I understand what you're saying. All I know is that a little transparency and self-awareness from the front office would go a long way to garnering the patience and trust of a very irritated fan base.
Although people in sports always thank the fans and say how important they are, that's just marketing BS. In the end the GMs don't have an obligation to the fans, they have one to share holders. If the fans truly mattered, we wouldn't have lockouts.
Fans are nothing more than drug addicts in need of another hit. The dealers, really don't care that much, so long as we're still hooked.
Would you rather Slats and Dolan get out there like Holmgren and Snider and make it obvious they really don't give a s**t?
Well, what's the alternative? Messier? Regier? Sather needs to go pronto (IDK about Gorton), but who's the best available GM out there?
That's what I used to think for years now. In the end, Jim Nill would have been nice. Would have loved to have seen JD come back to run the Rangers, the guy is smart and is hired as the cleaner to fix broken franchises. To that extent Jarmo Kekäläinen, would have been nice to add as well. Would Håkan Andersson make a good GM? Pat Lafontaine is going to do some serious work in Buffalo, he could have done it in NYC. Stevie-Y is making positive changes in Tampa. But all these ships have sailed, so now, who's next?
I'd start by taking close looks at guys tapped by Hockey Canada to build teams that go on to be successful.