Around the NHL: Offseason Edition Pt. 3

[Club]

Continued here.

Click to read more...

 

[Chainshot]

 

[Zip15]

I don't like that RHD are being put on the market at a time when we may be seeking a premium price on Risto. I get that most teams will value Risto more than Shattenkirk and Stone, but if you can get those guys on a cheap one-year deals, that may be more worthwhile than paying a huge price for Ristolainen.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Sources: Wild GM search underway with initial interviews of... (sun required)

Sources: Wild GM search underway with initial interviews of two candidates

The path to find the fourth full-time general manager in Wild history has officially begun — and in accelerated fashion.

A mere two days after firing Paul Fenton after one season as the team’s GM, sources tell The Athletic that owner Craig Leipold and president Matt Majka have already interviewed two prospective candidates — former Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall and former Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli.

This is just the early stages, sources say, of what could be a meticulous process to find the next person to guide the Wild in the future, and it doesn’t mean that either candidate is necessarily a frontrunner.....

Please hire Chiarelli! lol

 

[SundherDome]

Sources: Wild GM search underway with initial interviews of... (sun required)

Sources: Wild GM search underway with initial interviews of two candidates



Please hire Chiarelli! lol

I don't see how teams can look at these re-treads and go, oh he can succeed here!

 

[cybresabre]

I don't see how teams can look at these re-treads and go, oh he can succeed here!

 

[Jacob582]

I don't see how teams can look at these re-treads and go, oh he can succeed here!

I think that Hextall will get work again. He preached patience and tried to build through the draft, instead of quick fixes with high priced free agents. Something that Flyers were previously not good at. When development didn't come quick enough he was fired. Personally I would want Hextall in charge over the guy who fire him.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

The fact that they’d even let Chiarelli in the building says it all about how much of an old boys club this league is.

Hextall on the other hand... I had to do a quick search to refresh my memory because it seemed like he was doing a decent job. Ironically he seemed measured and conservative, which flies in the face of my memories of him as a player. Nothing too egregious from what I glanced through. I’d...take a flyer on him.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Great read (sub required).

After talking with dozens of sources throughout the season and since the firing, the GM’s demise can really be isolated to three main factors:

1. He failed to build trusting relationships, both internally with his staff and externally with his NHL counterparts, agents and the media.
2. He expended an incredible amount of time and energy trying to patch up what he perceived as leaks, accusing staff of having loose lips and routinely threatening jobs to the point staff members in all departments walked on eggshells even when the most minor of stories broke.
3. Even though there’s an understandable learning curve for every first-year GM, it was alarming how somebody with so much front-office experience had trouble grasping key aspects of the job, from simple rules to other facets of the collective bargaining agreement to understanding that it was part of a GM’s duty to get his message across to fans in a polished way.

Always in “win now” mode, Leipold may seem like an impatient man, but it takes a lot to be fired by him.

Between the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild, Leipold has owned two NHL franchises for 22 straight years. In that span, he has hired a grand total of three general managers (and inherited Doug Risebrough) — David Poile, Chuck Fletcher and Fenton.
Only one of those hires lasted one season, so this dismissal was atypical of Leipold’s character. To do something this extreme suggests there must have been sound reasoning behind it.
What was that reasoning? Here is some of what we discovered from covering the team this past season and talking with dozens of current and former staffers and players in the past year.

The trouble with analytics

Fenton had little time for analytics, and the stories of him dismissing the data and research and not taking the resulting advice are plentiful.....

Part of it was he didn’t understand it, and what you don’t know, you’re afraid of,” one person with knowledge said. “Right away, it was clearly evident.”
(cont. in link)

The front-office dismay

All GMs want to create a loyal inner circle they can trust. That Fenton brought in longtime mentor Jack Ferreira to be his senior advisor and Tom Kurvers to be his right-hand man is absolutely understandable and his total prerogative.
But Fenton, sources say, created immediate dissension by displaying little respect for Fletcher’s inner circle..... (cont. in link)

The coaching-staff dismay

It’s also a GM’s prerogative what he does with his new coaching staff, but soon after being hired Fenton declined to renew the contract of Bruce Boudreau’s best friend John Anderson as assistant coach and replaced him with his own former colleague, Dean Evason, who previously coached the AHL Milwaukee Admirals in the Nashville organization....
Not only was Boudreau upset Anderson was kicked to the curb, but it also created the perception that Evason, whom Fenton called one of the best coaches outside of the NHL, was put on the bench to ultimately succeed Boudreau. Also, sources say, Fenton, on a handful of occasions both last season and afterward, sought permission to fire Boudreau. Leipold wouldn’t give it..... (cont. in link)

The roster shakeup
(talks about his trades, etc)
The February freefall
(talks about the teams losing streak to end the season)
The battle against leaks

Fenton liked to keep things close to the vest, which is not abnormal, of course, from a GM’s perspective.
But whenever news did get out, it made Fenton distrust his staff, particularly those members who were there before he arrived.
There were four major incidents that come to mind.... (cont.)
Moving on

When it all added up, Leipold ultimately decided it was time to make a change. The timing may have been weird and late, but a big weight was lifted off a lot of employees Tuesday before things could get any worse...... (cont.)

It’s a very long, detailed read.

The stuff about the rask trade is unbelievable. Minnesota didn’t send a single scout to scout him in person before the trade. They didn’t bother watching much of any video on rask. They didn’t call around the league and try to do any due diligence on rask. They didn’t even bother asking Eric Staal about him (teammates for years)

Safe to say that I’m glad we didn’t end up with this guy as our GM!

 

[Buffaloed]

It’s a very long, detailed read.

Safe to say that I’m glad we didn’t end up with this guy as our GM!

An alternative take is Fenton got the title of GM without the authority that's supposed to go with it. When Botterill was hired he was free to clean house and reshape the scouting staff as he saw fit. I'm not saying Fenton's a good GM, but that was never going to work out. It's like telling John Muckler that he can't fire Ted Nolan.

 

[Baccus]

Great read (sub required).







It’s a very long, detailed read.

The stuff about the rask trade is unbelievable. Minnesota didn’t send a single scout to scout him in person before the trade. They didn’t bother watching much of any video on rask. They didn’t call around the league and try to do any due diligence on rask. They didn’t even bother asking Eric Staal about him (teammates for years)

Safe to say that I’m glad we didn’t end up with this guy as our GM!

The best part for me:

When the front office had a Florida retreat in January to prepare for the trade deadline, neither Thomas nor Mandrycky were invited, sources said.
It was during that week when Fenton made his first two player trades as Wild GM on consecutive days — Justin Kloos for Pontus Aberg and Nino Niederreiter for Victor Rask. The latter trade shipped out an analytical darling and brought in one giant analytical red flag.​

Beyond belief (Thomas & Mandrycky are two very well thought of analytics people, both now gone from the Wild). Of course the unstated question would be did Fenton totally lie/give lip service about analytics in his interviews for the GM job and apparently wasn't asked anything complicated that showed he gave them no credence.

And then the Wild go and interview Chiarelli while looking for the next GM....

 

[Chainshot]

The best part for me:

When the front office had a Florida retreat in January to prepare for the trade deadline, neither Thomas nor Mandrycky were invited, sources said.
It was during that week when Fenton made his first two player trades as Wild GM on consecutive days — Justin Kloos for Pontus Aberg and Nino Niederreiter for Victor Rask. The latter trade shipped out an analytical darling and brought in one giant analytical red flag.​

Beyond belief (Thomas & Mandrycky are two very well thought of analytics people, both now gone from the Wild). Of course the unstated question would be did Fenton totally lie/give lip service about analytics in his interviews for the GM job and apparently wasn't asked anything complicated that showed he gave them no credence.

And then the Wild go and interview Chiarelli while looking for the next GM....

Russo has said Thomas lost his temper after the Nino-Rask trade and that was the reason he “resigned”.

 

[SundherDome]

I am very curious at how the interview went. Not being able to have your own coaching staff is never ideal. I know Parise and Suter are besties with Leiopold Soni wonder how much of the "rebuild" was authorized. Lastly, just like everything in a business, analytics should be consulted and taken seriously but should never be the sole reason for a decision same with "gut" instincts. That part about the analyst resigning seems odd, there isn't a reason to blow up.

 

[Chainshot]

I am very curious at how the interview went. Not being able to have your own coaching staff is never ideal. I know Parise and Suter are besties with Leiopold Soni wonder how much of the "rebuild" was authorized. Lastly, just like everything in a business, analytics should be consulted and taken seriously but should never be the sole reason for a decision same with "gut" instincts. That part about the analyst resigning seems odd, there isn't a reason to blow up.

Ever tell your boss they're doing something massively stupid because it's part of your job? Ever have them then ignore you and do it anyway? Ever want to have a frank interchange with them after?

 

[Buffaloed]

Ever tell your boss they're doing something massively stupid because it's part of your job? Ever have them then ignore you and do it anyway? Ever want to have a frank interchange with them after?

I do all the time. Sometimes we'll revisit the subject a later time and use the plan I originally suggested. I also realize that I am not privy to all the information that goes into making decisions nor is it my place to request it. Disgruntled employees don't just quit on the spur of the moment. They complain every chance they get, and poison the work environment. Thomas probably quit before he could be fired.

 

[Chainshot]

I do all the time. Sometimes we'll revisit the subject a later time and use the plan I originally suggested. I also realize that I am not privy to all the information that goes into making decisions nor is it my place to request it. Disgruntled employees don't just quit on the spur of the moment. They complain every chance they get, and poison the work environment. Thomas probably quit before he could be fired.

Russo implied Thomas was told to resign. Fenton does not come off as someone who takes frank feedback well if at all.

Mandrycky’s departure and subsequent resurfacing in Seattle guiding their search for Francis is also a twist on all of this. Francis as the Wild GM seems like it would have been a sound move.

 

[Buffaloed]

Russo implied Thomas was told to resign. Fenton does not come off as someone who takes frank feedback well if at all.

Mandrycky’s departure and subsequent resurfacing in Seattle guiding their search for Francis is also a twist on all of this. Francis as the Wild GM seems like it would have been a sound move.

It's what happens after giving frank feedback that's important. Does the subordinate accept and support the decision or does he criticize and try to undermine it? Did Fenton have a problem with the feedback or a problem with how Thomas responded when he didn't get his way. How is Russo getting his information? It sounds to me like Thomas was leaking to Russo in order to undermine Fenton. Russo also has a stake in seeing Fenton fired. If Fenton is allowed to clean house and bring in his own people, Russo loses his sources. This sounds like the Bucky, Jerry, and Harrington shit show.

 

[SundherDome]

Ever tell your boss they're doing something massively stupid because it's part of your job? Ever have them then ignore you and do it anyway? Ever want to have a frank interchange with them after?

I do but I also realize that there sometimes isn't shit you can do. Document and archive the hell out of everything, in case it comes back on you, and move on.

 

[joshjull]

I shaved in a stache like that a couple weeks ago after letting my facial hair grow for 10 days while on vacation. My wife was not pleased and it was gone a day later.

 

[SundherDome]

That receeding hairline is LeBron esque

 

[Hasek]

That receeding hairline is LeBron esque

Makes me wonder what the offspring of Eichel and Matthews would look like.

 

[jcbeze]

Makes me wonder what the offspring of Eichel and Matthews would look like.

 

[Chainshot]

I shaved in a stache like that a couple weeks ago after letting my facial hair grow for 10 days while on vacation. My wife was not pleased and it was gone a day later.

He looks like the lovechild of the late Bill Paxton.

 

[Zip15]

That receeding hairline is LeBron esque

It'll be interesting to see if it improves, as LeBron's has somehow in his older age.

 

[Jim Bob]

So, fire up the Risto to Winnipeg rumors.