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2014 / 2015 Official NHL Thread

lgna69xxx

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Great Article about Babs and what he brings to the Leafs

It's pretty difficult to steal the thunder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Toronto Maple Leafs did just that on Wednesday afternoon. Their inking of Mike Babcock to an 8-year, $50-million deal to take over coaching operations in Toronto sent shockwaves through the hockey universe, and for good reason – historically speaking, only a few coaches have really had the kind of success Mike Babcock has had during his tenure in Detroit.


There's no other way to look at this deal for Toronto other than a major win. Like front office executives, head coaches aren't filtered through the NHL's salary cap, and the teams who can exert financial might in these departments should at every passing opportunity. Babcock has a legitimate talent and edge over his peers, and truthfully, the money doled out by MLSE is little more than a drop in the proverbial bucket.


One of the things I'm most curious about as it pertains to Mike Babcock and the Toronto Maple Leafs is how fast he can turn that ship around. The list of issues with the Maple Leafs are, to be frank, endless – the team was poorly constructed under old management, the roster doesn't have the top-end talent you see in other cities, and they're still recovering from a head coach whose systems ran adverse to the goal of puck possession at 5-on-5.


Mike Babcock, of course, is known for deploying some of the league's most dominant even-strength teams in the past decade. Part of that without question is the talent he was provided – players like Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg (to name but a few) simply don't grow on trees. But, to me, the mark of a great coach is the one who can create a mutually beneficial relationship, where great players are put in equitably strong systems where they can excel. After all, it's not as if we haven't seen coaches in the past given the keys to a Ferrari and immediately drive said Ferrari off of a cliff. With Babcock, the proof is in the pudding.


Babcock has his work cut out for himself, especially in year one. Babcock's teams are notorious for controlling the run of play – the Leafs have, at least in recent history, been the total opposite of that.


If you run a quick four-year average, Detroit's Corsi% sits only behind Los Angeles and Chicago. Toronto's sits only ahead of Buffalo.
The good news is that Toronto's Corsi%, as noted earlier, was at least in part due to coaching and systemic effects that dragged down team performance. Simply going from the likes of Randy Carlyle to Mike Babcock should be a mega-win over the course of Babcock's contract.
But, again – how fast can Babcock turn it around? Is there any hope for year one in Toronto?


I compiled the change in Corsi% for every team from 2007-2008 present to see if any teams had notably large improvements. What's our highwater mark in that timespan? What can we reasonably expect Babcock to do for a team based on historical data?


So, a bit of good news, and a bit of bad news. Let's start with the bad news first. Only six teams over the last nine years have experienced a jump in possession at or above 5%, which is probably around what Toronto would need to really get into the playoff discussion in year one. And, if you want to isolate on 'very recent' teams, only Nashville (this season) and Pittsburgh (also this season, not tabled) made jumps at or above 4%.


Now, the good news. You'll notice I identified a bunch of teams in the far right column. Half of our top-ten saw jumps in possession correlating with the hiring of a new head coach. The most prominent change was the jump between Wayne Gretzky to Dave Tippett in Arizona. Other notables include Denis Savard to Joel Quenneville in Chicago and Marc Crawford to Terry Murray in Los Angeles. Sliding into the top-ten at the bottom – Nashville this season, who moved from Barry Trotz to Peter Laviolette. (One other notable improvement not tabled would include the jump from Michel Therrien to Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh years back).


This, of course, doesn't make the argument that coaching effects are regularly pronounced – there are plenty of other examples not in the table above where a team made a coaching change and either stayed the same or worsened. It is curious, though, that half of the teams with radical possession changes in one year saw it coincide with a change behind the bench.


Ultimately, Mike Babcock's going to need talent at every level to turn this Maple Leafs organization into a Cup contender – and that's going to take considerable time. But a playoff berth next year isn't definitively out of the question, assuming the change from Carlyle/Horachek to Babcock is as pronounced as we are anticipating.

http://www.tsn.ca/what-can-leafs-expect-with-babcock-1.288029


brendan-shanahan-and-mike-babcock.jpg
 

joelcairo

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Jul 26, 2005
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The list of issues with the Maple Leafs are, to be frank, endless – the team was poorly constructed under old management, the roster doesn't have the top-end talent you see in other cities, and they're still recovering from a head coach whose systems ran adverse to the goal of puck possession at 5-on-5.

Mike Babcock, of course, is known for deploying some of the league's most dominant even-strength teams in the past decade. Part of that without question is the talent he was provided – players like Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg (to name but a few) simply don't grow on trees.

Babcock has his work cut out for himself, especially in year one. Babcock's teams are notorious for controlling the run of play – the Leafs have, at least in recent history, been the total opposite of that.


If you run a quick four-year average, Detroit's Corsi% sits only behind Los Angeles and Chicago. Toronto's sits only ahead of Buffalo.

Only six teams over the last nine years have experienced a jump in possession at or above 5%, which is probably around what Toronto would need to really get into the playoff discussion in year one. And, if you want to isolate on 'very recent' teams, only Nashville (this season) and Pittsburgh (also this season, not tabled) made jumps at or above 4%.

There are plenty of other examples not in the table above where a team made a coaching change and either stayed the same or worsened.

Ultimately, Mike Babcock's going to need talent at every level to turn this Maple Leafs organization into a Cup contender – and that's going to take considerable time.

There were some excellent points in the article you posted Ig. The most relevant are the ones quoted here. Great to have you posting again in the hockey threads - you were sorely missed when the Leafs started their annual swan dive very early in 2015 so it's nice to see you back with some hockey comments after your extended absence of several months:thumb:
 

Doc Holliday

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Sep 27, 2003
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Congrats Doc - you'll soon hit 13,000 posts. Just imagine how high your total would be with the thousands of others that you've deleted over the years. Truly an EPIC achievement on your part. Color me impressed again:thumb:

Thanks! I've had a lot to say over the years. And as long as i have an audience, my post count will keep on rising! ;)
 

Sol Tee Nutz

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Apr 29, 2012
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Look behind you.
Nothing to do with the Leafs but with Babcock, first he states that he wants to up the ante for coach salaries and set a new benchmark ( before his Leafs hire ) and now he states that it was not the money but the commitment the leafs gave him. Serious? If that was the case why would he even make the first statement? Money had everything to do with it, if the Leafs offered the same commitment but 25 mil over 7 years he would have walked.
This was in todays Globe & Mail.
 

lgna69xxx

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Sol, he wanted to get paid and up the ante yes but the Leafs and Sabres (and likely the Sharks and others) offered him a ton of money, what was he to say, "no thats too much"??? You, me and anyone would not have said no to what someone OFFERS us to work for at 3 times the normal salary.

He chose the Leafs because he wanted the biggest challenge that has the potential for the biggest reward which could cement his status as legendary, and is something i said over and over as to what would be the reason he comes to TOR. It just so happened to come with the biggest payday and frankly, it should!
 

Sol Tee Nutz

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Look behind you.
If Babcock brought a Stanley cup to Buffalo it would also be an amazing feat, 50 mil sealed the deal.
 

lgna69xxx

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He was offered 50 mil from Pegula as well. Like i said he CHOSE Toronto for the challenge and in his words "the sweater" If he won a cup in buffalo it would be celebrated for sure, in Toronto he would be considered a God and he and his kids and great great great grandkids would own the city forerver. Big difference between winning in Buffalo versus Toronto or detroit for that matter lol.
If Babcock brought a Stanley cup to Buffalo it would also be an amazing feat, 50 mil sealed the deal.
 

joelcairo

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Good Article:

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/oth...cle-worker-for-dysfunctional-leafs/ar-BBkaBb1

Best Quotes:

So there you go Leaf fans. Your team just paid $50 million for a new coach and, if everything goes right, they'll improve from 68 to 76 points next season.

Is Babcock the man who can end half a century of misery in the Big Smoke? Can he alter the course of this cursed franchise?

He steps into a Leafs team which has to look up to see the bottom.

The payroll is bloated by hideous contracts to Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.

The Leafs have a fraction of the talent and character Babcock had in Detroit. There's no wave of young talents.

The organization has existed in some form of dysfunction for most of the last 50 years.
 

lgna69xxx

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Key word, IMPROVE! Like Babs says, there will be pain to come but things will get better and players WILL WANT to come HOME! :)

Sorry cairo, no more Babs for you and detroit :D
Good Article:

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/oth...cle-worker-for-dysfunctional-leafs/ar-BBkaBb1

Best Quotes:

So there you go Leaf fans. Your team just paid $50 million for a new coach and, if everything goes right, they'll improve from 68 to 76 points next season.

Is Babcock the man who can end half a century of misery in the Big Smoke? Can he alter the course of this cursed franchise?He steps into a Leafs team which has to look up to see the bottom.The payroll is bloated by hideous contracts to Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.The Leafs have a fraction of the talent and character Babcock had in Detroit. There's no wave of young talents.The organization has existed in some form of dysfunction for most of the last 50 years.
 

joelcairo

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Jul 26, 2005
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Key word, IMPROVE!

Sorry cairo, no more Babs for you and detroit :D

1. I repeat: That's MISTER Cairo to you.

2. When Burkie was hired it was also for a ridiculous sum (although not quite as ridiculous as this) and a ridiculous length (although, again, not quite as ridiculous as this) - 6 years for $18 million...with the PROMISE that he would bring the Leafs their 14th Cup. Well, well it appears THAT plan didn't work out so well: Burkie never even made the playoffs in 4 years, Burkie's record was even worse than John Ferguson Jr.'s had been, and Burkie was FIRED after the four years of continual FAILURE. Another Toronto "savior" (ha ha) to bite the dust.

Burkie's legacy? Simple: Nonis, Kessel, Phaneuf, and a no-future team that was so wretched and directionless that ownership finally decided to blow it up completely and start from scratch. Unfortunately for all the Koolaid drinkers however, they're still stuck with problems like Kessel, Phaneuf, Lupul, Kadri, etc., etc. They have no scouting (never have) - which is why they always overspend to get free agents and why they always trade away their future draft picks (hello Tyler Seguin, hello Dougie Hamilton) for players like PK, who invariably end up as total busts in Hogtown.

What a pathetic joke of a franchise - and the proof is in the pudding with their 48 consecutive years of nothing but abysmal failure.
 

lgna69xxx

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Oct 3, 2008
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It is a great great time to be a hockey fan, this Chi/Ana game is crazy as i write this and everyone is talking about the Leafs everywhere else


:D
 

wolfie7

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Nov 12, 2005
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Wow, I'm out of the country for a week and not paying attention, and this happens. I really didn't expect Babs to sign with Toronto. Somewhere else - maybe the Sharks, maybe the Penguins (before they declined to pursue further), but not the Leafs. Apparently, the man wanted a challenge.

(Doc, I guess you should've taken me up on that bet! :lol: Though I might still pay an SP to fart in your face, so long as we all get to witness that at VIP-2!! :D)

Congrats to Babs. :thumb: The man deserves his paycheck. Good for him and his family. And good for the Leafs. Leaf Nation just got itself a really good coach. As much as all of us love making fun of Toronto, I hope Babcock has some small measure of success there. Just like New York, Boston and Chicago deserve great teams in baseball; and LA, Boston and New York deserve great teams in basketball; Toronto, as the (self-proclaimed) center of the hockey universe, should have a decent hockey team. It's just been a joke for too long. It was actually a great thing that happened in Chicago over the last 5-7 years, the Blackhawks should be a marquee franchise in the NHL, and now that they are back, it just feels right. The Madhouse is an awesome venue. Just the Habs and the Bell Centre. Hopefully, Toronto gets to that same level. It would only be right. (As long as Detroit still does better, that is! :D)

The Wings will be fine. As I said before, the Red Wings are greater than one man, especially the coach. So long as the culture doesn't change, we'll be just fine. Looking forward to Blashill bringing some fresh blood and thinking. 2016 will be an interesting season, indeed!
 
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