What I think is going to be utterly fascinating is how quickly Babcock is going to realize just how bad the Leafs really are, how quickly he's going to be instrumental in the removal of Kadri, JVR, Bozak, Lupul, Gardiner, well pretty well the entire entrenched returning cast of characters from the last year's Leaf team. Kessel may have been the figurehead of TO's collapse last year but he had an entire roster of support.
I don't think that Babcock or Shany are expecting TO to be bad by design, I think they have felt, rightly or wrongly, they have made the best changes to the roster in light of the circumstances, not financial entirely, but superior coaching has positively impacted even cash strapped or fiscally prudent teams. Maybe it's chemistry but I'm doubtful that an entire team can maintain a winning chemistry without the right people maintaining/promoting an environment where the chemistry can thrive or even be discovered. RC had an agenda and was resolutely determined that TO would succeed under his terms no matter what, like his insistence that Bozak center Kessel, it really didn't make sense but then that's RC.
