Mike Babcock has left the Toronto Maple Leafs in a far better place than where he found them.
There was hardly hope, let alone a collection of stars like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares leading a team with championship aspirations, when he first came aboard nearly five years ago. There were only remnants of a failed roster promising nothing but disappointment in the NHL’s largest and loudest hockey market.
It was a mess. And the pain he promised when he was first introduced? It was felt. But almost in a flash,— and certainly before even mild discontent could set in among the fan base — the Leafs turned the ship around under the guidance of the most celebrated coach in hockey.