Pelley new MLSE boss, could be good for teams

[WuTang_CMB]

He said Masai has done a great job, they won a championship and now the rebuild has started and he's looking forward to next season and then wanted the next question.

That sounds more like he's willing to let Masai stay and see how we do next year.

I hope you're right. My concern is that this has long been rumoured and now we see that half of the rumour became true. TFC has also been going without a President.

One thing to add to this is that KP said theres no parallels and every operation is different. There's no right or wrong way to any of it and I agree with that. It's what works.

Masai is also the de facto GM of the Raptors - no matter if he is the president, chairman or whatever. Bobby is basically his AGM. So it's different.

Shanny was never the GM (Even though he tried to act like it). He sat on the sidelines and just wanted authority over everyone so he felt good. And now all the reports were that he was never available and created a dysfunctional operation with no collaboration between the departments - via athletic today. He also got paid $7M a year. You can understand why letting him go was an easy move, not to mention the poor playoff results

I expect Masai to stay bc Raps are a different beast and it's hard to win here.

If Rogers wants to be cheap cuz Masai gets paid top $ so be it, we're prob fked

but lets wait and see

[Scase]

The Raptors are the most valuable sports team in the country. We’re the #1 priority for MLSE.

That was in the old days. You see the thing about the old days is... they the old days.

I say that to say: I'll believe it when I see it. I won't be surprised if Masai leaves and we end up getting some Ed Rogers yes man installed as the President and we watch our FO erode as guys like Bobby and Dan just walk away.

My only joy as I drink my liver to cirrhosis will be seeing the handful of Ed Rogers fanboys (more of them on Reddit than here, although a few post here as well) realizing that Ed is actually a **** moron.

I gotta say, I don't see a whole lot of actual Ed fanboys, but rather people conflating wanting a change away from Masai, with siding with Ed, just because he also seems to want Masai gone.

Ed can kick rocks, but I'd still like a change in leadership.

[ItsDanger]

Masai is still quasi GM so don't compare to Shanahan's role with Leafs.

[carlosey]

Very telling they didn't force an immediate change on the Raptors.

I think Masai has some room but I also think Rogers is going to demand a big move this summer. They are going to want a winner right away after the purchase.

[Reeko]

That was in the old days. You see the thing about the old days is... they the old days.

I say that to say: I'll believe it when I see it. I won't be surprised if Masai leaves and we end up getting some Ed Rogers yes man installed as the President and we watch our FO erode as guys like Bobby and Dan just walk away.

My only joy as I drink my liver to cirrhosis will be seeing the handful of Ed Rogers fanboys (more of them on Reddit than here, although a few post here as well) realizing that Ed is actually a **** moron.

I gotta say, I don't see a whole lot of actual Ed fanboys, but rather people conflating wanting a change away from Masai, with siding with Ed, just because he also seems to want Masai gone.

Ed can kick rocks, but I'd still like a change in leadership.

I don’t think you have to worry about that, a change is definitely coming.

[Scase]

My only joy as I drink my liver to cirrhosis will be seeing the handful of Ed Rogers fanboys (more of them on Reddit than here, although a few post here as well) realizing that Ed is actually a **** moron.

I gotta say, I don't see a whole lot of actual Ed fanboys, but rather people conflating wanting a change away from Masai, with siding with Ed, just because he also seems to want Masai gone.

Ed can kick rocks, but I'd still like a change in leadership.

I don’t think you have to worry about that, a change is definitely coming.

Yeah no doubt, but honestly, I think we need it. Just gotta hope it's not a BC or Babcock type GM.

[MiamiSPX]

I expect Masai to stay bc Raps are a different beast and it's hard to win here.

Could be they leave it alone because it's the sport they understand the least. It's also their team whose valuation is increasing at the greatest pace, and that likely won't change soon.

Pelley also lost me when he said "we expect TFC to compete for a championship every year". I cannot believe nobody in the room asked when exactly that would start because from where I sit, that is not on the horizon anytime soon.

[Raps in 4]

Could be they leave it alone because it's the sport they understand the least.

I'm confident that Ed and Pelley don't understand any sport.

[Raps in 4]

Very telling they didn't force an immediate change on the Raptors.

I think Masai has some room but I also think Rogers is going to demand a big move this summer. They are going to want a winner right away after the purchase.

They didn't "fire" AA either. They just asked him to cede control to a moron, so he "left" on his own. If the expectation is that Masai will have to answer to Pelley, he'll leave on his own too.

[kalel123]

Very telling they didn't force an immediate change on the Raptors.

I think Masai has some room but I also think Rogers is going to demand a big move this summer. They are going to want a winner right away after the purchase.

Not really because you could say Brandon Ingram was the big move. But they will demand results next year come hell or high water. Blaming injuries for the result isn't going to fly any more. Masai Ujiri is a goner if this team isn't in the playoffs at minimum IMO. And rightfully so. Will that make him feel pressured to make further moves in the summer? Maybe. But I don't see that as being specifically demanded.

[Tripod]

I said before that(if kept this year) I think Masai makes a sneaky move few see coming because he has all the reason in the world to do so.

Making a big move shows other teams he can replicate the Kawhi trade.

It also puts massive pressure on MLSE...how do you not bring back the guy who just made a big trade, gets you lots of media attention, gets you back into the playoffs, etc... And of course if those playoffs go well...

And if he makes a big trade and overpay then is let go, he isn't here for the long term fallout.

It's better for MLSE that if you want to keep him, sign him now. If not, let him go now.

[Quattro]

I gotta say, I don't see a whole lot of actual Ed fanboys, but rather people conflating wanting a change away from Masai, with siding with Ed, just because he also seems to want Masai gone.

Ed can kick rocks, but I'd still like a change in leadership.

I don’t think you have to worry about that, a change is definitely coming.

Yeah no doubt, but honestly, I think we need it. Just gotta hope it's not a BC or Babcock type GM.

In what world do you forsee that NOT happening? Go back and read up on how Rogers handled the firing/replacement of Beeston and Anthopolous. Incompetent isn't a strong enough adjective to describe it

Its not a coincidence that all three of these absolutely dead end franchises turned things around when MLSE finally hired a guy who's mandate was to hire the right people and then stay out of their way. Now it seems we're going back to square one.

I certainly won't be joining for the inevitable downhill roller coaster ride when it finally happens.

[SpezNc]

The Raptors

Raptors president/vice-chair Masai Ujiri’s job seems to be safe with a year left on his contract: “Under Masai, they have obviously not only won a championship but they started the rebuild, and I’m optimistic about the season ahead.” Pressed further about the NBA team, Pelley said he wanted to focus on the Leafs.

Is it me or the bold part is very worrying.

1- Looks like Raptors are not important
2- Looks like he knows that Masai’s contract is a hot potato

Or am I overthinking/ overreaching/ overreacting ?


Source:
https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/mitch-marner-raptors-tfc-blue-jays-whats-the-next-move-for-mlse-after-maple-leafs/article_1a1a6c57-c588-48a2-b352-dae0887234b7.html?utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_source=Twitter

[Tha Cynic]

He also mentioned the Raptors are rebuilding so i think he understands some patience is required and probably trusts Masai to take care of it. He doesn't need to focus as much if they already have proven winners in place to run the show.

[Tacoma]

Leweike hired Shanahan, but had already made the decision to give Dave Nonis a 5 year extension as GM. Nonis was basically doing what Shanahan was criticized for, giving out huge long-term contracts to their best players, but their best players were Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul and Dion Phaneuf. He also handed out the disastrous David Clarkson contract. Leweike also made the Leafs give his son in law a scouting job. How did he not have full control of the Leafs?

If you look at what Shanahan actually did, which was 1) convince the Leafs to actually tank, which was something they could never do under Larry Tanenbaum/Richard Peddie, resulted in Auston Matthews. He's already the greatest Leaf ever. He fired Nonis. He hired one of the NHL's best executives in Lou Lamoreillo, who was known as one of the hardest contract negotiators in NHL history. He allowed Nylander to hold out and eventually settle for the only bargain deal out of the core 4. Shanny also had the two protege set up with Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas. Shanny eventually sided with Dubas, who was mostly bad with the Leafs as both a cap manager and visionary.

Really both Masai and Shanny both fell for a version of progression in each sport relying on skill over size. The Raptors fell off with the 'centre is dead' ethos, pushing Siakam into the 5 spot and burning out their legs. The Leafs would get crushed favouring flimsy, high IQ skill players that got pushed to the walls in the playoffs. Marner is like exhibit A of this.

But, I think Leweike's decision to hire Shanahan was a good one, it's easily the most successful era in Leafs history in my lifetime. Even those Sundin/Gilmour teams were never true Cup contenders, they just punched above their weight in the playoffs. Where Leweike failed was just not knowing anything about hockey, and wasted resources by empowering Nonis.

Calling this the most successful Leafs era in your lifetime ignores that the Sundin and Gilmour teams actually won multiple playoff rounds and reached the conference finals with twice the heart of the current squad, something this era has barely sniffed. Dismissing those teams as "punching above their weight" is just revisionist history to make mediocrity feel like progress and is just a weak excuse. Even if those teams punched above their weight, at least they stepped into the ring, swung and landed some damn punches, while this era just trips over the ropes, swings, misses, and then gets KO'd in the first round, and somehow the fans call it growth, while they celebrate like they just won the cup whenever they make it out of the first round, only to get knocked out in embarrassing fashion the round after.

In terms of repeatable success, this core has been better. They are still young. If we were transplanting eras, this team could stay together forever in a non-cap world and would make those runs. Sundin was 30 when he made the conference finals.

It just happens that these Leafs ran out of time in the cap format. Some of that is due to bad vision by Kyle Dubas, and by extension Brendan Shanahan empowering him to make those decisions.

Agree 100% with LegendOfSalmons. I view success as how they play in the playoffs and getting further into the playoffs, and by both measures, this Leafs team has been an utter failure vis-à-vis their supposed talent level.

His mention of the Gilmour and Sundin teams having much more heart and more playoff success is bang on. They weren't as talented but they played with grit and heart to get as far as into the Conference Finals. I'll even go further back into the 1970's when teams led by Sittler & Salming had way more heart and with more playoff success than any of teams led by Matthews.

And while those past teams may not have been true Cup contenders, they still went further in the playoff and consequently were more of a contender than any of Shanahan's teams. Shanahan's firing has been overdue. Next to go is the Jays' Shapiro.

[Lord_Zedd]

Could be they leave it alone because it's the sport they understand the least.

I'm confident that Ed and Pelley don't understand any sport.

The fact that Pelley had to say he's "a big fan of the NBA and NHL", already tells us he has no understanding of either sport.

[Tripod]

The Raptors

Raptors president/vice-chair Masai Ujiri’s job seems to be safe with a year left on his contract: “Under Masai, they have obviously not only won a championship but they started the rebuild, and I’m optimistic about the season ahead.” Pressed further about the NBA team, Pelley said he wanted to focus on the Leafs.

Is it me or the bold part is very worrying.

1- Looks like Raptors are not important
2- Looks like he knows that Masai’s contract is a hot potato

Or am I overthinking/ overreaching/ overreacting ?


Source:
https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/mitch-marner-raptors-tfc-blue-jays-whats-the-next-move-for-mlse-after-maple-leafs/article_1a1a6c57-c588-48a2-b352-dae0887234b7.html?utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_source=Twitter

Could be take as...

Today is about the Leafs and Shanahan, so let's focus on that since that decision has been made.

It makes sense not to talk about Masai today since maybe a decision hasn't been made yet. And he is still under contract for another year. No sense opening that discussion today...just put it off.

The one difference is Masai is actually the decision maker on players. He is the face of the franchise...not only on Toronto but across Canada, the US, and world. He does the trades. He has relationships with other decision makers. And he has actually won. Shanny was none of that.

Ultimately I think ED dislikes him so he will be gone. But it may not be this offseason. Of course it wouldn't shock me if we had one of those "free to talk to other organizations" report come out and be gone.

[Raptorfan2012]

I feel like Rogers and Pelley feel like they know more about the NHL than the NBA. As such, they are okay with Masai running the ship for now. Expectations are lower for the Raptors; I feel an honest playoff run with a first round exit will be fine next season for Masai and the gang.

[carlosey]

Very telling they didn't force an immediate change on the Raptors.

I think Masai has some room but I also think Rogers is going to demand a big move this summer. They are going to want a winner right away after the purchase.

Not really because you could say Brandon Ingram was the big move. But they will demand results next year come hell or high water. Blaming injuries for the result isn't going to fly any more. Masai Ujiri is a goner if this team isn't in the playoffs at minimum IMO. And rightfully so. Will that make him feel pressured to make further moves in the summer? Maybe. But I don't see that as being specifically demanded.

Looking at how they spent on Vladdy, I'm thinking something like targeting a top 5-10 player. I think they want to make the investment look good from day 1 with some noise. Maybe you are right too and they signaled they don't want a rebuild so they had to make a move for BI to start with.

[Scase]

I don’t think you have to worry about that, a change is definitely coming.

Yeah no doubt, but honestly, I think we need it. Just gotta hope it's not a BC or Babcock type GM.

In what world do you forsee that NOT happening? Go back and read up on how Rogers handled the firing/replacement of Beeston and Anthopolous. Incompetent isn't a strong enough adjective to describe it

Its not a coincidence that all three of these absolutely dead end franchises turned things around when MLSE finally hired a guy who's mandate was to hire the right people and then stay out of their way. Now it seems we're going back to square one.

I certainly won't be joining for the inevitable downhill roller coaster ride when it finally happens.

What part of "hope it's not", made you think I don't foresee that? I expect it, I'm hoping it won't lol. We need to change it up, I'm just hoping it won't be someone as bad as BC/Babcock.