from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,

As the NHL expanded toward 30 teams and the Cup race intensified, so the masthead of assistant coaches and managers increased. Now they’re often referred to as associate coaches with more say in team strategy and dressing room climate than ever before. The AGMs, meanwhile, juggle everything from contracts, cap management, scouting, trades, free agents, farm teams and media.

Which leads to Brendan Shanahan’s hiring blitz of support staff with the Leafs. Rather than swing the wrecking ball completely through the Bay St. hockey office, the new president supervised a surgical strike. He lopped off both of GM Dave Nonis’ wingers, Claude Loiselle and Dave Poulin, in favour of youth and numbers. Enter 28-year-old Kyle Dubas, a proponent of analytics as part of his player-evaluation duties, and long-time NHL central registrar Brandon Pridham, 40, who will handle cap and contracts.

Behind the bench, Randy Carlyle’s long-serving lieutenant, Dave Farrish, was let go, along with Ron Wilson holdovers Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon. Steve Spott was promoted after his first-year success with the farm team, joined by Peter Horachek, whose career climb in the minors included a recent mop-up role as head coach of Florida.

It’s certainly unusual that Shanahan took the lead in changing what is usually the province of a GM or coach. Yet few will argue if it sets the Leafs back on a contender’s course the next couple of years.

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