I'm already laughing, mostly at Leafers who think that Shanny is the saviour and that Bab**** will be able to "fix" the problems with the players on the team or that if he doesn't like the players to fit into his system that the team will be able to get 1st round picks and more for Kessel, Phaneuf and others. I thought I might have displaced another rib from my laughter earlier today, but I'm okay now.
Bab**** has apparently signed with the lafs. 8 yrs, 6.25 million a year. I don't like this. No sir not at all. With a real hockey coach, they may become a good team.
not to worry. my takes:
- Can't wait for this gong show to start. Just wait til the end of nov-dec, and the laffs are still awful. Bab**** vs press/fans will be epic.
- Shanny said he wants a GM that fits into their system, so a YES man. Easy to see Bab**** will have more power than gm. this is GOLD, Jerry!
- Just wait til red-ass Bab**** sees Phil Vessel roll into camp all fat, Phaneuf is still a pylon and half the team doesn't want to be there. what could go wrong?
I'm willing to bet Bab**** make Kessel cry before Christmas.
Bab**** has apparently signed with the lafs. 8 yrs, 6.25 million a year. I don't like this. No sir not at all. With a real hockey coach, they may become a good team.
not to worry. my takes:
- Can't wait for this gong show to start. Just wait til the end of nov-dec, and the laffs are still awful. Bab**** vs press/fans will be epic.
- Shanny said he wants a GM that fits into their system, so a YES man. Easy to see Bab**** will have more power than gm. this is GOLD, Jerry!
- Just wait til red-ass Bab**** sees Phil Vessel roll into camp all fat, Phaneuf is still a pylon and half the team doesn't want to be there. what could go wrong?
I'm willing to bet Bab**** make Kessel cry before Christmas.
Other than getting an underdog Ducks team to the SCF (and possibly his CIS championship), Bab**** has always had a *ton* of talent to work with to get his SC ring, his IIHF gold, his IIHF junior gold, and his Olympic gold. Detroit won with Zetterburg, Datsyuk, Lindstrom, etc while Team Canadas of every level were stacked even more. TML doesn't have this calibre of talent or, in my humble opinion, character.
Shanny is "committed to a long-term rebuild". We'll see about that, round about July 5th. I don't see TML not trying to get back into the playoffs and there isn't enough in they system or on the team now to do it so they'll have spend to the cap to try and improve the team in the short-to-medium term as Bab**** and Holland have always left players in the AHL until they were over-ready, not we-need-them-on-the-big-team-right-now.
Bab**** signed for money, but I think he's got a big battle ahead as the players that are in Toronto now can't play "the Detroit model" (which was also used in Sochi) as they don't have the right mix nor talent.
Jeff Blashill, the coach of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins is the heir apparent as he's been with the organization (DET) for years, knows the system, coached a lot of the new young players now with the big team and has been spoken of over the past year as the likely candidate to succeed Babs if he left. He's also already under contract. ;)
Could Maclean be a possibility to go back to Detroit! He knows the system, but I'm not sure he has a lot of respect left after what he pulled in Ottawa.
I'd bet it's their AHL coach who has coached most of the players now on Detroit's roster
Could Maclean be a possibility to go back to Detroit! He knows the system, but I'm not sure he has a lot of respect left after what he pulled in Ottawa.
Another report out of the Queen City said the Sabres were poised to have a press conference as early as Monday to introduce Bab****, with owner Terry Pegula’s money just too enticing to ignore.
Obviously it was, given that the team’s offer was said to be in the ballpark of the eight-year, $50 million US pact he received in Toronto.
In fact, Bab**** reportedly called the Leafs as the clock ticked down on his decision. In the end, the two sides pounded out a deal that made him the highest paid coach in NHL history.
The Sabres. meanwhile, are said to be looking at Binghamton coach Luke Richardson to fill their vacancy.
From the Toronto Sun about Babs, don't like the poaching of Richardson at all. If it comes to that
I will take solace that he couldn't beat the choking dawg Sharks in the last 2 playoff series these 2 teams played. He's not all he's supposed to be in my opinion. I'm glad he did raise the ceiling for coaches salaries but since he's now the Laffs coach I'll now choose to hate him more than I did when he was Wings coach.
I don't see TML becoming a good team just because of a coach. The success that Bab**** has had has been due to several things:
1) world stage: teams of the best players in the nation/world all under his command.
2) Detroit: (a) excellent scouting, (b) long development process, (c) amazing talent. Toronto has none of these.
He's got his money, but he's not going to walk in an make the team better just by being there. If Ottawa had trouble playing "the Detroit system" under Paul MacLean, TML will have even more trouble as they're a less talented team, overall, than Ottawa was at the beginning of last season. Good parts? Sure, but others that aren't and spending to the cap won't fix it overnight or in the long haul.
Bab**** has apparently signed with the lafs. 8 yrs, 6.25 million a year. I don't like this. No sir not at all. With a real hockey coach, they may become a good team.
not to worry. my takes:
- Can't wait for this gong show to start. Just wait til the end of nov-dec, and the laffs are still awful. Bab**** vs press/fans will be epic.
- Shanny said he wants a GM that fits into their system, so a YES man. Easy to see Bab**** will have more power than gm. this is GOLD, Jerry!
- Just wait til red-ass Bab**** sees Phil Vessel roll into camp all fat, Phaneuf is still a pylon and half the team doesn't want to be there. what could go wrong?
Bab**** has apparently signed with the lafs. 8 yrs, 6.25 million a year. I don't like this. No sir not at all. With a real hockey coach, they may become a good team.
Lots of talk/rumours/etc about Bab**** and Tim Murray talking, but nothing definite. Apparently, he's supposed to announce his decision tomorrow (Wednesday).
It seems that STL and SJS have requested permission to talk to Bab****.
PHI is out of the running after hiring UNB hockey coach Dave Hakstol. Yup, Hextall hired Hakstol. A bold move, given that he's never coached professionals before, only "kids".
more than I did when he was Wings coach.
