Confirmed with Link: Leafs Hire Jim Hiller as Head Coach

[Zybalto]

Yea,

Good analytics, especially d numbers and already familiar with the team and players? This guy was probably a frontrunner from start and nobody noticed.

 

[francis246]

I wouldn’t mind seeing DJ returning as an assistant or associate to Hiller if they want to give him a fancier title.

Me too, had decent structure under him

 

[notdoneyet]

WTF is this franchise doing.
No wonder we haven’t won a cup since 67.
Billion dollar franchise with no brains at the top.

 

[All Mod Cons]

After Carle said no there weren't any good candidates really, maybe other then Cassidy. I don't think it's a great hire but there weren't gonna find someone out of nowhere.

Just keep an open mind and if he doesn't do well fire him the second a good coach becomes available before another team does.

It's strange how our top two candidates seems to have been Carle or Hiller.

 

[DarkKnight]

Mirtle seemed pretty high on the hire and I agree with his logic. Let's see what he can do here, not sure he had a fair chance in LA.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

LA's 5v5 D rankings under Hiller coaching the team:

Shots against: 2nd fewest in the NHL
Scoring chances against: 3rd fewest in the
NHL
High danger scoring chances against: 2nd fewest in the NHL
xGA: Lowest in the NHL
Goals against: Fewest in the NHL

He might help out?

If he can skate maybe

 

[The Iceman]

His stats/record are inflated with 5 bottom dwellers in his division the majority of his time coaching that team.

Leafs are likely the 2nd worst team in their own division.

Vegas and Edmonton have been wagons in the division too.

 

[SprDaVE]

I wouldn’t mind seeing DJ returning as an assistant or associate to Hiller if they want to give him a fancier title.

Him and Babcock will fight for him for sure. I think Smith might probably prefer to work with Hiller since that's the recent relationship... but who knows. It also depends what the Leafs do with their current coaching staff (no idea what their contract situation is)

 

[Ianturnedbull]

S-A-F-E hire
With a high probability of being reliable, solid and consistent.

The kind of coach that allows you to build your roster around him with no concerns from your coach.

S till
A lways
F orgetting
E lite Coaches

 

[WTFMAN99]

Vegas and Edmonton have been wagons in the division too.

They have been but they got to beat up on Flames, Canucks, Kraken, Ducks and Sharks.

 

[Fogelhund]

At the end of the day, what we think of the hire, has no impact on the results. That's all that matters, results. The team still needs a bunch of trades, and signings... It's only Mid June, so maybe we just sit back and enjoy?

 

[dubey]

S till
A lways
F orgetting
E lite Coaches

"elite coaches" lol

 

[Schennanigans]

What on earth. This is the best they can come up with. Nobody wants to come here. Lmao.

 

[Fogelhund]

S till
A lways
F orgetting
E lite Coaches

Because the list of other options was particularly inspiring?

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Rogers definately went dumpster diving on their GM hire. I bet when the salaries come out Hiller is bottom 5 on the pay scale if not the lowest paid coach in the NHL.

They likely didn’t get their top pick but saving 5 million a year isn’t anyone’s priority.

Chayka is 3x more likely to get fired if the coach can’t turn around the team.

 

[Budz]

We will be crushed by dump and chase if we play 1-3-1.

The part I find hilarious, is that over 90% of our fans have no effing clue what a 1-3-1, 1-2-1 and a more traditional 2-1-2 are supposed to do from a defensive and attacking style.

Almost ZERO knowledge.

 

[Gallagbi]

At the very least I'd expect a zoom type press conference. But I think the Head Coach job deserves a press conference, they always typically do. It might take a few days if there's travelling involved.

Gotta give Simmons time to source 20 ppl for feedback on the hire

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Seems like a bridge hire while they go through a rebuild/retool the next few seasons.

Agreed. I always felt it was leaning that way when they revealed a few of the finalists.

This doesn't seem to be the right time to knock it out of the park with a coaching hire.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

The part I find hilarious, is that over 90% of our fans have no effing clue what a 1-3-1, 1-2-1 and a more tradition 2-1-2 are supposed to do from a defensive and attacking style.

Almost ZERO knowledge.

Because most have never played ! Or have been a coach.

 

[ITM]

He's way way too old at 57.

I thought we'd get some creativity from the new regime. Dinosaur.

Woodcroft is 50 this August. Brindamour is 55. Paul Maurice is 59. Jon Cooper turns 59 in August. Cassidy is 61. Tortorella is 67.

Was it Carle or bust for you?

Looks like the dinosaur type contends for championships when they’re not winning them.

 

[The Masters]

babs on jim hiller
i remember this one

 

[All Mod Cons]

A question for people - why are people happy or see it as a good thing that there are no leaks in the organization? How does that help us or hinder us?

I only ask because in football (soccer) everything is known by journalists or released by agents well in advance of clubs actually making their moves.

 

[Zybalto]

If he can skate maybe

Assuming he isnt completely washed and can still skate, Tanev coming back (who has been one of the best defensive D in the league when healthy) is certainly going to make a difference.

We got a boatload of capspace heading into Draft day/Free agency too so dont get too caught up on the "Mehple Leafs" quite yet.

We went first to worst last year so why not pull the reverse this year? Other teams have so why not us?

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Seems like a bridge hire while they go through a rebuild/retool the next few seasons.

Pelley said the Leafs aren’t rebuilding and many use that as proof they aren’t.

 

[Fogelhund]

I'm hopeful Ahokas is brought on as an assistant coach. That would be a positive in this.