Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander is a long-term resident in Mike Babcock’s doghouse.
The Toronto Maple Leafs knew what kind of coach they brought in when the signed Babcock back in 2015. A dedicated coach who is above all is a winner. Member of the Triple Gold Club, winning gold with Canada at the Olympics, world championship and winning the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings.
Despite his successes, Babcock has his flaws. Which is no big deal. Heck, it’s normal, no coach is perfect. His biggest flaw is probably relying on veteran players too much over young talent. He did so in Detroit and he sure continued this in Toronto.
The perfect example is former Toronto Maple Leafs Patrick Marleau, who enjoyed Babcock’s trust over players like Matthews, which is insane.
When it comes to Nylander, it seems Babcock has a hard time trusting him as well. Even when asked how he feels Nylander has played so far this season, spoiler alert; the answer is great, Babcock can’t help but sneak in a hit below the belt:
“I think Willy would tell ya he’s feeling way better than he was at this time last year. I think he was on a beach in Sweden at this time last year. So just being at the rink is a step in the right direction”
Escape from the Dog House
It’s uncalled for. Just stick with a compliment, or say nothing at all.
Referring to a contract situation that wasn’t necessarily Nylander’s fault. It was something that had to happen, Dubas needed to get a deal done so he could fit the core group under the cap, Nylander just had to be signed first. Can you blame a guy for wanting to be paid what he is worth?
Frankly, at this point, one can’t even be surprised. Ever since arriving in Toronto, Babcock has seen Nylander as a project, demoting him from the top line for every mistake he made. Though Nylander wasn’t the only one suffering from the harsh treatment from Babcock, he sure seems to be his favourite target.
When it comes to young players, Babcock has difficulty managing relationships with them. It can hardly be a surprise that his visit to Arizona in the summer of 2018 was to diffuse a ticking time bomb; his relationship with Matthews.
While both denied there was tension, it fits the picture perfectly.
It seems the only successful way for Nylander to escape Babcock’s dog house is to age 28 or be traded elsewhere. Luckily, it’s far more likely that Dubas prefers Nylander, so he’ll be here longer.
from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/32wbX5v
via IFTTT
October 20, 2019 at 10:48PM
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar