Toronto Maple Leafs: What Is Mike Babcock’s Legacy With The Team?

As he heads to retirement, what is the legacy of former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock?

Certainly his time behind the Toronto Maple Leafs bench was a mix of highs and lows and it also mustn’t be forgotten that he ultimately found himself fired by the team.

Ultimately, he might have been the right coach for the Leafs but was with the team at the wrong time; he really wasn’t the best suited to handling a young and still developing team.

Right now, perhaps he might fit better with Toronto as the team is much better equipped to compete. Historically his greatest successes were with proven, high-tier players, not young up-and-coming stars.

Toronto Maple Leafs Underachieved Under Mike Babcock

Given the eight-year term that Babcock was signed to upon arriving in Toronto, it’s fair to suggest he failed quite miserably with the team.

He was fired just 23 games into the 2019-20 season and never made it back to the NHL; his final coaching gig last year was with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies before his recent retirement announcement.

With a track record of considerable success with two Olympic golds as head coach of Team Canada and a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings, the fanfare accompanying his arrival with the Toronto Maple Leafs was understandable.

He did initially have some level of success with his players, giving plenty of young  players an opportunity to taste NHL action.

He also showed some level of skill in dragging 69 points out of a truly dreadful Leafs line-up in the 2015-16 campaign. For context, the teams’ top goal scorer that year was P.A. Parenteau with 20 goals.

One of the bigger success stories was Nazem Kadri who proved impressive (on occasion) in the checking role he attempted to morph him into, most notably in one specific match-up with Connor McDavid.

The Toronto Maple Leafs under his guidance, made it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs the very next season in Auston Matthews’ debut year.

That was quite the turnaround from the previous campaign’s last place but couldn’t get past the Washington Capitals, despite putting up a strong fight.

Perhaps that season and the unexpected trip to the playoffs was the peak of his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Public opinion of Mike Babcock turned with decisions such as having veteran Jason Spezza sit out of the home opener after having had countless family members fly into town.

Likewise, when revelations of bullying (or at the very least; unsavory mind games) came to light in association with then-rookie Mitch Marner, it became rather clear he was no longer the right man to lead a young Maple Leafs team forward.

In hindsight, his legacy is as a coach that can take elite talents to great heights, while also having a rather old-school attitude when it comes to discipline and getting the best from his players. His style ultimately was no longer a match for a line-up full of young superstars.

He did however oversee countless rookie debuts, both those direct from junior hockey and indeed, graduating from the Toronto Marlies – it wasn’t all bad.

His time with the team speaks volumes to the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs have evolved and are now a very valid destination for highly-talented players or staff.

Perhaps that is his sole legacy with the team.