TSN: Brendan Shanahan named President of Toronto Maple Leafs

[TheTotalPackage]

Just further to this whole PR thing -- if that truly were the case, the Leafs would have brought a Clark or Gilmour in similar to what Vancouver has done with Linden and Buffalo did with Lafontaine. Shanahan has had no ties to the team.

I think this is the case of Leiweke identifying a young talent to come in and get things done on the hockey side who perhaps could be here for many years to come. It obviously remains to be seen what Shanahan has in store and how far reaching his moves will be, but a PR stunt is one of the last things I'd think this is.

 

[Faltorvo]

Are people buying into this PR move though? I'm not, and based on many of the reactions here, no one else really is either. This move means nothing unless huge changes are made.

Shanahan was set in place just before the season ended and he can be in the process of conducting and evaluating the team. We'll see where this all leads starting Monday.

Folks that come to this board I would hazer to guess are a little bit more engaged and on point.

It's more about working the fringes and the ilk.

 

[Mess]

Does it really matter?

Is Shanahan a fresh pair of eyes with an impressive contact list around the league and a keen mind for the game? If the answer is yes, he's a good addition.

The timing is actually good because now Shanny can be a part of exit interviews with all management and players to get a better insight into their thinking and try and flush out the source of the teams problems.

Once the players are released at seasons end they don't show up again until September.

Shanny wouldn't be taking the job if he didn't believe he could succeed and was only destined to fail.

 

[Faltorvo]

Does it really matter?

Is Shanahan a fresh pair of eyes with an impressive contact list around the league and a keen mind for the game? If the answer is yes, he's a good addition.

Only time will tell.

Things as deep as you ask are really hard to nail down when at best we can only abstractly assume what ownerships priorities are, what powers are given to him and what they diagnose as the problem here.

At best, all I can say right now is

"It can't hurt to try"

 

[Faltorvo]

Just further to this whole PR thing -- if that truly were the case, the Leafs would have brought a Clark or Gilmour in similar to what Vancouver has done with Linden and Buffalo did with Lafontaine. Shanahan has had no ties to the team.

I think this is the case of Leiweke identifying a young talent to come in and get things done on the hockey side who perhaps could be here for many years to come. It obviously remains to be seen what Shanahan has in store and how far reaching his moves will be, but a PR stunt is one of the last things I'd think this is.

get it straight, it's not the hiring that is the pr stunt

it's the timing of it and the announcement.

Just like the Dion signing, we knew it was going to happen

but it just so happened to be perfectly timed to max out it's pr value.

 

[pucky]

Just further to this whole PR thing -- if that truly were the case, the Leafs would have brought a Clark or Gilmour in similar to what Vancouver has done with Linden and Buffalo did with Lafontaine. Shanahan has had no ties to the team.

I think this is the case of Leiweke identifying a young talent to come in and get things done on the hockey side who perhaps could be here for many years to come. It obviously remains to be seen what Shanahan has in store and how far reaching his moves will be, but a PR stunt is one of the last things I'd think this is.

What total nonsense. Shanahan is in a higher profile of hockey involvement than either of those guys. It's a PR move, nothing more. TL/MLSE/Robbers need to distract the gullible Leaf fans, that's all.

 

[Stephen]

Only time will tell.

Things as deep as you ask are really hard to nail down when at best we can only abstractly assume what ownerships priorities are, what powers are given to him and what they diagnose as the problem here.

At best, all I can say right now is

"It can't hurt to try"

I don't put a ton of blame on ownership for the team's meltdowns. They budget for the cap every year and green light big ticket additions like David Clarkson for 2nd line roles. They provide the monetary resources but it's the players who are finding spectacular ways to fail.

Someone like Shanahan who has an idea of what a winning recipe should look like will be a good pair of eyes to be the judge, jury, executioner on what's rotten with these players.

 

[Ratboy]

I'm skeptical that it'll change much. You can't blame me for that, I'm a Leafs fan.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

My advice to Shanahan,

"Shanny at times cooler heads prevail. This is NOT that time!"

 

[Faltorvo]

I don't put a ton of blame on ownership for the team's meltdowns. They budget for the cap every year and green light big ticket additions like David Clarkson for 2nd line roles. They provide the monetary resources but it's the players who are finding spectacular ways to fail.

Someone like Shanahan who has an idea of what a winning recipe should look like will be a good pair of eyes to be the judge, jury, executioner on what's rotten with these players.

ya well, my biggest concern is that shanny will be charged to fix this but will have to work within the mandate that whatever he does has to get them closer to making the playoffs.

 

[hockeywiz542]

According to Elliotte Friedman of the CBC:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/CBC's+Hockey+Night+in+Canada/ID/2448757139/

- Peter DeBoer will most likely stay in New Jersey as the head coach of the Devils. He is negotiating a multi-year contract with the Devils.

- Dave Nonis will not become the new GM of the Calgary Flames.

- Brendan Shanahan will keep Nonis as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs for now.

 

[tzinc]

Shanny is only qualified to comment on the discipline handed down by the NHL to Leafs players.

If he is keeping Nonis he has already shown how clueless he is lol.

 

[pucky]

Shanny is only qualified to comment on the discipline handed down by the NHL to Leafs players.

If he is keeping Nonis he has already shown how clueless he is lol.

Yes or it just confirms it as the PR move most fans know it is.

Leaf fans will then blame Reimer and go back to arguing over what to do, who to draft and who will play with Phaneuf next year. LOL.

 

[Retire91]

Is he going to be given absolute authority over the team. For example is it going to be playoffs asap like Burke tried? I still dont get how the leafs are run but I always got the impression there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Who cares really?

What does the president do really? It doesn't change the fact that this one garbage hockey team. We don't even have the chips to get good players.What is he going to do get the cap raised to $100M. It is just a pr move to raise prices for next year.This is till an absolute garbage franchise and in truth a disgrace to hockey itself.Wee!!! The draft is here and there are no franchise players anyway.

 

[Bluejaysfan*]

What does the president do really? It doesn't change the fact that this one garbage hockey team. We don't even have the chips to get good players.What is he going to do get the cap raised to $100M. It is just a pr move to raise prices for next year.This is till an absolute garbage franchise and in truth a disgrace to hockey itself.Wee!!! The draft is here and there are no franchise players anyway.

Reinhart and Bennett are both franchise-center prospects and Ekblad has even better potential than Seth Jones from last year according to some. Are they future top 5 players in the NHL like Mackinnon? No...but that doesn't mean they aren't franchise player potential

 

[Badger Mayhew*]

According to Elliotte Friedman of the CBC:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/CBC's+Hockey+Night+in+Canada/ID/2448757139/

- Peter DeBoer will most likely stay in New Jersey as the head coach of the Devils. He is negotiating a multi-year contract with the Devils.

He's heard "rumblings" and doesn't have any details. DeBoer would have to accept the extension.

- Dave Nonis will not become the new GM of the Calgary Flames.

He was speculating.

- Brendan Shanahan will keep Nonis as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs for now.

He was speculating.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Reinhart and Bennett are both franchise-center prospects and Ekblad has even better potential than Seth Jones from last year according to some. Are they future top 5 players in the NHL like Mackinnon? No...but that doesn't mean they aren't franchise player potential

Literally 0% chance of that.

 

[Bluejaysfan*]

Literally 0% chance of that.

Mind telling me the lottery numbers?

 

[Faltorvo]

I don't put a ton of blame on ownership for the team's meltdowns. They budget for the cap every year and green light big ticket additions like David Clarkson for 2nd line roles. They provide the monetary resources but it's the players who are finding spectacular ways to fail.

Someone like Shanahan who has an idea of what a winning recipe should look like will be a good pair of eyes to be the judge, jury, executioner on what's rotten with these players.

we don't see it the same way

ownership is at the top of the food chain here, all answer to them.

I do not, doooooo not for one second believe that ownership through out my time as a fan has ever given our GMs a free mandate of "take your time and build us a real cup contender"

I believed the mandate tree works like this

do what you must, to build us a team that can get into the playoffs and do it on the quick.

then worry about building a bona fide cup contender but in doing so, do not put making the playoffs in jeopardy.

the great feat of "just making the playoffs" keeps the team relevant , popular and the marketing pr team can have a field day with that in this market. Plus from a business stand point, every year they miss the POs is seen as a missed opportunity at making more profit that year.

I bet you dollar to donuts that some stuffed suit was losing it last night over the fact that the leafs where not relevant enough to prevent them from being bumped as the national HNIC game.

There have been marketing studies done for this market and as history has shown, all they need to do is have the illusion of having a shot at the playoffs/ cup, just mere hope here is enough.

Far to many are fooled into believing that "just making the playoffs is = to a shot at the cup":

 

[realgoodleafs]

Is he going to be given absolute authority over the team. For example is it going to be playoffs asap like Burke tried? I still dont get how the leafs are run but I always got the impression there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

Same thing as Burke. Get into the playoffs next year at any expense.

 

[Faltorvo]

Same thing as Burke. Get into the playoffs next year at any expense.

If anyone is still confused at the premise that BB attempted a accelerated re-tool, well then there is little point in even trying to explain.

I would say that kind of folk are in the "making the POs= a shot at the cup"

 

[Tak7]

If anyone is still confused at the premise that BB attempted a accelerated re-tool, well then there is little point in even trying to explain.

I would say that kind of folk are in the "making the POs= a shot at the cup"

Agreed on your point regarding BB + accelerated re-tool.

But I'm in the camp of the make the playoffs = you have a chance.

The Stanley Cup is unique. When you talk about other big championships, like the Super Bowl or the UEFA Champions League, the winner of that trophy is, bar none, the best team in that tournament.

That's not the case in hockey. The winner of the cup isn't the best team in the National Hockey League, but the hottest team come spring time.

You get a goalie who finds some form, and a line that gets hot, and you've always got a shot. Plenty of examples of this.

That's why in that regard, if you are a team that misses the playoffs in a league where over half the teams make the playoffs, you are an awful hockey team.

 

[Faltorvo]

Agreed on your point regarding BB + accelerated re-tool.

But I'm in the camp of the make the playoffs = you have a chance.

The Stanley Cup is unique. When you talk about other big championships, like the Super Bowl or the UEFA Champions League, the winner of that trophy is, bar none, the best team in that tournament.

That's not the case in hockey. The winner of the cup isn't the best team in the National Hockey League, but the hottest team come spring time.

You get a goalie who finds some form, and a line that gets hot, and you've always got a shot. Plenty of examples of this.

That's why in that regard, if you are a team that misses the playoffs in a league where over half the teams make the playoffs, you are an awful hockey team.

and this is the sentiment the owners feed off of like vampires

this is why so many many moves over god knows how long, when analysed, made more sense in the short term and not so much long term.

the owners #1 top priority is to "just make the playoffs" and capture the hearts that believe that.

once you stabilise the hearts and minds of the masses, eh ,then you try to build a real cup contender and not a pretender. But you can't try to build the real deal and risk missing priority #1.

It's ridiculous fools hope you carry, sorry to say.

They have been trying it that way for the better part of the 41 years that I have been a fan and this (anything can happen) nonsense has not even produced 1 finals appearance.

 

[Morbo]

If only you could win a Cup without being a solid playoff team first...