A New Twist

Nobody thought Bruce Boudreau would end up sitting for a terribly long time on the NHL unemployment line.

But three days off, well, even Boudreau might have liked a week or two longer to decompress. But in that world, you take the work when it's there. So Boudreau is off to Anaheim to take over from Randy Carlyle today and doesn't this suddenly produce a rather intriguing dilemma for Leafs GM Brian Burke?

Burke has stood loyally behind head coach Ron Wilson over the past three seasons - wasn't it interesting how it wasn't Wilson's fault when things were bad, but now we're told Wilson deserves credit now that things are better? - but today things are certainly a little different than they were yesterday.

First of all, the Leafs looked awfully leaky in a 6-3 loss to the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins last night after winning four of five. Second, Carlyle, the coach who delivered a Cup to Burke in Anaheim, a coach that Burke recruited and hired and admires, a coach who preaches the gritty, punch-first-ask-questions-later, tight defensive style that Burke loves, iis now available. Carlyle's Ducks beat Montreal last night, but that didn't stop GM Bob Murray from dismissing him and bringing in Boudreau.

A wild 24 hours, to be sure.

Enjoy the speculation now in Toronto, folks. Of course, Burke can quiet it all with one announcement, that being that he has awarded Wilson a new two- or three-year contract extension. That would kill any Carlyle-to-Toronto chatter immediately. Until then, well, let the rumours fly.

(Ed. Note: Burke, it's clear, woke up this morning more than aware the Carlyle dismissal would fuel speculation about Wilson's future. Through his Twitter handle @LeafsBB20, Burke tweeted soon after this blog was posted "Sad to hear about Randy Carlyle. But our coach isn't going anywhere!" Guess that's the 2011 equivalent of a vote of confidence.)

You do have to wonder that if Carlyle had been available last spring whether Wilson would have made it into this season given his record with the Leafs. It certainly didn't hurt Wilson that there weren't any great alternatives out there for Burke, who wasn't about to go the rookie route when it came to a coach.

But now Carlyle is sitting there, a stark alternative to Wilson, the coach who brought Burke his greatest success in the game. Just as Dale Hunter was very different than Boudreau in Washington and Boudreau will be promising a new style of hockey in Anaheim, so too would Carlyle offer a change of direction in Toronto.

This certainly isn't a guarantee that Burke will can Wilson and turn to Carlyle, or even a suggestion that he should. But it's an available alternative sitting in plain sight for Burke, and it will have crossed his mind. 

 

 

Comments

[uncle jake]

so why not bring randy in as a special assistant to ron wilson for now . they can have 10 general managers but only 1 coach and 3 assistant coaches . maybe they should just hire one coach per player ??!!??

[Karl]

I think Brian Burke has no idea what he is doing at times. We need a team with truculence then we don't . Wilson rips into Kadri Kessel schenn when they have bad games or go into slumps. But then Wilson leaves kulemin in the line who has not scored a goal since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. How does Burke manage to find big players who don't play physical. The fact is Brian Burke said the days of the losing culture in Toronto were over. He then let's Ron Wilson coach the leafs for three years while missing the playoffs. Burke and Wilson now have the media in Toronto believing a loss is really a win, like after the loss to the bruins last night. Someone tell Burke his team must score more goals then the other team for a win. Sometimes I wonder if beavis and butthead were reincarnated into?

[Geoff Read]

I don't see how Carlyle would offer "a change of direction." He and Wilson are actually very similar as coaches, which is probably why Burke likes both of them.

[A True Leafs Fan]

Burke always makes the right decision. what ever decision he makes I am sure will be the right one

[thadeus li]

wow, u jumped to write an article on this eh... good job...

[bill]

I bet Lupul would love to see Carlyle behind the bench in Toronto! (eyes rolling)

[decibul]

gotta agree with geoff read. wilson came to TO as a defence first kinda coach. for whatever reason the team he coaches is more suited to the kind of game they're playing. this has to be on the GM. yes?
and let's not make too much of one game. yes the leafs need to be better defensively(work in progress?) but they played a competitive game against a very good team on a hot streak.
this is a young team getting better. despite losing, last night was in no way a step backwards. this is no time to start shaking things up. let's just let them continue to grow and stop nit-picking at every mistake. even stanley cup winners make mistakes.

[Jim Jack]

This article is crazy! Why would you write about this scenario other than to stick it to Wilson? Leafs played last night for first place and were not totally embarrassed, they simply lost. The mere fact that Boudreau was fired in DC and hired within three days in Anaheim speaks volumes about the real impact "head coaches" actually have on a team's fortunes. Coaches win with personnel that buy into their system. Leafs are winning. Coach is safe. Any change now is like saying "let's get Carlyle before he gets away!". Guess what?, Many good coaches will be available when the time is right to make a coaching change for the Leafs.

[Simon]

Ron Wilson had the unfortunate task of taking over when the team was in shambles. The next coach that comes in basically takes over without the growing pains. Nobody in their right minds is gonna fire the coach when the team is having this much success. Ron Wilson deserves a chance to see it through until he falters. Burke realized that he forced a style on Wilson with those big slow goons. Finally Burke is playing into Wilson's style and it's working.

[Patricia Landry]

Let's all wait until the end of the season. If Leafs get in and win a round, Wilson gets a contract. If they miss or go out in the 1st round, Wilson is gone. Carlyle is not the answer though. How come Larry Robinson hasn't been given a head coaching position yet?

[Mark]

So the rumour you are starting by saying there are going to be rumours, is that now that leafs coaches have realized they have tons of bodies who can play speed and wide open offense (and had some success doing it), and no one good enough at physical play or shut down defence, that they'll hire a coach who requires the latter to be successful.

Makes perfect sense.