from Jeff Blair of Sportsnet,

I hate to interrupt the celebration surrounding yet another front office bloodletting by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I don’t wish Brendan Shanahan ill will, but …

Wouldn’t this all seem better if we had evidence that Shanahan can build a team? I hate to be that guy but, really, other than Shanahan’s legacy as a player and a vote of confidence from the exiting Tim Leiweke — who is supposed to be on his way out as president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Ltd. — there’s a lot here that’s being taken on faith.

And while I’m a firm believer in analytics and don’t profess to know what if any negative impact that Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter had on things this season … I wonder whether or not the list of people ready to take on the job of general manager and/or head coach wouldn’t be longer without all this holdover? It’s a safe bet that there have already been back-channel talks with some candidates but seriously, if you were, say, Mike Babcock why the hell would you want this?

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