Fixing the Maple Leafs: All Signs Point to Paul Maurice

I'd like to start off by saying that I believe Paul Maurice is a good coach. He proved it when he took Carolina to the final.

But...

 

Right piece, wrong puzzle.

Bringing in Paul Maurice was never a bad idea. He did a wonderful job with the Marlies.

I was personally happy the club hired Maurice at the time, and eagerly awaited his eventual promotion to the Leafs.

Well, now we're seeing the results of his hiring—and unfortunately they're not positive.

It's clear that Paul Maurice is a great coach, but, unfortunately, not for this team.

 

John bashing is too easy.

I find it odd that John Ferguson is the first person people want to blame for the Leafs' recent woes.

I think the problem more than likely lies with Paul Maurice's compatibility with this group of Leafs.

If only the players John brought in were playing badly, I could see the argument. However, that's not the case.

Almost all of the Leafs are underperforming, including All-Star Tomas Kaberle. When players like Jason Blake and Darcy Tucker vanish from the score sheet, you know something is really wrong in the Leaf land.

 

Lose Sundin and the soul of this team is GONE.

I'd love to see the Leafs go out and scoop up some young talent, but truth be told I don't think it will make much difference.

In fact, I think the effect of a trade will be exactly the opposite of its intent.

If you look up and down the Leafs bench, you can find only point to one player who has been a model of relative consistency this year—Mats Sundin. If the Leafs get rid of Sundin, you can bet Tucker will leave in the spring, unless they make him captain.

This would leave a Leaf team with very little heart. As much as Alex Steen shows the potential for greatness, Leaf fans are tired of hearing the word POTENTIAL.

 

So what's the solution?

I don't think it's entirely fair to fire Ferguson—but it might be smart to reassign him to another position within the organization. Giving Maurice a golden handshake might be the best course of action too.

If the Leafs can find a coach who is more of a motivator than a teacher, they may be on the right track. This team is NOT short on talent, but they sure ARE short on heart and direction.

Motivating players is the hallmark of a great coach. That's what the Leafs need right now.

 

Pick some lines and stick with them.

Hopefully with a new coach, the players will have an opportunity to play on lines with the same players for more than two periods at a time.

When asked what's wrong with his team, Paul Maurice has answered with, "We don't know" or "It's mystery."

Isn't it his job to have or find answers to these questions?

Let's see what a new coach can bring to this team before we sell off our greatest asset, shall we?