- Dec 10, 2012
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Chuck Fletcher done as GM of Minnesota Wild.
- Thread starter CorgisPer60
- Start date
Pyrophorus
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Pyrophorus
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I'd be interested in seeing what kind of moves he'd make as GM for an expansion team. He hasn't always gotten the best value out of his assets via trade, but at the same time he was pretty good at turning a non competitive team into a perennial playoff team. Wonder what he could do starting from scratch.
GMCF was no trade-master, who left his rivals wondering, "why did I do that." He was generous, and overpaid often.
He was good at getting free agents, and apart from legendary deals like Dubnyk and Niederrieter, he was a crap trader.
All the Wild have to build on has more to do with a scouting department bereft of picks. Those guys , plus the Nashville dude if they get him, I like the chance to rebuild transitionally.
He was good at getting free agents, and apart from legendary deals like Dubnyk and Niederrieter, he was a crap trader.
All the Wild have to build on has more to do with a scouting department bereft of picks. Those guys , plus the Nashville dude if they get him, I like the chance to rebuild transitionally.
i have a strong feeling the early trades were pressured by the owner so i really don't hold them against him as much as most people. I do think that's what would make him an interesting pick for Seattle too--Took a nothing in the cupboard, nothing much on the roster team and turned them into perennial playoff team. Vegas is going to make it tough on the next expansion GM with the insane success they had--it'll be unfair to stack up what the next guy is going to do against that. For one, all the GMs will have already been through it and know a little better what to expect and what might happen, and who they can maybe make trades with.
But assuming reasonable expectations (building a team with NHL castoffs, getting as much futures as possible) and a mulit-year plan to get to the playoffs i think Chuck would be an excellent bet.
SomeDude
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Yes and they were there for that entire time as well
I can also feel your hate...
Hate? I have no hate towards the Leafs. It's hard to generate hate for a team that you do no see as a threat to your favorite team's Cup chances. In the next few seasons, that could change. They seem to be on the right path now, but to act like they're some model franchise that only employees the best and brightest people in the front office, when they've been largely irrelevant since there were only 6 teams, is laughable.
Dr Jan Itor
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it just makes so much sense.
again, he'll likely come off looking worse for the inevitable comparisons with the Knights' first season but overall I think he'd do a great job in that situation.
613Leafer
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New GM should leave Boudreau in place. They need to give the roster an overhaul, which likely means a few years out of the playoffs. Don't need to find the long-term coaching solution immediately, Boudreau is definitely a good option (i.e. he's no dumpster fire, even if you think you could find a better option), and it gives the GM someone to fire in a few years if the fanbase is getting impatient.
Fletcher has been a solid GM and I'm a bit indifferent on his firing. Still two things stick in my my crawl and both concern goalies. The inexplicable 3 year contract he gave Niklas Backstrom after a terrible season and the 6 year contract to Dubnyk with a no-trade clause. You don't ever give a goalie that type a contract based on a 1/2 season performance. It's clear he'll never be more than average and has been nothing but mediocre in the playoffs. With that said 6 straight playoff appearances while being in the toughest division is pretty impressive.
Dr Jan Itor
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The years for Dubnyk was to get the AAV under $5 million, same with the no-trade.
- Dec 10, 2012
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Which, if I'm putting 2 and 2 together correctly, was only really necessary because of his tendency to overpay certain players.
Dr Jan Itor
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Vanek was making 6.5M, Pominville was making 5.6M, Parise and Suter were making 7.5M, Koivu was making 6.5M
I guess it wasn't so much that players were overpaid, but we had a lot of money locked up in only a few players.
About 8 years too late, but better late than never. You can see early on that Fletcher didn't have a strong ability to identify talent. He could spend money, but that doesn't build Cup winners. Wild fans didn't want to hear it, but what I warned about way back then came true. Years of mediocrity was the best we could expect from Fletcher. And now we've burned most of a decade and are in an even tougher position to contend for the Cup anytime soon. Wild fans deserve better.
But I think what's most troubling is the owner further cementing himself as the largest problem for this franchise. He refuses to accept building a contender slowly - with the probable losing associated with that process - so he handcuffs whoever is managing the team. He's like a crazed fan that doesn't understand that you can't just go out and buy or easily trade your way to a Cup. I don't trust him at all. He's already stomping on the duties of the next GM by saying he will only accept a tinkering. As long as Leipold owns this team, I don't have much hope for anything beyond ugly, mediocre hockey and an overpriced fan experience at the arena. Wild fans deserve a better owner.
But I think what's most troubling is the owner further cementing himself as the largest problem for this franchise. He refuses to accept building a contender slowly - with the probable losing associated with that process - so he handcuffs whoever is managing the team. He's like a crazed fan that doesn't understand that you can't just go out and buy or easily trade your way to a Cup. I don't trust him at all. He's already stomping on the duties of the next GM by saying he will only accept a tinkering. As long as Leipold owns this team, I don't have much hope for anything beyond ugly, mediocre hockey and an overpriced fan experience at the arena. Wild fans deserve a better owner.
BagHead
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I did a bit of research on this topic a while back and posted it up somewhere. I don't remember exactly what I found, but I do remember someone saying something like this at the time, and what I found was that the fastest rebuild (Blackhawks or Penguins, can't remember which) was about 6 years. It's more like 7 years minimum, and potentially much longer than 15 years max. If it reaches that point, you've likely got a terrible culture of losing and have destroyed multiple prospects development. About half the teams that fit the criteria (drafting in the top 10 for consecutive seasons) for tanking had actually successfully done it, and the rest were still bad years later with no end in sight. Some of that may be on team management/ownership, but it does seem to show that tanking can work, but it's risky and not quickly finished.
IceBoxHockey
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So do you think an owner playing GM is positive and deserving of praise? Seriously, what's there to get too excited about today if winning a Cup is the goal?
Either way, I can take much solace from the fact that I was right all along in the past ~8 years, and the haters were on the wrong track. It's too much for them to admit obviously.
