New GM Discussion Thread

[ItzaGreat]

Why?he can't even do the job he has now ,just another one of bettman's rubber stamps.

Has experience as an NHL administrator.

Has clout, contacts and a good rep within the NHL.

Is respected within this city.

Speaks French.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

Is there any talk of firing Bergevin ? he is the go to guys to Molson, He doesn't have the ball to fire Bergevin.

 

[Lshap]

It has not been tried and rejected cause he is not the puppet type and has not had a big role other than coaching. This is why I would give him the shot at President of the Habs. Put him at the top and right after Molson. Everybody below him has to listen to his vision or you have to face his intensity. I think this is a positive, not a negative

I'm not saying Roy as GM, I'm saying Roy as President and Timmins as his GM. I think this would be a good combo and I think Timmins is underrated. Look at how he handles the media, the guy knows what he is doing.

Would you rather the Habs hire a "proven" type guy like Chiarelli? Other teams spare parts where they had success at one point but are no longer employed? Lets not be fools and think that this is for sure the better option. There are risks to that too.

Roy was VP in Colorado, as well as the coach. His style didn't work back then and he hasn't been hired within the NHL since. There is no logical reason to consider him for the job of Montreal's GM, other than as a marketing move.

And if marketing is prioritized over expertise, cut to the chase and hire Eugenie Bouchard as GM.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Roy was VP in Colorado, as well as the coach. His style didn't work back then and he hasn't been hired within the NHL since. There is no logical reason to consider him for the job of Montreal's GM, other than as a marketing move.

And if marketing is prioritized over expertise, cut to the chase and hire Eugenie Bouchard as GM.

Not considering him to be the GM, I want him as President and in charge of hockey operations and big picture strategy. Not a marketing move at all and I get how you and others would see it.

I'm not buying his bad reputation. I see a winner everywhere he goes. He will do what it takes to win and keep people accountable. Last thing I want is a nice smile/nice person/nice suit type guy

 

[justafan22]

Mark Hunter?

 

[salbutera]

Mark Hunter?

That’s my guy - Habs going forwards biggest need is someone who specializes in amateur player identification & development....

 

[Habs Halifax]

I don't care about Brisebois more than you personally, but the other poster thought they were discussing Patrice.

My mistake then, thought it was Julien

 

[Habs Halifax]

Mark Hunter?

Rather give the job to Timmins on a interim situation to finish the year and then we look bigger picture and get a savy President. Hunter is meh to me and might be another Bergevin.

 

[Vachon23]

He's one of the most logical names given our limited pool. I'm still somewhat skeptic though. They are obviously different individuals but Bergevin and Quintal are very alike in terms of player background... Journeyman D with not a ton of education. Although Chiarelli proved that education doesn't mean much, I was hoping we'd go for someone more cerebral a la BriseBois. I'd be curious to see Joel Bouchard as GM though. Would be interesting. As passionnate as a guy like Roy but with a better feel for the game IMO.

Bouchard as the same background of Bergevin and Quintal though

 

[Vachon23]

No salary cap in the Q. The only advantage would be scouting revenue but you need the picks to draft well.

I would not like Roy as GM but I would like him as President of hockey operations and he hires a day/day guy to do the GM duties. Roy would be big picture strategy planing and hold people accountable.

Money give a big advantage with American player and Euro player. Just look at London in the OHL

 

[Lshap]

Not considering him to be the GM, I want him as President and in charge of hockey operations and big picture strategy. Not a marketing move at all and I get how you and others would see it.

I'm not buying his bad reputation. I see a winner everywhere he goes. He will do what it takes to win and keep people accountable. Last thing I want is a nice smile/nice person/nice suit type guy

In theory, yeah, I see why you'd like Roy as President. The job, after all, is more about marketing than day-to-day hockey decisions, and he'd be media catnip around here. Plus -- again, in theory -- having Roy in that position opens the GM field to anyone. Roy could shoot off his mouth without hurting the on-ice product.

The concern is that Roy is notorious for wanting as much control as possible over the actual team. Will he settle for being a marketing figurehead? Will he work well with the GM? Will he respect boundaries and avoid pissing off his own staff and other GMs? After four years out of the NHL, you get the impression the old boy's club is in no hurry to have him back.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Money give a big advantage with American player and Euro player. Just look at London in the OHL

I think it has more to do with location and culture of a environment where the Euro can succeed. Halifax has a similar advantage. It's deeper than just CHL accomplishments however. That is just one angle to look at.

 

[Habs Halifax]

In theory, yeah, I see why you'd like Roy as President. The job, after all, is more about marketing than day-to-day hockey decisions, and he'd be media catnip around here. Plus -- again, in theory -- having Roy in that position opens the GM field to anyone. Roy could shoot off his mouth without hurting the on-ice product.

The concern is that Roy is notorious for wanting as much control as possible over the actual team. Will he settle for being a marketing figurehead? Will he work well with the GM? Will he respect boundaries and avoid pissing off his own staff and other GMs? After four years out of the NHL, you get the impression the old boy's club is in no hurry to have him back.

I know some are afraid but I'm not afraid to give Roy the President's title. Accountability and big picture planing... yeah, I think he does a great job at that and he can handle the media when he needs to. He also challenges Molson to do the right thing towards hockey operations too.

Good fit IMO but I'm open to other options as well. I just am not a fan of the nice smile/nice guy/nice suit type hire.

 

[waffledave]

I have not previously realized that the purpose of the General Manager was to be entertaining.

In Montreal the GM is the biggest star on the team. It's totally backwards.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Bouchard as the same background of Bergevin and Quintal though

But he has experience of being in an important role and has been more savvy in his life ventures IMO. That being said, there is a strong possibility that this could blow up in our faces and Bouchard is just a snake oil salesman and overhyped.

 

[Sorinth]

I'm not opposed to Roy because our self-imposed limitations makes the pool very shallow. So if it comes down to Roy or someone like Pierre McGuire, who let's not forget was a close contender last time, I'd take Roy.

That said, I don't think Roy's abrasive style and micro-managing tendencies would work long term. With luck we could still possibly win, but I doubt we would be able to build a long term contender with him at the helm.

 

[FF de Mars]

Rather give the job to Timmins on a interim situation to finish the year and then we look bigger picture and get a savy President. Hunter is meh to me and might be another Bergevin.

I wouldn't mind... and I don't even like Timmins. Good idea.

 

[Kimota]

In Montreal the GM is the biggest star on the team. It's totally backwards.

That's because when you're a kid you want to be an NHL or Habs player and the moment you have reached your 20s and that dream is gone, then every guy outthere wish he would be the Habs GM. As a player you can affect little, as a GM you can transform a team. Even my nephew when he was a kid, he wanted to be the Habs' GM. But this speaks more about the Habs' failiure of having found an one-ice star in all these years.

Now as far as the matter at hand, the Bruins fired Chiarelli even if he won a cup with them and he had managed to get a Top UFA in Chara which we never did and he still got fired. The Bruins just will not accept failiure. MB has had a far worse record than him and he is still there.

 

[MonkeyBusiness]

You can't excuse and pardon a GM whose entire regimen has been to unwillingly tank and/or ice a middling team. It's indefensible, every year this incompetent, arrogant blowhard begins the year with a supposedly new and revamped roster in front of key pieces such as Price and Weber and the shit hits the fan. There is no excuse for this type of management. He's changing his philosophy on how to build a team it seems every year but never fully commits to his goals. He promulgates youth and development, yet some of those key young players are having their development stifled by the likes of Cousins and Weal.

There is no coherent vision, either you go for the rebuild and you trade aging players for more picks and prospects and you accumulate the youngsters or you go for it. Stick to a plan, being a middle of the pack team where you're barely squeaking into the playoffs isn't one. Now's the time for a change and to bring in a new face and a GM who will understand how to build this team back up again. We don't need anymore f***ing morons in managerial positions, enough is enough. This organization is rotten to the core.

 

[Kimota]

If you want to do what the Leafs organization did then hire Stephane Quintal as President of Hockey Operations. He's currently Senior VP of Player Safety at NHL offices. Same position Shanahan held before leaving for the Leafs.

That hierachy is not an assurance of success. When your team starts losing, it doesn't matter how many guys there are in management. Although I sure would not mind having a President with hockey knowledge.

 

[Kimota]

Lombardi is a decent option. But I rather have someone who can be the face to our management group and someone with fire in them to take us to higher levels. Lombardi would be a laid back president and likely just listen to Molson so he keeps getting his pay check. I could be completely wrong but I rather think outside the box to our solutions

Give it to Roy. You want to see the feathers move around in the wind... He would keep everyone below him honest and accountable.

Yea I think it would be my favorite role for Roy to play. Not the day-to-day operation of a GM, not a coach either, just this creeping presence over the head of the GM to not screw up and push him to be competitive. It worked with Neely in Boston.

 

[Sorinth]

In theory, yeah, I see why you'd like Roy as President. The job, after all, is more about marketing than day-to-day hockey decisions, and he'd be media catnip around here. Plus -- again, in theory -- having Roy in that position opens the GM field to anyone. Roy could shoot off his mouth without hurting the on-ice product.

The concern is that Roy is notorious for wanting as much control as possible over the actual team. Will he settle for being a marketing figurehead? Will he work well with the GM? Will he respect boundaries and avoid pissing off his own staff and other GMs? After four years out of the NHL, you get the impression the old boy's club is in no hurry to have him back.

For the time out of the NHL I don't think it's a question of the NHL not wanting him back or be willing to give him a chance. It's much more likely that Roy isn't willing to accept an NHL job unless it's on his terms.

So for me the real question is if we gave Roy all that control would he actually be able to create a winner. Personally I have my doubts, but I'd still rather gamble on Roy then stick with Bergevin or gamble on Pierre McGuire.

 

[Kimota]

We missed on Julien BriseBois. Molson is to blame.

He was the boy genius that we had and that we let go. Someone that would have been perfect for us hitting all the boxes.

Now let's get the next one, Martin Madden Jr.

 

[Habs]

I'd take a Roy/Hunter combo.

 

[NobleSix]

Mark Hunter?

I could get behind that, but Molsom absolutely will not. I garauntee it.

He's too much of a coward to go against the grain and risk the backlash from the media. I know it's a tired meme around here, but unless they are fluent in french, they're not getting hired.