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When Brendan Shanahan was launched by the Maple Leafs because the membership’s new president, the Hockey Corridor of Famer made a reasonably apparent proclamation.
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“It’s concerning the work we put in and it’s about outcomes,” Shanahan mentioned on that spring day. “We have to have outcomes right here.”
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We carry this up as a result of it’s now 10 years that Shanahan has been on the job, a full decade having handed since he was employed on April 11, 2014, adopted by his first information convention as staff president three days later.
The anniversary got here and went through the weekend moderately quietly, didn’t it?
The outcomes — and by that we imply wins — have come all proper, simply not throughout the appropriate time on the calendar.
A whole lot, in truth, to the tune of 415 in 780 regular-season video games for the reason that so-called Shanaplan acquired rolling in 2014.
Alongside the way in which, Shanahan introduced a better stage of respect to the group, one which had been absent for the reason that Pat Quinn period.
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As soon as Shanahan acquired previous an terrible 2014-15 season, throughout which the staff had a .415 factors proportion (nonetheless the worst in Toronto for the reason that 1996-97 season), a measure of off-ice stability started to kind.
Shanahan went a distinct means in bringing aboard a brand new coach and common supervisor, first hiring Mike Babcock in Might 2015 earlier than welcoming Lou Lamoriello because the GM two months later. All of the whereas, Kyle Dubas was studying on the job, having been employed as assistant GM in July 2014 after blowing Shanahan away throughout a prolonged preliminary interview.
We’ll by no means know what would have transpired had Shanahan determined to maintain Lamoriello within the spring of 2018 and never promote Dubas to GM. It’s seemingly that Dubas would have develop into GM some place else — the Colorado Avalanche had curiosity a 12 months earlier, and the sense was that Dubas would have had an opportunity for a promotion elsewhere. A continued union of Lamoriello and Babcock may need labored, however after Dubas grew to become Babcock’s boss, the latter lasted simply one other 18 months earlier than he was fired and Sheldon Keefe took over as coach.
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These 4 — Lamoriello, Dubas, Babcock and now Keefe — all had a job, various in levels — into reshaping the staff and what it meant to be a Leaf.
The Leafs have had one other 100-point season, their third in as a few years and fifth in seven years, in Brad Treliving’s first 12 months as GM. Larger scrutiny will come as soon as the Leafs’ first-round sequence begins, seemingly on Saturday, in Florida or Boston.
A brand new emblem, unveiled in February 2016, got here underneath Shanahan’s watch. Later that 12 months, Shanahan ended the silliness of honoured numbers and the membership formally retired the numbers of 16 gamers.
That sturdy reconnection with the previous had been lengthy overdue.
On the ice, we’re witnessing historical past as Auston Matthews sits inside one aim of recording the fifteenth 70-goal season within the NHL’s existence. A mere eight gamers have scored 70 objectives, led by Wayne Gretzky’s 4 seasons in reaching the milestone.
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There’s a collective expertise that the Leafs have in Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander that isn’t equalled by nearly all of NHL groups.
About these outcomes, although. Constructing a staff that excels solely within the common season could be highlighted solely a lot on a resume.
The Leafs and Bruins share the longest present streak of post-season appearances, as each groups will play past the common season for the eighth 12 months in a row. On paper, that’s nice. The rub, after all, is the actual fact the Leafs have received only one playoff sequence on Shanahan’s watch. There’s no means that dearth of playoff success was a part of the imaginative and prescient when Shanahan took over 10 years in the past.
A decade is greater than sufficient time to assemble a Stanley Cup winner, if not a staff that may be a respectable, annual contender as soon as it has been rebuilt. Profitable one playoff spherical has not put the Leafs in that class.
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And take into account that the Vegas Golden Knights didn’t exist till the 2017-18 season and received the Cup 5 years later. It’s not simply the Leafs who ought to discover that fast success a bit embarrassing.
The six-year extension that Shanahan signed in Might 2019 runs via the 2024-25 season.
Keith Pelley, having simply been handed the reigns as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports activities and Leisure, will consider every of the corporate’s sports activities franchises.
There shouldn’t be one other extension within the ready for Shanahan. Let’s see how the Leafs’ participation within the 2024 Stanley Cup event unfolds first.
tkoshan@postmedia.com
X: @koshtorontosun
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