2015-16 San Antonio Rampage (AHL) and Ft Wayne Komets (ECHL) Part II

[chet1926]

Dean is GONE

All I can say is about damn time. He's been awful since day 1. Hopefully this is just the start and the Avs will start laying off their assistants as well.

 

[The Merchant]

The good news keeps on rollin! Good job, Eurolanche.

 

[Freudian]

Hopefully they'll get someone down there that's focused on development more than anything.

 

[chet1926]

Hopefully they'll get someone down there that's focused on development more than anything.

Exactly I could care less about scoreboard results, I just want to see our AHL guys getting developed to be NHL caliber players. Our minor league system has been absolute trash. I can't recall an AHLer that has come in the past 4 seasons and helped the big club.

Rantanen doesn't count because they only put him in the AHL to avoid expansion draft issues and contract issues.

 

[henchman21]

I think Dean only got a chance this past year for two main reasons. The Avs struck out on some coaches and they were giving Dean a chance with a bit better young talent. It didn't work out, so now Roy and Sakic can really get their guy in there. I hope for Brad Ralph, but I don't see any connections that lead me to think he will get the job.

 

[RockLobster]

Rantanen doesn't count because they only put him in the AHL to avoid expansion draft issues and contract issues.

That's not exactly true. He wasn't quite ready for the NHL this season (and neither was Zadorov).

 

[cgf]

Dean is GONE

This is news that actually deserves this gif:

 

[BoxOfChocolates]

Hopefully Army, Farrish and the pro scout responsible for Bodnarchuk are next

 

[Coach Nate]

Chynoweth Relieved of Coaching Duties

 

[chet1926]

That's not exactly true. He wasn't quite ready for the NHL this season (and neither was Zadorov).

Disagree Rantanen was too good for the AHL, it was even admitted by the Sakic it was all about expansion drafts and contract situations. He would have been playing on the Avs all season had it not been for those issues. Especially with how thin we were on the wings. It was purely a decision based on asset management not the players skill level.

Agree with Zadorov, he needed the AHL time his play is just too erratic for the NHL at this point. He still needs to work on consistency.

 

[Alex Jones]

Oh thank God.

 

[henchman21]

I don't think Rantanen was NHL ready at the beginning of the season and I don't think Sakic meant he was ready from day 1. Now when January rolled around... yeah Rantanen was probably ready and that is when the contract part played in.

 

[RockLobster]

Disagree Rantanen was too good for the AHL, it was even admitted by the Sakic it was all about expansion drafts and contract situations. He would have been playing on the Avs all season had it not been for those issues. Especially with how thin we were on the wings. It was purely a decision based on asset management not the players skill level.

Agree with Zadorov, he needed the AHL time his play is just too erratic for the NHL at this point. He still needs to work on consistency.

I don't believe Sakic said it was ALL about possible Expansion Draft(s) and sliding his ELC, I believe he said those were factors in the decision. And like Henchy just said, he probably could have played a role from about January on, but at that point the possibility of an Expansion Draft, and the notion of sliding his ELC, likely took on bigger roles in the decision.

And there are more to playing hockey than how many points one puts on the board. While I don't doubt that he was exceptional at the AHL level, there were still things he was working on down there. Add to the fact that it was his first year playing on North American ice. His first 6 games he (and the rest of his line) didn't look that great.

There's nothing wrong with admitting that he wasn't 100% ready for the NHL this season. Could he have played the whole year? Sure, but instead he was sent to the AHL where he was "THE guy" while still working on various fundamental aspects of playing (defense, edgework, etc.)

 

[Bubba Thudd]

 

[CobraAcesS]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Someone is trying to make me put my hand through my laptop screen, slick

 

[tigervixxxen]

It's a good sign but honestly I feel like their problem are organizational problems more than they were Dean problems. I'd they don't put talent at the position, fail to fill the organization with real prospects and continue the same asinine organizational philosophies it doesn't really matter. But at least it's a step in recognizing there was a problem, do they have a proper plan to fix it? Will be interesting to see who they are going to interview. Does Groulx get his opportunity here now? I think he's prefer a position with Ottawa but if that doesn't materialize. But I wouldn't throw a party just yet.

 

[CobraAcesS]

It's a good sign but honestly I feel like their problem are organizational problems more than they were Dean problems. I'd they don't put talent at the position, fail to fill the organization with real prospects and continue the same asinine organizational philosophies it doesn't really matter. But liar least it's a step in recognizing there was a problem, do they have a proper plan to fix it? Will be interesting to see who they are going to interview. Does Groulx get his opportunity here now? I think he's prefer a position with Ottawa but if that doesn't materialize. But I wouldn't throw a party just yet.

Ahh the death of optimism has arrived.

You would have been a great cast in Supernatural as "Death", or at least one of the Reapers lol.


Seriously, it sounds like Dean could have done more on the development side based on the recent articles. At least this is a sign there is a chance for serious change in the culture down there.

 

[cgf]

Disagree Rantanen was too good for the AHL, it was even admitted by the Sakic it was all about expansion drafts and contract situations. He would have been playing on the Avs all season had it not been for those issues. Especially with how thin we were on the wings. It was purely a decision based on asset management not the players skill level.

Agree with Zadorov, he needed the AHL time his play is just too erratic for the NHL at this point. He still needs to work on consistency.

You're forgetting the start of the season, when Mikko showed that he could use some time to adjust to the smaller ice. Mikko absolutely needed to be sent down to develop. And he absolutely was kept down for longer than he needed to be because of the contract.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Exactly I could care less about scoreboard results, I just want to see our AHL guys getting developed to be NHL caliber players. Our minor league system has been absolute trash. I can't recall an AHLer that has come in the past 4 seasons and helped the big club.

Rantanen doesn't count because they only put him in the AHL to avoid expansion draft issues and contract issues.

Winning does matter. The environment it creates makes a big difference. No they don't need to win the Calder Cup to develop players properly but they need to be at least winning something. Players aren't going to develop in losing and toxic environments. I get that most people don't cheer for the Rampage and don't give a damn what happens to them on a daily basis and that's fine, it takes a special kind of sickness to follow the AHL team but everyone should absolutely care about if they are accomplishing anything it not. Winning organizations don't have loser AHL franchises.

Hench, I think you said before the move probably saved Dean another year. It would have been too much change at once probably.

 

[henchman21]

It's a good sign but honestly I feel like their problem are organizational problems more than they were Dean problems. I'd they don't put talent at the position, fail to fill the organization with real prospects and continue the same asinine organizational philosophies it doesn't really matter. But at least it's a step in recognizing there was a problem, do they have a proper plan to fix it? Will be interesting to see who they are going to interview. Does Groulx get his opportunity here now? I think he's prefer a position with Ottawa but if that doesn't materialize. But I wouldn't throw a party just yet.

They are to an extent... this is also probably the most talented roster that Dean had too. For the early part of the season he had Picks, Bigras, Zadorov, and Rantanen as high talent players. Then had a great AHL defensemen in Noreau, and a few solid AHL forwards in Hishon, Rendulic, Everberg, and Cliche. So even with the injuries to Agozzino and Street... there should have been enough talent to not bottom out, but they did.

The Avs need to get more talent down in the AHL, and they are taking steps to doing that, but it will take time. The pure talent that team had to start, is the best the Avs have had in a long time in the AHL. It was just a disaster and the castaways didn't help anything. I'd much, much rather they fill the team with AHL vets (ones that know they are AHL players) next year and slowly bring in some of the kids. They don't have a ton coming in over the next couple, so building a vet team to mentor the few kids coming in would be a good thing IMO. I just don't want to see the Gormley/Redmonds of the world on the AHL team again.

Winning does matter. The environment it creates makes a big difference. No they don't need to win the Calder Cup to develop players properly but they need to be at least winning something. Players aren't going to develop in losing and toxic environments. I get that most people don't cheer for the Rampage and don't give a damn what happens to them on a daily basis and that's fine, it takes a special kind of sickness to follow the AHL team but everyone should absolutely care about if they are accomplishing anything it not. Winning organizations don't have loser AHL franchises.

Hench, I think you said before the move probably saved Dean another year. It would have been too much change at once probably.

Yeah I probably did... there was a lot of turnover already and that probably factored in... and Dean actually had some talent to work with. They gave him enough rope and we all know what was done with it.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Ahh the death of optimism has arrived.

You would have been a great cast in Supernatural as "Death", or at least one of the Reapers lol.


Seriously, it sounds like Dean could have done more on the development side based on the recent articles. At least this is a sign there is a chance for serious change in the culture down there.

Someone has to keep everyone back on planet earth

There won't be culture change down there without culture change up here.

 

[Ivan13]

A pessimist is a well educated optimist.

 

[CobraAcesS]

A pessimist is a well educated optimist.

Stupid smart people...

 

[cgf]

A pessimist is a well educated optimist.

Such a terrible quote.

 

[tigervixxxen]

They are to an extent... this is also probably the most talented roster that Dean had too. For the early part of the season he had Picks, Bigras, Zadorov, and Rantanen as high talent players. Then had a great AHL defensemen in Noreau, and a few solid AHL forwards in Hishon, Rendulic, Everberg, and Cliche. So even with the injuries to Agozzino and Street... there should have been enough talent to not bottom out, but they did.

The Avs need to get more talent down in the AHL, and they are taking steps to doing that, but it will take time. The pure talent that team had to start, is the best the Avs have had in a long time in the AHL. It was just a disaster and the castaways didn't help anything. I'd much, much rather they fill the team with AHL vets (ones that know they are AHL players) next year and slowly bring in some of the kids. They don't have a ton coming in over the next couple, so building a vet team to mentor the few kids coming in would be a good thing IMO. I just don't want to see the Gormley/Redmonds of the world on the AHL team again.



Yeah I probably did... there was a lot of turnover already and that probably factored in... and Dean actually had some talent to work with. They gave him enough rope and we all know what was done with it.

They did win a lot at the start of the season too. They had the exact opposite season the Avs had. Great start and finish, awful middle. They weren't as good as their record then but the talent was helping to an extent. I know without Z, Bigras, Rantanen, Picks next year they won't even have that level of talent available

I'm not so much worried about Gormley and Redmonds (although no more Avs dumps please), it's I'm worried about a team full of Gervais, Clark, Labrie vets. If they can get more Street type vets to sign then that will help a lot.