OT: Leafs Hire Mike Babcock as HC 8yr/50M

[Yosemite Dan]

Vigneault, Qunneville, Sutter and maybe Trotz are guys I see on his level/above him. He's a top 5 coach in the league though.

Q and Sutter yes.

Trotz is no where near Babcock. Holy **** give me a break.

He did a lot in Nashville. But I guess its fair to not consider him at the same level as Babcock.

And for what has Babcock done in the playoffs compared to others, look at the roster has, and look at what Sutter, Qunneville, Vigneault and even Boudrea has had. The last 5 years, the Wings we're just bubble teams. Hell, they werent even expected to make the playoffs last year with all the injuries they have. Babcock is a great coach.

Or you could say he has done squat with the team since Lidstrom retired which tells you it's all about the talent. if you don't have it then all the X's and O's aren't gonna save you. Good luck trying to get Kessel to back check or actually try and hit somebody. Or for Phanuef to grow some brain cells and not move around like a pylon.

[vaff87]

You think there are a half dozen coaches in the NHL on his level?? Yeah lets just end it there because i completely disagree.

Btw how big of a hockey fan are you and how long have you been watching the NHL?

Since around 1992.

And yes: Joel Quennville, Ken Hitchcock, Claude Julien, Alain Vignault, Darryl Sutter, Peter Laviolette, etc.

Mike Babcock is in and around the same level as those guys.

Julien, Vignault, Lavs, Hitchcock are all good coaches but are no where near Babcock

Except they are. The overrating of this guy is laughable.

[BramptonYute]

Since around 1992.

And yes: Joel Quennville, Ken Hitchcock, Claude Julien, Alain Vignault, Darryl Sutter, Peter Laviolette, etc.

Mike Babcock is in and around the same level as those guys.

Julien, Vignault, Lavs, Hitchcock are all good coaches but are no where near Babcock

Actually 3 of those 4 are above him based on actual success in the last 4 years. If you can tell me what Babcock has achieved in the last 5 years besides coaching the best country in the world in hockey talent for a couple of weeks then I'm all ears.

Can you compare the rosters that each coach had to work with?

[s e n s i]

Since around 1992.

And yes: Joel Quennville, Ken Hitchcock, Claude Julien, Alain Vignault, Darryl Sutter, Peter Laviolette, etc.

Mike Babcock is in and around the same level as those guys.

Julien, Vignault, Lavs, Hitchcock are all good coaches but are no where near Babcock

Actually 3 of those 4 are above him based on actual success in the last 4 years. If you can tell me what Babcock has achieved in the last 5 years besides coaching the best country in the world in hockey talent for a couple of weeks then I'm all ears.

why only the last 4 years? why don't you go by their overall winning percentage then? because that wouldn't support your argument? babcock has a higher winning percentage in his career than any of these coaches.

ken holland hasn't put together a worthwhile d corps since lidstrom hung up his skates. datsyuk and zetterberg are chronically injured to boot. the red wings roster on paper have been a bubble playoff team for the last two years and he's got them to the playoffs in both. and as for the team canada argument, we iced a bunch of stars in 2006 and how did that work out? when bob nicholson needs a coach in the olympics -- who does he call? mike babcock. julien and hitchcock are merely asked to be his henchmen.

[BramptonYute]

Q and Sutter yes.

Trotz is no where near Babcock. Holy **** give me a break.

He did a lot in Nashville. But I guess its fair to not consider him at the same level as Babcock.

And for what has Babcock done in the playoffs compared to others, look at the roster has, and look at what Sutter, Qunneville, Vigneault and even Boudrea has had. The last 5 years, the Wings we're just bubble teams. Hell, they werent even expected to make the playoffs last year with all the injuries they have. Babcock is a great coach.

Or you could say he has done squat with the team since Lidstrom retired which tells you it's all about the talent. if you don't have it then all the X's and O's aren't gonna save you. Good luck trying to get Kessel to back check or actually try and hit somebody. Or for Phanuef to grow some brain cells and not move around like a pylon.

Or you could actually use common sense and look at what the Red Wings roster is and realize that they're nothing more than a bubble team that over achieved for the last couple years. Everyone was expecting them not to make it and yet they always manage too.

The talent issue on the roster isnt on Babcock, its on Holland.

And by all indictations, Kessel and Phaneuf will be gone.

[vaff87]

Julien, Vignault, Lavs, Hitchcock are all good coaches but are no where near Babcock

Actually 3 of those 4 are above him based on actual success in the last 4 years. If you can tell me what Babcock has achieved in the last 5 years besides coaching the best country in the world in hockey talent for a couple of weeks then I'm all ears.

Can you compare the rosters that each coach had to work with?

Babcock had a roster better than any they've had for the first half of his tenure in Detroit, and only won one cup.

[BramptonYute]

Actually 3 of those 4 are above him based on actual success in the last 4 years. If you can tell me what Babcock has achieved in the last 5 years besides coaching the best country in the world in hockey talent for a couple of weeks then I'm all ears.

Can you compare the rosters that each coach had to work with?

Babcock had a roster better than any they've had for the first half of his tenure in Detroit, and only won one cup.

And? Julien has only won the cup once, Boudreau hasnt even touched the finals, Hitchcock has only won once, AV hasnt won one yet, Laviolette has only won one cup.

And its debatable about the talent on the rosters.

[Asif16]

Since around 1992.

And yes: Joel Quennville, Ken Hitchcock, Claude Julien, Alain Vignault, Darryl Sutter, Peter Laviolette, etc.

Mike Babcock is in and around the same level as those guys.

Julien, Vignault, Lavs, Hitchcock are all good coaches but are no where near Babcock

Except they are. The overrating of this guy is laughable.

Except they are not. Your underrating of this guy is laughable.

[s e n s i]

so pretty much, after all this discourse, it's safe to say that babcock is roughly one of the best coaches in the league.

why can't leafs fans be excited about this? oh right because it's the toronto maple leafs.

[Asif16]

Actually 3 of those 4 are above him based on actual success in the last 4 years. If you can tell me what Babcock has achieved in the last 5 years besides coaching the best country in the world in hockey talent for a couple of weeks then I'm all ears.

Can you compare the rosters that each coach had to work with?

Babcock had a roster better than any they've had for the first half of his tenure in Detroit, and only won one cup.

Keep grasping for straws man.

[DG88]

The Leafs throwing money at the wall and hoping for things to change, business as usual at MLSE.

This. it's gonna end badly. Especially when it appears Babock simply went to Toronto because of the money. He's gonna find out real quick what kind of disjointed management team the Leafs have.

After one year leaf fans will complain that they haven't won the cup yet after one year with Babcock as coach lol

[vaff87]

Can you compare the rosters that each coach had to work with?

Babcock had a roster better than any they've had for the first half of his tenure in Detroit, and only won one cup.

And? Julien has only won the cup once, Boudreau hasnt even touched the finals, Hitchcock has only won once, AV hasnt won one yet, Laviolette has only won one cup.

I didn't mention Boudreau. But my point is people are acting like Babcock is so far and away superior to these guys, and it's completely ridiculous. He's a good coach, but he's not even close to being hands down the best coach in the league.

[Asif16]

so pretty much, after all this discourse, babcock is roughly one of the best coaches in the league.

why can't leafs fans be excited about this? oh right because it's the toronto maple leafs.

lol nah havent you heard??? Overrated as hell. Theres like 15 other coaches better than him.

[Asif16]

The Leafs throwing money at the wall and hoping for things to change, business as usual at MLSE.

This. it's gonna end badly. Especially when it appears Babock simply went to Toronto because of the money. He's gonna find out real quick what kind of disjointed management team the Leafs have.

After one year leaf fans will complain that they haven't won the cup yet after one year with Babcock as coach lol

Doubt it. Every leaf fan i know and heard of wants to rebuild. Getting tired of retooling. We expect to be bad again next year.

[nickr91]

leaf haters mad the goat franchise got the best coach in the nhl loving the tears tbh

are they really the goat franchise if they've never won a championship in a league with more than 6 teams?

Lmaooo goat franchise?! Hahaha they're the joke of he NHL..

[ATLTimekeeper]

He's still a good coach with credibility league-wide and here for 8 years. The best coach in the league doesn't win every year. This was more about feeding the STH's a bone to keep the waffles at bay the next couple of years. Babcock drives the narrative now.

[BramptonYute]

Babcock had a roster better than any they've had for the first half of his tenure in Detroit, and only won one cup.

And? Julien has only won the cup once, Boudreau hasnt even touched the finals, Hitchcock has only won once, AV hasnt won one yet, Laviolette has only won one cup.

I didn't mention Boudreau. But my point is people are acting like Babcock is so far and away superior to these guys, and it's completely ridiculous. He's a good coach, but he's not even close to being hands down the best coach in the league.

I agree that he's not hands down, no debate about it the best coach in the NHL. But theres only 3 or 4 other guys on his level, not a dozen.

[Fairview4Life]

Babcock had a roster better than any they've had for the first half of his tenure in Detroit, and only won one cup.

And? Julien has only won the cup once, Boudreau hasnt even touched the finals, Hitchcock has only won once, AV hasnt won one yet, Laviolette has only won one cup.

I didn't mention Boudreau. But my point is people are acting like Babcock is so far and away superior to these guys, and it's completely ridiculous. He's a good coach, but he's not even close to being hands down the best coach in the league.

I have no idea how anyone can really judge a coach like this in a game with so many variables and no knowledge of what each coach actually does behind the scenes. I think a better point is that even if Babcock is the best coach in the NHL by a significant margin, I'm not sure how much of a difference that is going to make vs. other good coaches. Obviously it does make a huge difference for the Leafs though. At the same time, who gives a ****? Coaches aren't paid with salary cap money, right? The Leafs just signed a really good coach, no matter what number you want to rank him, and they only had to do it with a sackful out of their Scrooge McDuck sized vault of money.

[vaff87]

Can you compare the rosters that each coach had to work with?

Babcock had a roster better than any they've had for the first half of his tenure in Detroit, and only won one cup.

Keep grasping for straws man.

I'm not. You're a clear and total homer, like Leafs fans are known to be.

I suppose Mike Babcock's brilliant coaching enabled J.S. Giguere to play like Patrick Roy and lead the Ducks to the finals too, eh?

[Rhyno]

He's also the best player compared to the entire roster. Way to go, Shanahan.

A coach can only take a team so far. Phil Jackson without Jordan, Shaq and Kobe would be just another Jerry Sloan. What's the difference between the two? One has the star players, the other doesn't. The one with the stars wins, the other one doesn't.