Bednar gets a year extension

[Foppa2118]

There were issues with consistency all season all over the roster even outside of the goal-tending stretch. I'm just saying that I wasn't impressed with him during the regular season. I made a joke that Bednar is the Wilson of coaches, but it's held true. I liked how he handled the team both times in the playoffs, but he was absolutely not at that level during the regular season.

One year would have been fine IMO. Two makes me scratch my head. Bednar needs to prove he can get this team into the playoffs without one or two goals being the difference in getting in.

There is very easily a scenario where he should be fired in the middle of this upcoming season. Giving him a extra year of security would have been fine, just like last year.

Yeah but two years doesn't mean he'll stay here two years. That's just to give him a little security so he gets paid if they fire him.

So in that sense, it's only a big deal if you're Stan Kroenke paying his paychecks.

There's things I'm not a big fan of with Bednar as well. I don't like a lot of is lineup decisions. I don't understand his obsession with smaller players without any standout qualities, just because they can skate. I don't get why he refused to give Jost more ice time after he was called back up from the Eagles when he was playing really well. I don't get his refusal to give Greer a chance to prove himself. I'm not a fan of how he tends to neuter the physicality of teams, in favor of skating away to be in position. I didn't like the way he treated some of the vets in his first year.

The good things outweigh the bad so far though IMO. I think his main contribution is getting MacKinnon to play at his best. That's a huge part of the success of this franchise. He got him to calm down emotionally. He doesn't have the big highs and lows after goals and games.

Same with Landy, I thought he got him to dial things back last year, and stay focused within games. No more lack of focus mistakes getting carried away with his stick, and getting suspended. His offensive game benefited from this as a result.

He basically has his finger on the pulse of the team, and they all really respect him, and enjoy playing for him.

Overall, I think his system works quite well too. The downside I think is that the skating demands lead to mistakes every now and then like too many men penalties, and low skilled guys like Wilson and Calvert have even more trouble finishing their scoring chances, because they can't calm themselves down after pushing themselves to the limit of their skating abilities.

It's also extremely taxing physically, and I'm not sure how many years in a row the team can get away with playing that exhausting skating style. Especially as the team slowly gets older, and the core guys they rely on don't have young legs anymore.

In the end though, I think you have to base these decisions on results, and they got pretty good results last year under Bednar with their playoff run.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I think you're being a bit extreme. It's not like they're paying him a mint to coach, and giving him something that resembles security is not going to throw a culture of accountability out the window. If they end up firing him, I think they'll be able to shoulder the costs.

Put it this way, I bet his salary doesn't even exceed what they're paying Brooks Orpik this upcoming season.

Maybe, but IMO it makes the bar lower for him I think.

I'm kind of at a 60/40 point in favor of liking Bednar overall right now too. It's just not enough that I completely trust him yet.

 

[Pokecheque]

Maybe, but IMO it makes the bar lower for him I think.

I'm kind of at a 60/40 point in favor of liking Bednar overall right now too. It's just not enough that I completely trust him yet.

I don't think you can ever trust a coach 100%. Nor should you. I'm still salty about some of the decision-making that went on when Q was the coach. And really, fans who place that kind of faith where it borders on religious fervor on anyone, whether it's a player, team, coach, GM, or waterboy, are the worst kinds of fans. If you're not willing to think critically about sports, you're probably not willing to think critically on anything.

There was a recent article that showed that any sort of "rhythm and continuity" that comes with keeping a coach in place is wildly overrated. A lot of Stanley Cup champs were helmed by bench bosses who were either brought in their first year or took over during the season. Not saying they should shitcan Bednar at the first sign of trouble, but there's a reason Lou Lamoriello has multiple Cup championships and Brian Burke has one. If he ain't your guy, then he ain't your guy. That's why I personally think Dubas may have erred on not just parting ways with Mike Babcock. I can see why he didn't, but I also think they're trying to play out the string in a relationship that's already gone south, and both sides will come to regret it, but that's just me.

All that said, it's just more than the bare minimum, I don't think this is in any way going to make Bednar relax and sit back. He now has a modicum of security, and frankly he deserves it after getting a ragtag roster to the playoffs twice in a row, getting paid what I imagine is in the lower tier of coach's salaries.

If anything, the stakes are higher now, if he doesn't get the job done with the added talent this roster has, then he'll be gone. All I ask is that this time around, if they're gonna make a coaching change, that they go BIG. Get some hotshot candidates in here, be willing to pay them what they're worth (hopefully not Babs though). There is no coach-in-waiting in the minors so I'm fairly confident they'll pick someone from outside the organization...and if I may be so bold, it might come from outside the Columbus organization as well!

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I don't think you can ever trust a coach 100%. Nor should you. I'm still salty about some of the decision-making that went on when Q was the coach. And really, fans who place that kind of faith where it borders on religious fervor on anyone, whether it's a player, team, coach, GM, or waterboy, are the worst kinds of fans. If you're not willing to think critically about sports, you're probably not willing to think critically on anything.

There was a recent article that showed that any sort of "rhythm and continuity" that comes with keeping a coach in place is wildly overrated. A lot of Stanley Cup champs were helmed by bench bosses who were either brought in their first year or took over during the season. Not saying they should ****can Bednar at the first sign of trouble, but there's a reason Lou Lamoriello has multiple Cup championships and Brian Burke has one. If he ain't your guy, then he ain't your guy. That's why I personally think Dubas may have erred on not just parting ways with Mike Babcock. I can see why he didn't, but I also think they're trying to play out the string in a relationship that's already gone south, and both sides will come to regret it, but that's just me.

All that said, it's just more than the bare minimum, I don't think this is in any way going to make Bednar relax and sit back. He now has a modicum of security, and frankly he deserves it after getting a ragtag roster to the playoffs twice in a row, getting paid what I imagine is in the lower tier of coach's salaries.

If anything, the stakes are higher now, if he doesn't get the job done with the added talent this roster has, then he'll be gone. All I ask is that this time around, if they're gonna make a coaching change, that they go BIG. Get some hotshot candidates in here, be willing to pay them what they're worth (hopefully not Babs though). There is no coach-in-waiting in the minors so I'm fairly confident they'll pick someone from outside the organization...and if I may be so bold, it might come from outside the Columbus organization as well!

You’re already thinking about the next guy? Don’t do Bednar like that haha. He might be here another 5/6 years.

 

[henchman21]

You’re already thinking about the next guy? Don’t do Bednar like that haha. He might be here another 5/6 years.

Odds are the next guy is coming in a season or two... coaches get extended all the time then canned. NHL coaching is probably one of the lowest tenured jobs in all of pro sports. Bednar, right now is the 11th most tenured coach in the league. Same game as the 10th (bald fatty). I'd say decent chance that 4 or 5 of the guys ahead of Bednar hit the chopping block next year, and Torts and Cooper are the only two safe ones. The reality is Bednar has already hit the typical shelf life, that doesn't mean he can't be the next Cooper... but odds are not high he has 5 or 6 years more (Coop is the only one in the NHL to make it to 6 full seasons right now).

 

[Pokecheque]

You’re already thinking about the next guy? Don’t do Bednar like that haha. He might be here another 5/6 years.

Didn't say that, just saying that, one, this ain't some massive commitment the team is making to a coach, it's just one year more than the bare minimum. Two, I said that loyalty to a coach is overrated, but I never advocated changing them like underwear like Edmonton has done. He's the guy who helped get the team back on track, he deserves this, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt. I just said he may or may not be the guy who actually gets them to The Promised Land, we just have no way of knowing, though I'm perfectly fine with them giving him the chance to prove that he is. What else should a team do?

Basically, don't be Edmonton, but don't be Brian Burke/Ron Hextall either. It's usually fairly obvious when a coaching change has to take place.

And no, I ain't thinking of the next guy because I have no idea whatsoever who that next guy could be. There are no obvious candidates, which is fine. Bednar's earned this, and he should enjoy it. But as Henchy just pointed out, don't just assume he's a lifer because that's simply not how the NHL works.

 

[henchman21]

Didn't say that, just saying that, one, this ain't some massive commitment the team is making to a coach, it's just one year more than the bare minimum. Two, I said that loyalty to a coach is overrated, but I never advocated changing them like underwear like Edmonton has done. He's the guy who helped get the team back on track, he deserves this, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt. I just said he may or may not be the guy who actually gets them to The Promised Land, we just have no way of knowing, though I'm perfectly fine with them giving him the chance to prove that he is. What else should a team do?

Basically, don't be Edmonton, but don't be Brian Burke/Ron Hextall either. It's usually fairly obvious when a coaching change has to take place.

Yup... and don't be Rutherford either. Choosing a coach over talent.

 

[Pokecheque]

Yup... and don't be Rutherford either. Choosing a coach over talent.

Spot on, I was thinking precisely of that crazy and needless extension (not to mention getting rid of Cole and Kessel) when this news came out.

 

[TatteredTornNFrayed]

Haven't read through the thread, but Avs Website says extended 2 more seasons beyond existing contract. Takes him through 21/22 season.

 

[Pokecheque]

Haven't read through the thread, but Avs Website says extended 2 more seasons beyond existing contract. Takes him through 21/22 season.

Yep. Them's the facts.

BTW, if you wish to peruse coaching salaries this is the best I can find. No surprise, the Avalanche aren't disclosing how much Bednar is getting.

Coaches - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Did not realize Krueger got THAT much dough. That seems crazy to me. Gabby is being seriously underpaid, especially when you compare that to Krueger's.

Those guys should be forever grateful to Mike Babcock for almost singlehandedly resetting the coaching salary market.

 

[Avs9296]

So I guess he really was doing his job last year....

What was Nathan complaining about then?

 

[Pokecheque]

So I guess he really was doing his job last year....

What was Nathan complaining about then?

The end of the bench was not supportive enough.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

As long as Bennett stays with him this is fine

 

[S E P H]

I'm not his biggest fan, and agree with a lot of what you said. I think he out coached Peters in the first round, so that gives me hope that he'll continue to grow. I have no problem with the extension as it's not a guaranteed contract it's more about the message it sends organization wide, that hard work and success gets rewarded, which this team hasn't always done.

Edit: didnt realize this was a bumped thread and an old post. My bad lol.

Yeah it was an old post, but he's grown me more into a believer of him. Keeping the players with the same consistent mindset even through that terrible stretch of the season just to nail it into them was actually the best method he could've done. I would say some of it was fortunate, as sometimes these *hardheaded* coaches go down with their ship and other times they work. Didn't like how Sharks took advantage of the line up against MacKinnon a bit too much for my liking, but I will reserve judgement since we had holes.

 

[TatteredTornNFrayed]

Yep. Them's the facts.

BTW, if you wish to peruse coaching salaries this is the best I can find. No surprise, the Avalanche aren't disclosing how much Bednar is getting.

Coaches - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Ha, Didn't realize this was a recycled thread, and I was in a place with a slow connection and just browsing quickly, so I just thought the thread title had it wrong.

I wonder if the salary info will just take a little while to filter out. I think it's not unusual in sports for the full details to trail the initial announcements, and then the sites may have a bit of time to process as well. Then again, it looks like it is common for a lot of the coach numbers to be withheld.

 

[Balthazar]

The way he handled the goalie situation up until the last month of the season was really bad. His blind and dumb loyalty towards Varly nearly costed him his job and a playoff spot.

Other than that, I'm happy for him. Two more years of NHL level payday (regardless if he stays or not). I'm a big fan of Jared the human being.

 

[HockeyFan100]

The way he handled the goalie situation up until the last month of the season was really bad. His blind and dumb loyalty towards Varly nearly costed him his job and a playoff spot.

Other than that, I'm happy for him. Two more years of NHL level payday (regardless if he stays or not). I'm a big fan of Jared the human being.

Huh? He went with the goalie who had the best chance of getting the team wins. Yeah, Varlamov sucked, but like it or not, Grubauer was just as bad (or even worse) up until March, where he didn't rightfully earn the #1 spot until then. I don't think he handled it badly at all...

 

[The Kingslayer]

So he gets credit for helping them claw their way into the playoffs, but not the blame for how inconsistent the team was all season, and the fact that they had to run the table in order to get in?

It's cool, lets all just remember the playoffs and fall completely into recency bias.

I hear ya. Grubauer saved his ass in the end.

 

[Foxtail]

I hear ya. Grubauer saved his ass in the end.

Wasn't just Grubauer though, the whole team played well down the stretch

But yes Grubauer got hot

 

[Ceremony]

Philadelphia Flyers

Alain Vigneault

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[MarkT]

Yay I get to keep using my avatar.

My one thought specifically on Bednar: I watch/listen to a lot of Leafs content being originally from Toronto. Everything I hear them complain about with Babcock is all things that Bednar has been doing for ages. You know how Mack often went out after a powerplay with Nieto and Calvert as his wingers? I've heard Leafs fans act like that would be a revolutionary thing for Babcock to do. Honestly, I absolutely love how Bednar utilizes our #1 weapon. And don't even get me started on how ballsy it was to play Makar and Girard for big minutes together in the playoffs. I don't know if there's another coach in the league who would have done that. Most coaches would have had Makar with Nemeth to start.

I'm really excited to see what Bednar can do now that he doesn't have Bork, Ghetto, and Kerfoot clogging up the lineup.

 

[Pokecheque]

I hear ya. Grubauer saved his ass in the end.

Yes because the best coaches get it done without good goaltending!

 

[Pokecheque]

Speaking of Rutherford, this one really sneaked under the radar: Rutherford went out and snagged the Calder Cup-winning head coach of the Charlotte Checkers, Mike Vellucci to head up the WBS Penguins. So it appears even though he doubled down on Sullivan, there's a backup plan.

Charlotte, in turn, named David Warsovsky's big brother Ryan their new head coach.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Yes because the best coaches get it done without good goaltending!

Grubauer was spectacular down the stretch. I wonder if Jared gets an extension had Grubauer been just good.

 

[Pokecheque]

Grubauer was spectacular down the stretch. I wonder if Jared gets an extension had Grubauer been just good.

Yes, he was. Goalies have to play well in order for their teams to succeed. That's the case with every team in hockey history.

This is not an instance like in 2013-14 where the goalie bailed the team out on a regular basis. The team was playing well when the goalies weren't, and then the team played great when the goalies finally woke up. Why does the coach not get any credit for that?