How Many Games Will Ron Wilson Last In 2011-2012?

by PPP on Oct 6, 2011 11:15 AM EDT in Question of the Day

In case you missed it, Michael Langlois of Vintage Leafs Memories, Darren Yourk, and James Mirtle and I put together a podcast previewing the upcoming Leafs' season. Aside from being hilariously out of date a mere 20 minutes after taping it (thanks David Steckel), one topic that was touched on was how long Ron Wilson would last this season.

Some people have been on the bandwagon to see him canned for a lot longer than others but there's no doubt that there is a substantial group of fans that want to see the irascible Wilson move on. He's in the last year of his contract and Brian Burke's loyalty has to be wearing thin. Some fans already have him in their crosshairs:

Oh, you thought that it had to be a player? Nope. Ron Wilson's tenure as the Leafs' coach has seen almost non-stop roster turnover. It is a truism that you cannot make chicken salad out of chicken shit and Wilson's tenure has certainly seen a hearty helping of the latter don the blue and white. However, after three seasons of watching his special teams flail about his excuses have run out. He no longer has Jean-Sebastien Giguere or Vesa Toskala in net, he has a group of forwards with the necessary penalty killing pedigree, and he has a new coaching staff. The team's failures saw Tim Hunter and the ever-present (somehow) Keith Acton lose their jobs while Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon were brought in to revive a moribund penalty kill. He is entering the final year of his contract and GM Brian Burke is eager to make the playoffs. The only problem with this pick is that if he earns the role then we'll have to pick a new goat before Christmas

Poll

How many games will Ron Wilson last in 2011-2012?

Less than 20

42 votes

20-34

51 votes

35-49

31 votes

50-64

12 votes

65-81

5 votes

All 82!

237 votes

378 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

If he is fired, I see it happening at the end of the season. That just seems to be Burke’s style, or something.

Pumps out more male with one thrust of the pelvis than the United States postal service over the last 146 years.

by Blinky on Oct 6, 2011 11:19 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed...

Other than the performance the Devils turned in last year, it usually doesn’t turn out favourably. That being said, if it goes in the tank…it won’t matter anyway and they may make a change.

These aren't the droids you're looking for.....

by TheNadger on Oct 6, 2011 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Full season. Leafs play just well enough to keep him around for the full year. Leafs nearly make the playoffs, Ron Wilson extended for 2 years over the summer.

"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski

by MapleLeafMole on Oct 6, 2011 11:24 AM EDT reply actions

Ron Wilson extended for 2 years over the summer.

I think that unless the Leafs make it to the 2nd round of the Playoffs, Wilson is gone and Scott Gordon takes his place.

The First Certified Grabbo Lover

by SkinnyFish on Oct 6, 2011 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

At least there won't be a long hunt for a coach.

I dunno about 2nd round, I could see Burke making a case to keep Wilson if we finally make playoffs.

Odds don’t look good though.

Chicken Little is dead. Long Live Positive Pete.
Lebda-free since July 3.

by nhlcheapshot on Oct 6, 2011 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions

any chance Dallas Eakins gets a promotion int he summer if Ronnie gets canned?

There is no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E"

by Matt_Roberts on Oct 6, 2011 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

It was a random guesstimation

"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski

by MapleLeafMole on Oct 6, 2011 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Full season. Just feel they have to be utterly awful for them to dump Wilson. All comments coming from the Leafs is that the team is behind him, so they pretty much have to be worse than the Senators. Not going to happen.

by Learn2Leaf on Oct 6, 2011 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

All of them.

[insert witty remark about being on twitter here]

by Tickle Me Aulie on Oct 6, 2011 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

interesting bi-modal distribution in this poll

Move along. Nothing to see here...

by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Oct 6, 2011 11:41 AM EDT reply actions

Special Teams

I have always been of the opinion that an effective powerplay relies just as much on having the necessary skilled players as it does the coaching. One can argue that Wilson does not have the players to make an effective powerplay.
But I believe you can teach any idiot with a hockey stick to kill a penalty….it’s a bonus if they have SOME hockey sense.

The fact that Burke fired Hunter and Acton makes me believe that Burke has similar views on the special teams…so I am very interested to see if this coaching shake-up changes anything.

by Matt97 on Oct 6, 2011 12:31 PM EDT reply actions