hockeywiz542
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http://www.torontosun.com/2013/02/2...yle-are-building-a-partnership-of-trust-in-to
"The first thing you want to do is make sure you're not missing something or somebody," said Nonis. "We looked around. We discussed some other options. But for us it came down to two people."
Carlyle was one. Marlies coach Dallas Eakins was the other.
"And in terms of the market and the experience factor, we felt Randy was the better choice," said Nonis.
The decision to hire Carlyle might be the most important coaching decision made in Toronto since Cliff Fletcher hired Pat Burns in 1992. What he's managed with the Leafs, in concert with Nonis, over 17 games is nothing short of improbable.
Before this season began, after the lockout, Nonis met with the Leafs players and so did Carlyle. The meetings were separate but the tone was similar.
"We made it clear to players going in, that on any given evening, players who gave us the best chance to win, regardless of their contract, were going to play. This is something we agreed upon and have followed through on.
"It was important that every player knew this. It was a position we felt was important for us to take. We wanted transparency and accountability from everyone. If you say that and then you don't act on it, you'll lose the room. When we told them how it was going to be, I believe it's important that we stand true to our words. If they see the opposite, they won't believe in anything you say.
"And we've been true to our word on this."
True to their words as general manager and coach, the lineup the Leafs utilized in both games in Florida was almost an assault on conventional salary-cap wisdom --but in Nonis' mind a necessary assault considering what they've told the players.
The best player on any night, as chosen by Carlyle, is going to play. So if it means Mike Komisarek and John- Michael Liles, who combined to take up $8.37 million in salary-cap space, won't play because the defenceman in the $600,000-a-year range--Mark Fraser, Korbinian Holzer and Mike Kostka--are playing better, so be it. In fact, the five defenceman not named Dion Phaneuf last night for the Leafs earn about the same as Komisarek's cap hit.
And if you include Tim Connolly being paid major-league dollars to play minor-league hockey and the $3.5 million for bought-out players and the traded Matthew Lombardi, the Leafs are sitting out some $16.5 million in salaries, and if you add the injured Joffrey Lupul and Matt Frattin to the equation, you're almost at $23 million missing from the lineup.
And it hasn't seemed to hurt the product at all. Nonis is quick to thank ownership for not involving themselves in matters of salary and performance. On many teams he knows, coaches and general managers don't have similar freedoms.
"It's still early but to Randy's credit and to the players' credit, it's been working," said the general manager. "We've given young players an opportunity and they've stepped up and grabbed at it. There's going to be some bumps in the road, you know that, but so far they've stepped up and done a good job with it."
But it starts with Carlyle and Nonis and a trust and working relationship that goes back a decade.