It looks like there was some truth between the reported rift between the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock and star Auston Matthews afterall. Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada reported Saturday evening that Babcock travelled to Arizona (Matthews home) for a family vacation, but plans to sit down and clear up any issues that Matthews may have with the coach, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
“The expectation is the two of them are going to talk or have talked this weekend as they try to air things out and fix things between them,” Elliotte Friedman said during Hockey Night’s “Headlines” segment on Saturday.
The rift was first reported by Nick Kypreos after Game 7 of the first-round playoff series between the Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. Both player and coach denied the accusation.
While Babcock’s trip to Arizona is being passed off as a family trip, Kypreos feels differently.
“It is common for star players sometimes to battle with their coaches for things such as ice time,” Kypreos said during intermission of the Penguins-Capitals game on Saturday. “But what isn’t that common is a week after [exit meetings]. It’s clear that this is a priority for Babcock, who’s hoping to smooth things out so come training camp, everyone’s on the same page.”
LeBrun, however, tweeted that Babcock also has plans to visit goaltender Frederik Andersen in Denmark soon as well.
Mathews drama saga begina.
What a baby. I hear Babs is a tough coach, but you’re still on you ELC and there are some seasoned vets (Marleau) who must shake their head at this kid.
You don’t even know what it’s about ? I’m a wings fan and I know players got tired of Babcock. Quote from Zetterberg for example:
“I want to thank Mike for the time he had here, but I think both him and us probably decided it was time,” Zetterberg said.
That was long after he won in Detroit. All coaches have a shelf live, especially after winning,,,,,,,he will win in Toronto, it’s a different animal these days but he knows how to adjust, Leafs are just entering a time of being a good to great team. Cap management and trades are the more important decisions/issues, Babs will be fine.
So Pawtucket what your saying is because the best player on the team is still on his ELC that he doesn’t have a say, what a dumb statement. Babcock is the reason that the Red Wings are in as much of cap space problems, he wants all the young players to over ripen in the AHL no exceptions, Babcock only wants veterans on his team, he also puts more value on guys who are diggers and good defensively over players who are goal scorers and extremely talanted. They also almost lost Dylan Larkin because of Babcock, he would have stayed in college and become a free agent if Detroit worked out a deal to stay as their coach and he cane out and said that exact thing, he didn’t want to play for Babcock period, he made this in an interview after he made the team right out of training camp. That’s a guy who hadn’t played one NHL game at the time. Other veterans who played for Babcock usually don’t want to comment, you think that’s because they have nice things to say about him? Also in the 10 years in Detroit Babcock had the best team in the NHL for most of those years possibly 2 that weren’t seriously stacked and all Babcock could do is win one championship and only two other times could he get the team past the second round, he lost in the 2nd round 3 times and in the 1st round 4 times with a Red Wings powerhouse team. That’s not a great record and if Matthews was pissed off he has a reason for it, he was on what is supposedly the Leafs top line with two checker, not goal scorers or guys that can pass and setup a top talent like Matthews. He had his regular RW’er, who he played with the last two years playing all over the place even on the 4th line and Hyman and Brown were with Matthews and the team was embarrassed by a team they outplayed to the 3-1 (W/L) season series and were leading until Babcock shortened his bench and started to send his checking line out every second shift to try and hold the lead and did this until they fell behind by a score of 5-4 instead of being ahead in a short span of time they were behind now and yet he still didn’t put his right winger back with him to try and get the lead back. I’m sure I would be pissed off as well and so would everyone else. A good coach doesn’t change his top line by leaving the checker on there with your best player, you put in a more offensive winger and take the checker and put him on the 4th line. That is what gives your team the best chance to win. Babcock plays like he’s the only one who has any idea how to play this game and everyone else is stupid, to me the only stupid one I had seen in game 7 vs the Bruins was Babcock, and even though our goalie didn’t really play that well we could have beaten the Bruins, but Babcock lost us the game and the series. All he had to do was move Kapanen up onto his off wing or Johnsson who is a LW and put Nylander back on the RW and now you have a skilled fast line with 3 guys that can score. Also if Babcock had them together throughout the series the Leafs would have advanced to the 2nd round, but no he’s to attorney to dumb pick one rather will fit.