Is it time for a coaching change?

[Scomerica]

For Francis to fire Hakstol he has to be okay with being on the hot seat as the next to go. I don’t see that happening unless the Kraken get off to a bad start next season or don’t go at least .400 to finish out the year.
Public outcry could change all that, though.

I think what's worrying is that Montreal stink and kicked their ass last night. Losing against good teams is one thing but bad ones isn't ideal especially with scores like that.

 

[MathiasWall]

From time to time, teams may need a fresh look and new leadership to breathe new life into the game and motivate the players.
However, before making the decision to change coaches, it is important to consider several factors. It is important to evaluate the work of the current coach, his methods, tactics and ability to motivate the team. It's also worth considering what alternatives are available and what benefits they may provide.
In addition, it is necessary to analyze the players and their reaction to the current coach. If players experience discomfort or dissatisfaction under his leadership, this may be a sign that changes are needed.

 

[Fuhrious]

Yeah, Hakstol could be gone after the season.

It seems like he really went after the players during the post game interview.
That's basically the final attempt for a coach to try and get players to do their job.

Only about 2 minutes long if anyone is interested...

 

[Scomerica]

Only about 2 minutes long if anyone is interested...

If the players don't respond after that then I don't see a way back. He's calling them out. I'm glad he's not hiding behind excuses as well

 

[Fuhrious]

Went back and watched the Emerald City Hockey video from after the Coyotes game. He doesn’t paint a particularly positive picture of the players attitudes in the pre-game warmup let alone the locker room after the game. Pretty disheartening to hear honestly.

 

[Scomerica]

First time I've saw the mainstream media ever bring up the possibility. Seattle's sports journalists are usually not one to ever call for someone's job unless its glaring like jimmy lake at UW, so for it to be even questioned is fairly big. I feel like Geoff baker has been a mouthpiece for ownership as well in the past

 

[gstommylee]

First time I've saw the mainstream media ever bring up the possibility. Seattle's sports journalists are usually not one to ever call for someone's job unless its glaring like jimmy lake at UW, so for it to be even questioned is fairly big. I feel like Geoff baker has been a mouthpiece for ownership as well in the past

meh don't care what baker thinks. Most of the fanbase doesn't like the guy. He has a big attitude with how he writes and insist the team must do things or else the teams is gonna be bad bad and more bad. He's a doom and gloom person.

He basically said about the 2022-23 trade deadline that if Seattle aren't big spenders that Francis wouldn't last as a GM. He really doesn't have a clue.

 

[Scomerica]

meh don't care what baker thinks. Most of the fanbase doesn't like the guy. He has a big attitude with how he writes and insist the team must do things or else the teams is gonna be bad bad and more bad. He's a doom and gloom person.

He basically said about the 2022-23 trade deadline that if Seattle aren't big spenders that Francis wouldn't last as a GM. He really doesn't have a clue.

He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with the arena stuff from what I remember. I think most people wanted the arena built next to the stadiums due to access and he was on the offensive about key arena being redeveloped, defending it etc.



Is coaches don't last long in the NHL, how long do GM's usually get? How much grace does a play off spot get you or does it just depend on the organization e.g. Toronto expect deep play off runs every year

 

[gstommylee]

He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with the arena stuff from what I remember. I think most people wanted the arena built next to the stadiums due to access and he was on the offensive about key arena being redeveloped, defending it etc.

He was trying to push out that narrative from a stupid study that said you can only spend under 200m (can't remember the amount) and turn key arena into a NHL/NBA ready. OVG called that price amount ridiculous low. So yea baker really has no idea what he's talking about sometimes.

 

[Scomerica]

He was trying to push out that narrative from a stupid study that said you can only spend under 200m (can't remember the amount) and turn key arena into a NHL/NBA ready. OVG called that price amount ridiculous low. So yea baker really has no idea what he's talking about sometimes.

200 million was probably the cost alone to keep and build under the original roof, probably added so much cost to the project. I hate when people say the arena is one of the oldest around. There's literally nothing left of the original barring the roof.

 

[gstommylee]

200 million was probably the cost alone to keep and build under the original roof, probably added so much cost to the project. I hate when people say the arena is one of the oldest around. There's literally nothing left of the original barring the roof.

When you have OVG who knows how to build arenas criticizes the study. You know its a stupid study. 200m wouldn't have gotten an acceptable building for the NHL/NBA. Only reason why it cost a billion to get CPA done was cause of the roof.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I am not convinced that he is coming back for next season. I have a feeling that Francis is going to make a trade or UFA signing this season and very possible he gets a more experienced coach as well.

 

[Scomerica]

I am not convinced that he is coming back for next season. I have a feeling that Francis is going to make a trade or UFA signing this season and very possible he gets a more experienced coach as well.

I wonder how patient ownership will be. I always felt the Grubauer signing kind of went against the original long term plan. I do think they are kind of still in no mans land right now unless our prospects really pop. Bubble play off team but not bad enough to get a franchise changer.

I also think ownership has one eye on the Sonics. I think it may have an effect on season tickets if the Kraken are mediocre vs the shiny new toy

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I wonder how patient ownership will be. I always felt the Grubauer signing kind of went against the original long term plan. I do think they are kind of still in no mans land right now unless our prospects really pop. Bubble play off team but not bad enough to get a franchise changer.

I also think ownership has one eye on the Sonics. I think it may have an effect on season tickets if the Kraken are mediocre vs the shiny new toy

I think ownership will be a little more patient, but Francis needs to show them that he is serious about making changes to improve the team rather than just waiting for things to happen, such as drafting and the prospects' panning out.

The team is genuinely lacking in talent. I am hoping Wright can continue from where he left off this season. But even then, we have bunch of good to mediocre 2nd line players. Sounds harsh but I feel that is where we are at right now. We have a good quantity of those mediocre players but its quantity over quality.

Beniers: Not a 1C yet. Good-to-Medium 2nd line C.
Eberle: Past his prime. Good 2nd line player.
Schwartz: Injured often. Mediocre 2nd line player.
Bjorkstrand: Good 2nd line player. Low-end 1st line player.
McCann: Good 2nd line player. Low-end 1st line player.
Burakovsky: Too talented to be a 3rd line player. Not good enough as a 2nd line player.
Tolvanen: Good 3rd line player. Decent 2nd line player.
Gourde: Great 3rd line player. Average 2nd line player.

My ranking is obviously subjective but we need more quality than quantity. If Francis thinks he needs to rebuild via drafting, then trade the likes of players he does not see as part of our future. I like Eberle, but I don't think re-signing him was a great idea. I don't mind the contract, or the player, just that it leaves the team as is. He should be trying to move the likes of Eberle, Schwartz, Burakovsky, Gourde. Get picks, prospects and go from there.

I don't know how much changing the coach helps. I am not a big Hakstol fan seeing the product on the ice over the last 3 years. His reliance on how effort, given the talent on the team, is laudable but requires better game preparation and coaching.

 

[gstommylee]

I wonder how patient ownership will be. I always felt the Grubauer signing kind of went against the original long term plan. I do think they are kind of still in no mans land right now unless our prospects really pop. Bubble play off team but not bad enough to get a franchise changer.

I also think ownership has one eye on the Sonics. I think it may have an effect on season tickets if the Kraken are mediocre vs the shiny new toy

you do realize that expansion teams for NBA is way way worse than it was for the NHL. it's going to be quite a long while until sonics 2.0 if it happens starts playing really good.

 

[Cisse]

I haven't been a fan of Hakstol at any point but I can't say that he has done a poor job with the cards he has been given. We are soon starting the fourth season and so far we haven't had one world class star in our franchise.
We need so many things to our team to get better but it is a high time to start actively seeking ways to build this team. If we only rely on the drafts we are screwed. A good franchise need to make wise decisions on drafts, free agency and trades every season for long period of time. Not every draft, trade or free agent will work but at some point you have to start trying to hustle to be better.
In my mind Hakstol has earned a chance to try prove himself with a better team.

 

[Scomerica]

you do realize that expansion teams for NBA is way way worse than it was for the NHL. it's going to be quite a long while until sonics 2.0 if it happens starts playing really good.

Yeah but the NBA is also far more popular than the NHL as well, only dwarfed by the NFL. I wasn't here in the 90's but it sounds like the Sonics were 'THE' team at the time. I doubt they'd ever be as popular as the Seahawks now given the explosion in the NFL but could see them being the 2nd most popular team unless the M's or Kraken get really good.

 

[Irie]

I think ownership will be a little more patient, but Francis needs to show them that he is serious about making changes to improve the team rather than just waiting for things to happen, such as drafting and the prospects' panning out.

The team is genuinely lacking in talent. I am hoping Wright can continue from where he left off this season. But even then, we have bunch of good to mediocre 2nd line players. Sounds harsh but I feel that is where we are at right now. We have a good quantity of those mediocre players but its quantity over quality.

Beniers: Not a 1C yet. Good-to-Medium 2nd line C.
Eberle: Past his prime. Good 2nd line player.
Schwartz: Injured often. Mediocre 2nd line player.
Bjorkstrand: Good 2nd line player. Low-end 1st line player.
McCann: Good 2nd line player. Low-end 1st line player.
Burakovsky: Too talented to be a 3rd line player. Not good enough as a 2nd line player.
Tolvanen: Good 3rd line player. Decent 2nd line player.
Gourde: Great 3rd line player. Average 2nd line player.

My ranking is obviously subjective but we need more quality than quantity. If Francis thinks he needs to rebuild via drafting, then trade the likes of players he does not see as part of our future. I like Eberle, but I don't think re-signing him was a great idea. I don't mind the contract, or the player, just that it leaves the team as is. He should be trying to move the likes of Eberle, Schwartz, Burakovsky, Gourde. Get picks, prospects and go from there.

I don't know how much changing the coach helps. I am not a big Hakstol fan seeing the product on the ice over the last 3 years. His reliance on how effort, given the talent on the team, is laudable but requires better game preparation and coaching.

Fair list.

One thing I think can change here is that an elite top-line center can turn all of Seattle's 2nd line wingers into top line wingers. It is often more about the end chemistry than the sum of the pieces in hockey lines.

That massive hole at 1C is really what is holding this team back.

I haven't been a fan of Hakstol at any point but I can't say that he has done a poor job with the cards he has been given. We are soon starting the fourth season and so far we haven't had one world class star in our franchise.
We need so many things to our team to get better but it is a high time to start actively seeking ways to build this team. If we only rely on the drafts we are screwed. A good franchise need to make wise decisions on drafts, free agency and trades every season for long period of time. Not every draft, trade or free agent will work but at some point you have to start trying to hustle to be better.
In my mind Hakstol has earned a chance to try prove himself with a better team.

Hakstol is fine for the low talent vet teams the Kraken have been icing, as I think he connected with them and got them to over-achieve, but I am not sure I want him ushering in the first wave of draft picks that are coming up. He has shown himself to be a very poor development coach that has not been able to communicate or get much out of the young guys, so I am hoping for a change, sooner rather than later as this roster evolves from old to young.

 

[Dowisetrepla]

I expect Hakstol to be the coach at start of next season, but suspect he’ll have a short leash. Could be one of first to be fired if they stumble out of the gate

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Fair list.

One thing I think can change here is that an elite top-line center can turn all of Seattle's 2nd line wingers into top line wingers. It is often more about the end chemistry than the sum of the pieces in hockey lines.

That massive hole at 1C is really what is holding this team back.

I agree. I feel like Beniers was put in a position where he was overmatched. Putting a 20/21 year old as a 1C on a team that is lacking on talent, was not the best idea. However, the fact that a kid that young played better than the likes of Wennberg and Gourde is promising. With a good support cast, he will get there.

Unfortunately, that process may take time and I really doubt we can grab a 1C from UFA or trade. The alternate to that is getting an elite winger. The likes of Panarin, Kaprizov, etc. Again, easier said than done.

 

[Fuhrious]

About the only way I'd fire Hakstol this offseason would be if the whole Arizona/Utah fiasco somehow made André Tourigny available.

 

[Kat Predator]

Yes.