Assistant GM Mike Santos relieved of duties effective immediately

[JP Mick]

I like this only because it means Horachek probably won't be back.

I think you might be assuming too much, I doubt it will make much of a difference on Tallon and upper management's decision in May.

 

[flapanthersfan]

i agree with those saying that tallon is using santos as the scapegoat here. i never really liked santos so i don't really care, but that's two back-to-back abysmal seasons and someone has to take the blame.

this offseason is tallon's last chance here for sure. i expect him to be extremely, extremely aggressive.

 

[zeroG]

i don't think this has anything to do with horachek or needing scapegoat or not seeing eye to eye on FA or trade acquisitions. it sounds like this was about santos challenging tallon and tallon not liking it... and tallon have the option to can him.

 

[Ekblad]

All I know is that Santos has served us very well during his second tenure here. I have nothing against him, and I wish him good luck in his future endevours.
The reasoning behind his sacking doesn't have to be too complicated if you think about it. When he was appointed Ass. GM one of the things tallon raved about was that he was a "capologist" who knew everything there is about the CBA etc. That has been very important for us with out past owners, but maybe now Tallon wants someone who is able to attract better FAs, college FAs and to improve the image of the club...?

Some of you mentioned Messier, and I think the NY connection with Viola would make him a very interesting candidate for tallon.

Excited to see what this will mean for the frranchise, and who gets appointed in the end. Maybe we should just make sure that some of us reminds tallon about the deadline to file QO's for our RFAs... just in case..

 

[Dr Beinfest]

I doubt this was a scapegoat move. You dump coaches and dump players when you're looking for a scapegoat. Your AGM is part of your administration. By canning him you're admitting your administration is faulty. This is a move done because DT didn't want Santos there, for one of the couple of speculated reasons in this thread. Not as a scapegoat.

Now, take a look at the Dineen firing. I'm not defending Dineen's ability to coach, but let's be honest here... it didn't matter if Dineen was good. This team made no adjustments to get any better after an abysmal season last year. We knew this was coming. His firing is closer to a scapegoat move (DT pinning a poor start on Dineen). I still wouldn't call that a scapegoat move though, but that's because I think Dineen wasn't that great.

 

[adam graves]

All I know is that Santos has served us very well during his second tenure here. I have nothing against him, and I wish him good luck in his future endevours.
The reasoning behind his sacking doesn't have to be too complicated if you think about it. When he was appointed Ass. GM one of the things tallon raved about was that he was a "capologist" who knew everything there is about the CBA etc. That has been very important for us with out past owners, but maybe now Tallon wants someone who is able to attract better FAs, college FAs and to improve the image of the club...?

Some of you mentioned Messier, and I think the NY connection with Viola would make him a very interesting candidate for tallon.

Excited to see what this will mean for the frranchise, and who gets appointed in the end. Maybe we should just make sure that some of us reminds tallon about the deadline to file QO's for our RFAs... just in case..

Pls enumerate how he has "served us well"

 

[PBPantherfan]

i don't think this has anything to do with horachek or needing scapegoat or not seeing eye to eye on FA or trade acquisitions. it sounds like this was about santos challenging tallon and tallon not liking it... and tallon have the option to can him.

I agree with this. Tallon seems to be loyal to his guys, but if Santos was questioning Tallon's decisions I could see him showing Santos the door.

 

[ShootIt]

i don't think this has anything to do with horachek or needing scapegoat or not seeing eye to eye on FA or trade acquisitions. it sounds like this was about santos challenging tallon and tallon not liking it... and tallon have the option to can him.

This. And maybe the way SA was doing, he wanted a different guy to watch over them?

 

[adam graves]

I think you might be assuming too much, I doubt it will make much of a difference on Tallon and upper management's decision in May.

As i placed in the horachuck thread, GR reports Horachuck is seeking a 3 yr deal.

Tallon said they may wait till as late as may to decide.

 

[Georgia Panther]

If Dale Tallon names Mark Messier his assistant GM then he would make a very poor contestant on "Survivor". Would be naming his likely replacement if/when Viola fires him.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

If Dale Tallon names Mark Messier his assistant GM then he would make a very poor contestant on "Survivor". Would be naming his likely replacement if/when Viola fires him.

I think Messier has more intent to coach rather than be GM. IIRC he was close to being named Rags coach but they chose AV instead.

 

[Georgia Panther]

I think Messier has more intent to coach rather than be GM.

In his case I think it is either/or. Wants back in NHL. And there very well might be a vacancy in the Panthers Head Coaching Position.

 

[Ekblad]

Pls enumerate how he has "served us well"

well... He did his job, and I have few complaints on the things he has done. Biggest blunder in my eyes was not being able to get corban knight signed, but it's hard to fault him on that since he didn't want to sign with the depth that we have.

Maybe I know too little about this, but what other bad things has he done to warrant so much dislike amongst you guys? Ive always felt rather neutral towards him personally...

 

[Panthers Rock]

None of his guys from Nashville have worked out, either. I don't have an issue with Santos, but I don't really care that he's gone.

Mess coming in would work for me.

Well that is not true. Goc was from Nashville and no one can deny he was quite the useful player, talking about the man who tied game 7. Santorelli was really good his first year but completely fell off after that. I am not sure if Santos was here for the trade to get Vokoun or not.

That said, I have to trust Tallon in this instance. He knows what he's doing. I liked the potential Markstrom had but once you know you can get Luongo for sure and at a decent price, Markstrom is irrelevant.

At this point having ties to Nashville isn't helpful either, they are not producing much of anything we need in terms of offense and they don't exactly part with their D.

 

[SeasonTicket]

Well that is not true. Goc was from Nashville and no one can deny he was quite the useful player, talking about the man who tied game 7. Santorelli was really good his first year but completely fell off after that. I am not sure if Santos was here for the trade to get Vokoun or not.

That said, I have to trust Tallon in this instance. He knows what he's doing. I liked the potential Markstrom had but once you know you can get Luongo for sure and at a decent price, Markstrom is irrelevant.

At this point having ties to Nashville isn't helpful either, they are not producing much of anything we need in terms of offense and they don't exactly part with their D.

Santorelli fell off as you say because KD didn't use him as a 2nd line center. Obviously didn't like him. Used him like PH uses Gomez. Now he's playing fine with Vancouver. Anyway that's another topic.

 

[SeasonTicket]

I view Santos being let go as another part of the move towards making this a better organization. Let's face it the previous owners were cheap with budget not only on players but front office staff as well.

If Viola truly wants this to be a top team he's going to change the organization.

He wants talented, high profile people running this team which in turn attracts better players.

 

[harv33173]

very interesting!! nice to see movement in key positions. santos seemed to do his job, but nothing very impressive. like others said, it appears that we're moving in a different direction and willing to spend money. i see a higher profile asst. gm coming in who can attract proven players here. i don't believe santos had much clout with established players. this management is trying to make a statement to the leaugue and i applaud that!

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

Whether Santos was doing his job efficiently or not, it is a little worrying that the hoola hoop of balding hockey personal continues. This era hasn't seen any increase in stability, no up turn in performance and the drafts will soon become under scrutiny given the time we will have on some of them soon.

No issue with Tallon getting another year, but if there is little improvement amongst both our record and individual younger player development, then his time is likely nye.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Santorelli fell off as you say because KD didn't use him as a 2nd line center. Obviously didn't like him. Used him like PH uses Gomez. Now he's playing fine with Vancouver. Anyway that's another topic.

Santorelli had that shoulder surgery he really didn't recover from while he was here. Looks like he fully healed last summer and came back as a useful player. Too bad it looks like he had to have another major surgery this season.

 

[Effe]

As i placed in the horachuck thread, GR reports Horachuck is seeking a 3 yr deal.

Tallon said they may wait till as late as may to decide.

That's pretty much saying we want to see who will ba available first, aka he's not their first choice.

 

[16Skippy]

Can anyone clarify what Santos role as AGM with us was? Like was he just in charge of the Rampage, or was he telling Tallon what to offer UFAs since he's a capologist, or what?

 

[Coach Nate]

Well, you would know about this more than any of us. It just seemed like recently they were getting good value with AHL trades, but I don't really follow the league to be honest. Can you mention some of the bad deals that might've led to this?

And, as I said, I don't even know if Santos was in charge of the AHL deals. He did have a lot of input with the Rampage though.

I'll start with last summer's free agent signings (the AHL guys)

Andre Deveaux- Colossal bust
Casey Wellman -Bust
JF Jacques - Bust (traded away for nothing)
Yonkman/Rallo - Faces of the franchise--I have no problem with this.

This year:
Matsumoto - Bust and was coming off a terrible season

Rallo - again face of the franchise--whatever

Philippe Cornet - played 4 games, traded to Charlotte for an ECHL player, who is then traded for another ECHL player

Jack Combs - Traded to OKC in Pinizzotto deal for Derek Nesbitt. Nesbitt plays 5 games and is traded away for "Future Considerations"

Zack Miskovic - 10 games/traded for Future Considerations

Denny Urban - plays solid for 30 games as the 6th/7th. Traded to Springfield for Tim
Miller. Miller plays 3 games, is sent to ECHL, then traded to Abbotsford that same day for...wait for it..."future considerations"

Jed Ortmeyer - good signing

I'd say in the last two season, the highlight of Santos' tenure was the signing of a 4th line center in Jared Gomes, and it is my opinion (based on conversations with Chuck Weber) that Weber was the person responsible for that.

This season alone, Santos has traded:

Combs -> Nesbitt-> Nothing
Cornet -> Brace -> Dalhuisen (ECHL Dman)
Urban -> Miller -> Nothing
Miskovic -> Nothing
Doug Janik -> Nothing

All of those players traded away, except for Brace, are playing on AHL teams currently in a playoff position (or 1 point back).

Meanwhile, the Rampage played with 17 skaters last night because of injuries and because there is literally no one left to call up from Cincinnati.


I'll have thoughts on the podcast tomorrow about this topic.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Can anyone clarify what Santos role as AGM with us was? Like was he just in charge of the Rampage, or was he telling Tallon what to offer UFAs since he's a capologist, or what?

GM of the Rampage and he did the contract negotiations.

 

[JP Mick]

This season alone, Santos has traded:

Combs -> Nesbitt-> Nothing
Cornet -> Brace -> Dalhuisen (ECHL Dman)
Urban -> Miller -> Nothing
Miskovic -> Nothing
Doug Janik -> Nothing

All of those players traded away, except for Brace, are playing on AHL teams currently in a playoff position (or 1 point back).

Meanwhile, the Rampage played with 17 skaters last night because of injuries and because there is literally no one left to call up from Cincinnati.
.

Wow I didn't realize the moves that he made were that bad, but when you add them all up... ouch.

 

[RogerRoger]

Didn't they brought a center by trading Selleck?