Maple Leafs shouldn’t jump the gun on Mike Babcock yet

Just relax, Toronto Maple Leafs fans. A slow start isn’t the end of the world.

Toronto, do yourself a favor – just breathe. The Toronto Maple Leafs are underperforming this year and while the team still holds a playoff spot with their 7-5-3 record. Yet 15 games into the 82-game season, fans are demanding changes and answers. Fortunately, Toronto fans and media alike keep to themselves and don’t panic at the first sign of trouble, right?

Leafs Nation has the propensity to jump to conclusions at a moment’s notice. Remember when Ben Scrivens was the goalie of the future after his first start for the Leafs and the Toronto media were counting their blessings that the city finally found their savior only to dice him up that same week after a string of sub-par performances?

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Remember when Garret Sparks earned a shutout in his first game for the blue and white and fans and media counted their blessings only to dice him up after a 6-1 loss in his next start? Well, Scrivens didn’t become the next Johnny Bower and Sparks became the next Ben Scrivens.

Now, the case for Mike Babcock… where to begin? While Leafs fans consider the Triple-Gold winning Coach a clown, there are those who consider him the entire circus. Rumors of his strained relationship with General Manager Kyle Dubas continue to swirl.

To play devil’s advocate – a general manager and head coach should have a similar philosophy on how the team should play. However, with Babcock placing an emphasis on grit and toughness and Dubas preferring skill and finesse, it seems these two are not in the same book, let alone the same page.

However, Babcock didn’t get this far in his career because of dumb luck. Sure, relying heavily on Patrick Marleau in Game 7 against the Bruins while limiting Auston Matthews‘ ice time to a mere seventeen minutes seem like obvious head-scratchers.

But let’s not forget, this is a team that had a huge roster turnover with nine new players entering the system. The Leafs also had more back-to-backs than any other team in the league in October. Injuries to key players Zach Hyman, Travis Dermott, and captain John Tavares have made things very difficult for Babcock.

There are going to be some, if not many, growing pains and hurdles to work around. So maybe Leafs fans shouldn’t jump the gun in the first month of the season. Remember when the St. Louis Blues were dead last in the league in January? How did that story end again?

Make no mistake, there is cause for concern. But if Leafs fans think their team is underperforming, maybe they want to talk to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who last season tied a league record for points and wins, only to be swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets. They now find themselves on the outside looking in with a 6-5-2 record. Now is not the time for fear. That comes later if this trend persists in the next couple of months.

If one wants to talk about a complete fall from grace, how about the San Jose Sharks? Remember when they were a powerhouse and not dead last in the West? While the absence of Joe Pavelski hurt more than the Sharks front office could have thought, Martin Jones has been struggling for about a season and a half. It can always be worse.

Why bring up Pavelski and the Sharks? Glad you asked. With regards to the Leafs, there is a case to be made that the absence of veteran leadership and the intangibles in Patrick Marleau and Ron Hainsey also hurt the locker room chemistry. Tavares hasn’t been able to be himself and rally the troops and get the team on a consistent course.

Things are not entirely well with the Leafs, but to suggest firing a coach who has had to fight against a horrible schedule, a roster that has not spent that much time gelling together, and a goaltending duo that hasn’t been able to play consistently only 15 games in is rather rash and not well thought out.

If not Babcock, who else can come in and do better? An outside hire? Nope. Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe? While there is speculation that he is the heir apparent for the head coaching position, now would not be the time for such a move to take place. The Leafs would have to find someone to replace Keefe, who has had a lot of success with the Marlies.

Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment also would not want to pay Babcock the other half of his contract and have him not even working for the team. Don’t fret, those conversations have actually taken place already and MLSE does not want their money to go to someone that is no longer working for them. Also, if Babcock was to be relieved of his duties, there would be a line of teams begging for his services.

Last but not least, the goaltending hasn’t been up to par. In their defense, the defense isn’t much to write home about and seems to hang both Frederik Andersen and backup Michael Hutchinson out to dry most of the time. Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin hold the fort, but outside of those two, their bottom four defensemen are making mistakes, causing them to be out of position and take more bench minors than any team this year.

Remember when the Leafs traded for Cody Ceci and Ottawa Senators fans were relieved that he was leaving the team? Did you not stop and wonder why it was that a last-place club was happy about saying goodbye to the struggling defenceman? True, Tyson Barrie has been a minor disappointment, but with most of the salary cap tied up in their forwards, the defense was going to take a back seat.

Oh, and by the way, five of their six defensemen have their contracts up for renewal this summer. Andersen is doing the best he can and while Hutchinson is playing like a backup who makes less than a million dollars a year, he is, in fact, a goaltender that makes less than a million dollars per year. You get what you pay for, buyer beware. Hutchinson was never going to be the backup to solve their problems in the long run.

One thing that is apparent is that the players themselves do not seem to be as engaged as they have in previous years. So what is the reason for all of this? Is Babcock’s message fallen on deaf ears? Why is this team of young players not playing as though they are not motivated? Do they need more time to develop?

No, they have been in the league long enough by now that they are established players. The “Maple Leaf Babies” have lost their baby fat. With the core four of Matthews, Tavares, Marner, and Nylander locked up in long-term deals, their time to strike is now.

Whatever it is that is ailing the Leafs is temporary. If there are fans that expect Babcock to be fired before January 1, don’t hold your breath. It is not happening any time soon. Their problems are not just tied to their coach. It is the players around the team that haven’t been given enough time or enough flexibility to really feel each other out in order to get a consistent rhythm going.

The many back-to-backs plus the nagging injuries have gotten the Leafs off the wrong foot. Once the pieces fully align, maybe just maybe, you will change your tune and Babcock will be seen as a genius again. That is unless the Leafs play the Bruins again in a seven-game series and still find a way to not close the series. Then you might have a point.