Stick with the plan and leave that Stanley Cup parade route safely locked in the drawer.
That should be the mantra of the Toronto Maple Leafs on the heels of their signing of Mike Babcock to a mega-rich contract to become their new head coach.
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Remember, the Leafs still only won the second best sweepstakes this spring — but if they couldn’t get Connor McDavid then Babcock is an excellent consolation prize.
Just don’t lose track of the plan.
In many ways, it is similar to 1992 when general manager Cliff Fletcher lured Pat Burns away from the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens.
In Burns, they had found themselves a terrific and respected coach, who had a presence and brought instant credibility to the organization. He had a plan and the jam to stick with it.
Babcock brings all of the same.
Back in the day, Burns took over a horrible 67-point team – but one that had acquired Doug Gilmour just a few months earlier.
The result: in Burns’ first season there was a 32-point improvement and a memorable trip to the Conference Final.
Babcock is taking over a similarly awful team – but one that does not have a Gilmour.
The times are wildly different, too, in that today you can’t wheel and deal as Fletcher did to overhaul, improve and shape the roster to the coach’s liking.
That’s why, as big a move as the signing of Babcock is, Brendan Shanahan and his management team have to avoid the temptation of hitting the fast forward button.
One could argue hiring a Babcock flies in the face of that strategy. But Babcock has term on his contract. It’s believed to be eight years, with a five-year out. That allows for everyone to be patient. It doesn’t mean they can’t be frustrated and disappointed and annoyed as they try to rebuild this franchise, but patience remains the key.
Know this: the Leafs, barring a stunning player acquisition or two, will not be good next year — even with Babcock.
But the hiring is still an excellent move as long as he and Shanahan don’t try to be “just” a playoff team sooner than later. Does his presence automatically make them a better team and accelerate the rebuild? To some degree, yes. But by how many points will he improve a bad team? That part is hard to say. And that could happen with a lot of potential coaching candidates.
Managing the roster properly and resisting the urge to rush young talent are both vital.
Slow and steady.
As much as he likes to win (and win now), Babcock is still a good teacher and will have a comfortable mandate to develop this team. He, as much as anyone in the front office, has to accept that losing is part of the process of possibly winning one day down the road.
That won’t necessarily be easy for a guy who instantly becomes the face of the franchise, but it has to be this way.
So whenever the day arrives that Tim Leiweke finally departs, the Leafs had better make sure he takes with him the parade route he once famously announced had already been planned. Or throws away the key to the drawer.
