Confirmed with Link: Francis out as GM - Don Waddell named GM 5/8/18

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Certainly it's premature to have talked salary with any candidate to this point.

Exactly. Maybe they are just making assumptions based on the fact that the current list of guys on the "list" would be 1st time GMs vs. trying to hire a guy that has already been a GM or a more well known name, although not sure how many of those types are even truly available.

 

[UNCCHcane]

What's absurd is dismissing everything that might paint Dundon in a negative light on the belief that it's because he's "disrupted the old boy's club."

 

[Hulkacaniac]

I get the media making premature warnings about Dundon being hands on but this is just weird. I don't really follow the media enough to know whether this could just be pulled out of their asses. If this was some kind of rumor conspiracy against Dundon wouldn't it instead make sense to say there is a sense people won't like working under his system? On the other hand, it makes no sense why salary would have been discussed (apparently Dundon only just got back from vacation) or why he would be lowballing. He doesn't seem cheap or cash strapped.

 

[Wolfpuck]

They hate us cause they anus.

 

[StormCast]

I get the media making premature warnings about Dundon being hands on but this is just weird. I don't really follow the media enough to know whether this could just be pulled out of their asses. If this was some kind of rumor conspiracy against Dundon wouldn't it instead make sense to say there is a sense people won't like working under his system? On the other hand, it makes no sense why salary would have been discussed (apparently Dundon only just got back from vacation) or why he would be lowballing. He doesn't seem cheap or cash strapped.

It could just be journalists trying to connect the dots, i.e., the only names are AGM's thus he's not interested in overpaying. Then add in some speculation that as a non-hockey guy, he sees two AGM's and two ex-GM's on his payroll and he's thinking...yeah...we got that pretty much covered. And voila a rumor is born. Though your mileage may vary.

 

[CanesFanBudMan]

Everything Dundon's had his hands on has been pretty successful (understatement). I wouldn't worry about him plugging in a figurehead as a GM - successful executives get and stay there by hiring and trusting people that have more expertise than them.

My guess is he is looking for a GM that will buy into his plan of trusting the scouts and other support staff rather than someone who want to put it all on themselves.

He clearly wants to win and until he shows me otherwise I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. He's smart enough to know his own limitations and once he gets his business plan in place he won't be too meddlesome (I think).

 

[bleedgreen]

Well Charles Wang did something similar with the Islanders way back. He wanted a “committee” approach to everything. He hired some big names, and when Wang tried to make it all work his way it quickly fell apart. I don’t remember the names but it was like within a month or two when someone quit. It was a colossal failure as a concept, everyone having input on everyone else and gm was an area that was being encroached. Maybe someone else remembers the details better. Was it Neil Smith? Was Nolan the coach?

Ps..Quick research shows Smith was fired and Lafontaine quit the same day because of it. That’s how Garth Snow became gm. He was playing for the team, then immediately retired to become the GM. It was a clown show.

If it’s like that no one will touch it with a ten foot pole, and with any resemblance to that the hockey media will be all over it like a fat kid on a cupcake.

 

[DaveG]

Well Charles Wang did something similar with the Islanders way back. He wanted a “committee” approach to everything. He hired some big names, and when Wang tried to make it all work his way it quickly fell apart. I don’t remember the names but it was like within a month or two when someone quit. It was a colossal failure as a concept, everyone having input on everyone else and gm was an area that was being encroached. Maybe someone else remembers the details better. Was it Neil Smith? Was Nolan the coach?

If it’s like that no one will touch it with a ten foot pole, and with any resemblance to that the hockey media will be all over it like a fat kid on a cupcake.

Neil Smith, and yes IIRC Nolan was the coach. Good memory.

Crazy enough Lavi didn't last too long under that group either.

 

[Lempo]

They hate us cause they anus.

I checked, it's Latin and means old woman or crone. Is it because we're young and pretty media darlings?

 

[HisIceness]

We all know these "good ole boys club" members would be the first ones to lampoon Francis if he was running one of the Canadian teams for his patience and lack of action at the deadline. Don't take their comments seriously.

Lets be honest here, most of them are probably pissed off for two reasons....

1. The Hurricanes are not relocating to Quebec despite everyone and their cable guy saying they would. So they are already pissed off at Dundon for that, hell some of them are convinced that the team is moving to Houston because "Dundon is from Dallas it makes sense!".

2. They know deep down that the Hurricanes are on the verge of becoming a threat if the right guy gets the job.

 

[StormCast]

Well Charles Wang did something similar with the Islanders way back. He wanted a “committee” approach to everything. He hired some big names, and when Wang tried to make it all work his way it quickly fell apart. I don’t remember the names but it was like within a month or two when someone quit. It was a colossal failure as a concept, everyone having input on everyone else and gm was an area that was being encroached. Maybe someone else remembers the details better. Was it Neil Smith? Was Nolan the coach?

Ps..Quick research shows Smith was fired and Lafontaine quit the same day because of it. That’s how Garth Snow became gm. He was playing for the team, then immediately retired to become the GM. It was a clown show.

If it’s like that no one will touch it with a ten foot pole, and with any resemblance to that the hockey media will be all over it like a fat kid on a cupcake.

Not to draw simplistic parallels with TD but Wang was definitely not a hockey guy, basketball was his sport. He "settled" for the Islanders because no NBA was available at the time he got the itch to own a sports franchise. I can say from first-hand experience that he was a super hands-on, impulsive and meddlesome boss.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Yeah, I'm not sure if indulging delusions is "being honest."

I'd say there's a better chance that the Canadian media/"old boys club" doesn't give a rat's ass about the Hurricanes than there is that there's some mass conspiracy to discredit the team/new owner.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Kypreos and O'Neill aren't even the old boys club, they're the young boys club of Toronto media attention-hos whose job is to be as quotable as possible at all times.

 

[bleedgreen]

Which is why I take it all with a grain of salt. We have no idea how this is really going.

Though if he goes through a lengthy process and comes up with an internal candidate than I think the “process” was a scam and our new gm is a yes man.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

I just quickly assumed Oneills tweet was implying that Dundon had inquired, but couldn't afford Jeff Oneill....as a joke.

 

[bleedgreen]

Well how much longer did Francis have in his contract? I assume they’re still paying him his full salary. Adding a full gm salary on top of that under the old circumstances was highly unlikely. Francis was likely getting paid pretty well.

Might be part of the equation.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Well how much longer did Francis have in his contract? I assume they’re still paying him his full salary. Adding a full gm salary on top of that under the old circumstances was highly unlikely. Francis was likely getting paid pretty well.

Might be part of the equation.

1 more year IIRC.

 

[bleedgreen]

So TD may not want to hire someone for 2-4 million a year while still paying Francis his full salary for another year. It’s basically adding a decent player salary to the bill.

Unless Francis wants out and wants to sign on with someone else?

 

[TheBigKahuna]

So TD may not want to hire someone for 2-4 million a year while still paying Francis his full salary for another year. It’s basically adding a decent player salary to the bill.

Unless Francis wants out and wants to sign on with someone else?

"Hello, Ronnie, it's the Penquins calling"

This summer, he moves to the 'Burgh

 

[Canes]

Dundon just ponied up hundreds of millions of dollars to be the majority of the owner of the Hurricanes, if he can't afford to extra salary going towards management for a year or two, we're in much more trouble than previously thought. I don't think even Eugene Melnyk is that cheap.

"Hello, Ronnie, it's the Penquins calling"

This summer, he moves to the 'Burgh

Francis becomes GM in a few years, and a few years after that Malkin and Crosby retire. The Penguins roster looks so bad even their 2003-2004 roster looks like a dynasty in comparison. Francis', a true JR protege through and through, thoughts? "We like our group."

 

[bleedgreen]

Adding an extra 4 million to the salary structure without taking any out, and it’s not even for a player may happen, but I highly doubt TD wants it. It also has to be on the table that this may factor in how much he wants to spend on the next gm.

This whole TD has unending deep pockets concept is going overboard.

 

[Hulkacaniac]

I'm not saying it's illogical that Dundon would be cheap because he has so much money. My thoughts are more, why did you buy a team in the state the canes are in if you didn't want to spend money?

 

[bleedgreen]

Because they’re cheaper than an expansion team, and poised to improve a bit with barely any money thrown in. Mostly because they’re cheaper than an expansion team.

He wants to do well quickly but there’s no knowing how much money he’s really ready to throw at it.

And paying two gm’s for one to gm may not have been a cost he was expecting early on.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

So he buys the team thinking they're set to improve without much money thrown in.

Team then goes 10-14-2 and looks worse and worse with each passing game.

This is going to be the quickest example of buyer's remorse in NHL history

 

[A Star is Burns]

I buy that perhaps Dundon thinks his new idea of a GM only deserves a certain amount of money. It may not be true, but I see it as realistic. I personally don't buy that he wouldn't pony up because he's paying Francis. I see that as much less realistic. Might be true, but I doubt it.