Playing The "What If" Game Re: Mike Babcock

[Fanatic]

IF the Leafs fail to win a playoff round this year do you think Mike Babcock's job is safe?

He will be 4 years into an 8 year deal, so that makes it seem like he should be safe, but what about the other side of the coin?

1. That would be 3 first round losses in a row
2. The players are by and large set for the next few years, and cannot be easily changed to try to shake things up
3. A small point, but worth noting that he was not hired by Dubas
4. The Leafs can afford to pay him to not coach

I am not for a moment advocating for him to be fired. I just wonder if anyone else thinks that attention may turn to him if they do not at least win a round in a couple of months.

 

[Kin]

I would never try to guess at what the vocally loudest and dumbest section of the fanbase will decide is the right outlet for their droning .

That said, absent a real and significant rift opening up between Babcock and Dubas that would see something big actually change with a new coach I don't see Dubas making that move.

 

[Fanatic]

I would never try to guess at what the vocally loudest and dumbest section of the fanbase will decide is the right outlet for their droning .

I am not interested in guessing what the fanbase will be thinking if they retire early this year, but I can likely assume. I was only wondering if that is something that anyone here thinks might actually happen?

That said, absent a real and significant rift opening up between Babcock and Dubas that would see something big actually change with a new coach I don't see Dubas making that move.

How would we know if there is a rift or not? How do we ever know if they are on the same page or not? If they are both pros - and I think they are - then we should never know.

 

[Kin]

How would we know if there is a rift or not? How do we ever know if they are on the same page or not? If they are both pros - and I think they are - then we should never know.

I guess we'd know if Babcock gets fired or not. I'm saying that unless Dubas has an actual tactical issue that he thinks firing Babcock will fix, I don't think he'll fire Babcock just because he has the bad luck to be in a tough division and wants to see if firing him will yield better results just by "shaking things up".

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I'd expect Dubas to pull a "replace an assistant coach" move, maybe even by promoting Keefe, before firing Babcock is even remotely considered.

 

[Peter D.]

Just don't see it.  Not to mention, save for Quenneville, there isn't a coach out there I would think is an upgrade.

It would suck if they bowed out again in the first round, but the team is still so young and growing, and it's not overnight that playoff success can be come by.  Maybe after Year 6 if the team looks like it has stagnated, but not now.

 

[herman]

From my perspective, measuring a coach or team solely on playoff rounds won is unwise.

 

[bustaheims]

I'd expect Dubas to pull a "replace an assistant coach" move, maybe even by promoting Keefe, before firing Babcock is even remotely considered.

Yeah. It would take a real monumental failure for Babcock to be let go this summer. After next season, if there hasn't been some playoff success, Dubas might start thinking about a coaching change.

 

[cabber24]

Who's the PP coach that's the guy we should be talking about. Anyway, no, I don't think Babs goes anywhere regardless of what happens for the remainder of this season.

 

[Arn]

Didn't the Penguins make an unexpected change in the season they ended up winning the Cup? When Bylsma came in I think it was after they'd been in the finals the previous year

 

[herman]

Who's the PP coach that's the guy we should be talking about. Anyway, no, I don't think Babs goes anywhere regardless of what happens for the remainder of this season.

It's been the same PP assistant coach for every Babcock year + the last few in Detroit, where they've ranked in the top portion of the league each of those years regardless of personnel (other than the Year of the Tank).

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

Didn't the Penguins make an unexpected change in the season they ended up winning the Cup? When Bylsma came in I think it was after they'd been in the finals the previous year

Penguins were also out of a playoff spot in February when they made the coaching change. 

 

[Kin]

Didn't the Penguins make an unexpected change in the season they ended up winning the Cup? When Bylsma came in I think it was after they'd been in the finals the previous year

Sure, but that's probably outweighed by the hundreds of teams who made mid-season changes and didn't win the cup.

 

[ZBBM]

Dubas may be GM but he isn't firing Babcock without getting Shanahan on board first.  And therefore I don't think there's even the remotest chance he gets fired this season, even if they missed the playoffs entirely.

I think he's here for the whole term.

 

[cabber24]

Who's the PP coach that's the guy we should be talking about. Anyway, no, I don't think Babs goes anywhere regardless of what happens for the remainder of this season.

It's been the same PP assistant coach for every Babcock year + the last few in Detroit, where they've ranked in the top portion of the league each of those years regardless of personnel (other than the Year of the Tank).

Well, it was good against NYR... let's hope it starts to go. That zone entry pass to the other team is not working.

 

[Highlander]

IF the Leafs fail to win a playoff round this year do you think Mike Babcock's job is safe?

He will be 4 years into an 8 year deal, so that makes it seem like he should be safe, but what about the other side of the coin?

1. That would be 3 first round losses in a row
2. The players are by and large set for the next few years, and cannot be easily changed to try to shake things up
3. A small point, but worth noting that he was not hired by Dubas
4. The Leafs can afford to pay him to not coach

I am not for a moment advocating for him to be fired. I just wonder if anyone else thinks that attention may turn to him if they do not at least win a round in a couple of months.

Its not going to happen, unless they lose the following year in the first round as well, then you may see a change. This team is still building by the way.  We are one or two forwards away and at least  two D men, one of whom is Sandin. Goaltending is good with me. 
Even though I hope Keefe can stay content with the Marlies until either Babcock decides to step down or finishes his contract.  I would eventually like to see him take over.

 

[Guilt Trip]

If Keefe is as good as some think, he won't be hear when Babs is replaced.

 

[Arn]

Didn't the Penguins make an unexpected change in the season they ended up winning the Cup? When Bylsma came in I think it was after they'd been in the finals the previous year

Penguins were also out of a playoff spot in February when they made the coaching change.

Didn't the Penguins make an unexpected change in the season they ended up winning the Cup? When Bylsma came in I think it was after they'd been in the finals the previous year

Sure, but that's probably outweighed by the hundreds of teams who made mid-season changes and didn't win the cup.

Yeah, I didn't realise they were going so badly the season Therrien was actually sacked. Was more wondering about the issue of sacking someone who had taken them much closer to a cup very recently and thus it being a surprise like sacking Babcock probably would be.

Interestingly on further investigation his last game was a 6-2 loss to the Leafs that the Pens had gone into the 3rd period 2-1 up

 

[Zee]

IF the Leafs fail to win a playoff round this year do you think Mike Babcock's job is safe?

He will be 4 years into an 8 year deal, so that makes it seem like he should be safe, but what about the other side of the coin?

1. That would be 3 first round losses in a row
2. The players are by and large set for the next few years, and cannot be easily changed to try to shake things up
3. A small point, but worth noting that he was not hired by Dubas
4. The Leafs can afford to pay him to not coach

I am not for a moment advocating for him to be fired. I just wonder if anyone else thinks that attention may turn to him if they do not at least win a round in a couple of months.

Its not going to happen, unless they lose the following year in the first round as well, then you may see a change. This team is still building by the way.  We are one or two forwards away and at least  two D men, one of whom is Sandin. Goaltending is good with me. 
Even though I hope Keefe can stay content with the Marlies until either Babcock decides to step down or finishes his contract.  I would eventually like to see him take over.

I agree it's premature to think about canning Babcock after this season, but make no mistake, if the Leafs get bounced in the first round again, and they look terrible, questions will start to be asked.  You can't have a supposedly talented team as the Leafs constantly getting outplayed in the first round of the playoffs and not point to the coach eventually.  Examples have been brought up of teams canning coaches late in the season and winning Cups...Pittsburgh twice, and I believe Jersey as well.  Those teams were all good teams who were underachieving according to expectations, as opposed to the tons of teams that fire coaches who are just bad like the Oilers, Ducks this year.  Anyway, hopefully it doesn't come to that and the Leafs make noise in this year's playoffs.

 

[Bullfrog]

Zero chance he gets canned, even if they're swept in the first round. The media will discuss it, but I doubt Dubas even considers it.

They're 3rd in league points percentage. How about he starts getting credit for what he's clearly contributed to?