Why the Maple Leafs were right to stay away from Peter DeBoer
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Toronto had their sights set on Peter DeBoer before he was snatched up by the New York Islanders, but they also may have avoided a massive bullet in the process.
When the New York Islanders hired Peter DeBoer on Sunday it came as a shock to many but no more than the Toronto Maple Leafs who had their sights set on the top coach available on the market, and now have to refocus and find another bench boss.
He would have been a great presence on the ice, however it seems like there may have been some off-ice friction that Toronto luckily avoided.
Friedman says DeBoer got incredibly stressed as the pressure got higher. That's a huge concern for Toronto
Much like former Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, there was some tension behind the scenes in Dallas, and that the higher the pressure — the more agitated he seemed to become according to Elliotte Friedman:
The one thing I heard from him when he was done in Dallas and I heard this from players too, is that the more intense the games got or the bigger the stakes got the more stressed he got.
That isn't good for a team like Toronto, who may not have a ton of pressure when it comes to highstakes games, but does have a ton of scrutiny on a daily basis thanks to the relentless media presence.
If DeBoer were to become more flustered and stressed with games he has to win, it could lead to a lot more tension with players as he pinpoints the tiniest mistakes that cost them team potential goals or in giving up scoring chances.
That's not the support that Toronto needs especially after dealing with Craig Berube, who was known to not necessarily be the nicest to his players and while he tries to motivate as best he can — that teeters the line between praise and belittlement.
New York taking a gamble on DeBoer is a risk knowing they are going to be heading straight into a stressful situation come playoff time, but with a much better roster and the clear confidence of the GM and President; New York could thrive.
The Jake Oettinger fallout and why DeBoer may have lost the locker room
This is the one issue you could point to as a big red flag for the Maple Leafs. Back in last year's playoffs, DeBoer made the shocking decision to pull goaltender Jake Oettinger less than 10 minutes into Dallas' elimination game vs. Edmonton.
After allowing two goals on two shots, DeBoer made the change and in his reflection admitted that he wouldn't have done things differently, and played the historical card in response:
I did this to get the guys going, but the reality is we go back to last year’s playoffs, [Oettinger] has lost six of seven games to Edmonton.
However it was the consistent blaming of Oettinger during the post-game presser that really irked the Stars, and Jim Nill handed DeBoer his pink slip a week later.
For a Toronto team notorious for giving up early goals on the first few shots of the game, it's hard to imagine DeBoer staying cool and collected down two goals within the first five minutes; especially in a playoff scenario.
Players get frustrated with how they play and the last thing they need is a helicopter coach telling them everything they did wrong. It's about fostering a culture of 'you're failing here, let's work on it' instead of 'you're bad, get better.'
The Maple Leafs need someone with the stoic nature of Craig Berube in front of the cameras, but also need that calm and soothing presence when there's no one around.
Bringing in Peter DeBoer would have been a great on-ice asset, but much like Berube — it's what we don't see that can cause a lot of concerns.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Jon Cooper wants a penalty box attendant fired after former Leaf Pontus Holmberg fell into an open door
Jon Cooper wants a penalty box attendant fired after former Leaf Pontus Holmberg fell into an open door