A key to Mike Babcock's success in Toronto will be getting through to the enigmatic Phil Kessel. (Photo credit: © Bridget Samuels)
By Mike Schultz, Sports Interaction
Earlier this week, the Toronto Maple Leafs caught the biggest (and most expensive) fish in the free agent coaching pond, and now they’re putting their hopes and dreams into the hands of one of the most high-profile names in the game.
Mike Babcock agreed to an 8-year contract with the Leafs organization, and the details of the contract have made this hiring as controversial as it is divisive. Babcock’s contract is worth $50 million over the 8 years, in a front-loaded deal that will earn him $8 million for the first 3 years with $6.25 million a year over the remainder. He is also free to run for the hills after 5 years.
Other teams had shown interest in Babcock, including the Buffalo Sabres, the St. Louis Blues, and the San Jose Sharks. Clearly none of those teams we willing to put up the kind of numbers that Toronto was ready to offer.
Is Mike Babcock Worth the Money?
There is no question that Mike Babcock is an elite coach. Not only has he won two gold medals in the Olympics as head coach of Team Canada, he has made his mark in the NHL for well over a decade. He boasts a career record of 527-285-119, for a .627 winning percentage. He’s only missed the Stanley Cup playoffs once, and that was with the Ducks in 2004. During his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings throughout the last ten years, he won the Stanley Cup in 2008 and conference titles in 2008 and 2009.
What Needs Fixing?
At this point, the Toronto Maple Leafs need a miracle to return to playoff contention in the next couple of years. Heading into the off-season after another dismal season, there are few who believe a few key free agent signings are enough to vault the Leafs from the bottom of the league and back into relevancy.
In taking over the reins of the Leafs, Babcock faces one of the toughest challenges a new head coach can take on: fixing a locker room culture that has been rumoured to be toxic. Veteran forward Olli Jokinen was traded to the Leafs mid-season and voiced his displeasure for the atmosphere in Toronto’s locker room, saying it wasn’t a healthy place to be. Babcock’s biggest task will be to repair that environment and it will be no easy feat with a lack of veterans on the current roster. Without any type of shift in culture, the Leafs will go nowhere.
On the ice, the Maple Leafs haven’t been any better. They play in Canada’s biggest market but don’t have the talent needed to compete with the rest of the Atlantic Division. They’ve acquired a few big names over the last few seasons, but they haven’t found a way to play well together and still have a lot of holes throughout the roster.
The defense has been more than disappointing in big part due to the trade of their best defenseman Cody Franson to Nashville at the trade deadline. After his departure, they never quite came up with a plan to replace him. With a big hole on the blue line, the Leafs saw the second-most shots against in the league, meaning goaltender Jonathan Bernier was left vulnerable. Bernier played well for most of the season, but he was supposed to be Toronto’s saviour in net, only to be ranked 34th in goals against average and 30th in save percentage.
Is Mike Babcock the Right Fit?
Mike Babcock has never had to fix a completely broken team. When he arrived in Detroit, it was to a relatively comfortable group of players, including Chelios, Lindstrom and Shanahan, who worked well with systems that Babcock taught and understood. That said, most of Detroit’s best players weren’t even first round picks, which is a testament to Babcock’s ability to build and lead consistently, as well as his knack for creating a culture of winning within the team’s dressing room.
It’s easy to be skeptical of Babcock’s hiring in Toronto, seeing as his salary is higher than all but two of players on the Leaf’s roster, but not everyone believes this is a bad formula. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky believes Babcock is worth the high salary.
“We have to understand the importance and imperative of what a coach brings to the table. Is he worth what the best player on your team makes? Obviously, in this case, the Toronto Maple Leafs feel that they need to get a coach of that caliber that is worth as much as probably their highest paid players make,” said Gretzky.
Gretzky’s optimism comes from a good and diplomatic place, but when it comes down to it, money and past accomplishments only go so far. Babcock doesn’t have a history of taking on a project as big as what needs to happen with the Leafs. It doesn’t mean he can’t do it, but he’ll be on an accelerated timeline. In a market like Toronto, Babcock is going to need to get results fast, meaning at least a playoff appearance in the next few seasons, or the villagers will be out with their pitchforks.
So, will Babcock’s first season with the beleaguered Maple Leafs result in a 2016 Stanley Cup playoff spot? My guess is that the first year (or two) will be about rebuilding the team’s confidence, and that we won’t see the Leafs as real contenders until the 2017 season.