Babcock’s time may be running out.

May 20th, 2015: a day that resonates with Leaf Nation. Mike Babcock became the highest paid coach in NHL history after signing a 8 year 50 million dollar deal (6.25mil annually).

Since Babcock joined in 2015/16 we have seen major strides in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. They started out as the last place team and then turned into a top 5 contender in the entire league. The Leafs (who had only been in the playoffs once since 2004) has now been to the playoffs three straight years—only to be knocked out of the first round 3 times straight.

I gotta be honest, it seems that ever since Dubas took over as GM, Babcock and Dubas have had a power struggle. Babcock seems to have an idea of what he thinks the team should look like, and of course, Dubas has his own ideas. In addition, I think we can all agree that Babcock is stubborn and not willing to change his ways. His system beliefs tend to rub people the wrong way. Whether it's refusing to give Matthews 20+ minutes in the playoffs, or running four lines in critical moments of games, Babcock does not care! I’m a fan of a Babcock; I feel that he's talented. However, I also feel like he's a coach with an expiration date. Eventually these players will get sick of his old school coaching and stubborn ways.

I think that frustrations are boiling over with Babcock and the fan base which begs the question whether or not Brendan Shannahan will make a move in the off season. Brendan Shannahan has stuck with the "Shanna Plan", and it doesn’t seem likely that he will divert from it now. Although Dubas is the GM, it's become clear that all final decisions run through the Hall of Famer Shannahan. With Babcock failing to get past the first round, it forces Shannahan’s hand (something he hasn't had to face yet).

The Toronto fan base is loyal but is also very vocal. So, when things aren't going well, it's not a place you want to be in and with the recent struggles against Tampa, St. Louis and Montreal, it seems as though they've turned against Babcock. Now, to be fair, this hasn't been a two year process. We’ve been patient and haven't seen any adjustments in the most critical round of the playoffs. So, at what point can we freak out? I think three years is enough time to prove yourself as a contender—also considering the talent acquired in that time.

It seems everyone is doing their job, except for Babcock. He has used fourth liners during important moments, it almost seems like its a way for Babcock to get back at the media. He purposely didn’t start Spezza against his former team, knowing full well how Toronto’s media would react. Like I said before, I do think he's a talented coach, but Babcock has served his purpose. In my opinion, it's time to move on to a player’s coach—someone like Tocchet in Phoenix, or Gallant in Vegas. I'm not sure who is out there right now, but it's time for Shannahan and company to take a hard look at this bench and decide if Babcock’s expiration date has arrived.

Do you think Babcocks time is over in Toronto? And if so, who do you think could be a better fit.