Leafs still suck on ice, but new jerseys sure look sharp!

I see where the new Maple Leafs brain trust has unveiled a new logo.

And not only do those new jerseys look sharp, the new logo is apparently fraught with deeper meaning!

I suppose that partially compensates Leaf Nation for the fact that the new management team, old-boy NHL insiders every one, haven't been able to unveil a new attitude on the ice.

That's quite a team... Shanahan had what qualifications to be President of Hockey Operations?

Lou last won a Stanley in 2003. That's 13 years ago. The world has changed and so has the game.

And Babcock? Well, good for him for finally getting that set-for-life contract, but seriously... what's he brought so far?

As far as I'm concerned, you could have saved many millions by offering Don Cherry the combined President/GM/Coach position, and I'm sure he would have been happy to do it just for the coach's paycheque.

Hell, Don could lace up the Bauers and he'd be the first Pres/GM/PLAYER-coach in league history!

And he'd do more on the ice than some of the stiffs out there wearing that new logo.

Can Lou Lamoriello turn around the Leafs, or is he yesterday's man?

This is a move that smacks of desperation. No question that the Devils prospered under the stewardship of Lamoriello. Three Stanleys and a .75 make-it-to-the-post-season average may not be Scotty Bowman numbers, but they're certainly better numbers than we've seen in Toronto for fifty years.

If Shanahan's best and brightest idea is to hire the guy who drafted him almost thirty years ago, then I think the Big Dogs who run the show in TO maybe made a mistake with the Shanahan hire.

But hopefully I'll be proven wrong.

If Lou enjoys the same level of success in Toronto that he enjoyed in New Jersey, we'll at least get to see some playoff action three years out of every four. And if Lou stays on for 28 years, by which time he'll be 100, Toronto will see three Stanley Cup parades...

That's the positive spin.

On the minus side, the game has changed. What might have worked for Lou in '95 isn't necessarily going to work in Toronto going forward. Don't forget his last Stanley was twelve years ago.

I'm not much impressed by the new team in the front office, but let's see what the new Leafs can do on the ice.

50 million for Mike Babcock to coach the Leafs?

I guess one way of looking at it is that nobody remotely qualified to take the job was willing to touch it with a ten foot pole at that price.

Sure, it makes him the highest paid coach in NHL history, but look how many other NHL coaches said "no thanks, I'll stay put," when offered the boodle.

Money isn't everything!

But apparently it is for Mike.

That money is spread over eight years, which the sporty journos claim proves that Babcock has been hired to build the team.

Hmm... show me in Babcock's illustrious record where he has actually built a team?

His only Stanley came with a team he had next to nothing to do with building.

If this was Shanahan's decision, expect the both of them to be gone within three seasons.

Is there anything on Brendan Shanahan's resume that would suggest he is qualified to lead the Leafs?

I sure can't find it.

Great career as a player.

Pretty much a non-entity in management. Winning at international tourneys is not the same as winning in the NHL on a regular basis.

Ya, he put in his time at head office, but is that all that his Leafs sinecure is about?

And how about that so-called house cleaning...

It's been a blood-bath at Maple Leafs HQ over the past few days...

... but Kessel and Phaneuf are still on the payroll?

WTF???

Toronto Maple Leafs management back on crack; hire 28 yr old weenie as Assistant GM

Kyle Dubas has quite the track record.

For two of the three years that he was GM of the OHL's Soo Greyhounds, they made the playoffs.

Yup, that's it. Made the playoffs, as did 15 other teams.

Apparently he's a wizard with "analytics."

I suppose that might be better than pyramids under the team bench... but analytics?

Maybe Shanahan is a wizard at spotting young management talent.

We shall see.