Sportsnet: Kypreos: Tim Leiweke wants to bring in Brendan Shanahan.

[Warden of the North]

He can always take on the role and carry out the remainder of his duties. He doesn't have to quit to get another

I am more intrigued to see what he brings to the table. What will he be doing really?

Ya, I suppose the Leafs beating out of it makes that possible.

This role varies greatly based on the team. Boston has one (Neely) and you rarely hear from him. Burke and Sakic by comparison are defacto GMs in this same role.

At its base level its control of all things hockey related. Build a team, but not necessarily from the trenches. Someone else does the dirty work.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

The coach needs to go. We've seen what this team is capable of. When a team falls this short of potential, and it's due to a consistently ****** defensive and possession system, it's the coach.

Paul Maurice schooled Carlyle with a terrible lineup.

Could not have said that any better myself... I bet that even with this "soft" team...we would win 5-8 games with a competent HC...easily more with a good one.

RC and his failure to adapt to his teams strengths was the major cause of this. If he had any brains and realized we were built to be a rush team..try and take advantage of it...not continue to try and fit a square peg into a round hole like he did with our group.

I don't know if there are any "rush" teams out there that are successful...but I would think we could not have done worse than play to our strength..whatever that may be.

 

[Deebo]

Could not have said that any better myself... I bet that even with this "soft" team...we would win 5-8 games with a competent HC...easily more with a good one.

You believe the difference between the Leafs and a 100+ point team is the coach?

 

[Daisy Jane]

I expect we'll hear sooner rather then later. Probably shortly after Game #82, if not sooner.

Although, Shanny may not make a decision until after the playoffs so as to not leave the Department of Player Safety in limbo.

Oh.. that's right. with Rob doing the world mens if Shanny leaves yah.

I don't get why people are mad. this makes sense to me.

People are getting pissed off rightly so at the Leafs. from players, coaching, management. so they're going to the highest authority right now: Lieweke.

People are getting mad that people want Lieweke to do something because he is the president and we don't want board stuff.

But we want change.

So Lieweke is bringing in a guy who
A: is a huge name in Hockey period
B: has no ties to the Maple Leafs at all (which IMO a good thing. he won't be blinded to "yesteryear" and Burke's crap
C: clearly is wanted within the league as he's had a few job offers
D: has many a connection by working with all the GMs


this way

Lieweke is not doing the massive changes that people want. a hockey guy is. and if you want changes - guess what, chances are Nonis will probably still have that 1 year that he needs/deserves (because being around for seven isn't enough I guess). and then said hockey guy quits.

I truly don't see the problem, and I don't get how this is a PR move, a Meat Monkey (which is gross) and all of this other stuff.

Shanny being here = change.
it's not dissolving the players of any responsibility
if you feel sorry for Nonis well, whatevers. (I mean personally, I feel bad for Carlyle it doesn't change the fact I still want him replaced).

 

[Tak7]

No, any GM we've had since Burke. It wasn't like there was a bidding war among 30 teams. His own team didn't offer him that much to come back. What does that tell you?

There were many teams that were in on Clarkson.

Might not have been 30. But it definitely wasn't just TOR and EDM.

Weren't Ottawa in on him too?

 

[edbrubaker*]

Oh.. that's right. with Rob doing the world mens if Shanny leaves yah.

I don't get why people are mad. this makes sense to me.

People are getting pissed off rightly so at the Leafs. from players, coaching, management. so they're going to the highest authority right now: Lieweke.

People are getting mad that people want Lieweke to do something because he is the president and we don't want board stuff.

But we want change.

So Lieweke is bringing in a guy who
A: is a huge name in Hockey period
B: has no ties to the Maple Leafs at all (which IMO a good thing. he won't be blinded to "yesteryear" and Burke's crap
C: clearly is wanted within the league as he's had a few job offers
D: has many a connection by working with all the GMs


this way

Lieweke is not doing the massive changes that people want. a hockey guy is. and if you want changes - guess what, chances are Nonis will probably still have that 1 year that he needs/deserves (because being around for seven isn't enough I guess). and then said hockey guy quits.

I truly don't see the problem, and I don't get how this is a PR move, a Meat Monkey (which is gross) and all of this other stuff.

Shanny being here = change.
it's not dissolving the players of any responsibility
if you feel sorry for Nonis well, whatevers. (I mean personally, I feel bad for Carlyle it doesn't change the fact I still want him replaced).

Most refreshing change on top of that is that Shanny making a priority of accountability. The transparent manner of giving detailed video explanations of the suspension he'd hand out shows that he wants to be an open book. Might come back to bite him in Toronto but it would be a welcome change from previous regimes.

 

[Warden of the North]

Most refreshing change on top of that is that Shanny making a priority of accountability. The transparent manner of giving detailed video explanations of the suspension he'd hand out shows that he wants to be an open book. Might come back to bite him in Toronto but it would be a welcome change from previous regimes.

Leiweke has embraced accountability. Didnt make the playoffs and things are happening already.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Most refreshing change on top of that is that Shanny making a priority of accountability. The transparent manner of giving detailed video explanations of the suspension he'd hand out shows that he wants to be an open book. Might come back to bite him in Toronto but it would be a welcome change from previous regimes.

Apparently (listening to Ray Ferraro). Shanny is actually really thin-skinned - in the sense to where most people can brush off criticism, etc, he seems to really .... take it in? (Not that it would affect his performance or anything), but he seems like he would be the kind of guy who WOULD be listening to the radio going into to work,etc. that's why a lot of [hockey] people were surprised that he took the VP Player safety job because that's opening yourself to 30 GMs & Owners and fans.

Working for Toronto might be harder but it's not like he'd not be used to it.

Leiweke has embraced accountability. Didnt make the playoffs and things are happening already.

exactly.
so the question is "would changes happen had the Leafs make the playoffs?" who knows. Maybe. if this rumour that "Oh, Nonis knew that there might be someone coming in." is true - it's a moot point.

but i mean Hayes brought up a good point, even if that were true,

A: if someone was offering you a 4 year deal with lots of money attached, you aren't really hearing everything that's being said, and

B: us hiring a president of SOMETHING was always brandied about. We just assumed it would be Gretzky playing the role of Neely (rather than a Sakic).

Now that we know it's a Shanahan, that's what's more intriguing. Shanny is (eventually) going to want his own people and staff. (good). he's probably going to surround himself with people who know what they are doing - what's his well of resource? Detroit. As well as - 27 other teams because he deals with them on a consistent basis). Having that fresh no Toronto bias, allegiance, whatever is a good. thing (and actually Shanny being her means he can build up his own rep).

So if Nonis wants to boot it and go follow Burke to Calgary, whatever. or if he wants to stay and give it a year whatever - but Shanny here = change is coming.

Ergo. Lieweke is doing good. so far. and being accountable for the crap that's going on so far.

 

[Tak7]

Leiweke has embraced accountability. Didnt make the playoffs and things are happening already.

Pointing a gun at your GM but not pulling it - that is what this move is. Add a bit of smoke & whistles to distract fans.

This won't turn out well in my opinion.

 

[daveleaf]

Tim Leiweke is the president, so no, I didn't expect anyone to be brought in.

I also didn't expect this fanbase to be reduced to a bunch of meat-craving morons who take the simple whiff of a move from an organization as something that is grand-sweepingly positive (I include myself in there)

Why is this a good move?

Because most of you know who Brendan Shanahan is? Recognize the name? Remember him being successful as a hockey player (which, for the record, has no bearing or correlation with how successful he can be in this sort of position).

I am not a meat craving moron and been watching the Leafs for a very long time and I do see this as a positive. Good GM's have a model where they not only bounce ideas not to their assistants but to someone with a bird's eye view of the organization and a different take. Scotty provides that to his son in Chi, Columbus assumed that model just about a year ago, St.Louis employed that model, many can call Bos with Chiarelli and Neely to be much the same. You can call the move smoke and mirrors, I call it adding a different layer and outlook to the organization.

To answer your other question. I knew the person you are talking about many years ago. We all saw a man that continually over achieved and never strived to be ordinary. He has proven that in his positions at NHL offices. I believe he is the perfect individual for this job.

If you know so much, why don't you submit your resume and see how you fare?

Tor was the town that sent Devellano scurrying to Det. Was told he had no idea how to build a hockey team. Jimmy wanted to build through the draft but being right here in Toronto was not good enough so he took his idea to Det and the rest is history.

Brendan Shanahan is an individual that has succeeded in every level of hockey, he is the poster child of being a leader, never shied away from any confrontation. A cup winner and an Olympian.

I will take him over your opinion any day. He has done it!......you on the other hand sit behind your computer and dream about it.

 

[Cor]

Leiweke said himself he hates hates losing, and isn't a patient man, but he has said building a team is a process.

The beginning of that process was giving Nonis the job security. After this season Nonis would have been a lame duck. So, just give Nonis two extra years, and he was going to focus on TFC and the Raps because they appeared to be much much worse then us.

He finishes everything with the Raps/TFC, just in time to really focus on this team for the playoff drive. We completely and utterly failed. Not one person, Nonis, Carlyle, Phaneuf, Lupul, Kadri all the way down to Colton friggin Orr stood up and told everyone to stop and refocus.

Leiweke saw what we saw magnified by 100% because he saw the behind the scenes stuff as well.

Now, Leiweke appears to have the mentality of "screw it lets change things up" and that starts with Shanahan. That apparently will reduce Nonis' role and essentially squeeze out because I highly doubt he has interest in being the paperwork boy like Greg Sherman is doing.

- Bring Shanahan on
- Nonis will likely step down/be fired
- Carlyle will be gone
- Suddenly, Tim Leiweke finds himself talking to an old friend in Ron Hextall.
- Oh, and Shanahan gave a call to a guy he knows from the Detroit organization in Jeff Blashill

Suddenly, this whole freakin management team is switched to guys that have no attachment to any previous Leaf management, nor any prior attachment to the actual team

Then, Shanahan, Hextall and Blashill sit down and look at this team and go.... wow.

They then make some changes to the team and off we go.

By September, it would not shock me to see Hextall, Blashill and Shanahan as our management team. (Blashill as coach, obviously)

 

[Teeder9]

There were many teams that were in on Clarkson.

Might not have been 30. But it definitely wasn't just TOR and EDM.

Weren't Ottawa in on him too?

Not much information except for us, Edm, Ott, and NJ. It came down to us and Edm and they offered more, (desperation) but he came here. From everything Devil's fans have said, they offered him a contract that was around or cheaper than Clowe and he said no and Lou didn't make another offer. They then signed Clowe. Ott I didn't hear about until lately, so I couldn't tell you, but it's safe to assume they made no offer like us or Edm or you would have heard something then

 

[topched]

If/when a pres of hockey ops is appointed I'm not gonna judge.

If this is just a pr spin by mlse it won't sit well.

If it's a true change in management and this new guy revamps the management group then I'm good with it

 

[rojac]

Leiweke said himself he hates hates losing, and isn't a patient man, but he has said building a team is a process.

The beginning of that process was giving Nonis the job security. After this season Nonis would have been a lame duck. So, just give Nonis two extra years, and he was going to focus on TFC and the Raps because they appeared to be much much worse then us.

He finishes everything with the Raps/TFC, just in time to really focus on this team for the playoff drive. We completely and utterly failed. Not one person, Nonis, Carlyle, Phaneuf, Lupul, Kadri all the way down to Colton friggin Orr stood up and told everyone to stop and refocus.

Leiweke saw what we saw magnified by 100% because he saw the behind the scenes stuff as well.

Now, Leiweke appears to have the mentality of "screw it lets change things up" and that starts with Shanahan. That apparently will reduce Nonis' role and essentially squeeze out because I highly doubt he has interest in being the paperwork boy like Greg Sherman is doing.

- Bring Shanahan on
- Nonis will likely step down/be fired
- Carlyle will be gone
- Suddenly, Tim Leiweke finds himself talking to an old friend in Ron Hextall.
- Oh, and Shanahan gave a call to a guy he knows from the Detroit organization in Jeff Blashill

Suddenly, this whole freakin management team is switched to guys that have no attachment to any previous Leaf management, nor any prior attachment to the actual team

Then, Shanahan, Hextall and Blashill sit down and look at this team and go.... wow.

They then make some changes to the team and off we go.

By September, it would not shock me to see Hextall, Blashill and Shanahan as our management team. (Blashill as coach, obviously)

So, in your mind, is Steve Simmons lying when he tweeted that Nonis has been aware of Leiweke's plan to bring someone in him since he signed his extension and is okay with it?

To be honest, Nonis seems happy to serve in a right hand man role. Perhaps some of the things that would be taken off Nonis' plate would be things he doesn't like doing? For instance, it seems clear that Nonis doesn't care for doing media -- a lot of radio interviews and such have been Loiselle and Poulin. But someone above Nonis doing media is more satisfying to the fans than someone below.

And since you're saying that Leiweke is going to bring in his friend Ron Hextall as GM, are you saying that Shanahan is not going to get a chance to choose his own GM if he fires Nonis or Nonis quits?

 

[Dangles McGavin]

^^ Please let this happen.

 

[edbrubaker*]

Apparently (listening to Ray Ferraro). Shanny is actually really thin-skinned - in the sense to where most people can brush off criticism, etc, he seems to really .... take it in? (Not that it would affect his performance or anything), but he seems like he would be the kind of guy who WOULD be listening to the radio going into to work,etc. that's why a lot of [hockey] people were surprised that he took the VP Player safety job because that's opening yourself to 30 GMs & Owners and fans.

Working for Toronto might be harder but it's not like he'd not be used to it.



exactly.
so the question is "would changes happen had the Leafs make the playoffs?" who knows. Maybe. if this rumour that "Oh, Nonis knew that there might be someone coming in." is true - it's a moot point.

but i mean Hayes brought up a good point, even if that were true,

A: if someone was offering you a 4 year deal with lots of money attached, you aren't really hearing everything that's being said, and

B: us hiring a president of SOMETHING was always brandied about. We just assumed it would be Gretzky playing the role of Neely (rather than a Sakic).

Now that we know it's a Shanahan, that's what's more intriguing. Shanny is (eventually) going to want his own people and staff. (good). he's probably going to surround himself with people who know what they are doing - what's his well of resource? Detroit. As well as - 27 other teams because he deals with them on a consistent basis). Having that fresh no Toronto bias, allegiance, whatever is a good. thing (and actually Shanny being her means he can build up his own rep).

So if Nonis wants to boot it and go follow Burke to Calgary, whatever. or if he wants to stay and give it a year whatever - but Shanny here = change is coming.

Ergo. Lieweke is doing good. so far. and being accountable for the crap that's going on so far.

Good stuff, how great would it be to have Shanny actually listen to the radio and fanbase? I pretty sick of the Nonise sfollowing JFJs
ignoring the fans voice while cementing Phaneuf, Bozak, Clarkson soon be Bolland and Gleason as the neo Muskoka Five.

 

[Kelly]

I don't really care for Gretzky to be brought it, would love Shanahan though.

 

[Cor]

So, in your mind, is Steve Simmons lying when he tweeted that Nonis has been aware of Leiweke's plan to bring someone in him since he signed his extension and is okay with it?

To be honest, Nonis seems happy to serve in a right hand man role. Perhaps some of the things that would be taken off Nonis' plate would be things he doesn't like doing? For instance, it seems clear that Nonis doesn't care for doing media -- a lot of radio interviews and such have been Loiselle and Poulin. But someone above Nonis doing media is more satisfying to the fans than someone below.

And since you're saying that Leiweke is going to bring in his friend Ron Hextall as GM, are you saying that Shanahan is not going to get a chance to choose his own GM if he fires Nonis or Nonis quits?

I don't take anything Steve Simmons says seriously. His opinion or insight means 0 ***** to me.

Very well, and he very well could do that. But would he rather do it between two guys he hasn't had associations with, or with Burke in Calgary. I am convinced Burke thinks Nonis could be available so he is waiting, and leaving the job open for him.

Obviously he and Shanahan would have to talk about it, but I think the ties Shanahan would have to Blashill and Leiweke has to Hextall, bringing them in would form a super team of sorts. Honestly, this part wasn't even my point. Maybe he brings in whoever is the assistant to Holland right now instead of Hextall. Doesn't matter, ultimately we will have a president, GM and a coach all starting together. No more of this GM inherits coach or coach gets a new GM crap.

I like Nonis, I wouldn't be upset if he stayed, however I would rather a whole new management team, starting with Shanahan

 

[Daisy Jane]

I don't take anything Steve Simmons says seriously. His opinion or insight means 0 ***** to me.

Very well, and he very well could do that. But would he rather do it between two guys he hasn't had associations with, or with Burke in Calgary. I am convinced Burke thinks Nonis could be available so he is waiting, and leaving the job open for him.

Obviously he and Shanahan would have to talk about it, but I think the ties Shanahan would have to Blashill and Leiweke has to Hextall, bringing them in would form a super team of sorts. Honestly, this part wasn't even my point. Maybe he brings in whoever is the assistant to Holland right now instead of Hextall. Doesn't matter, ultimately we will have a president, GM and a coach all starting together. No more of this GM inherits coach or coach gets a new GM crap.

I like Nonis, I wouldn't be upset if he stayed, however I would rather a whole new management team, starting with Shanahan

and (well not the Nonis bit) but Poulin to Calgary has been rumoured for a big long bit.

And this is the argument i've been making for a good long while. There is no way that Shanny (or any real Super Grand Poombah of Hockey in Toronto) is going to be the figure head. Not if it's Nicholson. Not if It's Gretzky. Not if it's Shanny.

So quite frankly - this circular round about conversation becomes moot, because you could do it either one of two ways:

A: give Nonis another year to fix the mess that he created
B: fire him, and the coach, get a whole new mindset and culture change top to bottom.

So if that means its' Hextall, or Jim bob down the road - it doesn't matter. You can't have Nonis fire Carlyle, only to have "new coach" in place if Shanny fired Nonis next year. then you have Shanny's guy as a coach, but not as a GM. then if you hire a new GM - then new GM doesn't have a coach that he wants. It makes no sense.

ergo.
Tim = Shanny = Change to everyone else.
Hextall here makes too much sense. I don't know if Draper is being groomed to GM (i know he's working close with Holland though). I don't know who the other GM (like the really smart ones are rumoured to be).

Trotz is a UFA coach - i dont know, would be interesting to see him - but again. with a Red Wing Alumn up top - it makes sense to get the guy who kept the AHL team running while 1/2 the AHL team was in the NHL securing Playoff Bearth #23 behind YOUR bench - especially because the Leafs are only going to get younger - not older.

(and if not him - probably Dineen depending on what he does with the U18s).

 

[ClarkieMac]

I don't take anything Steve Simmons says seriously. His opinion or insight means 0 ***** to me.

Very well, and he very well could do that. But would he rather do it between two guys he hasn't had associations with, or with Burke in Calgary. I am convinced Burke thinks Nonis could be available so he is waiting, and leaving the job open for him.

Obviously he and Shanahan would have to talk about it, but I think the ties Shanahan would have to Blashill and Leiweke has to Hextall, bringing them in would form a super team of sorts. Honestly, this part wasn't even my point. Maybe he brings in whoever is the assistant to Holland right now instead of Hextall. Doesn't matter, ultimately we will have a president, GM and a coach all starting together. No more of this GM inherits coach or coach gets a new GM crap.

I like Nonis, I wouldn't be upset if he stayed, however I would rather a whole new management team, starting with Shanahan

I agree, having a management/coaching team who all agree on a vision and create a system like Detroit, Boston, Chicago or LA is the way this team needs to go. It's what Leiwike really built in LA and I'm guessing it's what he's trying to do here. Those teams churn out homegrown talent. He's not the one making trade calls, he's the one who decides who the right guys to make those calls are. He's already proven that to me with TFC and the Raptors, so I truly believe that's what's happening here. This is more then just a PR move.

 

[Cor]

Someone on the radio made a big point and it brings all of this together

"There are no small moves with Tim Leiweke. Everything is apart of something bigger"

Leiweke isn't the type of guy to just bring someone to stand there and look pretty. Its not his style.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Someone on the radio made a big point and it brings all of this together

"There are no small moves with Tim Leiweke. Everything is apart of something bigger"

Leiweke isn't the type of guy to just bring someone to stand there and look pretty. Its not his style.

Yup, and that is the reason I am all for this appointment since it will not stop with this. Nonis and his guys will go to and people TL have faith in will come in to try and fix the mess that is the Leafs.

 

[WhatASaveDave]

Be it Shanahan or Gretzky, we need to surround our staff with as much winners as possible

 

[topched]

Yup, and that is the reason I am all for this appointment since it will not stop with this. Nonis and his guys will go to and people TL have faith in will come in to try and fix the mess that is the Leafs.

I have to say... So far Leiwicke has done a great job.

His strength is in evaluating management talent and attracting people and he's done that with TFC and the Raps.

He's also not meddling, his goal is to hire the absolute best person to do the job and let them go.

Hopefully that is his plan with the leafs.

 

[Tak7]

.

To answer your other question. I knew the person you are talking about many years ago. We all saw a man that continually over achieved and never strived to be ordinary. He has proven that in his positions at NHL offices. I believe he is the perfect individual for this job.

If you know so much, why don't you submit your resume and see how you fare?

Tor was the town that sent Devellano scurrying to Det. Was told he had no idea how to build a hockey team. Jimmy wanted to build through the draft but being right here in Toronto was not good enough so he took his idea to Det and the rest is history.

Brendan Shanahan is an individual that has succeeded in every level of hockey, he is the poster child of being a leader, never shied away from any confrontation. A cup winner and an Olympian.

I will take him over your opinion any day. He has done it!......you on the other hand sit behind your computer and dream about it.

Hook line and sinker.

Incredible.