from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,

On a sunny September day in his Scotiabank office, amid high hopes of a new season, the glow of the John Tavares signing and more riches to reap from young stars, we asked Kyle Dubas about where coach Mike Babcock fit in.

“He’s an elite coach and I expect an elite performance from him and his staff,” was the direct reply from the new general manager.

Now, Dubas must define “elite” while a fan base takes much of its anger and on-line vitriol out on Babcock after a second early playoff defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins.

Not yet four full years into his eight-season $50-million contract, some of those who laid palm leaves at his feet when he arrived in Toronto in May 2015 want to put him on the first plane back to Saskatchewan. It will be among the first questions Dubas takes when meeting the media this week.

To be clear, Babcock and his staff wear this loss as much as anyone, specifically the inability to close out Boston, despite three months’ advance scouting notice and two shots in elimination games. Babcock’s stubborn lineup format, such as sticking with a fading Patrick Marleau, not extending the first unit’s power play time and inability to fix the penalty kill, were inadequate counter moves to Bruce Cassidy pulling veteran David Backes or a hometown hitter such as Chris Wagner.

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