What Maple Leafs Do Right: Spezza, Clune, Wickenheiser & Keefe

In this post, I’ll note of a number of things I believe the Toronto Maple Leafs as an organization are doing effectively. While many Maple Leafs’ fans see this season as a train wreck ready to happen, I see the past season as improved from the season previously. I see no reason not to trust the organization moving forward.

I also see this offseason as taking necessary steps to improve the team – given what the team can do in response to a static salary cap. How will these things work out in the team’s quest to build a regular-season roster? That remains to be seen.

The jury remains out. Still, it’s not like there aren’t good things happening in Toronto. From my perspective as someone who writes about the Maple Leafs at least once daily, I believe the team is doing many things right. Here are three of the positives.

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Good Thing That’s Happening One: The Maple Leafs Hired Jason Spezza and Rich Clune

First, giving Jason Spezza a place with the team’s front office is extraordinarily helpful. Spezza is a great informal coach and has the respect of the players in the organization. He’s also a hard worker, and that matters as well.

Rich Clune is a natural leader. His reputation in his time with the Toronto Marlies is that he’s had a positive impact on almost every player who’s now on the Maple Leafs’ roster who first made his way through the AHL’s Marlies. He’ll rightfully be placed in the area of player development.

From my perspective, hiring Spezza in the off-season to stay in the Maple Leafs’ organization speaks well to the team’s thinking. Adding Clune to the mix is also positive. Good on the Maple Leafs for making these two moves.

Good Thing That’s Happening Two: The Maple Leafs Promoted Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser is not just any woman. She’s simply an amazing person and an asset to the organization. She’s also a medical doctor.

First, Wickenheiser is widely considered to be the greatest woman hockey player of all time. She’s a four-time Olympic gold medal winner and is Canada’s all-time leader in international goals (168), assists (211), and points (379). She’s earned the respect of Maple Leafs’ players just because she’s good at her job; but, she’s also scored a goal in a men’s professional league. That helps!

When the Maple Leafs hired her in the first place, it was an oddity. When they promoted her to become an assistant general manager, it was really quite odd. But underneath the oddity, there’s a value-added member of the management team. Just listening to the players responded to her during the rookie camp this summer was inspiring. They all spoke highly of her.

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Good Thing That’s Happening Three: Sheldon Keefe Is Growing As a Coach

I admit that watching Sheldon Keefe’s coaching during the early postseason experiences with the team was tough. I thought he panicked one time specifically. During the play-in series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, I thought it wasn’t wise to load up one offensive unit on the team and leave the other units toothless. It worked for a game and the team came back to win, but as a plan later in the series, it simply didn’t work.

Keefe now seems to have the respect of his players. In my view, the team played hard to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in last season’s playoff round. They could have and should have won. Several questionable calls; some calls that weren’t made by officials; and, a goal taken away sealed the team’s fate.

Obviously, the team shouldn’t have let it get that far and should have won before that. Still, they gave the Lightning their toughest round until losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final.

In short, Keefe is improving as a coach. The organization is also adding assistant coaches that help. That matters, and in the end – when the games get tougher – Keefe will be more able to make better coaching moves.

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