What with the Boston Bruins facing the Toronto Maple Leafs twice this week, it’s no wonder Leafs head coach Mike Babcock is being asked about our roster.
Mike Babcock was asked this week which players from the Boston Bruins’ line-up he’d most like to have and his response, whilst not wholly surprising, speaks a lot to his somewhat old-school type hockey thinking.
You’d certainly have to imagine the young buck General Manager in Toronto, Kyle Dubas might see this one a little differently. You see, the two players Mike Babcock would most like from the Boston Bruins are Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron.
A tongue-in-cheek Mike Babcock, on what if anything he'd like to take from the Bruins system and adopt into Toronto's way of doing things: "They've been building their program for a long time. Chara has been there. Bergeron has been around there. We'd like to steal those guys."
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) October 19, 2019
It’s understandable to want a top-line center, one that he’s worked with when in control of Team Canada, a player of impeccable character, a face-off man and generally the perfect center-man to be able to roll out in almost all situations.
However, to want a 43 year old defenseman speaks to how Mike Babcock possibly hasn’t gotten with the times. Now, there’s absolutely zero denying that Zdeno Chara in his prime was absolutely one of the best in the league. Even to this day, he’s elite and brings an absolute ton of leadership, character and straight up willingness to risk his body.
It is telling though the Babcock wants him rather than the younger Boston Bruins defensmen; maybe Charlie McAvoy or Brandon Carlo?
While they’re unproven by comparison, both look set to be right up there for many years to come, among the top fifty defensemen in the league, at the absolute minimum. Considering Mike Babcock only has Morgan Rielly signed beyond this year, it’s safe to say he realistically would take an extra body for his blue-line!
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Even more telling is that despite David Pastrnak‘s elite offensive production to start the year, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ bench boss seemingly couldn’t care less about the skill the Boston Bruins winger brings to the table.
You can make the argument that Bergeron or Chara would face less line-up competition with William Nylander and Mitch Marner already is Pastrnak’s spot, but Bergeron would be competing with Auston Matthews and John Tavares, whilst Chara would be fighting with Rielly and Jake Muzzin.
The Boston Bruins’ players that Mike Babcock named should most definitely take this as a compliment; the man has won prizes in his years behind the bench after all.
There’s zero doubt though that neither Bergeron or Chara wold truly consider allowing the Boston Bruins to trade them to Toronto. Both realise how big their role is as leaders in their city right now to ever do something so foolish.
All in all, it’s very telling that we have players in Boston that are the envy of coaches across the league, not least Mike Babcock. I’m sure every General Manager and head coach would love to have a pair that brings as much character and leadership to the room as Berergon and Chara; hence we’re incredibly lucky to have them.
Hopefully the pair of them and the rest of the Boston Bruins’ line-up can turn it up a notch on Tuesday when they come to town and make Babcock really wish he had them instead of his own playing group!