I think most coaches love to think they could pretty much take any team/players and make them competitive. At least, that's the type of mentality/confidence/arrogance that makes a coach successful.
- Pecafan Fan

Yes, but would they do it with some entitled Muskoka 5 clowns or some fresh prospects that they could influence and leave their lasting mark on?

Lil?

Strome's like 6' 2" no? Yeah that's puny.

Marner's as tall as Gilmour. Gilmour was horrible as our 1C

You're right. My bad. I guess I better learn the hockey.
- Tee-Dot

marner is a bean pole

and oh.. of course.. since gilmour, a hall of fame centre, was so talented it MUST mean every small C moving forward must be at the same skill level

jesus (frank) stee.. if i wanted to i could name 25 failed small prospects for every good one you can come up with

i just dont care tho.. the leafs will draft another kadri.. you guys will go ape poop driving the kleenex stock price (that reminds me, invest in kleenex and hand cream stock) and then that same kleenex will be used to wipe your tears up.

At least he's not as bad as twiztedmike who thinks Marner is better than Eichel.
- KesselRules

maybe they are just trying to fill out their spank album that started with nylander

It should help, though. Maybe more than we think.
- Pecafan Fan

its going to take a couple years for Babcock to assemble a team of players with the mindsets he needs to succeed.

I bet we see more roster purging next offseason than we do this offseason.. babcock might want to see what the roster has for himself before shanny and hunt-dubs trade everyone away

its going to take a couple years for Babcock to assemble a team of players with the mindsets he needs to succeed.

I bet we see more roster purging next offseason than we do this offseason.. babcock might want to see what the roster has for himself before shanny and hunt-dubs trade everyone away
- Dozzer

My thoughts as well.

Yes, but would they do it with some entitled Muskoka 5 clowns or some fresh prospects that they could influence and leave their lasting mark on?
- Tee-Dot

Babcock teams compete hard and are well prepared. I can't think of any traits I want to see passed on to kids that Leafs bring in more than those. He's a great coach to get at this stage of a re-build or any other time. I don't think this changes Shanny's opinions on who he wants to see moved out.

The answer that scares us all. Hope to hell they do.
- Tee-Dot

i bet they dont.

detroit wanted phaneuf.. you dont think holland picked babcock's mind on if he felt he would be a roster improvement?

my guess.. is year one.. mostly the same roster.. then the player upheavel will occur.

Meh. Nothing like the delicious Butthurt comments we got when we won the lottery. But I get what you're saying, and my advice to you is to enjoy it. It really is fun when other teams fans are jealous. Babs is a great coach, but this will be a new experience for him.he had a good young team in Anaheim and a great veteran team in Detroit, Toronto is neither, but at least he has a tonne of time to turn it around.
- Jeropotato

You guys got WAY more fun out of watching all of us crying, than Leafs fans will get from this.

My thoughts as well.
- Pecafan Fan

yeah.. and who knows.. part of being a great coach is knowing how to motivate certain types of players to take it to the next level

i bet they dont.

detroit wanted phaneuf.. you dont think holland picked babcock's mind on if he felt he would be a roster improvement?

my guess.. is year one.. mostly the same roster.. then the player upheavel will occur.
- Dozzer

Detroit/Babcock wanted Phaneuf as a complimentary piece, not as the main guy

Detroit/Babcock wanted Phaneuf as a complimentary piece, not as the main guy
- Canada Cup

and?

you dont think babcock will be re-assigning roles?

i bet they dont.

detroit wanted phaneuf.. you dont think holland picked babcock's mind on if he felt he would be a roster improvement?

my guess.. is year one.. mostly the same roster.. then the player upheavel will occur.
- Dozzer

I think you're right. Problem is it will mean a worse pick with the clowns.

Now ask yourself this... If Babs can make the playoffs with the stanky core of Bozer, Phil, Dion, & Lupus, would you really enjoy watching said playoffs with stanky core?

Because you know if they do, they are all here to stay sadly.

Or it could raise their trade value but that's just me being optimistic.

yeah.. and who knows.. part of being a great coach is knowing how to motivate certain types of players to take it to the next level
- Dozzer

Well, it was pretty obvious last season that the general attitude of the group was the biggest problem with that team.

and?

you dont think babcock will be re-assigning roles?
- Dozzer

I just don't think Babcock's interest getting Phaneuf as an extra piece for a play-off bound team means he wants to keep him here. You can re-assign roles all you want, Leafs aren't going anywhere for a while and Dion is more valuable as a trade.

You know, I've been pretty pissed off about the Mcdonagh trade for quite some time.

I'm watching him play against the Bolts, and I say to myself that, he may be a weeeee bit overrated.
- Pecafan Fan

He's close to a top pairing D in the league, close to a top 10. PK, Karlssson, Doughty, Weber, Suter, Giordano, Pietrangelo, Hedman, Ekblad, Keith, Jones, Seabrook... McDonagh?

why the hell do you think we need to get him this summer?

neither strome OR marner are ready for pro let alone the NHL
- Dozzer

I think this is true, but I am also leery of taking a US College Dman. Was Seth Jones a US College D? I may have to eat my words there.

I think you're right. Problem is it will mean a worse pick with the clowns.

Now ask yourself this... If Babs can make the playoffs with the stanky core of Bozer, Phil, Dion, & Lupus, would you really enjoy watching said playoffs with stanky core?

Because you know if they do, they are all here to stay sadly.

Or it could raise their trade value but that's just me being optimistic.
- Tee-Dot

Jesus - what has changed to make you think Shannahan is done with a re-build?

He's close to a top pairing D in the league, close to a top 10. PK, Karlssson, Doughty, Weber, Suter, Giordano, Pietrangelo, Hedman, Ekblad, Keith, Jones, Seabrook... McDonagh?
- Aetherial

Oh, he's good.

But I find it weird to see him with the C in a Rags uniform. Dan Girardi should be wearing it, imho. I think Mcdonagh is pretty good, but Girardi is the guy holding this defense/team.

I think this is true, but I am also leery of taking a US College Dman. Was Seth Jones a US College D? I may have to eat my words there.
- Aetherial

No, he was WHL. Never got old enough to play in college before the draft.

Jesus - what has changed to make you think Shannahan is done with a re-build?
- Canada Cup

Nothing... just the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Oh, he's good.

But I find it weird to see him with the C in a Rags uniform. Dan Girardi should be wearing it, imho. I think Mcdonagh is pretty good, but Girardi is the guy holding this defense/team.
- Pecafan Fan

I was thinking the same thing the other night watching them. I actually had forgotten he was the C, and thought Girardi was.

I just don't think Babcock's interest getting Phaneuf as an extra piece for a play-off bound team means he wants to keep him here. You can re-assign roles all you want, Leafs aren't going anywhere for a while and Dion is more valuable as a trade.
- Canada Cup

And Babcock knows this I'm sure. He cannot be the only person in the industry that actually thinks you can win with Dion and Phil. And, after Shanny's press conference, there's no way he tries to quicken the rebuild, no way whatsoever. Signing Babcock changes nothing with the way Shanny is going to build this organization. All it does is add to the staff that will provide young players with every opportunity and the very best support to succeed.

Now all we need are the players. (Small task I know)

I think this is true, but I am also leery of taking a US College Dman. Was Seth Jones a US College D? I may have to eat my words there.
- Aetherial

US National Team Dev. Program, and 1 season in the WHL.

its going to take a couple years for Babcock to assemble a team of players with the mindsets he needs to succeed.

I bet we see more roster purging next offseason than we do this offseason.. babcock might want to see what the roster has for himself before shanny and hunt-dubs trade everyone away
- Dozzer

I wondered in the Ek thread if maybe they might hold on to Kessel and Phaneuf. Give Babcock some time to see if he can make Phaneuf look better (behind a better TEAM defense) and make Kessel play a little bit 2 ways.

Babcock might be able to help drive up the value of those guys and the cap might go up again making a trade a little easier.

I think kessel and Phaneuf have value, but it definitely was diminished to a certain extent by the epic collapses and the pathetic second half this season.

Nothing... just the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Tee-Dot

Until Shannahan gives me reason to think otherwise, I believe the plan remains the same - just with a really (frank)ing good coach.