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Coach Mike Babcock

CarltonTheBear said:
Potvin29 said:
Have they announced a presser yet?
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11am tomorrow.
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So essentially, Babcock isn't that committed to Toronto.  A coach who was really passionate for being behind the Leafs bench would have been stuck in the 2-hour wait to cross the Ambassador bridge right now.

I'm still not that keen on paying draft pick compensation for a UFA coach but getting a good coach is a good strategy to develop a good team.
 
Now that I have more time to digest this and post about it, this is super exciting.  Arguably the best coach in the league, (Quenneville gives him a run for his money).

Really like the fact this is very long term, and not a three or four year gig.  I mentioned before I wanted to see a 7- to 10-year deal so this could be seen through from beginning to end.  Everyone's in this for the long haul now, and there should be no cutting corners (hopefully).

Major kudos to Shanahan.  He's tearing this thing apart from top to bottom and instilling a long-term vision and the pieces in place to accomplish long-term sustainability. 
 
Peter D. said:
Now that I have more time to digest this and post about it, this is super exciting.  Arguably the best coach in the league, (Quenneville gives him a run for his money).

Really like the fact this is very long term, and not a three or four year gig.  I mentioned before I wanted to see a 7- to 10-year deal so this could be seen through from beginning to end.  Everyone's in this for the long haul now, and there should be no cutting corners (hopefully).

Major kudos to Shanahan.  He's tearing this thing apart from top to bottom and instilling a long-term vision and the pieces in place to accomplish long-term sustainability.
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Hopefully they don't change course 3 years in like the Leafs usually like to do.  I look at this day as the start of year 1, hopefully it's all uphill from here.
 
Zee said:
Peter D. said:
Now that I have more time to digest this and post about it, this is super exciting.  Arguably the best coach in the league, (Quenneville gives him a run for his money).

Really like the fact this is very long term, and not a three or four year gig.  I mentioned before I wanted to see a 7- to 10-year deal so this could be seen through from beginning to end.  Everyone's in this for the long haul now, and there should be no cutting corners (hopefully).

Major kudos to Shanahan.  He's tearing this thing apart from top to bottom and instilling a long-term vision and the pieces in place to accomplish long-term sustainability.
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Hopefully they don't change course 3 years in like the Leafs usually like to do.  I look at this day as the start of year 1, hopefully it's all uphill from here.
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The negotiations must have included some sort of discussion regarding the vision of the franchise especially given the length of term.  If Babcock came on board on a 3 year contract or something I could understand the concern that he's in it just to cash in.  To commit yourself to one team for that length of time tells me that he is committed to the process (whatever that process may be)
 
I think
Shanahan assumes role of GM if only in title. It's pretty obvious that he Dubas Hunter and now The Chin are running this here show.
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
I think
Shanahan assumes role of GM if only in title. It's pretty obvious that he Dubas Hunter and now The Chin are running this here show.
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I'm pretty sure that was the plan all along when it came to the Leafs.  They were never looking for a pure GM to make all of the decisions, they just needed another guy to add to the mix.

latest
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
I think
Shanahan assumes role of GM if only in title. It's pretty obvious that he Dubas Hunter and now The Chin are running this here show.
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I've actually thought about that too. There's really no need to add a GM to the mix. But if they do bring in somebody from the outside it's pretty clear that he'll just be another voice in the room, and maybe not even the 2nd most important one.
 
Peter D. said:
Now that I have more time to digest this and post about it, this is super exciting.  Arguably the best coach in the league, (Quenneville gives him a run for his money).

Really like the fact this is very long term, and not a three or four year gig.  I mentioned before I wanted to see a 7- to 10-year deal so this could be seen through from beginning to end.  Everyone's in this for the long haul now, and there should be no cutting corners (hopefully).

Major kudos to Shanahan.  He's tearing this thing apart from top to bottom and instilling a long-term vision and the pieces in place to accomplish long-term sustainability.
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I agree. And it's really 'about time'. This team needed something, anything to bring back some respectability to the organization. I'd like to think this hiring will help attract better scouts, better assistant coaches and better players to the organization. It will still be a very slow process before we start seeing success, but the pieces are starting to come together, and it all begins with a solid GM and coach. Today they got one of the best coaches in the league.
 
pmrules said:
Deebo said:
I find all the optimism very similar to when Burke was hired.
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or Shanahan...or Dubas...or Carlyle...
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I don't remember there being a lot of optimism around Carlyle.  There was a lot of criticism in how his coaching style was bringing Anaheim down in the end.  Shanahan took his time assessing the team and doing things the right now, not doing a knee jerk blowup...and Dubas has done nothing to this point other than come across as very knowledgeable in interviews so I'm not sure how that applies to much of anything.
 
Deebo said:
I find all the optimism very similar to when Burke was hired.
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I think fans had every right to be excited when Burke was hired.  Just need now this new management group to not try and wrongly fast track things as he did and things shouldn't turn out as bad.
 
This is fantastic news, even though I, most people here and most people in the sports world were convinced he wasn't coming here.

First the Clarkson trade and now Babcock.  I'll be the first to say anything is possible now. 


 
The thing that sticks out in my mind goes back to the HBO 24/7.  I remember at the time thinking what a professional Mike Babcock seemed like, contrasted with that dope Randy Carlyle futzing around with a toaster.
 
Deebo said:
I find all the optimism very similar to when Burke was hired.
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I don't really, outside of just the commonality of there being optimism. When Burke was hired to run the Franchise I think there was a sense of "How is this guy going to build the team? How are we going to see the 'Brian Burke' type player make his way to Toronto?"

The "Burke type player" was a big deal for a while. Here, I get a very different sense of things. I'm interested to see how Mike Babcock coaches but I know that a coach is never going to be the deciding factor in what makes or breaks a team. The plan that Shanahan had was going to be executed with or without Babcock, it's just a better one with him.
 
Finally we have something to be happy about! Who knows, by year 8 we might finally win the Cup!

Seriously though I'm pleasantly surprised he picked Toronto, sounded like for a while it was between the Wings and Sabres. Money talks though and that is one thing the Leafs have in abundance.  It sure works in our favour when there is no salary cap on coaches.
 
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