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comment_120251

I dunno. Think they are gonna rebuild. And I think it will be a while. Gotta wait to see how long he signs for to confirm if it's a real rebuild or just a retool

 

Rebuilding is so hard in the NHL.  Sure you can trade guys for draft picks but they take years to materialize.

 

You gotta try and build around what you already have.  Full-scale rebuilds just plain don't work.

comment_120363

I haven't seen any mention of Babcock being the GM also. Would a coach / GM have the discipline to build for 3-5 years out, which is what the Leafs say they are doing?

If Babcock isn't the GM, the Leafs approach seems really weird. The team has committed to a slash n' burn rebuild to address their massive talent deficit ... but they aren't building from front office / player personnel dept. out. Instead they've blown megabucks on a coach who's had the luxury of a very consistent talent pipeline for the last few years. Plus, let's say Babcock coaxes some overachievement out of the rebuilding years' roster -- he just sets the rebuild back in terms of draft picks and in terms of discipline to stick to it, because if there's hope flickering for the Leafs, there'll be huge pressure from Leaf Nation towards the same old short-term thinking that's burned them so badly.

And if the rebuild works and the Leafs become a contender in 2019 or 2020, Babcock's welcome in Toronto will almost certainly be worn out by then. So I don't get how this works for them. Is this just a PR move, one to placate Leaf Nation with a big signing?

Whoever the Leafs' GM turns out to be, I hope they like Babcock.

comment_120371

I honestly think the Leafs entire rebuild plan was to try and win the McDavid lottery and nothing more. Why else fire Carlyle and install a pure scapegoat as head coach? They tried to dive down the standings to win McDavid, they didn't and now they go all in on Babcock which is not a scorched earth rebuilding move. They will pretty much have to just have Shanahan/Babcock be the GM too cause who is going to want to go into a situation where they'd be a GM on a team where the team is more committed to the coach and the coach and whatever Shanahan calls himself have said they have final say on players? 

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