about a shift length, than giving the puck away, I think WTF? There are ways to get in shift changes AND keep the puck. When I see the other team have easy breakouts because we barely forecheck, I think WTF?

I never want anyone to lose his job but I think it's time for a new voice in the locker room.

 

[killer1980]

The biggest problem with Dubas is that everyone that he has either let go or dumped has not been replaced by anyone remotely better. I believe Kadri's impact was highly underrated. Should he have been released, absolutely, but not if you couldn't find someone who would stand up for his teammates. What is also missed is the fact that so many penalties were called on the other teams because he was such an a**hole. Brown was useful on the PK, a hard worker and another defender of his mates. He also looked like he cared which is more than can be said about the pretty boy floaters Dubas has opened the vault for.

Any argument that Dubas is young and we should cut him some slack is ludicrous. He was handed a team that last year was the early favourite to win the Cup and taken them as a contender for last place. He should never have been hired and now it's probably too late. It looks like, to me, he has destroyed this franchise for another 52 years.

 

[Leaf4Life79]

The team was already soft when he took over. I'd argue adding a guy like Muzzin is a step in the other direction, Tavares and Kerfoot aren't exactly soft either. The toughness out has come from very mediocre players, some of them also vastly overpaid.

Funnily enough, most of the soft players were added under Lou.

Matt Martin should have stayed

 

[Nithoniniel]

What is also missed is the fact that so many penalties were called on the other teams because he was such an a**hole.

He actually stopped drawing a lot of penalty a few years ago. Typical refereeing based on reputation.

Brown was useful on the PK, a hard worker and another defender of his mates.

What? Don't think I've ever seen Brown do that.

Any argument that Dubas is young and we should cut him some slack is ludicrous.

Not sure I've seen this argument, but it's for sure a bad one.

It looks like, to me, he has destroyed this franchise for another 52 years.

This is now the worst take I've ever seen on these boards.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Matt Martin should have stayed

Matt Martin couldn't even stay in the lineup.

If he cost league minimum, I really wouldn't mind having him on our fourth line now though. But I don't think you address issues with your fourth line.

 

[ottomaddox]

I’d have to ask, what’s the plan at the moment?

Right now? Salvage the season I would guess. Find a back-up goalie, trade current roster players for toughness/defensive responsibility, trade for a defensive defenseman...

They will likely not reach those goals when you consider the makeup of this team and what little room Dubas has with the cap.

 

[DueDiligence]

11 new faces in full time roles, just the facts man

the top 7 players on team (Matthews, Marner, JT, Rielly, Andersen, Nylander and Muzzin) are all the same. None of the new players are "culture changers".