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Post by franko on May 23, 2015 7:18:22 GMT -5
liked this one . . . obviously from a dreamer Leaf fan:
We stole your coach and your old captain now we gonna steal ur girls lol hide your mothers
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Post by CentreHice on May 23, 2015 7:27:29 GMT -5
Stole? We?
Leiweke used big MLSE money to buy Shanahan.
Shanahan used big MLSE money to buy Babcock.
Thankfully, there's a salary cap when it comes to players.
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Post by franko on May 23, 2015 8:19:37 GMT -5
ya I had a laugh at that one too, all puffy chested and braggartly sounding. "We kicked sand in your face, Detroit . . . and watch out rest of the NHL, we're on the way up."
well, I guess after nearly 50 years of being a laughing stock . . . Harold Ballard, negative ions, losing losing losing . . . you've got to grasp on to any hope you can find.
"It's going to take a while," they're saying in TO. I guess the hope is that on 50th anniversary of their last Cup win they'll at least make the playoffs.
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Post by CentreHice on May 23, 2015 9:04:48 GMT -5
It's the lack of humility that gets under my skin….the bluster and favouritism shown by the media…more so now that Rogers owns and covers (Sportsnet) the team.
I thought Babcock would bring a little humility and honesty. i.e. letting his resume speak for itself.
Aside from protecting himself from criticism with the "difficult, massive challenge, patience" speech, it's quite the contrary.
He plays Buffalo against Toronto to broker the best deal he can, then says he didn't come just for money; crows about being "Canada's Team"; then feeds a rib-eye to guys like Cherry by saying, "Once we make it (the environment) safe, they (the great Ontario-born players) are comin' home." Nothing honest or humble about any of that.
Rogers says, "Spin it!" They're spinning it.
The fans are buying it.
Like I said….wait til Game 1 next season. They'll likely be facing the Habs, as always.
This year, it should be in Montreal…but I have a feeling it'll be in Toronto.
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Post by seventeen on May 23, 2015 13:27:46 GMT -5
When I heard the comment about making players feel safe, it made me think about Simon Sinek's "Start with Why", a book about leadership. I haven't read it but went to a presentation based on it. One of its foundations is making employees feel safe. By that, I believe it means being comfortable with your situation and not fearful of being fired or set upon by your boss. It means a place you enjoy going to work at rather than hating it. It seems over 80% of employees do not look forward to getting up and going to work. In other words, creating a climate where you can feel good and want to perform at your best. Makes sense.
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Post by blny on May 23, 2015 13:58:53 GMT -5
The heady days of the Leafs led by Dan Daoust didn't get the national stage like the organization does today. It's media driven, and started after the 1994 lockout and two conference final runs. They're still drinking the kool-aid from those seasons. Imagine if Habs fans ran around going "we're the last Canadian team to win!" on repeat. Not only is it obnoxious, it's pathetic. Leafs fans of the 80s didn't laud over everyone. Toronto is the media center of the country, and to legitimize themselves they anointed the team they covered Canada's team.
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Post by CentreHice on May 23, 2015 14:46:52 GMT -5
When I heard the comment about making players feel safe, it made me think about Simon Sinek's "Start with Why", a book about leadership. I haven't read it but went to a presentation based on it. One of its foundations is making employees feel safe. By that, I believe it means being comfortable with your situation and not fearful of being fired or set upon by your boss. It means a place you enjoy going to work at rather than hating it. It seems over 80% of employees do not look forward to getting up and going to work. In other words, creating a climate where you can feel good and want to perform at your best. Makes sense. Could be...but I think Babccock's also wagging the finger of warning at the media (and the fans) to lay off the criticism...no matter how long it takes while he's at the helm. I'd like to watch the whole McCown interview, to be sure. But he mentioned something about it being so difficult to play in Toronto... I got the impression the message was, If you want a Cup, the environment has to be a safe, positive one. So you'll just have to trust me, Shanny, and whichever puppet GM we appoint. As if Pat Quinn, Paul Maurice, and Randy Carlyle didn't make it a safe environment for their players.... The problem was always going for the quick fix.... And yes, blny, the Leaf bias has been intolerable ever since the Gilmour-Cherry kiss in 1993. |
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Post by seventeen on May 23, 2015 14:56:23 GMT -5
I truly don't think Babcock will be that much of an improvement over Carlyle. The Leafs fans hopes will be very high
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Post by frozone on May 23, 2015 15:03:19 GMT -5
It's a bit odd that Babcock wasn't interested in any of the teams that are more ready to win it all right now. Like St Louis.
Nothing protects his legacy more than taking over a team currently at rock bottom. Nowhere to go but up. No wonder Buffalo and Toronto were his final choices.
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Post by jkr on May 23, 2015 18:57:08 GMT -5
It's a bit odd that Babcock wasn't interested in any of the teams that are more ready to win it all right now. Like St Louis. Nothing protects his legacy more than taking over a team currently at rock bottom. Nowhere to go but up. No wonder Buffalo and Toronto were his final choices. I wonder if he would have gone to Buffalo if they won the draft lottery |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 25, 2015 10:11:25 GMT -5
Well, Mike Babcock has a lot to live up in addition to that $50 million contract ... he's promising Leaf Nation the world right now ... he's just about guaranteeing them that big-name players will now flock to the Maple Leaf standard (all because of him?) ... I think the Leafs might have sorted out their drafting issues too, with the signing of Mark Hunter ... Hunter will know the OHL, more specifically, the Southeastern OHL and their feeder systems extremely well ... I really do wish both of them luck, especially Babcock ... the very worst thing for any pro is to start believing in your own press ... don't get me wrong, with a Cup and two Olympic Medals to his résumé it's a good start ... but he had the best players in the country playing for him in the Olympics ... he won't have that to start with in TO ... it will be a long haul and I hope he can practice what he preaches ...
Cheers.
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Post by Polarice on May 25, 2015 11:23:26 GMT -5
The problem with Toronto as an organization is that they often listen to the outside sources rather than their own staff. They start out talking rebuild, the 5 year plan.....then after 3 years they start getting pressure from the press and the fans to start making an impact. They then try to fast pace the process and end up messing everything up, and that is exactly what I expect to happen again. Babcock will not see 5 years of his contract.
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Post by CentreHice on May 25, 2015 11:35:46 GMT -5
... he's just about guaranteeing them that big-name players will now flock to the Maple Leaf standard (all because of him?) ... Not a criticism of your post, Dis…I'm just de-bunking the Toronto/Babcock media spin Big-name ONTARIO-BORN players, is what he said. When he/they make it a safe environment for them, "they're comin' home". Like I asked earlier, how many of these great Ontario-born players flocked to his safe environment in Detroit? When he left the Wings, there was ONE: 32-year-old Stephen Weiss. Tough, tenacious…yes. But great? Not one 30-goal season. And now on the downward slope of his career. Babcock's playing Leaf Nation like a fiddle already. Upon their hiring, I didn't hear Bergevin or Therrien say that all the great Quebec-born players would flock to Montreal. Unless I missed it. A player's place of birth means nothing…outside of being extra motivated playing for one's country. You're a star or you're not. Throwing on a certain jersey doesn't automatically make you a better player. Parenteau was no doubt thrilled to be playing for the Habs….but it didn't turn him into a constant threat. Good old Ontario boy Doug Gilmour played with just as much heart and pride for the Habs as he did for the Leafs. He was simply near the end of his career. I'm betting Babcock was glad Devellano looked outside Ontario and drafted Lidstrom in 1989, and that Ken Holland drafted Datsyuk in 1998, and Zetterberg in 1999. He walked into a Stanley Cup core when he became coach in 2005-06. I just went through the roster of Babcock's 2007-08 Cup team, in order of scoring… Datsyuk: Russia Zetterberg: Sweden Lidstrom: Sweden Rafalski: U.S. Cleary: Newfoundland Hudler: Czech Republic Holmstrom: Sweden Samuelsson: Sweden Franzen: Sweden Filppula: Finland Kronwall: Sweden Draper: OntarioLebda: U.S. Kopecky: Slovakia (didn't play in the playoffs) Chelios: U.S. Lilja: Sweden Maltby: OntarioDrake: British Columbia Stuart: Alberta McCarty: British Columbia Helm: Manitoba Osgood: Alberta A grand total of two Ontario boys….both heart and soul pluggers….but not the type Babcock's asserting will come to Toronto. This Ontario thing is populist nonsense, IMO. |
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Post by franko on May 25, 2015 11:59:15 GMT -5
isn't that what the summer is about, CH? nothing Babcock can do now except excite and titillate the base for the future. he has to know that he's just part of the marketing team right now . . . marketing for the future (how many times did he say that?).
three . . . five . . . seven years . . . he can point to his first words and then his contract ("we all knew it would take a while"), and even random chance (is there a prepared chance?) says that they'll make it into the playoffs at least once in the next few years . . . giving time to find more excuses for not making it to the big time.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 25, 2015 17:32:40 GMT -5
I'm looking at Steven Stamkos' term right now ... he's a UFA at the end of next season ... I wonder if that will start taking off after Christmas, if hasn't been mentioned already ... Cheers. |
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Post by CentreHice on May 25, 2015 17:54:56 GMT -5
I mentioned it in the last post on Page 2, Dis.
It was either mentioned during Babcock's interview with McCown...or by Cherry.
Stamkos is the type of player he's talking about. Great Ontario-born.....(but I'm sure he'll take great players regardless of where they were born.)
If he can lure players like that....good for Toronto!
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 25, 2015 18:36:35 GMT -5
I mentioned it in the last post on Page 2, Dis. It was either mentioned during Babcock's interview with McCown...or by Cherry. Stamkos is the type of player he's talking about. Great Ontario-born.....(but I'm sure he'll take great players regardless of where they were born.) If he can lure players like that....good for Toronto! I probably read it and forgot about it, CH ... I never heard it on the tube ... I'll give the small core of Leaf fans who never lost faith in Babcock coming to Toronto ... we have some living next to us and they were actually talking about it earlier today ... Cheers. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 25, 2015 18:47:59 GMT -5
While I am loathe to praise anything Toronto let's not forget that Randy Carlyle had that team in a playoff spot just before he got fired. Which considering the mess they were in was quite something. Toronto's biggest problem wasn't lack of talent (I'd take their roster over Buffalo's for example), but the off-ice circus that went on there. Babcock buys them time to get the rest of their house in order. It's too much money of course, and too much term, but it's not like the Leafs care about either. All they care about is getting through the next three years, while they rebuild the organization the right way. And they needed a name to help them do that. So they got one. I hate to say it, but this is a good move by Toronto. It is a good move for Toronto ... I just couldn't believe how much money was involved ... I'll give the neighbour's son credit in that he never lost faith in Babock going to Toronto ... they've lost a few pieces but they'll still play us very well ... doesn't matter who they have, really ... they always play us well ... Mark Hunter is now the Director of Player Personnel ... I don't know of he hung onto his GM job in London, but he knows talent especially in the OHL ... he'll sort that side of the house out pretty quickly me thinks ... I guess I just don't like the idea of the Leafs getting their act together ... they're on the right path, anyway ... Cheers. |
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Post by blny on May 25, 2015 19:36:14 GMT -5
I've eluded to Stamkos here and there - as a UFA in general, as a close friend of PKs, and a potential target of the Leafs. I think the ground works is set for him to walk. If he doesn't ink an extension this summer it will be a huge topic of conversation. Only Kopitar could legitimately rival him as the marquee forward UFA imo, but the Toronto media will focus on Stamkos.
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Post by jkr on May 31, 2015 10:28:17 GMT -5
I've eluded to Stamkos here and there - as a UFA in general, as a close friend of PKs, and a potential target of the Leafs. I think the ground works is set for him to walk. If he doesn't ink an extension this summer it will be a huge topic of conversation. Only Kopitar could legitimately rival him as the marquee forward UFA imo, but the Toronto media will focus on Stamkos. TB should be talking to him now & not let it get to the point where Stamkos might say - it's only a year. I wait and see. |
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Post by seventeen on May 31, 2015 12:38:29 GMT -5
Yzerman doesn't strike me as a guy who doesn't look ahead. I doubt very much that Stamkos leaves TB. That contract, along with those for Kucherov, Johnson and Palat, when the time comes, is going to put pressure on Yzerman and his CAP. TB has a decent scouting group, though, so they'll probably move some players for draft choices and replace them with prospects.
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Post by blny on May 31, 2015 13:10:28 GMT -5
There are some key pieces outside of Stamkos that will make it difficult. Namestnikov is off his ELC this summer. Sustr too. After next season, Killorn, Kucherov, Paquette, and Brown will require extensions as RFAs along with UFA to be Stamkos. Palat and Johnson will need new contracts the following summer (2017). Hedman will be a UFA. Significant money and term is linked to Callahan, Filppula, Carle, Garrison, and Stralman. Moreover, they all have no move/no trade clauses.
Stamkos will warrant a contract the likes of Ovechkin and Crosby. They're going to have a very hard time squeezing that in.
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Post by CentreHice on May 31, 2015 15:14:32 GMT -5
IMO, Stamkos has to be considered a centrepiece by Yzerman. He needs Stamkos to keep atop the East...and to compete with guys like Toews, Kane, Getzlaf, Perry, etc. from the solid western teams.
Plus, he's their captain.
Bergevin, however, might be able to pick up some nice Tampa Bay pieces that fall by the wayside because of Stamkos's new contract.
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Post by blny on May 31, 2015 15:54:36 GMT -5
Will Stamkos be content playing second line minutes? Despite leading them in goals during the season, he's playing second fiddle to a line. It's less an issue as long as they're successful, but top line players want to be on the top line.
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Post by CentreHice on May 31, 2015 18:42:01 GMT -5
Will Stamkos be content playing second line minutes? Despite leading them in goals during the season, he's playing second fiddle to a line. It's less an issue as long as they're successful, but top line players want to be on the top line. On that note, ya gotta love a coach who manages a game to his team's strengths and not according to tenure/loyalty. The Triplets are on fire….so Cooper gives them the primo minutes. Wise choice, even though one would presume it's Hockey 101. |
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Post by jkr on May 31, 2015 19:36:09 GMT -5
I've eluded to Stamkos here and there - as a UFA in general, as a close friend of PKs, and a potential target of the Leafs. I think the ground works is set for him to walk. If he doesn't ink an extension this summer it will be a huge topic of conversation. Only Kopitar could legitimately rival him as the marquee forward UFA imo, but the Toronto media will focus on Stamkos. The Toronto media - didn't they also try to make a story out of Subban's contract hassle & how it might lead to PK playing out his deal & signing with the Leafs? |
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Post by jkr on May 31, 2015 19:38:16 GMT -5
IMO, Stamkos has to be considered a centrepiece by Yzerman. He needs Stamkos to keep atop the East...and to compete with guys like Toews, Kane, Getzlaf, Perry, etc. from the solid western teams. Plus, he's their captain. Bergevin, however, might be able to pick up some nice Tampa Bay pieces that fall by the wayside because of Stamkos's new contract. True. Just look at the Chicago model. Good players are gone because of the cap but the essential pieces (Toews, Kane etc) are kept. Hard to win without that top end talent. Killorn etc can be replaced , Stamkos cannot. |
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Post by blny on May 31, 2015 20:30:17 GMT -5
Stamkos, Johnson, Palat, Kucherov, Hedman: that's a tall order to keep together.
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Post by seventeen on May 31, 2015 23:33:33 GMT -5
Yeah. You've not only got to be good but also lucky. Your drafting has to be really good.
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