Leafs hold players-only meeting!

This is not how the Toronto Maple Leafs imagine the first stretch of the 2019-20 season going with the talented lineup they have… The team dropped their fifth straight game to fall to 3-5-2 in their past 10 games and that isn’t even close to meeting expectations… 

Some fans have called out general manager Kyle Dubas for making the wrong personnel moves in the offseason. Tyson Barrie has not fit in well and, in turn, the Leafs miss Nazem’s Kadri’s grit and determination. Other additions like Cody Ceci and Jason Spezza have been underwhelming, while superstars like captain John Tavares and $65 million man Mitch Marner have been injured or inconsistent.

Other fans want head coach Mike Babock out. 

And it feels like the Maple Leafs’ dressing room might be starting to feel the same. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the Leafs' leadership group held a players only meeting, without their bench boss, to discuss what needs to happen and their plan of action to get back on track. 

Here is what veteran defenseman Jake Muzzin had to say about the meeting, per Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. 

“It was an open discussion with the players to get a clear view on what needs to happen … Winning solves everything and you don’t have to have those meetings.”

The players aren’t saying a change of head coach is what is needed in Toronto, but their actions certainly point the other way…

Babcock, who is in year five of an eight year contract worth $50 million, has come under fire for his strategies this season, specifically when it comes to the playing time of his superstar players. Too often, fans contend, Babcock elects to sit game breakers like Auston Matthews and William Nylander in favour of fourth line grinders or defensive specialists. He’s an old school coach in a new school league, as they say. Because of his inability to adapt, these fans are calling for Babcock’s job in Toronto.

Let’s see if the Leafs’ players have found the right solutions and if they will realize they might not need Babcock to be successful…