Leafs' Lupul on Babcock: 'We’re better off today than we were three days ago'

At least one player is fully on board with the Toronto Maple Leafs recent changes.

Joffrey Lupul believes the hiring of Mike Babcock as the Maple Leafs new head coach provided an instantaneous change.

"For me, this is a good thing," Lupul told Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. "Put it this way, we’re better off today than we were three days ago."

Lupul has experience playing under Babcock, as both were employed by the Anaheim Ducks in 2003-04. In his first year as a pro, Lupul's impression of Babcock was that he was going to push himself and his players to succeed.

"One thing I learned quickly, he was a really hard worker, really prepared guy," Lupul said. "The one thing that’s stuck with me is how he was the first guy there every day and the last guy to leave. And it was like that every day. He took a certain pride that nobody was ever going to outwork him or us."

It's a coaching style Babcock will no doubt bring with him to Toronto, but there's no guarantee Lupul - who freely admits he's not sure he'll be a Maple Leaf once training camp begins - will get to play for him again.

Whoever's on the roster come September better be ready to work.