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Is Mike Babcock the Right Fit at this Stage in the Rebuild? |
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Is Mike Babcock the Right Fit at this Stage in the Maple Leafs Rebuild?
When Mike Babcock was mulling over his coaching options at the end of the last season, he was asked what is the most important factor in his decision making process and the answer was simple – “Winning”.
Given Babcock’s innate desire to win, it was quite surprising that he chose to sign an 8 year 50 million dollar contact with the Maple Leafs. It is not surprising that he accepted the 50 million dollar contract, because after all he is only human and most rational individuals would have jumped at the opportunity to become the highest paid coach in NHL history. However, the surprising part is that he went against his previous statements and personal belief that winning is THE most important aspect he was looking for.
It is clear to see that the Detroit Red Wings are not the perennial NHL powerhouse that they once were when they dominated the Western Conference on an annual basis with the likes of Yzerman, Lidstrom, Fedorov, Shannahan and company. In saying that, it is an easy argument to make that the Detroit Red Wings are much closer to “winning” than the Toronto Maple Leafs currently are.
Sure, Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Kronwall are heading into the twilights of their careers, but Detroit has proven over the past few years that they can re-tool their roster on the fly by bringing in a steady stream of young, over ripened prospects from the Grand Rapids Griffins (Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, Jurco, Pulkkinen & Ferraro) coupled with solid free-agent college signings (DeKeyser & Glendening). With the addition of Mike Green and Brad Richards in the offseason, the emergence of Petr Mrazek giving the Wings a solid 1-2 punch in net, and with Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha on deck, Detroit should be on route to their 25th consecutive playoff appearance this season.
Mike Babcock was the coach of the Red Wings for 10 years, which is an eternity for NHL coaches in this era. Under Babcock’s leadership, the Red Wings made the playoffs each year and won 1 Stanley Cup in 2007/08. Although the Red Wings have been consistent in making the playoffs, they haven’t made it past the 2nd round since their 2008/09 playoff run where they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the cup final. It’s been obvious that Babcock was getting the most out of his recent Red Wing rosters; however it is also abundantly clear that he was in need of a change of scenery and a new challenge. If Mike Babcock was looking for a challenge, he will be sure to find that (and more) in Toronto this season.
After reviewing the Leafs roster for the upcoming season, it is safe to say that Babcock‘s coaching ability will be tested in its entirety as there are many question marks in all positions.
Who will replace Phi Kessel’s offense?
Will Kadri finally be able to produce as a #1 or #2 center?
Will Bozak be able to put up decent offensive numbers without Kessel on his wing?
Will Lupul be able to stay healthy this season and regain offensive form from years past?
Will JVR be able to take the next step in his career and become a consistent 30+ goal scorer?
Without a legitimate top pairing defenseman to play with will Dion Phanuef’s play continue to trail off?
Will Rielly and Gardiner be able to carry the load as the Leafs #2 and # 3 defenseman?
Will Bernier bounce back from an off year and be able to justify his new contract?
When Babcock was hired in May he preached the need for Leaf fans to be “patient” and that there will be several seasons of “pain”. He stressed that in order for the Leafs to have long term success they simply cannot take any shortcuts and must get as many picks in Mark Hunter’s hands as possible in the upcoming drafts. Unfortunately, in order to build through the draft in an expedited manner the Leafs MUST be basement dwellers in the NHL for at least the next couple seasons so that they have a shot at obtaining high end talent (such as Mitch Marner).
If the strategy moving forward is for the Leafs to have a few more (really) bad seasons; was it really a good idea to hire (arguably) the best coach in the NHL at this early stage in the rebuild? What if Mike Babcock does such a good job with the Leafs current roster that it actually hinders the rebuild process? Mike Babcock is an excellent coach and will sure to squeeze every ounce of potential out of this group, but make no mistake - he is not a miracle worker.
Some Leaf fans may have been just fine with another couple lousy seasons under stop-gap coaches such as Peter Horachek, in an attempt to get better chances at selecting Austin Matthews, Jacob Chychrun or Jesse Puljujarvi in next year’s draft. However, in my opinion when a highly touted, proven winner like Mike Babcock is available, you HAVE to go all in while that opportunity is available and that is exactly what Shannahan did.
Mike Babcock is best known for being one of the most prepared coaches in the game, making his players accountable and for having a second to none work ethic. Part of Babcock’s philosophy is that you can’t ask your players/staff to work harder than you do yourself, so he leads by example and emphasizes work ethic and preparation in every aspect of his teams.
Babcock has been quoted saying that the type of players that he wants on his team must be “good humans” and “everydayers”. Babcock defines “everydayers” as players who live the game every single day, meaning that they train right, eat right, act professionally, lead by example and give back to the community. You can be sure that over the next couple seasons, Babcock will have major say in which current roster players fit these qualities and which players must be weeded out of the organization (i.e. Phil Kessel).
Mike Babcock will bring a lot of these important qualities to this team and organization that were lacking over the past several years. You can also bet that Mike will not allow the Toronto media to get the best of him and influence his decision making like some of the most recent coaches and GMs. What you see with Mike Babcock is what you get and don’t think for a minute that his new contract, new bosses or the Toronto media will affect any of his underlying principles for success and his will to win.
Given the Leafs current organizational depth chart, it is safe to say that the Leafs are a few years away from being playoff contenders, but with Mike Babcock at the helm, you can be sure that the leafs will be back on track sooner than later.
For those that are interested, I highly recommend that you read Mike Babcock’s book “Leave No Doubt: A Credo For Chasing Your Dreams”. The book is centered on the 2010 Olympics; however it provides insight into Babcock’s principles for success and is a very motivational read.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!
Blogger •Atlantic Division Writer • 
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