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Toronto Maple Leafs: Monday Morning Leaf Points

By Robb Ellis

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Leafs Nation are a passionate bunch! We wear our hearts on our sleeves and aren’t afraid to fight to make a point so it’s always an exciting time when a new trade rumor, free agent signing, or other Toronto Maple Leafs news hits the web. It’s Monday, so you know what that means! It’s time for me to break down what’s “in the news” and give you my perspective. You know what they say about opinions. This is…

MONDAY MORNING LEAF POINTS…

On Lou Lamoriello…

There isn’t any other way that I could start this week’s column than with the biggest news of the week. On Thursday, the Leafs shocked the hockey world when they announced that they had agreed to a 3-year contract with Lou Lamoriello to fill the club’s vacant GM position. Anybody who tells you that they saw this coming is full of more crap than the toilet at Taco Bell. This came out of left field and not even the media saw it coming.

It all started at 9:58am on Thursday morning the when the official website of the New Jersey Devils posted shocking news that Lou Lamoriello was resigning from his post as team president after 28 years with the organization.

Lamoriello had previously resigned as the club’s general manager back on May 4. Just two minutes later, at 10:00am, the official website of the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Lamoriello was their new general manager. Four hours later, Lou appeared at an official press conference along with Team President Brendan Shanahan and the official announcement was made.

Lou Lamoriello…

“Really and truly, for me, it’s an honour to be here today. The tradition this organization has had over the years, to be part of it trying to get it to where each and every one of you would like to see it, is going to be something special. I know all the people in the organization and have crossed paths with them at one time or the other. You’ve done a tremendous job of putting together a stable of people who are the best at what they do.

I’m just excited because I think each and every one of them are going to push each other to be something special. I understand it’s going to take some patience. I understand it’s not something that’s going to happen over night. I’m committed to that, along with Brendan, along with Mark, along with Mike, along with Kyle, along with Brandon; each of those people in the front office. I’m happy to be here.” (NHL.COM)

Brendan Shanahan…

“I go back to something that Mike Babcock said at the draft that I really liked. We want good people. Being a good person doesn’t mean you’re mistake free, but I think when it boils down to it, this team means so much to the fans in this city. I made mention of it a little bit as well. There is a responsibility here. The rewards can be very great. I think it’s also important when you’re playing in the NHL, especially when you’re playing in such a passionate market like we have here.

There should be an appreciation, and a showing of enthusiasm that you are enjoying being a Toronto Maple Leaf. We want to have enthusiasm, we want to have good people, and if there’s somebody that I feel can help the entire group of us. Culture doesn’t change over night but that is something that we want to change over time. I think that Lou is a great fit for that. We want to have good people, we want to have accountable people. We want to have people that understand, appreciate, and show a joy for being a Toronto Maple Leaf.” (NHL.COM)

New Leaf coach Mike Babcock is used to working alongside a strong personality as his gm and is looking forward to working with Lamoriello.

"“Lou has been about winning. Lou is a guy who has pushed himself to get better every single day. I think a senior management guy joining our team, understanding what the vision and what the plan is, is a home run for all of us. ” (NHL.COM)"

The New Jersey Devils were caught off guard by Lamoriello’s desire to leave the organization. Josh Harris, co-owner of the Devils didn’t try to explain it but told Yahoo Sports that he felt Lou was having trouble adjusting to his new role as Team President.

Sep 16, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; The new New Jersey Devils owners David Blitzer (left) and Josh Harris (right) talk with each other during the third period to the game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers at Prudential Center. The Devils defeated the Rangers 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

“Very very recently we found out, Lou as a personal matter, it wasn’t working for him. This all came very quickly. And so the last 48 hours, we’ve all had to do a lot of work getting ready for today.” (Yahoo Sports)

My first reaction when I heard the News Thursday morning was one of shock. I will admit that I didn’t “get it.” Why would Shanahan, who has been doing so well with this rebuild in the past few months, screw it up by bringing in Lou Lamoriello? It didn’t really seem like a very good fit did it?

The Leafs are a young, up and coming organization who are taking a fresh approach to the way things are run. Lamoriello is 72-years old with a reputation for being hard-headed and old-fashioned. Of course, my biggest worry was “will Lou be on the same page as the others when it comes to the plan?”

I quickly gathered my thoughts and realized that I was overreacting. There is no way Shanahan would completely erase all the positive moves that he has made in the past few months by bringing in a guy who marches to the beat of his own drum.

In fact, I will even go as far as saying that Lou is the perfect guy to bring into this rebuild. Though I have enjoyed the work of Shanny, Dubas, and Hunter as much as anyone, there is one thing that this group lacks;  NHL experience.

Lamoriello brings instant credibility to the organization. He knows everybody that the NHL has to offer. Think about it, if you’re the GM of an opposing team and your phone rings, are you more likely to take notice of Dubas, or Lamoriello?

By saying that, in no way am I disrespecting Kyle Dubas. He has done a great job with this club and I believe that he has a very bright future as an NHL GM. In fact, Lou’s arrival will actually give Dubas the chance to focus more on his other job as GM of the Marlies. With the influx of good young prospects into the organization, it has become a full-time job figuring out where everyone is going to play. This is a very good thing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On the Leafs New Management Structure…

It has been just over 15 months since Brendan Shanahan landed in Toronto. Since then, he has turned the Toronto Maple Leafs organization upside down. A look at the Leafs current organizational chart is enough to make any fan of the blue and white giddy.

Some say that to win a Stanley Cup, you must have people who know what it takes to win one working for your organization. Shanahan, Lamoriello, Babcock, and Hunter have 8 cup rings between them.

On the “Other” Hirings…

Lost in the madness of “Lou-mania” were a couple of hirings that were announced just days earlier. On Monday morning, the Leafs announced that they had brought in Ari Vuori as director of European scouting as well as Steve Briere as goaltending coach.

The 53-year old Vuori spent the past seven years working as a scout in the Detroit organization and was instrumental in the scouting and consequent drafting of current Wings Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco, and Teemu Pulkkinen. Prior to that, he spent 11 years with the Los Angeles Kings where he was involved in the drafting of Anze Kopitar.

Vuori is expected to form a formidable duo with Leafs’ main European scout Thommie Bergman. Briere, 38, is a relative unknown in NHL circles but has an extensive history as a goaltending instructor. He has spent time coaching with the Fargo Force and Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL and the NAHL’s Topeka Roadrunners. He was also the owner and head instructor of Canadian Professional Goalie Schools.

On Jonathan Bernier…

Bernier’s arbitration hearing is set for this coming Friday, just a week before his 27th birthday. It’s expected that Bernier is asking for something north of $5 million per season while the Leafs are countering with something considerably lower. Things became clearer on Friday when the Washington Capitals signed 25-year old Braden Holtby to a 5-year contract worth $6.1 million per season. Holtby’s numbers were considerably better than Bernier’s this past season. Another glaring number…

On Alex Semin…

Ok- NOT Leaf-related but the tweets that I heard from many fans after the Habs announced that they had signed Semin to a 1-year contract worth $1.1 million definitely were. Many fans of the blue and white have the opinion that the club “missed out” or were “beaten to the punch” by the Habs. Some media outlets reported that it was a smart “low risk” deal for Montreal. The only thing remotely good about this deal is the term and dollar amount but neither of those make this signing a definite “bargain” or even a “good idea” and it certainly isn’t low risk.

Dec 7, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Alexander Semin (28) looks on against the Detroit Red Wings at PNC Arena. Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Semin is 31-years old and is now 6 seasons removed from his 4o-goal, 84-point season. He was 25 then and his linemates were Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom who both broke the 100-point plateau in that same season. If Leaf fans are going to constantly accuse Tyler Bozak and sometimes James Van Riemsdyk of padding their stats while playing with Phil Kessel, then why isn’t it conceivable that Semin did the same thing while playing with two world-class linemates.

Since leaving Washington, Semin has played a total of 166 games out of a possible 212 (Joffrey Lupul anyone) and recorded just 65 points. In case you’re counting, that’s an average of about 32 points per season without Ovie and Backstrom.

As for low risk- Semin comes to the Habs bringing more than just his “hockey baggage.” Semin isn’t exactly known for being a team player. Just googling “Alex Semin bad attitude” brings up pages of articles dated as far back as 2012 that outline his bad reputation. Montreal is taking great risk in bringing a guy like that into their tight-knit group. Underperformance is low risk and can be written off easily but exterminating the poisonous personality that a player can bring into your dressing room can be far more difficult. Be happy that we took a flyer on this guy! Our Leafs need none of what he has to offer.

Deep Thoughts… By: Rob Ellis…

If any of you happen to see Leaf defenceman Stephane Robidas at some point this summer and wanna wish him good luck, it may be a good idea to stay away from the phrase “break a leg!”

Reader Mail…

More from Editorials

Dave Shaflic from New Westminster, BC asks a question regarding my past. (Cue the dramatic music)

“Hi Robb. I really enjoy all your articles on the site and look forward to Monday Leaf Points. Just wondering if you may have written an old article that I came across on Bleacher Report. 

Toronto Maple Leafs: How They Dodged A Tampering Charge In The Brian Burke Pursuit

The writer name is spelled different but I really enjoyed it so I figure I would ask. Keep up the good work.

Well this one shocked me but yes, it was indeed me that wrote that piece almost seven years ago. (makes me feel old) I spelled my first name with only one “b” back then when I wrote for Bleacher Report. I’m glad that you enjoyed it.

It’s odd to read how psyched I was about Brian Burke’s arrival in Toronto even though the piece was about the Leafs dodging a tampering charge. It’s made me really look at the current regime in a whole new light. Brian said all the right things in his initial press conference and then did the opposite less than a year later when he pulled the trigger on the Phil Kessel trade. Let’s hope that Brendan Shanahan and company continue to stay the course. Mistakes will be made but the goal should be the same. The appearance of Lord Stanley’s mug at the ACC!

Question of the Week…

With Jonathan Bernier’s arbitration case just days away, how comfortable… or uncomfortable would you feel with a Leafs goaltending tandem of James Reimer and Christopher Gibson in year one of the rebuild leaving Antoine Bibeau and Garret Sparks to share the Marlies job?

Send your responses to me at retoronto71@gmail.com and I’ll post some of them in next week’s Monday Morning Leaf Points column. I also accept and appreciate comments, opinions, and hate mail or hit me up on Twitter @robb_ellis

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See ya next Monday Leaf fans. KEEP IT BLUE!

Next: Leafs Rumors Becoming Scarce

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