Auston Matthews admitted that Jim Hiller is flat out ignoring the team after games, and that it's up to the rest of the players to figure out their next moves.
Things are bad for the Maple Leafs - historically bad actually. The team is now 0-5-0 on their six-game homestand and are firmly on the way to hitting rock bottom, if they weren't already there.
They can't make moves, the players are lacking passion and effort, and the coaching is anything but NHL-calibre. Speaking of, Jim Hiller has been getting a lot of criticism lately, and his latest antics aren't going to sit well with fans.
Jim Hiller is deciding to ignore the Maple Leafs during horrific stretch
It certainly doesn't sit well with the team, as it turns out that Hiller would rather focus on anything else besides the group he coaches.
Auston Matthews took time after the team's 5-2 loss to the Wild to explain that Hiller is just ignoring guys at this point - whether it be frustration or some other philosophy:
He usually doesn't speak after games, so I'm sure we'll continue to try to clean some stuff up, go over video and make adjustments.
At the end of the day, it's just minimizing those big mistakes or turnovers, especially against other teams' top lines.
As a head coach, that's pretty much the last thing you want to do. Ignoring your players and not rallying the troops, essentially leaving it up to their own volition is a sign that the coach may have already lost the room.
You're telling me, that at Toronto's lowest point of the season, their coach decides now is the time to say nothing and just leave them to fight for themselves? There's no urgency or passion from Hiller and it's bled through into his lineup.
Maple Leafs are in serious trouble if Hiller's already checked out
That's a horrific sign of things to come as we are a quarter of the way through the season and Hiller is already causing major issues. His management of Gavin McKenna has brought some concern, and his inability to build a lineup or make the right decisions in crucial times is costing the Maple Leafs.
It's not just about firing Hiller but it's about replacing him with someone who actually seems to care. Whether that's externally with someone like John Tortorella (who would actually be a godsend at this point) or internally like John Gruden - something needs to change.
Why Hiller decides not to speak to the team is anyone's guess, but it's clearly affecting everyone from the captain on down the lineup.
There's no reason the captain should be coaching too, and you can tell Matthews is frustrated with his coach's choices, and right now so should every Maple Leafs fan.
Do you think Jim Hiller is the wrong person to be coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs?
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