The Maple Leafs dismissed Mike Babcock for the following reasons, and here’s what happened after.
Following their 9-10-4 start to the 2019–20 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs dismissed head coach Mike Babcock on Wednesday.
The Leafs have changed their in-season coaching staff three times since the 2011–12 season began, with this most recent move occurring in the midst of a five-game losing skid.
In his four full seasons, Babcock, a bold addition in 2015, led the Maple Leafs to three seasons with 40 wins and a postseason appearance.
Though there were high hopes, each concluded with a first-round exit. Now it’s on to Sheldon Keefe for the Maple Leafs.
What does that signify? NHL experts Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski provide answers to the most pressing queries, such as what Babcock and the Maple Leafs will do going forward and their assessment of the trade.
Was this really necessary for the Maple Leafs to do? Not even December yet!
Kaplan: No, they were not required to. With a healthy roster, they could have given Babcock a bit more time.
The trio of John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Zach Hyman was the Leafs’ top line last season; however, they haven’t been able to play together much this year (Marner is sidelined for at least three more weeks).
They might have discovered a number of other reasons or blamed porous backup goaltending, which is a problem that management could have resolved.
However, this is unmistakably an indication that team president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Kyle Dubas believed Babcock’s message had become old with the players and that a change was necessary before the team collapsed. Thankfully, there’s now a chance to save the season.
Furthermore, I wouldn’t dismiss this as a coincidence: Babcock lost his job on November 20. On November 19, the St. Louis Blues dismissed Mike Yeo. After then, the team moved from finishing last to winning the Stanley Cup.
Wyshynski: In my opinion, that was essential. With five straight losses and a six-game losing run, the season was in free fall.
The statistics confirmed that the Leafs appeared to be a collection of people who were uninterested in listening to whatever message Babcock was trying to convey:
The defense, which had become a defining characteristic of Babcock’s teams, was too strong to overcome the lackluster offense (3.13 goals per game). The Leafs have failed to get past the opening round for three consecutive seasons.
Any head coach, even a household name like Mike Babcock, would have been fired with their present level of play and lack of success.
