Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Reasons Ron Wilson's Extension Will Benefit the Team

The Toronto Maple Leafs extended the contract of Head Coach Ron Wilson by one year, which was announced by Wilson via Twitter. There has been a lot of backlash surrounding the contract and if it was deserving, as Wilson has not had a successful stint as coach of the Leafs. 

There are a lot of topics overlooked in this story, and I would like to present some positives of the contract extension, while also identifying the true nature of the deal. 

Here are three reasons Ron Wilson's extension will benefit the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

No More Media Scrutiny on the Topic

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had an exciting start to the season, yet it kept hanging in the shadows. The more important topic for the media has been Ron Wilson and if he should remain as coach. 

Questions of extensions, firings and everything in between became a distraction and management took note. This move was made because the media became to obsessed with the coach and it was taking away from the team.

There is no need for any coach to take all the attention and it could only make his job harder. Also, this has negative implications towards his players.

Message of Confidence to the Players

If your coach's job is on the line, your mentality changes. Why put in the extra time for a guy who might be gone next week?

The situation was becoming almost awkward. This contract extension means that for the season, there is no reason to presume that Coach Ron Wilson isn't the man. Therefore, it's business as usual.

Management needed to show confidence in the coach so the players could follow. That's what this extension did.

It was a one-year extension, which is almost unheard of. This wasn't a reward for Wilson. 

Ron Wilson's Job Secuirty Hasn't Changed

The one detail overlooked in the extension is that it's for just one year. A one-year extension means absolutely nothing. This isn't a reward at all. A reward is a multi-year deal. 

This deal will not keep Ron Wilson feeling job security. The pressure is still on, and it would be safe to assume if he doesn't make the playoffs this year, he will be fired.

This deal was simply to put to rest all the questions about his job and let the man simply do it. The team can now focus on other things and the interviews of players about their coach's status will end.

The Leafs have the money to spend, so firing him and losing a year worth of his salary isn't a big deal.  

Conclusion

This deal was a smart move by Burke to end the chronicles surround Wilson's job. He hasn't been rewarded anything, rather it is a move to keep security within the team and keep the focus remaining on the important matters.

This was a great move by the team and in no way do I see Ron Wilson finishing the full contract with the team. He will be sacked by then.

What are your thoughts? Follow me on Twitter: @mcolvy