Shanahan's Plan to Restore Respectability

[TonsofPuppies]

It has now been over 10 years since Shannon was hired to run this hockey team. One of the things he stated when he was hired was his desire to restore the reputation of the Toronto Maple Leafs as one of the NHL's premier clubs, instead of the laughing stock they had become under the leadership of Burke and Nonis. After yet another failed season, the question has to be asked. In the last decade, under Shanahan's leadership, has this franchise's reputation actually improved or gotten worse?

On one hand, certainly, our regular seasons are better. We have star talent who can win some individual trophies and accolades. We actually do make the playoffs every year. However, on the other hand, the amount of embarrassing and humiliating losses accumulated under the Shanahan regime, in both the regular season and the playoffs, far surpass anything experienced during the Burke years.

In my opinion, our reputation as a joke and an afterthought team across the league has increased tenfold under Shanahan and it should cost him his job - and it should have happened years ago, to be quite honest.

Click to read more...

 

[Nineteen67]

About the same.

 

[HockeyVirus]

It's undeniably better come on. We were a market that was as upset as we are now about not winning a cup but with just making the playoffs. Players avoided us like the plague. We've landed several UFA's including the biggest ever at the time in Tavares.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Of course we're a joke. People trashing them doesn't even phase me anymore.

 

[647Hockey]

You got to give Shanahan credit for one thing.

Every time Leafs underachieve in the playoffs, he has a knack of disappearing. He'll make one final statement for the year and that's it. All eyes can then focus on the players, coach or Dubas like in the past.

He's good at avoiding negative spotlights.

 

[mikeyz]

Worse AINEC

Exhibit A below.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Respectability should be everywhere.

Like creating threads that are only slightly different than the other ones going.



Kidding

I don't exactly know how to define Shanny's body of work. It seemed like getting Lou was a step in the right direction.

 

[hamzarocks]

Before we were the losers you didnt care about

Now we are the losers you laugh at once you have humiliated us

 

[kevsh]

Shanahan's legacy - if it ends here - is overseeing one of the most futile playoff runs of any pro sports franchise ever.

No one is going to remember that the Leafs finished 3rd in their division 5 or 6 times, or that year they set a Leafs record for most points in a season (to my point: Has anyone claimed that team was the best Leafs team ever? Even close?). What people will remember is the consecutive game 7 losses to the Bruins, the humiliating collapse to the Habs and how every year they just re-ran the same plan praying it would work out this time.

Short version: He's going to be remembered as the guy that wasted the prime years of the some of the greatest hockey talent this team has ever had.

 

[Buds17]

Making the playoffs during the Burke and Nonis years felt like the impossible dream (it happened once) compared to winning a playoff round during the Shanahan years (which has also happened just once). I determine the team to have the better reputation now though because I'll take disappointment over apathy as the lesser of two evils.

 

[TonsofPuppies]

Shanahan's legacy - if it ends here - is overseeing one of the most futile playoff runs of any pro sports franchise ever.

No one is going to remember that the Leafs finished 3rd in their division 5 or 6 times, or that year they set a Leafs record for most points in a season (to my point: Has anyone claimed that team was the best Leafs team ever? Even close?). What people will remember is the consecutive game 7 losses to the Bruins, the humiliating collapse to the Habs and how every year they just re-ran the same plan praying it would work out this time.

Short version: He's going to be remembered as the guy that wasted the prime years of the some of the greatest hockey talent this team has ever had.

Correct. And here's the thing... it's obvious that this team needs a complete cultural reset. The lack of accountability and fostering entitlement needs to end, if this team is ever to see a reasonable amount of success. How can you preach the message of accountability when the guy running the whole show for over a decade has none himself? It starts at the top and trickles its way down through the rest of this organization. Embarrassing beyond belief to be a fan of this team.

 

[Daisy Jane]

okay. as i remember how it was before Shanahan came here - I would say fundamentally, it is a LOT better. I remember when it was a complete and utter gong-show. this is also why it amuses me when people mock the whole "Oh did we get respect/credit in the handshake line," as if they don't remember (or weren't around) when teams literally laughed at us during the regular season, and in interviews about what a joke it was to play us and we had no systems or anything like that. (and a LOT of people here - who are still very active) took offense to that. so when that does get acknowledged that we worked hard in the series. or we were their toughest out - that does mean something [to me] because A: why would you lie about that? if they weren't, who are you appeasing? the team? why would they care, and we don't really care. and B: it does show that if we are the toughest out perennial cup champs are facing that we can potentially have a tweak here or there to go over the hump. Notice we haven't heard that recently, so to me it means there was a regression.

I would say the the fact that Stamkos even considered signing here (who knows how much he was committed to actually pulling the trigger remains to be seen), and that Tavares did shows you how much respectability there was because none of that happened the time before he was here. (not HIGH end talent like that).

Ironically. I would say the biggest failure of Shanahan was that he removed the Blue/White Syndrome - and cultivated a new one. there was a lot of catering to the young talent mostly because we hadn't had that much young talent who was really really good, and how many times you kept reading/hearing oh we can't tick off Matthews, etc etc. his other biggest crime (and it's massive). he's too methodical for his own good. I believe in being consistent - so I do maintain that I feel it was still a good idea at the time that he took HIS time before he burned everything down to the ground. however that resulted in us losing McDavid. (but i think it's also too easy to say "had we been Last - we would have gotten him", because we were one bounce away from getting him at 4. but after the gongshow series that was the Montreal series - that's when you should have made some MASSIVE changes.

but actually respectability? yeah I think he ushered in some era. and I do believe we have some of it but I think honestly. (per usual) it's not all on him. a lot of it has to do with the people on the ice. they aren't blameless either.

 

[ruaware41]

Making the playoffs during the Burke and Nonis years felt like the impossible dream (it happened once) compared to winning a playoff round during the Shanahan years (which has also happened just once). I determine the team to have the better reputation now though because I'll take disappointment over apathy as the lesser of two evils.

For the first time this year with this core, expecting a first round loss was the new standard of apathy. Expectations felt a lot more mellow among fans. Me myself I didn't even feel anything seeing pasta score in ot. We lost to a team that has Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as their 1-2 punch. Really says it all

 

[TonsofPuppies]

okay. as i remember how it was before Shanahan came here - I would say fundamentally, it is a LOT better. I remember when it was a complete and utter gong-show. this is also why it amuses me when people mock the whole "Oh did we get respect/credit in the handshake line," as if they don't remember (or weren't around) when teams literally laughed at us during the regular season, and in interviews about what a joke it was to play us and we had no systems or anything like that. (and a LOT of people here - who are still very active) took offense to that. so when that does get acknowledged that we worked hard in the series. or we were their toughest out - that does mean something [to me] because A: why would you lie about that? if they weren't, who are you appeasing? the team? why would they care, and we don't really care. and B: it does show that if we are the toughest out perennial cup champs are facing that we can potentially have a tweak here or there to go over the hump. Notice we haven't heard that recently, so to me it means there was a regression.

I would say the the fact that Stamkos even considered signing here (who knows how much he was committed to actually pulling the trigger remains to be seen), and that Tavares did shows you how much respectability there was because none of that happened the time before he was here. (not HIGH end talent like that).

Ironically. I would say the biggest failure of Shanahan was that he removed the Blue/White Syndrome - and cultivated a new one. there was a lot of catering to the young talent mostly because we hadn't had that much young talent who was really really good, and how many times you kept reading/hearing oh we can't tick off Matthews, etc etc. his other biggest crime (and it's massive). he's too methodical for his own good. I believe in being consistent - so I do maintain that I feel it was still a good idea at the time that he took HIS time before he burned everything down to the ground. however that resulted in us losing McDavid. (but i think it's also too easy to say "had we been Last - we would have gotten him", because we were one bounce away from getting him at 4. but after the gongshow series that was the Montreal series - that's when you should have made some MASSIVE changes.

but actually respectability? yeah I think he ushered in some era. and I do believe we have some of it but I think honestly. (per usual) it's not all on him. a lot of it has to do with the people on the ice. they aren't blameless either.

The problem is that the people on the ice are the ones that he INSISTED stay here, despite their repeated and well documented history of not getting the job done. If you're running a business and you have employees who aren't getting the job done for years and years, the blame shifts away from them and to you for continuing to employ them. That's what Shanny has done with this worthless core.

 

[Leafsfan74]

There was no way to go but up really. Matthews and his 60, 69 goal seasons was determined by the bounce of a ball. What would this Leafs seasons success be if Leafs don't get the #1 pick? You can chpp off at least a quarter of Marners career points alone.

In the end, you run a team back 4-5 years and most KNOW what is wrong, but you stubbornly stick with it in some hope that a players DNA will change, then perhaps it was more a situation of self preservation rather than ideological belief.

Sometimes a person doesn't want to admit they were wrong because it may weaken their authority. "Staying the course", isn't 8 or 9 years in Pro sports. That is just arrogance and insanity.

The biggest sucker will be the loyal fans. No bigger sucker in pro sports than Leaf fans let's face it.

As was know at least 3 years ago (at least I and others expressed it). We know where the problem lies. This level of first round failure and insane streak of game 7 losses is truly Leaf-like.

 

[Superstar]

Keefe did say he felt respected in the handshake line, so I guess Shanahan is doing a great job...

 

[PromisedLand]

its about the same IMO

Teacher's Pension Plan era they wouldn't allow a rebuild and became a JOKE

Shanahan era new owners Rogers/Bell allowed a rebuild and then became a JOKE


Its just a different kinda JOKE. But still a JOKE

Although I gotta say pre-Shanahan team never lost to a zamboni driver which is another freakin' JOKE

 

[TMLegend]

Definitely better. 2005-2014 might have been darkest era in Leaf history, certainly in my lifetime at the very least.

While the current iteration of the team is frustrating as all hell, they're at least a good team, with potential to make noise in the playoffs. Those teams from 2005-2014 were a joke honestly, constantly trading futures just trying to sneak in the playoffs. Perpetually spinning their wheels going nowhere. They were bad but not bad enough to get top 5 picks generally. It was hell being a fan back then.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

He's made positive changes considering how bad it was before.

BUT he's also now started implementing negative changes that have created a childish environment within the organization. They're stubborn and behave like the Arizona Coyotes or an organization that is satisfied with a playoff round.

No clue why he thinks it's okay to pamper a core and coach that has stunk it up as much as this one. It's bizarre. Don't forget he was also more than ready to bring back Dubas before the press conference.

 

[Trapper]

Worse AINEC

Exhibit A below.

Or to put it in milder terms:
We know the Leafs are right there, but Boston (and the majority of 1st round opponents) are more right there.

 

[egd27]

His tenure started out amazingly well.
A well executed tank, and the start of a new day with winning the Draft Lottery.
A respected management team in place, and a team with 9 rookies went from last to PO's in one season

The Leafs were the envy of the hockey world with an amazingly bright future.

Then Shanahan, after two impressive seasons, met his Waterloo (or should I say Brock) and it's been one disaster after another.

IMO the Leafs are not a bigger laughing stock than they were under JFJ or Burke, it's just a different joke of wasted possibilities.

 

[NVious]

It's the same.

What's the difference between the Leafs pre and post Shanahan? About a week and a half in May.

The team went from tryhard losers (Finger, Kessel, Clarkson, Phaneuf) to soft overpaid lazy chokers.

The playoff appearances are totally meaningless if they're not leading to a cup. In theory the large majority of non playoff teams could sell every asset and sign every bad contract to try and make a magical playoff appearance, but as a fan why would you care at all if it's not leading anywhere?

You have to be a realist and realize nobody is going to win something ridiculous like 5+ cups nor can you make deep runs (ECF+) every year, there's going to be down years where you're out in the 1st/2nd round, but the fact that we're paying 4 guys like they're McDavid meanwhile they all produce more like they're Yashin isn't any better than what we had before.

There's no difference between a skill less team that tries hard and fails and a team with Stanley cup talent that doesn't try that hard and fails, it's all the same

 

[RunItBackAgain]

Don’t care. GTFO. We should’ve never allowed someone with zero experience to handle a team with so much potential.

Good job getting Matthews, anyone here could’ve tanked successfully.

Then you went out and hired a rookie GM and then let him hire his BFF, a rookie coach. f*** off.

 

[Buds17]

For the first time this year with this core, expecting a first round loss was the new standard of apathy. Expectations felt a lot more mellow among fans. Me myself I didn't even feel anything seeing pasta score in ot. We lost to a team that has Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as their 1-2 punch. Really says it all

TML and NHL history have not been kind to teams that have spotted the opposition a 3-1 series lead. Boston's inability to close out their series with Florida last year under the same parameters at least gave Leaf Nation some reason to believe. The regular season finish was also a disappointment because we went back to not having home ice advantage (and winning only one of three at SBA was among the biggest letdowns). Our advantage in 1-2 punch at centre - and at forward overall - was unfortunately negated by their one-man show in goal, not to mention Montgomery being quicker in identifying Swayman as the go-to in comparison to Keefe with Woll. Worst of all, not enough offence from a team with so much invested in it. There's always next year!

 

[Stephen]

Considering Matthew Tkachuk’s casual clowning of the Leafs I’d say the organization is due for another restoration of dignity.