Confirmed with Link: Fletcher out as GM (contract not renewed)

[thestonedkoala]

Being part of three Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh and now a resurgent Devils team kind of seems like a positive to me.

I'd put that more on Crosby/Malkin/Fleury than anything. Also the first round pick for the Devils since he got there was:

Pavel Zacha who looks like a bust. Michael McLeod is developing (yay?). Nico Hischier also had 20 goals (and 52 points) in 82 games. Pretty low for a 1st overall pick. In fact, going back ten years and discounting injuries, defensemen and lockouts, Hischier is the lowest goal scoring 1st round pick since Patrick Kane potted 21 back in 2007-2008, but at least he had 51 assists to go with those 21 goals.

Hischier might end up being a good player, but you have to go all the way back to 1998 when Lecavalier scored 13 goals in 82 games for the Lightning for a rookie putting up worse goal total in their 1st season than Hischier. He might end up being like Lecavalier, but still...

I also think this organization needs to get away from Shero line. This is the 1st round draft picks that the Penguins picked since Fitzgerald was the head of their player development:

Angelo Esposito, Simon Depres, Beau Bennett, Joe Morrow, Derrick Pouliot, Olli Maata and Kasperi Kapanen. Not a really good track record there.

The best development they had was Jake Guentzel outside of Maata and Murray. Scott Wilson? Brandon Rust? Tom Kuhnhackl?

 

[TaLoN]

 

[Bazeek]

Still leaning toward Fitzgerald, though I have no good reason to do so. Probably just the Boston accent.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I'd put that more on Crosby/Malkin/Fleury than anything. Also the first round pick for the Devils since he got there was:

Pavel Zacha who looks like a bust. Michael McLeod is developing (yay?). Nico Hischier also had 20 goals (and 52 points) in 82 games. Pretty low for a 1st overall pick. In fact, going back ten years and discounting injuries, defensemen and lockouts, Hischier is the lowest goal scoring 1st round pick since Patrick Kane potted 21 back in 2007-2008, but at least he had 51 assists to go with those 21 goals.

Hischier might end up being a good player, but you have to go all the way back to 1998 when Lecavalier scored 13 goals in 82 games for the Lightning for a rookie putting up worse goal total in their 1st season than Hischier. He might end up being like Lecavalier, but still...

I also think this organization needs to get away from Shero line. This is the 1st round draft picks that the Penguins picked since Fitzgerald was the head of their player development:

Angelo Esposito, Simon Depres, Beau Bennett, Joe Morrow, Derrick Pouliot, Olli Maata and Kasperi Kapanen. Not a really good track record there.

The best development they had was Jake Guentzel outside of Maata and Murray. Scott Wilson? Brandon Rust? Tom Kuhnhackl?

Zacha was before Fitzgerald's hire (but either way, he's only 21! and still in the league so calling him a bust is wrong). Hischier would have been fourth on the Wild in scoring ... that's a good season for a teenager by any standard.

The Director of Player Development is not a scout, not a GM. He works with the guys after they're drafted, helps keep them on track. As assistant GM, he might have done some scouting - maybe a guy like Sheary was one of his finds?

Now, I'm not sure how Fitzgerald's experience in these roles translates to making trades and running an organization but his track record is pretty good.

Just find it funny almost it comes down to two assistants. Fenton has the long track record with an organization very similar to Minnesota's. No Cup, a bit of playoff success, some truly horrific work on contracts, and some extraordinary luck in trading partners. A team of hard-working good players that ultimately were not good enough to win it all.

Fitzgerald has a shorter track record but much more success - thanks to the superstars.

And I understand moving on from Brent Flahr but I am convinced that hiring either of these two guys is a lateral move.

 

[Bazeek]

And I understand moving on from Brent Flahr but I am convinced that hiring either of these two guys is a lateral move.

Can't say I disagree with this. GM's are hard to judge before they've had a few years at the wheel though, so I think the error bars on that prediction are pretty wide when hiring an AGM.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'd put that more on Crosby/Malkin/Fleury than anything. Also the first round pick for the Devils since he got there was:

Pavel Zacha who looks like a bust. Michael McLeod is developing (yay?). Nico Hischier also had 20 goals (and 52 points) in 82 games. Pretty low for a 1st overall pick. In fact, going back ten years and discounting injuries, defensemen and lockouts, Hischier is the lowest goal scoring 1st round pick since Patrick Kane potted 21 back in 2007-2008, but at least he had 51 assists to go with those 21 goals.

Hischier might end up being a good player, but you have to go all the way back to 1998 when Lecavalier scored 13 goals in 82 games for the Lightning for a rookie putting up worse goal total in their 1st season than Hischier. He might end up being like Lecavalier, but still...

I also think this organization needs to get away from Shero line. This is the 1st round draft picks that the Penguins picked since Fitzgerald was the head of their player development:

Angelo Esposito, Simon Depres, Beau Bennett, Joe Morrow, Derrick Pouliot, Olli Maata and Kasperi Kapanen. Not a really good track record there.

The best development they had was Jake Guentzel outside of Maata and Murray. Scott Wilson? Brandon Rust? Tom Kuhnhackl?

Tavares only had 24 and Stamkos only had 23. They turned out alright.

Hischier is going to get better, and have Hall riding shotgun with him for the next 5-7 years. He'll be fine.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Calling Hischier a bad pick is pretty funny.

 

[123TripleDoge]

I vote Fitz cuz it's more outside the box lol

 

[Dickie Dunn]

I honestly expected a faster decision.....meaning that I thought CL would have already had "his guy" in mind. Starting to seem like they felt like moving on from Fletcher before having a real plan in mind vs having the plan and then deciding it was time for CF to go. Maybe Fenton will end up being the choice but I'll be curious to see if Russo shares details of the process at some point.

 

[57special]

I hopoe that Leipold is not limiting the new GM in what he can do by insisting on them competing for a Cup right away. Wild are teetering on a competitive edge that might go either way, but I strongly suspect that if they go on as usual, they will end up with the same old results, namely making the playoffs, but not doing well there. I think the new GM has to reinvest in the future, at the possible cost of some present success. They are in decent shape- have plenty of assets to offer- so it's not like they have to start from the beginning. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but i think the only untouchable(or near untouchable) on the team is Granlund. Kind of funny considering how much criticism I've leveled at him over the years. Smart, skilled, works his ass off, courageous...not a gamebreaker in a traditional sense, but he is a no doubt elite playmaker, who also plays a complete game.

 

[Bazeek]

I hopoe that Leipold is not limiting the new GM in what he can do by insisting on them competing for a Cup right away. Wild are teetering on a competitive edge that might go either way, but I strongly suspect that if they go on as usual, they will end up with the same old results, namely making the playoffs, but not doing well there. I think the new GM has to reinvest in the future, at the possible cost of some present success. They are in decent shape- have plenty of assets to offer- so it's not like they have to start from the beginning. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but i think the only untouchable(or near untouchable) on the team is Granlund. Kind of funny considering how much criticism I've leveled at him over the years. Smart, skilled, works his ass off, courageous...not a gamebreaker in a traditional sense, but he is a no doubt elite playmaker, who also plays a complete game.

I think this offseason has to break one of two ways: reinvesting in/refocusing on the future or doubling-down on the present. I think most of us are in favor of the former, but there does seem to be a real danger of the latter. If we do end up doubling-down I just hope we do it in such a way that it doesn't leave Leipold looking for another crack at it in 2 years.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Zacha was before Fitzgerald's hire (but either way, he's only 21! and still in the league so calling him a bust is wrong). Hischier would have been fourth on the Wild in scoring ... that's a good season for a teenager by any standard.

Maybe 1st round picks have been extraordinary lately (like Matthews and 40 goals), but saying he would have been forth on the Wild in scoring is like saying Haula would have been a top 6 forward for Minnesota.

You're right that Fitzgerald didn't pick Zacha, but that still doesn't mean he hasn't been a massive disappointment for the organization that Fitzgerald is apart of (and apparently is helping develop as Assistant GM).

The Director of Player Development is not a scout, not a GM. He works with the guys after they're drafted, helps keep them on track. As assistant GM, he might have done some scouting - maybe a guy like Sheary was one of his finds?

I know they aren't scouts, but look at Pittsburgh's track record of players, especially the 1st round. Is Shero picking guys that just flat out suck and Fitzgerald can't help them because there is nothing to help? Like there is a lot of red flags in Pittsburgh over their player development. They have missed on so many guys in the 1st round.

Now, I'm not sure how Fitzgerald's experience in these roles translates to making trades and running an organization but his track record is pretty good.

What track record? I'm genuinely curious about what track record Fitzgerald has?

Tavares only had 24 and Stamkos only had 23. They turned out alright.

I didn't know 23 and 24 were less than 20.

Hischier is going to get better, and have Hall riding shotgun with him for the next 5-7 years. He'll be fine.

I think he'll be a good player, especially because of Hall. It's just interesting that he has scored the lowest goals for a 1st round pick since LeCavalier almost 20 years ago. But LeCavalier turned out well.

I vote Fitz cuz it's more outside the box lol

But is it? It's still more along the lines of Fletcher.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I didn't know 23 and 24 were less than 20.

They aren't, but they obviously aren't markedly different either.

 

[SomethingGeneric]

I think high on Fletcher's list of successful dealings was stealing a fifth round pick this year from the Capitals for Tyler Graovac but seriously it is nice to have extra picks this year instead of the usual to few.

 

[Wabit]

I think high on Fletcher's list of successful dealings was stealing a fifth round pick this year from the Capitals for Tyler Graovac but seriously it is nice to have extra picks this year instead of the usual to few.

I wonder if the Caps will QO Graovac this off-season?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I think high on Fletcher's list of successful dealings was stealing a fifth round pick this year from the Capitals for Tyler Graovac but seriously it is nice to have extra picks this year instead of the usual to few.

They have one extra, having traded a 2nd and 4th and acquired two 3rds and that 5th. Every little bit helps in a rebuild for sure. I always hate to see 2nd round picks traded though.

 

[SomethingGeneric]

I wonder if the Caps will QO Graovac this off-season?

A quick look at his stats would show he didn't play much for the Caps and at 25 I'd be skeptical but I don't really know what the Capitals center depth is right now so I wouldn't be shocked. Still impressed that Chuck was able to get a 5th for a 7th rounder turned Nhl depth.

 

[Bluesguru]

I think high on Fletcher's list of successful dealings was stealing a fifth round pick this year from the Capitals for Tyler Graovac but seriously it is nice to have extra picks this year instead of the usual to few.

I thought Fletcher did a good job in Minny. Getting Hanzal was a miscalculation on his part but I liked how he kept trying to improve the team. That expansion draft really hurt the Wild losing Tuch and Haula.

 

[Digitalbooya]

The expansion didn’t hurt Minnesota. Looking back on it, I would’ve been aye okay with it if Scandella was still on the team even now knowing that Tuch and Haula turn into pretty darn good players.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

The expansion didn’t hurt Minnesota. Looking back on it, I would’ve been aye okay with it if Scandella was still on the team even now knowing that Tuch and Haula turn into pretty darn good players.

Um, yes it did.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Um, yes it did.

If you mean it psyched out Fletcher, than yes.

Otherwise we could have just viewed it as simple as losing a player to free agency a couple of years early.

Has to he tough watching Haula AND Tuch succeed with Vegas.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Flahr would be a good pick if the Wild were allowed to build for the long-term.

 

[SomethingGeneric]

Flahr would be a good pick if the Wild were allowed to build for the long-term.

I actually really like Flahr. If he was outside the organization I think he'd be a popular candidate on these boards. I'm guessing he will be moving on shortly though...

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

If you mean it psyched out Fletcher, than yes.

Otherwise we could have just viewed it as simple as losing a player to free agency a couple of years early.

Has to he tough watching Haula AND Tuch succeed with Vegas.

I just mean that no matter what, we were going to lose a useful player off of the roster, which was going to hurt the team.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I just mean that no matter what, we were going to lose a useful player off of the roster, which was going to hurt the team.

Tuch wasn't guaranteed a spot. As people mentioned, Haula probably wasn't going to be signing back to Minnesota. So, while yes losing Tuch hurts, it would have hurt more if we had lost a guy like Zucker AND Haula and kept a guy like Tuch. It didn't hurt Minnesota as badly as it could have.