Should the Leafs make front office changes?

[Craigo85]

Actually, what is missing is firing the entire front office and allowing their replacements to pick new coaching staff !!!

In other words, I can't vote !!!

I thought the same but voted for a new president knowing he can replace GM if desired.

 

[AuraSphere]

Keefe needs to go - got out coached most of the series

 

[2 Slick]

Staying status quo means complacency. They gave them another year after that embarrassing Montreal series debacle. The same end result happened again. You cannot keep things as they are and expect things to play out differently. That's sheer lunacy to think otherwise.

Regular season doesn't mean jack shit if you can't get it done in the first round. They could go 73-9 in the regular season next year, lose in the first round, no one would give two shits about the regular season accomplishments. There are no moral victories in hockey. This isn't a brand new coaching/GM staff with a new team, this is the same core group for over half a decade of futility.

No change means you tell the fans you don't care about winning, plain and simple.

 

[Brown Dog]

GM should’ve been gone last season



what setback ? getting swept in the first round.

Yeah, or missing the playoffs altogether.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Can't believe we're discussing dismantling a 115 point team.

 

[Tak7]

The "Shanaplan" is about to head into its 8th year. A project that was designed to create a sustainable, consistent contender every year, has failed.

I see a lot of people excusing the Leafs defeat because it was against a "really good" Tampa team, yet this deep into the project, the Leafs should also be a "really good" team.

You could argue changes could be at all levels - on the ice, behind the bench, in the press box, and at the board level.

It should all be on the table. Absolutely 0 reason to be married to anyone not named Auston Matthews at this stage

 

[sxvnert]

The Shanny/Dubas team are too married to this roster and imo have lost all objectivity. Hopefully ownsership steps in and forces the issue otherwise groundhog day will continue.

 

[capfit9]

Yeah, or missing the playoffs altogether.

so you’re telling me that if they fire Dubas they will miss the playoffs. seems like you believe more in the GM than the roster which is a problem

 

[Cleetus]

Can't believe we're discussing dismantling a 115 point team.

Discussions should be happening unless you like not going for the cup, and are content with regular season success, im happy there is discussions, the goal should be winning a cup... end of story

 

[ECanuck]

I understand calling for changes to the GM and coach but I really want to give them one more year to try to figure it out. The team finished with 115 points and had the top PP and one of the top PK units. They are doing some things right.

Let's face it, this team had won the series if Kerfoot doesn't double down on stupidity. If they had won the series I honestly believe we would have gone to the Finals. There would have been no other Vasi out there to steal a game 7 from us.

They do have to make tweaks to the lineup. Bring in players who know what playing in the playoffs requires. Miky and Engvall don't know.

Gone to the finals is a stretch. We haven't passed the first round!

 

[Brown Dog]

so you’re telling me that if they fire Dubas they will miss the playoffs. seems like you believe more in the GM than the roster which is a problem

I don't think it would take much for the Leafs to fall off into a middle-of-the-pack type team--either by keeping the core together and faiing to supplement it properly or by trading off core pieces for playoff-style grit grinders.

I'm not sure Dubas can get the formula right but have more faith that he can than in the prospect of changing horses midstream. I also understand why others see it differently and are not keen on giving Dubas the benefit of the doubt.

 

[capfit9]

Can't believe we're discussing dismantling a 115 point team.

no, it's about making that 115 points mean something

 

[Morbo]

Firing whom though?

I think many posters thought changes should have happened last summer. When the Leafs didn’t do that, many figured it was do or die this year to make the playoffs and win a round.

They didn’t, but now suddenly because the Leafs were at least competitive, it seems we’re back to trying it all over again one last time.

Firing anyone. If winning a round was the sole criterion, why wouldn't you have cleaned house after last year's embarassment? that was 5 times in a row. if you don't fire them after 5 in a row, why 6 necessarily?

 

[Craig Button]

Nothing wrong with the coach.
Nothing wrong with the GM.

There will be some roster changes.
But there’s no need to blow things up.

What needs to happen is a discussion between MLSE and the NHL on all the bullshit calls and suspensions we’ve had the last few seasons.

No Leaf fan should buy any merchandise or tickets until the Leafs are at minimum at the qtr finals of the playoffs. Not $1 should be spent on this league. Don’t visit Ottawa or Buffalo for leafs road games. Just completely ignore the NHL.

New GM and a new coach won’t change how the league treats the Leafs . It will still be the same old story. Our hardest opponents isn’t any hockey team. It’s the refs and the League itself

 

[capfit9]

I don't think it would take much for the Leafs to fall off into a middle-of-the-pack type team--either by keeping the core together and faiing to supplement it properly or by trading off core pieces for playoff-style grit grinders.

I'm not sure Dubas can get the formula right but have more faith that he can than in the prospect of changing horses midstream. I also understand why others see it differently and are not keen on giving Dubas the benefit of the doubt.

well put. for me i look at the way he has bungled the goaltending situation over his tenure.

Nothing wrong with the coach.
Nothing wrong with the GM.

There will be some roster changes.
But there’s no need to blow things up.

What needs to happen is a discussion between MLSE and the NHL on all the bullshit calls and suspensions we’ve had the last few seasons.

No Leaf fan should buy any merchandise or tickets until the Leafs are at minimum at the qtr finals of the playoffs. Not $1 should be spent on this league. Don’t visit Ottawa or Buffalo for leafs road games. Just completely ignore the NHL

how do you define blowing things up ?

 

[ECanuck]

The "Shanaplan" is about to head into its 8th year. A project that was designed to create a sustainable, consistent contender every year, has failed.

I see a lot of people excusing the Leafs defeat because it was against a "really good" Tampa team, yet this deep into the project, the Leafs should also be a "really good" team.

You could argue changes could be at all levels - on the ice, behind the bench, in the press box, and at the board level.

It should all be on the table. Absolutely 0 reason to be married to anyone not named Auston Matthews at this stage

You have been paying attention. That's one guy who has made a change to himself each year. Every year he has improved some aspects of his game to make the team better.

 

[capfit9]

Firing anyone. If winning a round was the sole criterion, why wouldn't you have cleaned house after last year's embarassment? that was 5 times in a row. if you don't fire them after 5 in a row, why 6 necessarily?

sounds like dictatorship

 

[Morbo]

I don't think it would take much for the Leafs to fall off into a middle-of-the-pack type team--either by keeping the core together and faiing to supplement it properly or by trading off core pieces for playoff-style grit grinders.

I think if there's anything that would cause that, it would be the backbone of their defence (Brodie and Muzzin) continuing to age. Brodie still seems fine but Muzz has taken a beating and already isn't quite what he was a couple seasons ago.

Those two players are the foundation of the Leafs' ascent to respectability in the GAA department, which would have gotten more press had their goaltending not been so poor.

if either of those guys show any effects of age, that would definitely hurt the Leafs, especially with their weak goalies. guys we have waiting in the wings at D aren't strong defenders at this point(Lilly/Sandin) and may never be for all we know.

 

[Marmoset]

The "Shanaplan" is about to head into its 8th year. A project that was designed to create a sustainable, consistent contender every year, has failed.

I see a lot of people excusing the Leafs defeat because it was against a "really good" Tampa team, yet this deep into the project, the Leafs should also be a "really good" team.

You could argue changes could be at all levels - on the ice, behind the bench, in the press box, and at the board level.

It should all be on the table. Absolutely 0 reason to be married to anyone not named Auston Matthews at this stage

I voted 'Replace the GM and let them bring in a new coach', but I don't have a strong feeling yet of where I think this should go. I can see the reasons for keeping everyone. I can see the reasons for firing Shanahan.

But to expand on the first part of your post - Masai Ujiri took over the Raptors around the same time Shanahan took over the Leafs. He never had top five picks to draft a Matthews or Marner, and yet he put together a team that made the playoffs for 7 consecutive seasons (now 8 of 9), made at least the second round for 5 consecutive seasons, won 9 total playoff series, and a championship.

A season ago the Raptors cratered in a Covid season, drafted in the top 5 for the first time in Ujiri's tenure, and promptly made the playoffs again. This season the Leafs won one more playoff game than a Raptors team that was supposed to be rebuilding/retooling.

Now to expect the Leafs to have done all that, maybe that's reasonable, maybe not. They are different sports. But as a fan of both teams, I can't watch the Leafs do what they've done and compare that to the Raptors and say that I am OK with where things are with the Leafs. Both organizations have tremendous resources. The results for the Leafs should be better. That doesn't mean management should be fired, but it does mean they shouldn't be untouchable, right up to Shanahan.

One final thing - Matthews is absolutely the only untouchable player on the Maple Leafs' roster. He's the best player in the world at scoring goals now and is irreplaceable.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

I voted to keep all three. Simply for continuity sake.

But I'd also have no problem with cleaning house. I've always been indifferent to Dubas. Keefe I've never been enamoured with. I hope at the very least, we stop hearing how great these two are.

 

[Amadeus]

Kyle Dubas is a good GM, and a fine human as well. Not sure he's the issue here. He's class all the way.

Him being there for Ilya Mikheyev when he got that nasty cut just tells how good of a human he is. Ryan Dzingle, a player who didn't even suit up for us when he was acquired, marvelled at Kyle Dubas's class, specifically due to how open and transparent he was.

Sure, Kyle has made questionable decisions but the team is right there. I get really upset too. I came to Canada in 2002, been a fan since 2004 and have witnessed horrors I tell you. Kyle has made good trades, he's drafted well in his tenure, and above all, he's a good human. I don't want him to lose his job.

He needs to get to work this off season though and improve this team's offensive depth. That's the reason we lost this year. We need secondary scoring, when it matters.

 

[Jozay]

You have to consider it. Shannahan approaching a decade with the Leafs with shit all to show for it LOL.

 

[Brown Dog]

Really didn't like Keefe's post-game presser last night and all the talk of earning Tampa's respect and losing a close series to a great team. Felt like a guy massaging the BS narrative that they were underdogs and should take pride in the moral victory of "hanging in there with the Champs."

 

[tmlfan98]

Sullivan will most likely get fired by the Pens.

Another coach who is miles better than Keefe. If Dubas and Shanny are in the way of bringing in one of Sully or Trotz, ownership has to clear house from Shanny down.

 

[steam whistle]

I remember when we hired Babcock, everyone said this is championship coach, did that work out for leafs??
It f***ing ended up Mickey Mike pocketed USD$50M
f***!