Welcome to the fishbowl, Lou Lamoriello.
In the flurry of inspired roster and organizational changes, the Toronto Maple Leafs spent the early offseason reshaping their roster and adding staff. Beleaguered star Phil Kessel was sent away, a host of analytics-friendly free agents like Mark Arcobello, Martin Marincin, Pierre Parenteau and others were brought in. The Leafs reorganized their off-ice personnel as well, notably adding head European scout Ari Vuori and goalie coach Steve Briere.
But no general manager.
That was until July 23, when the Leafs took vacationing reporters by surprise, hiring Lamoriello as the team’s new general manager.
Hockey Twitter immediately seized the opportunity to descend into the bowels of hot takes and rash early judgements. Some of hockey’s most respected voices couldn’t help but marvel at the news:
Lou Lamoriello is the #leafs new GM. Wow.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 23, 2015
GOOD GAWD, that's….no…NO….THAT'S LOU LAMORIELLO'S MUSIC!
— Matt Larkin (@THNMattLarkin) July 23, 2015
Leafs name Lou Lamoriello GM. Stunning, stunning news.
— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) July 23, 2015
#Leafs shock the hockey world, hire Lou Lamoriello as GM: http://t.co/02kG6IQZQA
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) July 23, 2015
The blogosphere erupted with similar voracity.
LOU LAMORIELLO ONE OF THE BEST GENERAL MANAGERS IN NHL HISTORY! YOU ARE KIDDING ME!
— Never Stop Beleafing (@neverstopbeleaf) July 23, 2015
Lou Lamoriello is no longer the president of the Devils.
ALSO HE’S THE GM OF THE LEAFS NOW.
w h a t
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) July 23, 2015
lou lamoriello just gave me whiplash
— StanleyCup ofChowder (@cupofchowdah) July 23, 2015
While the hockey world tried to wrap its mind around the stunning news in the moments after the announcement, cooler heads are already prevailing. Here, let’s take a sober look at who Lou Lamoriello has been and who he is now as the 16th general manager in Toronto Maple Leafs history.
Accomplishments, Mentorship and a Challenge
The #Leafs have named Lou Lamoriello the 16th General Manager in Club history #TMLtalk
READ → http://t.co/gabNyzLRwI pic.twitter.com/huVOhgEYJl
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 23, 2015
Lou Lamoriello is 72 years old and that doesn’t matter one whit. Get it out of the way and let it go. Lamoriello spent 28 years in New Jersey as president and general manager, stepping away on May 4th as Ray Shero took over the GM reins. No general manager has ever served that long for one team in the history of the NHL. Lamoriello’s track record is sterling:
three Stanley Cups – 1995, 2000, 2003
playoffs berths in 21 of Lamoriello’s 28 years
.578 points percentage since 1987, the second-best mark over that stretch
13 seasons with more than 100 points (Leafs have enjoyed three such seasons, ever)
*stats drawn from NHL.com and Sportsnet Stats
But Lamoriello was hardly planning to step down and glide into the Hall of Fame riding his enormous collection of NHL successes. Instead, as Ken Daneyko (current colour commentary man for the Devils) said:
I’m definitely not shocked [about Lou heading to Toronto]. Lou, with his personality, if the opportunity came, he wasn’t done. He obviously didn’t have a lot of input [with the Devils anymore] and that’s just not Lou. So for me to say shocked? No.
At Lamoriello’s first press conference, the new GM confirmed this desire to continue looking to make an impact in the NHL.
Lou: It was not an easy decision. But anything easy isn’t worth it. This is a challenge.
— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) July 23, 2015
While staying in New Jersey, or simply retiring, would have been the easy call, Lou wants the challenge that Toronto provides. On a three-year contract to lead the Leafs, Lamiorello indicated that it’s up to assistant GM Kyle Dubas to learn all of the GM duties now and to prepare to inherit the throne.
Lamoriello gives Dubas big vote of confidence. Watch on SN Ontario, SN 360, or Sportsnet.ca: http://t.co/TBn2lX2scD http://t.co/N0k57oge8I
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 23, 2015
Lamiorello combines two key traits that make this hiring a big success for the Leafs now. He possesses the passion and drive needed to take on the challenge in Toronto. And, perhaps even more importantly, Lamoriello seems to have already embraced his role in holding the position until Kyle Dubas, budding GM-in-waiting, is set to take over control of the Leafs.
Changing the Culture
Kyle Dubas discusses prospect development philosophy http://t.co/2lLpvvQxsj pic.twitter.com/qZDIDzXzen
— Hockey (@HockeyRealTime) July 24, 2015
In the age of widespread analytics, the Leafs made a huge splash last summer by creating and advanced stats department. Assistant GM Kyle Dubas is a noted disciple of modern stats and the Leafs’ transactions have reflected the new approach. The team has spent the past year or so acquiring draft picks, trading down at the draft to accumulate more picks, and signing the likes of David Booth, Daniel Winnik, P.A. Parenteau, Mark Arcobello, and Daniel Winnik again due to underappreciated statistical qualities.
This modern stats environment is exactly where Lou Lamoriello’s influence could be most important of all.
Lamoriello says key is for players to give up their personal identities for the logo on the front. #Leafs
— Mike Zeisberger (@Zeisberger) July 23, 2015
His focus on the culture, accountability, and respect displayed by his players is a piece that was missing in this management team before his hire.
In fact, last season the Leafs’ locker room decorum was almost perpetually under fire. The team’s leadership group was accused of allowing or even creating a “divided room” and a “country club feel” that hampered their performance. Distractions like Salute-Gate created a rift between fans and the team.
And while the Leafs had already remedied their player analysis systems, advanced stats don’t measure intangibles like chemistry, leadership, and accountability. With Shanahan and Babcock resolute in their belief that the Leafs can’t improve until they change the way the team behaves, Lamoriello immense talent for managing players is a boon to the Leafs organization.
Former players speak to new Leafs GM Lamoriello’s attention to details http://t.co/ruu6bEvJsf via @torontostar
— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) July 24, 2015
In Kevin McGran’s piece on Lamoriello’s hiring, former Devils’ goalie Kevin Weekes is quoted as saying:
[Lamoriello] has an unquenchable thirst to want to be great. And he’s all about detail, about how you carry yourself, how you conduct yourself, how you present yourself on a daily basis, how you represent the franchise. Have your hair cut, be decent, put on a proper suit, look, feel, sound like and be a professional.
This is likely music to the ears. For a team that has sought to change its core, Shanahan identified the missing management piece. With analytics well-covered, Lamoriello will offer the structure needed for the Leafs to grow a winning culture from the locker room out.
Since Shanahan assumed controlled of this team last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs organization has undergone extreme change. Management personnel have been almost entirely dismissed. The roster has been completely overhauled. The Leafs have changed their drafting philosophy. Analytics have been elevated from irrelevant to supreme. But Shanahan searched long before filling the GM post vacated when Dave Nonis was dismissed. By hiring Lou Lamoriello away from New Jersey, Shanahan has installed a man who can power the cultural change needed at the player level.
Make no mistake – this is a challenge that Lou Lamoriello is ready to tackle.
What do you think, Leafs fans? Now that the Lamoriello hiring shock has passed, what do you think of the new boss in Toronto?