I'm a bit late to write an article on this front, but relatively recent Mike Babcock was hired to become the new coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which happen to be my favourite team. In this article I'll go over why this was a very smart move by the Leafs' management, and I'm optimistic to see what Babcock can do. Now I'm a well educated fan, so I'm not one of those people that's already throwing cup parades, that's just unrealistic. Here's why Babcock is worth all $50 mil over 8 years, and what the organization should expect from the former Detroit bench boss.
Toronto has had bad management for as long as I can remember. We haven't had a real winning coach since Pat Burns, and haven't had a good management team since I don't even know! Toronto's management in the more recent years has been horrendous, whether it's the head coach or GM. I'm really excited now though, because it seems the franchise has made that a thing of the past. Brendan Shanahan (President)? Love him. Kyle Dubas (28 year-old assistant GM)? Love him. Mark Hunter (most likely candidate to be Leafs next GM, works in organization)? Love him. Now throw in Mike Babcock and were starting to get a real good management team here. Shanny, Dubas & Hunter all are so much better than the Dave Nonis's, the Brian Burkes, the Randy Carlyles, the Ron Wilsons! I don't even think Randy was that bad of a coach, he just was a terrible fit for Toronto, but we can talk about that some other time. The Leafs current management team is something to be excited about, and throw in a good coach, and some good young players, this franchise is on its way up.
Toronto is the richest franchise in the NHL, worth somewhere around $1 billion. They have a lot of money to spend that isn't cap space, and they always seem reluctant to spend that money. If you are the richest franchise in the NHL, WHY NOT invest some in one of the NHL's best coaches. WHY NOT??! Someone answer that question for me. I know the hype is already massive around Mike coming to Toronto, and I'm not just hyping it even more, I'm saying why not hire him, use your money! HYPE! HYPE! HYPE!
In all seriousness, Mike Babcock is a wonderful building block for Toronto. What will his impact be next season? The Leafs' management team has already committed to a long-term rebuild, so DO NOT expect a playoff appearance next year, even under Mike, unless the Leafs say screw the rebuild, and decide they can do well with Mike, which they should NOT do! What Babcock does is speed up the rebuild process, that's really all he can do. He will also be able to teach young kids like Nylander, The #4 overall pick, probably Connor Brown, Carrick, guys like that. He'll teach them how to play responsible hockey, and despite the fact we may be losing next season, we're losing with a coach that will teach the players that it's okay, and he'll be able to steer them down a path that will not let the losing get to them.
Overall Babcock is 100% worth the $50 mil to the Maple Leafs, and a smart hire and decision by management. What do you guys think?
Cheers,
~UWNHL TEAM
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