from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

It’s not difficult or unreasonable to speculate about the state of the team and maybe more importantly the state of the relationship between general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Mike Babcock. Dubas was 4 years old when Babcock won his first coach of the year award. These are men of different styles, different philosophies, different generations, really, and that’s not uncommon for any coach-GM combination in any sport — except in this case the age factor is gigantic and there is the discomfort that Babcock was hired to coach the Leafs before Dubas was promoted to the GM job and the GM had little to do with the hiring of the coach on the long-term contract.

Dubas and Babcock are partially together because of circumstance and that could eventually change. But for now, as far apart as the team may be, as far apart as the coach and the GM seem to be, this is the time they have to come together for there to be any purpose in this season.

This is when Babcock, who doesn’t love his roster, doesn’t love the lack of depth the GM has saddled him with, has to find a way to get this right. He knows what the team has to do. He understands it. Getting his team to play a smarter, tighter game — that’s his challenge.

Dubas has already done his job, both good and bad.

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