Look at the roster, now back at me. Now look at the man who benched Subban at the Olympics in favour of JayBo. Back to me, its Sheldon Keefe on a horse. The Leafs still miss the playoffs, but they'll smell fresh doing it.

He was a problem

Babcock may have some mistakes, but you really think Keefe will make less? I'm assuming Toronto did it for a wake up call but to be honest Babcock didn't create the problems

The Leafs gave up too much toughness from their blue line and too much penalty killing over the summer, in order to overpay Marner and Matthews without even getting max term deals with them.

Dubas and Babcock have different ideas of what makes a good hockey team, and it's hard to cook dinner with someone else's groceries. Babcock did okay in Detroit where the team was mostly built pre-salary cap and he did great in the Olympics because Canada. Under a salary cap, with a team that took an odd view of how to manage that salary cap, he's shown he's human. I'm sure he still has a bright future ahead of him.

Ok but do you have an example?

BABCOCK IS THE PROBLEM as he has totally lost the players. Do yourself a favour and google Mike Commodore comments on Mike Babcock to get a player's perspective of Babcock.

I agree with the Grocery phrase but I think Dubas should've been fired instead. Babcock didn't choose to get rid of toughness or over pay Matthews and Marner, Dubas did.

Hockey is run very conservatively. In conservative circles, the boss is always right.

Commodore is an idiot. He throws sh*t at the wall just to see what sticks. He plays a schtick online and people eat it up. He’s awful. Not to mention he wasn’t a very good player.

he probably asked Mathews and Marner to backcheck ....and they responded ok boomer

Looked at the comments. From my view I see Commodore was mad because he didn't earn or get gifted the minutes he wanted. If you're brought in for a "physical presence" then don't expect to play every night. Babcock is not the one to baby the players, and Commodore says it himself "Holland traded me because HE felt bad"

Disagree 100% about your comments. Commodore is speaking for alot of the players who are too afraid to speak and be targeted by the old boys club who run the NHL and its teams.

I mean I know your joking at least about the boomer part. But yeah I think that's what happened, M&M want to be babied and Babcock is not that type of coach.

Yep, being a Chicago fan I experienced this. #FireStan

But, but - Dubas fixed RHD in the summer, right?

Yea, the players have played poorly this season. But I've been saying for years, Babcock is terrible game manager. Cost the Leafs the series in 2018...maybe even last year.
Right or wrong, I don't think the players believed in their coach any more.
And yes Dubas gets blamed and with some justification.. But where were the high priced Leaf executives in contract when they overpaid their big RFA collectively 4.5m too much.
Maybe the teflon man Shanahan should shoulder some of the blame by overpaying a coach with term (yea it doesn't count against the cap) and then allowing 3 players to be really overpaid when compared to other RFAs. That 4.5m could have used for a good Dman.

Babcock mismanaged the roster. The power play has been...well do I need to say anything about it? Anyway, when having only one D on the power play was not working, why not have two in Rielly and Barrie? That's a glaring mistake in my eyes.

Overall? Playing the hell out of your best players. The rest of the league does this...why not the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Look...I was fully expecting Babcock to the coach the rest of the season but seeing things like the ones I pointed out were glaring things.

I have mixed feelings about this firing.

Babcock mismanaged the roster. The power play has been...well do I need to say anything about it? Anyway, when having only one D on the power play was not working, why not have two in Rielly and Barrie? That's a glaring mistake in my eyes.

Overall? Playing the hell out of your best players. The rest of the league does this...why not the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Look...I was fully expecting Babcock to the coach the rest of the season but seeing things like the ones I pointed out were glaring things.

I have mixed feelings about this firing.

Power play? Try being a Jackets fan, then come talk to me about the PP.

Babs wasn't the problem, but that doesn't mean firing him can't be the solution. Give the players a clean slate, new voice, new energy.

Right that ship!

He has a bone to pick with a coach he played 17 games for. He was a bad player and is trying to become a Whitney or Bissonnette but no one will listen to him. It’s why every trade deadline he tweets saying any player is going to any team rumored to have interest. He hopes something sticks so he can get his name out there. No one takes him seriously.

Ok cool, but this is a discussion post and there's no discussion on wether the Jackets are terrible, everyone agrees.

For real though I feel bad for the fans because of the management. You guys did the exact opposite of what should have happened at trade deadline. Now, well... see you in 7 years maybe?

The Blue Jackets don't have Rielly, Barrie, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares...wait why are the Jackets part of this conversation?
This not just about a miserable power play. Spezza, career NHL'er has played well enough to get more minutes (especially when Babcock was not playing the best players the most like the rest of the league does) but instead he's been a healthy scratch.

Definitely many things led to this firing, not just the ones I happen to mention here.

McGruff
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 149
Likes: 24
All the talk (I posted this elsewhere today), however it's a mess in coaching, play and management.
Coach - stubborn, old ways in coaching, will not adjust in game, did not work with Dubas et al, etc etc...
Players - overpaid, too soft, not a TEAM (circa NYR pre Cap world of 80s/90s - a bunch of 'prima donnas' getting their cookies & apples and enjoying the NY lifestyle - and sucking!).
Management - had Hall of Famers in Lou & Babcock. Now it's accountants in Dubas and Keefe good grief! (Capped out with 4 GUYS eating almost 50% of cap, one-dimensional roster, no defense, no backup netminder, too soft yadda, yadda). Finally, the #1 (conditional pick) next year is gone due to Marleau-island! Ahhhhh the hits just keep coming...

Babcock was the problem because he lost the room due to his stubbornness, throwing players under the bus and his arrogance. Wouldn't you be pissed if you car pooled to work and everyday the person who picks you up shows up late then blames you for being late to work?