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Toronto Maple Leafs: The Shanahan Rebuild So Far

By Robb Ellis |
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Apr 13, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan talks to the press during a press conference at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Change.

We’ve waited a long time for it Leafs Nation. Even when Brendan Shanahan promised it to us five months ago, we didn’t really believe it did we? We’ve heard it all before from others before him. Cliff Fletcher. Ken Dryden. Pat Quinn. John Ferguson Jr. Brian Burke. All had their own “plans” on how they were going to turn around an organization in turmoil and lead us to the promised land. They had different methods but ultimately, they all failed.

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Don’t get me wrong. There were some bright spots. Conference Final appearances in 93, 94, 99, and 02 brought some excitement to town but we watched all four of our opponents (L.A, Vancouver, Buffalo, and Carolina) move on to play for the Stanley Cup. Of course, none of those teams went on to actually drink from Lord Stanley’s mug.

Instead we watched as the Habs, Rangers, Stars, and Red Wings all defeated the teams that had taken our beloved Leafs out of the cup picture. Those playoff runs under the leadership of a couple of Pats (Burns and Quinn) may have given us some great memories but it doesn’t change our wants and needs as Leaf fans. The goal remains the same – WE WANT A CUP!

In less than five months, Brendan Shanahan has given us a reason to believe that his approach may in fact be different. A new kind of plan designed to eventually “get us all the way” rather than just the “close” that we’ve seen before. After all, “almost” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

With all due respect to Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, Eric Lindros, and Brian Leetch, the new President of the Toronto Maple Leafs is not signing and trading for players who are on the wrong side of 30 and at the tail end of their careers. He has been in town for just 15 months, but in that short period of time he has completely changed a dark and gloomy organization. To quote the band Timbuk 3, an 80’s one-hit wonder, “the future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades!” (Did I really just do that?)

Next: The Early Months

Apr 13, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan talks to the press during a press conference at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Early Months

Shanahan began his tenure with the Leafs on April 14/ 2014. He had little to say that day and certainly gave no hints as to what was to come in his first year in his new position.

“This is the time for me to start learning about the organization from top to bottom,” he told a news conference. “It’s a time for me to listen, to learn and get to work. That’s all that’s really worked for me in my career. That’s what’s worked for me when I was done playing hockey and that’s what I intend to do here.” (Toronto Star)

Many eyebrows were raised when Shanahan brought his first new blood into the organization. On July 22/ 2014, he lured 28-year old Kyle Dubas away from his job as GM of the OHL’s Sault St. Marie Greyhounds, bringing him in as the assistant general manager to David Nonis.

Three months later, he hired Mark Hunter as the director of player personnel. Hunter was a fixture for over twelve years in London as the owner, vice president, and general manager of the OHL’s Knights.

On the surface, Hunter and Dubas look like complete opposites. Mark Hunter played 628 NHL games with five different organizations. Dubas started working for the Greyhounds at the age of 11 as a stickboy before working his way up through the ranks. Hunter watches A LOT of games every season and has a reputation as a guy “who finds players.”

Dubas watches a lot of games as well but can be considered a bit more “new school” and is a big “analytics guy.” The obvious common denominator in the hiring of these two men is the fact that they simply know junior hockey and the talent it has to offer. A look at the Leafs’ shoddy draft record over the past 30 years would be reason enough for Shanahan to bring in both of them to help shape the organization in the years to come.

Next: Shanny Goes Silent

Apr 13, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan talks to the press during a press conference at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Shanny Goes Silent

Shanahan continued with his relatively quiet demeanor right into the 2014-15 season as he watched his team get off to a quick start. The club was rolling, even getting within a few points of the division-leading Montreal Canadiens and firmly entrenched in a playoff spot through the first six weeks of the season.

Still, the team’s efforts were inconsistent and sometimes even seemed non-existent. The Leafs were truly the “Jekyll and Hyde” of the National Hockey League but Shanahan said nothing. He continued to watched the group and it’s core choosing to save his words for the proper time.

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In mid-November he watched his 9-6-2 Leafs go into Buffalo and get pasted 6-2 by the lowly Sabres. They followed that up by getting blown out 9-2 on home ice by the Nashville Predators. The fans were not happy and responded to the team’s performance with a loud chorus of boos. Some even went as far as throwing their jerseys onto the ice in disgust. Shanahan was beginning to suspect that the team was lacking leadership.

His suspicions were confirmed in an incident that would go down in history as the infamous “Salutegate!” That night he watched as his team, victorious over the eventual Stanley Cup finalist Tampa Bay Lightning, abandon their traditional salute to the fans in which they raise their sticks to the sky in appreciation.

This decision was seemingly a response to the way the fans had shown their disapproval following the embarassing loss against the Predators. Worse than that, it was quite evident that the decision to ignore the fans was made by the two highest paid players on his roster; team captain Dion Phaneuf and all-star winger Phil Kessel.

I believe that it was on that particular night that the new prez made his decision. Changes were needed and he was going to make them. With that being said, Shanahan never said anything but he continued to watch.

Next: Shanny Breaks His Silence

Dec 23, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle watches his team warm up before the game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Shanny Breaks His Silence

The President’s silence ended in late January of this year when he met with the players following the firing of head coach Randy Carlyle. He seemed to have issued a stern warning to the players who might be “dogging it” letting them know that he was watching even though he hadn’t been saying much.

“I felt it was a good time to remind them what expectations are, try to galvanize the group,” Shanahan told the media at the time. “We’re not at the end of the season, we’re at the midpoint of the season; they’re still in the hunt here. How they’re going to be defined is really up to them. I also wanted to make it very clear to them that we’re watching, we’re on it. They’re not getting by us. They’re not escaping us. We’re not going to be a group that is afraid to act if we feel we can make ourselves better.” (NHL.COM)

“We’re going to learn a lot more.” he added. “There’s a lot more pressure on them. They know it. Individually some of them have to be better. As a team we have to be better. It’s going to be a big challenge and we’re going to learn a lot of things about our core in the coming weeks. One of the things we expressed to the players today is we’ve seen the good and we’ve seen the bad, and at a certain point you’re going to tell us who you are. This is another opportunity to see what our guys are made of.” (NHL.COM)

With new interim head coach Peter Horacek at the helm, Shanahan expected to see a blunt response from his players. They had been put on notice and now the ball was in their court. They responded by winning only once in their next 12 games. Somewhere in the middle of that horrific losing streak, Shanahan decided that he had seen enough from the core group of his hockey team.

Next: Scorched Earth Approved

Jan 2, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Franson (4) passes in the first period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild win 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Scorched Earth Approved

In late January, he took his “scorched earth plan” to the board of directors at Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. Two weeks later, on February 12, that plan was approved. Shanahan, along with assistants Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter, were about to blow it all up.

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It didn’t take long to set the plan into effect. Just three days later, the Leafs’ three headed management team sent defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli to the Nashville Predators. In return, the Leafs received 20-year old forward Brandon Leipsic, 36-year old forward Olli Jokinen, and the Predators’ 1st-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Less than three weeks later, they shipped Jokinen to the St. Louis Blues for what turned out to be a 6th-round pick in 2016.

They followed that up just two weeks later, sending forward Daniel Winnik to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2nd-round pick.

The Leafs fared no better after the “scorched earth” announcement winning just 7 times in their last 28 games virtually giving Shanahan and the gang no reason to change their minds. If anything, it only strengthened management’s thought that this core had to go.

If anything good became of the horrible finish to the season, it was that the Leafs managed to fall all the way to 27th overall in the standings giving them a decent shot at getting a good player what was said to be one of the deepest drafts in NHL history.

Next: Shanahan's Maple Leafs Massacre

Dave Nonis has signed one of the top NCAA free agents in Casey Bailey

Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Shanahan’s Toronto Maple Leafs Massacre

On April 12, just a day after the season ended, Shanahan made his boldest move yet, firing GM David Nonis, as well as coaches Peter Horacek, Steve Spott, Chris Dennis, and Rick St. Croix. Director of pro scouting Steve Kasper and director of player development Jim Hughes were also relieved of their duties along with members of the scouting staff. When the day ended, 22 staff members no longer worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shanahan was cleaning house and not much was being left untouched.

The search for a new head coach was on but Shanahan certainly wasn’t straining all that hard to find “the right guy” to be the lead the on-ice portion of the rebuild. He had the guy he wanted on his radar long before he dropped the axe on Carlyle.

On May, 20, after months of speculation, Shanahan hired Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock to be come the new bench boss. Babcock joined Primetime Sports with Bob McCown that evening. Even though he had only officially been the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for a few hours, he offered this quote that sent quite the message to the players, fans, and media. Things were about to change in Toronto.

“I expect you to bring it everyday. Every single day. And I expect you to be a man when you don’t. And own your own stuff. Period. I believe the game’s honest. And if you’re an everydayer… and you’re honest about your approach and your professional with the way you eat, the way you drink, the way you live. The way you live away from the rink. It shows when you come to the rink and the fans appreciate who you are. If you don’t wanna be like that… if you don’t wanna be part of the Maple Leafs that’s fine too. All you do is you go see Shanny.” (Sportsnet)

Next: The First Draft

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Mark Hunter announces Mitchell Marner (not pictured) as the number four overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs as commissioner Gary Bettman looks on in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The First Draft

On June 26, it was Mark Hunter’s turn to flaunt his skills to Leafs Nation. He took the podium in Sunrise, Florida at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and selected forward Mitch Marner with the number 4 pick. Marner, from the London Knights, is a small, but very skilled forward who assistant GM Mark Hunter knows very well.

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Expect him to dominate in junior for at least one more year before the Leafs even consider keeping him. In fact, Marner isn’t even eligible to play in the AHL until the 2017-18 season so until then he will be in the OHL unless he makes the Leafs.

The Leafs also had the 24th overall pick acquired from the Nashville Predators in the trade mentioned earlier. Instead of using the pick, they used it to acquire picks in two separate trades with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. Without going into details, the Leafs flipped the 24th pick for the 34th, 61st, and 68th picks.

The picks netted them defenceman Travis Dermott from the Erie Otters, Center Jeremy Bracco from the U.S Development Program, and Latvian forward Martins Dzierkals. The Leafs would come away with a total of 9 players in the draft. They also picked up 23-year-old rearguard Martin Marincin in a trade the Edmonton Oilers.

Next: The First Free Agents

May 12, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Montreal Canadiens right wing P.A. Parenteau (15) skates in game six of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Montreal Canadiens 4-1 to win the series 4 games to 2. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The First Free Agents

That was just the beginning of numerous moves made by the organization as the first half of 2015 was came to a close. July 1 was the opening of free agency and the Leafs weren’t about to sit around and watch the festivities. They struck early, signing defenceman Matt Hunwick to a 2-year deal just after the noon start time.

They followed that up by bringing in forwards P.A Parenteau and Marc Arcobello on 1-year deals before re-signing forward Daniel Winnik, who had been traded to the Penguins at the deadline, to a 2-year deal. All were added on short-term and reasonable contracts that should be relatively easy to move at the deadline for picks.

By far, the biggest news of the day came just after 1pm when it was reported that the Leafs had finally traded Phil Kessel to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The reaction was mixed. Some said: “Oh my god… how could they do this?”

Others said: “It’s about time!” Whatever the reaction was, one thing was for sure. Things were changing in Toronto. After years of false promises and half “rebuilds,” Shanahan and company were going to do what nobody else had ever done; a complete tear down.

More signings followed. Byron Froese was awarded an NHL contract after coming over on loan from the Cincinnati Cyclones and recording 42 points in 46 games for the Marlies last season. He’s only 24 and the Leafs are hoping he’ll turn out to be that late bloomer that comes along once every so often. Former Predator Rich Clune was signed to an AHL contract and may be a threat to make the big club in September.

Huge center Shawn Matthias was signed to a 1-year deal after scoring 18 goals for the Vancouver Canucks last season. Matthias and Clune will join Hunwick, Parenteau, Arcobello, and Winnik on the “I wouldn’t buy a house if I were you” list of Leafs.

Next: Leafs Cupboards Getting Replenished

Sep 23, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (62) skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Leafs Cupboards Getting Replenished

A look at the roster of the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs’ AHL affiliate shows a cupboard fully stocked with players under 25 years old. Twenty-two of them to be exact although some such as Stuart Percy, Sam Carrick, Zach Hyman, Casey Bailey, and Nikita Soshnikov are expected to challenge for jobs with the big club.

Others, including William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen, Brandon Leipsic, and Connor Brown, hope to do enough to change the minds of Leafs’ management who are taking a “no rush” attitude to younger prospects. The addition of 5 veteran players on Canada Day, two more this week, and the emergence of Matt Frattin at the end of last season makes it much less likely now that we will see any of the under 25-year-old prospects in a Leaf uniform next season. Here’s a look at the possible under-25 Marlies:

Forwards- William Nylander- 19, Kaspari Kapanen- 19, Frederik Gauthier- 20, Connor Brown- 21, Brandon Leipsic- 21, Josh Leivo- 21, Nikita Soshnikov- 21, Ryan Rupert- 21, Sam Carrick- 22, Casey Bailey- 23, Zach Hyman- 23, Byron Froese- 24

Defencemen- Rinat Valiev- 19, Matt Finn- 21, Stuart Percy- 22, Scott Harrington- 22, Viktor Loov- 22, Tom Nilsson- 22, Petter Granberg-23

Goaltenders- Antoine Bibeau- 20, Garret Sparks- 22, Christopher Gibson- 23

The Marlies, lead by rookie head coach Sheldon Keefe, will ice one of the youngest teams in the AHL next season, if not the youngest. Keefe himself is only 34 and fresh out of the OHL. One thing is for sure: these young players will not be rushed but Mike Babcock will be watching. Hard work will eventually be rewarded with a call from the big club. Expect to see that a lot in the next couple of seasons as the new head coach evaluates the talent within the system.

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So, the question of everyone’s minds seems to be, what will Shanahan and his crew do next? There are never any guarantees but there’s a distinct possibility that a trade or two will happen before training camp happens. There seems to be a logjam of centermen on the roster these days after the Leafs signed RFA Nazem Kadri to a 1-year contract. Kadri, Tyler Bozak, Peter Holland, Shawn Matthias, and Nick Spaling are all natural centers. Winnik, Arcobello, and Leo Komarov can all play the position if needed so who will go?

My money is on Bozak for a few reasons. Besides Kadri, Bozak will bring in the most value. It’s rumored that the Leafs are asking for a 2nd-round pick for the 29-year old pivot. This is a bargain for a guy who scored 23 goals last year, kills penalties, and is great on the draw.

I also believe that the Leafs view Bozak as “an extension of Phil Kessel.” What does that mean exactly? Well, if you cut the chicken’s  head off, the body keeps running. If the Leafs really viewed Kessel as the type of personality that they didn’t want around anymore, why would they keep his roommate and best friend on the team around? I can’t see it happening.

Time will obviously tell what comes next for Leafs management but one can only look at the t-shirts being worn by Leafs prospects this week to get a clear idea of where things are heading. “I AM ABLE- 340” is what appears on the front of each and every one of them.

Translation: Anybody who expects to take more than 25 days off a year will not be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Anyone who believes that training starts at training camp will not play for Mike Babcock. Of course, the players always have an option if they take offense to “the 340 motto.” In fact, we only have to review the words of Coach Babcock to figure out that option.

“If you don’t wanna be like that… if you don’t wanna be part of the Maple Leafs that’s fine too. All you do is you go see Shanny.”

Be sure to check out my weekly “LEAF POINTS’ column every Monday morning! If you have any questions, comments, hate mail, etc… then you can email me at:retoronto71@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter @robb_ellis

Next: Leafs: Who Gets Traded First?

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