Give GMJR a Grade (cumulative)

[Harvey Birdman]

EDIT: For clarification this is about JR over his entire time as GM, since the day he walked in the door till today.

What is your honest opinion of what he has done? After his first whole season, and even leading up into last season the fan base was pretty torn on the man.

What is your honest opinion of what he has done as a GM now two seasons in?

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I give him a B+. So far this off season he has earned himself back into my good graces, he has actually gotten us to where we are not bare in draft picks and done basically everything he can to infuse our farm team with some talent while also adding a top line talent and reforming our bottom six. Our defense is highly questionable but after almost an entire decade of questionable forward groups I think the fan base is welcoming a solid forward group an willing to roll the dice on defense.

If he doesn't go into this seasons deadline and do another Despres type of horrible trade, and finds someone to help solidify the backend while not depleting our draft cupboard how Shero did I will love what JR has done with this team over the past two years (Despres trade excluded, but even he has admitted fault for that so what's the point in beating that dead horse).

He has had me raising my eyebrow here and there since coming to Pittsburgh, but overall I give him a B+ overall over his 2 years here.

Your thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[ColePens]

A-. Get rid of Scuds and A+. He's focused on youth, draft picks, and building. He moved pending UFAs for assets. He actually did every single thing we wanted and pleaded Shero to do.

Ultimately it comes down to how coach MJ works. If he's going to favor guys like Kunitz and not utilizing guys in the right situation, then it won't matter.


edit: If this is a sum of both seasons, then my grade lowers. The entire organization treated last season as a tournament. Definitely not good.

 

[plaidchuck]

Can't grade until I see what perron, plotnikhov or bonino do. I really have liked that he lets people walk instead of overpaying to keep guys like comeau or martin.

Also depends on how he handles the coaching staff if the pp and offense underachieves again.

 

[Pete Gas]

According to NHL home ice, Jim Boomer Gordon gave him a D. Freakin ridiculous

 

[ColePens]

Explain what the **** else he's supposed to do. He gets a big time player for 6.8M. All other guys are signing for 7.5+M. The team got younger. We got draft picks back. We got better offensively. We moved pending UFAs for assets.

What the ****?

 

[WayneSid9987]

For a team that needs to win now. This summer has been straight A's.
Would give him an A+ if he was able to trade Scuds with his limited NTC.

This guy could've easily seen Sutter as a integral piece and locked him up. Same sort of deal with Martin and Erhoff. Same sort of deal with locking up FA's last summer to over 1yr deals.

Patience was needed and this summer has been the pay off for that patience.

Kessel was really great timing but he was on that like a dog on a bone and didn't pay through the teeth for it(no Maata or Pouliot). Fantastic job.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

I give him an A, and that's coming from someone who gave him an F for his Neal, Winnik, and Despres deals.

 

[Pete Gas]

Explain what the **** else he's supposed to do. He gets a big time player for 6.8M. All other guys are signing for 7.5+M. The team got younger. We got draft picks back. We got better offensively. We moved pending UFAs for assets.

What the ****?

Yea blew me away. I usually agree with Boomer but something along the lines of giving up too much draft picks in order to get better now, he hated they traded Sutter and for whatever reason wasn't a fan of the Kessel trade. I had to sit there and wonder as I was listening if he somehow got paid off to give them a bad grade.

 

[ColePens]

Not liking the Sutter trade is grounds for a journalist being fired. He's a pending UFA who wasnt going to re-sign here. What are the Pens supposed to do? Honestly, they did the only thing good teams CAN do - move them for assets. That REALLY doesn't make sense.

 

[wheelz87]

A+. What he has done is simply amazing. Brought in a top 5 winger who is on a sweetheart contract. Brought in Perron, who is well worth more than a first round pick despite what some may say. I've never seen Plotnikov play, but I hear good things and what really is the worst case scenario here? The Sutter trade was fantastic. No way I'm signing him at 5 years 4.4 mil as he is rumored to get. Fehr signing was solid, brings some desperately needed size. We got a Sutter replacement at half of his cost, for additional years, and is probably a better fit for the team. (Am I talking about Fehr or Bonino.. it doesn't matter all of the above applies) Our offense in Rutherford's one plus year is better than anything Shero ever constructed. It's both awesome and depressing at the same time. Getting rid of Kunitz would really be a nice cherry on top. Getting rid of Scuds.. statue time. I'm legitimately excited for our Pens this year. I've got a great feeling about this season.

 

[DoktorZaius]

Allowing the Despres trade (even though I'm sure he wasn't in favor of it) means he can't get an A+. That's more of a commentary on how we need to blow up our AGM's, but still. Everything else, minus the Winnik deal, has been really really nice.

 

[Harvey Birdman]

And as a poster acknowledged, I'm not only asking to grade him over just this off season... But how you grade and view him since the first day he walked into the Pittsburgh offices.

 

[Pete Gas]

Not liking the Sutter trade is grounds for a journalist being fired. He's a pending UFA who wasnt going to re-sign here. What are the Pens supposed to do? Honestly, they did the only thing good teams CAN do - move them for assets. That REALLY doesn't make sense.

Yea I guess he's not a fan of JR from what he was saying. What he did in Carolina and what he's doing in Pitt are two different things and he did get Carolina a cup. The funny thing was If I remember correctly he gave Hextall and the Flyers a B. Sorry to go off topic but that shows you how crazy his grading is.

 

[wheelz87]

And as a poster acknowledged, I'm not only asking to grade him over just this off season... But how you grade and view him since the first day he walked into the Pittsburgh offices.

Maybe I should read the OP, I just saw the title.

This off-season, my grade remains an A+. Overall I still think he's around an A, maybe A-. I liked most of his 1 year acquisitions his first year. Comeau worked out very well, Downie was a nice addition. Greiss was decent as a backup. Goc was eh. I think he could have gotten more for Neal. I say that knowing full well we acquired a huge need.. but Neals don't grow on trees. And Neal is on a great contract. The Despres trade.. I mean I just hate to fault him for it. I know it wasn't his idea and I know he signed off on it.. I just want to rid myself of that trade and just pretend it never happened. And with what he has done this off-season, it's becoming a bit easier.

 

[eXile59]

I have not been his biggest fan but he addressed a lot of problem areas in a short amount of time.

I give him a B. Only because he didn't address the holes in defense which could have been helped out by buying Scuderi out.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

This off season A- to A, the Kessel and Sutter trades are great. Overall a B to B+ because the Despres trade is ****ing awful and will look worse in the future, and certain someones are still here.

On forwards he gets an A+ because he's actually bothered to address the top 6 wingers and he did it well, and the bottom 6 is shaping up. If he'd get another top 6 winger, coughBoedkercough then it would be A++. On the defensive it's a B- because Scuderi is still there, Despres is gone and they're low on top 4 D, but Bortuzzo for Cole is good. Goaltending is looking like an A on Fleury but the backup is most likely going to be Zatkoff which I'm not excited for so it's a B. I do like the youth movement on D but the vets they have are largely a problem that could end up hurting the young ones.

If he'd get rid of Kunitz, Scuderi or even Dupuis then it would be higher overall.

 

[Wes C Addle]

I give him a....10!

 

[WayneSid9987]

Since he came here, i'd give him a B+ to A-.

This summer: Straight A's.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

This summer I give him an A rating.

Get rid of Scuds and he doesn't just go to A+ he goes to S+

He did everything he could. He even tried to get rid of Scuds over retaining salary which I would have prepared. Stupid NTC

Seriously Shero gave them out like candy.

 

[Sam Spade]

Despres and Johnston (don't think he is ready for prime time but all their other choices said no) are pretty big marks against as far as I'm concerned.

Everything else has been ok (Perron) to really good (Kessel).

 

[BHD]

Boomer's grades were based on this past season + offseason. He basically lumped Shero's habits (trading picks/prospects) with Rutherford and gave him a D.

 

[drpepper]

C+

Rutherford's had a good off-season this year, but he made a number of mis-steps last year that have major repercussions this year. He also got extremely lucky in picking up some extra picks from non-player signings. Depending on how some players work out (Fehr, Bonino, Clendening), his grade could go up.

 

[Gallatin]

Without the Depres trade he's a solid A bordering on A+. Can't give him more than a B+ now, on a roll for sure though recently.

 

[Darth Vitale]

All things considered, good and bad, I give him a B.

 

[HugoStiglitz]

I give him an A without question. I don't factor moving Scuderi into the equation because it seems to be an insurmountable feet for which he was not responsible.

I think I'm also more confident the defense than most. IMO when I look at how the wounded defense handled themselves against the Rangers in the playoffs, I can only imagine if they had Letang and Maatta to help generate some offense from the back-end.

I'm still holding out hope that he finds a way to rid themselves of Scuderi.