The Toronto Maple Leafs’ regular season will come to a merciful conclusion on Apr. 11 with their final scheduled game against the Montreal Canadiens. It comes one day after “Moving Day” at the Masters Golf Tournament. While someone in Augusta is donning the coveted green jacket, we should get a better idea who exactly will be wearing the blue and white next season.
Like a Maple Leafs version of Groundhog Day, it will be time for Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan to appear and give some concrete thoughts about his plans to move forward. Peter Horacek will see his short tenure as head coach come to a close. Shanahan should be able to confirm whether Dave Nonis is staying or going as the team’s general manager. If Mark Hunter is truly the “gm in waiting,” the announcement should come sooner rather than later. If there are other options in mind, then it could be a few weeks.
The head coach really need not be in place until the summer months if necessary. My sense is that it’s time for a “big name” coach to take the reins, much like Pat Burns did in 1992 and Pat Quinn did in 1998. Names like Mike Babcock, Todd McLellan and Dan Bylsma stand as three such strong candidates. Maybe a guy like Bruce Boudreau can be brought into the mix to be considered.
Last year, the Leafs’ post-season “moving day” was fronted by MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke, whose biggest and most positive piece of news on that day was the hiring of Shanahan as the President of the team. We don’t expect such news on Monday. I would also hope that Shanahan doesn’t talk about his “address” to the Leaf team like Leiweke spoke about last year — it obviously fell on deaf ears. And please don’t use the word “culture.” Just go about making it happen as you see fit.
The word I’d like to hear used is “accountability.” How an environment will be in place to make the players more accountable for their play and their actions and the organization as a whole. There is no longer the “new guy in town” like there has been for the last four seasons: Brian Burke in 2011, Dave Nonis in 2012, Leiweke in 2013 and Shanahan last year. The year of evaluation is over… it’s time for a year of accountability.
It will be good to get the draft lottery out of the way during the first weekend of the playoffs. Using round numbers, there is about a 50 percent chance the Leafs will be drafting fourth overall; about a 10 percent chance they win the lottery and land Connor McDavid; and about a 40 percent chance that someone finishing behind them wins and then the Leafs would be bumped to fifth overall.
I am somewhat bothered by the hype that is being manufactured about the expectations of whoever the Leafs draft, if it isn’t McDavid. This selection will hopefully be able to contribute in the NHL maybe next season or 2016-17, but one really can’t expect an NHL star to blossom in so little time.
Current and recently-traded Leafs UFAs like Zach Sill, David Booth, Mike Santorelli, Daniel Winnick and Cody Franson need to be evaluated if there is a fit for them on the ice and with the salary cap to determine if they would return to Toronto.
I see the two big-name players most likely to be moved as 30-year-old Dion Phaneuf and 29-year-old Tyler Bozak. If the Leafs really are doing a rehaul, then it only makes sense that for the captain and the No. 1 centre to move on.
I see the likes of Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul, Leo Komorov and Jonathan Bernier all staying.
Both Bernier and Kadri will be restricted free agents and I see no problem, given this past season, with them being signed to one-year contracts and dealing with a longer term contract (or them becoming unrestricted free agents) at a later date. Too many long-term contracts have been signed for fear of losing the player.
On the players’ side of accountability, might it behoove Kessel and Kadri (and maybe others) to join someone like a Gary Roberts to implement a rigorous off-season conditioning program?
And as for the final hire: could the new CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment not be so much the latest “whiz bang” business and marketing guy? It’s important that he really understand NHL hockey — what the Toronto Maple Leafs are all about as well as the team’s unique relationship with the Toronto market.
Now… let’s get moving!