The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a time of uncertainty.
Without a coach. Without a general manager.
There aren't many things these days that are crystal clear in Leafs Nation, with the exception of one thing:
This team, one way or another, will look drastically different in October, than they did the last time they skated off the ice this past April.
In this four part series, we will look at Maple Leafs management, the new GM, the new head coach, and also the players who will make up the roster.
In part one, we'll take a look at maybe the stickiest of subjects right now. Management. It all starts at the top.
As previously mentioned, Richard Peddie is, unfortunately, at the top of the food chain, or at least it would seem. Peddie holds the title of President and CEO of MLSE, however, Larry Tanenbaum is the chairman of the board. Making this malfunction at the junction complete, is the fact that the two really don't get along. Many close to the situation will tell you that Tanenbaum thinks Peddie should stop meddling in the Maple Leafs affairs so much, and let hockey smart people who know what they are doing handle it (funny thing Larry, we leafs fans couldn't agree more.)
Tanenbaum is the major reason the Toronto Raptors are in the NBA, as he constantly tried to buy established teams and bring them to the city. Once he got an expansion franchise, he was influenced by Peddie, and various other members of the board. They "aided" him in who to hire, who to fire, and everyday things like that. Finally after a bunch of years of meritocracy, Tanenbaum had enough, and decided to let someone come in and run the show from top to bottom. That man was of course Bryan Colangelo. The Toronto Raptors have been much better off for it ever since.
As the Maple Leafs enter the crossroad they find themselves currently, Tanenbaum seems to be the voice of reason. He seems to be the one trying to persuade people that the time is finally right for the board of directors, and namely Richard Peddie, to step aside and let bright hockey minds handle the situation.
Peddie for the record, isn't so quick to relent his power and fame he has gotten from the Maple Leafs. However, as the Maple Leafs begin to look for a new general manager to take the reigns of the club, it appears he may have no choice.
Peddie seems to be way off base, way out of touch to reality, and quite frankly, ignorant. In every opportunity he has had to speak since the GM search started last February, Peddie has gone on to claim that with Cliff Fletcher, an experienced guy, at the helm the Maple Leafs can take all the time they need to name a new GM.
While that may be half true, I mean, we certainly don't need this team rushing into anything, and hiring the wrong man, in an attempt to make a move just for the sake of doing something.
But Peddie also speaks as though every free agent general manager, and every available coach, are waiting by their phone on baited breath for him to call. He is, without officially coming out and saying, that any coach or GM would turn down however many offers they had to come to Toronto and take the glorious GM's job. And while it is true, there are GM's and coaches o
Dissecting the Toronto Maple Leafs, Part One: the Management
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About the Author Derek Harmsworth (senior writer)
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1 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Jeremy Lewis about 1 year ago
You hit the nail on the head about Peddie, that guy is like hockey cancer. One thing that I don't understand is why the team at the center of the hockey universe doesn't have GM's lined up down the corner itching to get a shot. It really is the opportunity of a life time, if you bring a cup to Toronto your name will go down in hockey history, you would never have to buy a meal in TO ever again. So this leads me to believe that thier must be another reason why no one has been outspoken in thier desire to be the next leafs GM. All I here is GM's stating that if the leafs are interested they will listen to thier offer, I guess what I am looking for is a little enthusiasm.
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