LongtimeLeafsufferer
Joined: Jul. 2015
Posts: 59,065
Likes: 22,462
Five years into Babcock...first year coaching many bad players. Then three first round playoff loses. Babcock and his coaching could be blamed for some it.
Leafs have less talent on this time that last year. Just for cap reasons, the defence is worse than last year. Barrie is not as good as Gardiner. Ceci is not as good Zaitsev. Holl/Marincin are no where near the competency of Hainsey.
In the previous years, the young players many of ELC had the drive to be a team. I really think once the many of those players signed these RFA contracts, the team unity disappeared. Gotta believe may bottom end players when they saw the overpayment that Nylander, Matthews, and Marner received knew the team could not get reinforcements to put them over the top. Plus these bottom enders know they won't be getting my raise as Leafs....no cap available, they'll be moving on.
Leafs assistant coaches haven't been as productive as the guys they replaced. Babcock, I've said for years, he's poor game manager, and the players know it. Gee, you work all summer, all week, all game, and then all your hard work is destroyed by a coach who can't manage a game for sixty minutes.
I'm not blaming Dubas...but the total Leaf management. Last December, before the return of Nylander the Leafs were on pace of 120 points. They should never have signed Nylander to that contract. It set a terrible tone on the ice and toward the next round of negotiations. Larkins 6.1 X 5 and even Pastarak 6.66m X 6 were legit compassions. End of November, Leafs should backed Nylander in a corner. A one year qualifying offer or 6.5 X 6. Don't like...that OK. We'll go with 120 point pace group.