Speculation: Bednar's future

Sea Eagles

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Feb 7, 2012
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I like Bednar, but assumed he would be fired after the season, due to missing the playoffs.

He's doing a solid job, but with success, comes problems. You'd think coaching would be easier with a better team...it's not.

This season is pretty much "do the best you can", and the second round is just a bonus.

Next season he will have expectations. The pressure will be turned up, and I can't imagine that Sakic would want anything less than the Avs competing for the division title.

Also, with a more complete, and successful roster, comes more difficult line up decisions.

To many good D? Well now a legit bottom 4 guy is going to be sitting, and he better choose wisely lol

He also won't have the luxury of letting players "work through" their slumps. Kerfoot isn't going to be able to score 1 goal in 25 games or whatever it was.

I think he can perform at this level, and I think he wants to perform at this level.

Obviously coaching is infinitely more complicated than the 2 examples I gave, but you get the point.

I'd extend him ASAP.

From the owners, to the coaches, to the players THIS season, there were expectations.

I certainly expected playoffs, and I 100% knew we'd be playing in them.

What I also expected and knew would happen 100% is make it into the second round of the playoffs .

That's called improvement. And we've done it , by blasting the top Western Conference team off the ice.

Anything from there is jam this year, and I'm just so elated for the club, players, but most importantly, you guys, the die hard and loyal fans, who've stuck solid after the disastrous 48 point season.

Everyone should be so proud .It's great to be a fan right now of this team.
 
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Spleenless Wonder21

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Every coach is eventually gonna lose to the room or naturally have his time run out. And every coach is occasionally or frequently gonna do things that drive you crazy.

But to me who sounds really smart and I have a good feeling about him. He has definetly earned a couple more years on a contract. In a few years things might have changed after a dreadful year or so.. But, that's hockey.

Yep, see Sullivan in P’puke. Amazing how coaches progress to “suck” when they win multiple Cups (Q, Sutter, Sullivan, etc).
 

Bone Breaker

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well, now that the big names are out of the market already and the team managed to get into the second round, I guess it's time to review my opinion and admit keeping Bednar, for the good and for the bad, seems obvious.
 
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Pokecheque

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I complained vociferously about Bednar not breaking from convention during the regular season, though in hindsight that may not have helped during the big swoon. I'm happy to see him doing so in the postseason. Would a guy like Babcock have entrusted two 20-year-olds as a pairing? I'm willing to bet no, he would've doubled down on EJ and/or Cole (even Nemeth) and come what may.

Now...I'm not here to say Jared Bednar is a definitively better coach than Mike Babcock, but my favorite coaches throughout the years are ones who adapt their tactics/usage to the players they have, rather than force players to fit their scheme. Bednar IMO is more the former than the latter.
 

Cousin Eddie

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Nov 3, 2006
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I complained vociferously about Bednar not breaking from convention during the regular season, though in hindsight that may not have helped during the big swoon. I'm happy to see him doing so in the postseason. Would a guy like Babcock have entrusted two 20-year-olds as a pairing? I'm willing to bet no, he would've doubled down on EJ and/or Cole (even Nemeth) and come what may.

Now...I'm not here to say Jared Bednar is a definitively better coach than Mike Babcock, but my favorite coaches throughout the years are ones who adapt their tactics/usage to the players they have, rather than force players to fit their scheme. Bednar IMO is more the former than the latter.
Yup there’s usually two types of coaches from a adaptive standpoint.

1. Allow every player to play to their own strengths. Roy and Hartley are good examples of this. Lots of leash. Let players do what they do best.

2. My way or the highway. Put a system in place and everyone plays the same way regardless of their game. AKA the Babcock/Hitch/Yeo special.

Bednar has this hybrid thing where he adjusts his system to support individual players. It allows players to individually play to their strengths but teaches the rest of the guys to play with that player as one full unit. Tyson Barrie is the best example. Roy used to let him rush and jump into the play but he was always left in no man’s land because everyone else was on a different page. Watch Barrie right now under Bednar. Constantly jumping up in the play and as soon as he runs out of room or needs to make a play he immediately has support from one or more teammates to hand the puck off. Mackinnon is obviously another example. Every time he used to button hook he had nothing available. Now he does all the time. I want to give credit to Mackinnon himself too though. He said obviously learned to become a better hockey player.

It’s very very impressive. It’s a full team unit that still gets the most out of individual players strengths.
 

Avs_19

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Jun 28, 2007
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I complained vociferously about Bednar not breaking from convention during the regular season, though in hindsight that may not have helped during the big swoon. I'm happy to see him doing so in the postseason. Would a guy like Babcock have entrusted two 20-year-olds as a pairing? I'm willing to bet no, he would've doubled down on EJ and/or Cole (even Nemeth) and come what may.

Now...I'm not here to say Jared Bednar is a definitively better coach than Mike Babcock, but my favorite coaches throughout the years are ones who adapt their tactics/usage to the players they have, rather than force players to fit their scheme. Bednar IMO is more the former than the latter.

Say it!
 

AllAboutAvs

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I complained vociferously about Bednar not breaking from convention during the regular season, though in hindsight that may not have helped during the big swoon. I'm happy to see him doing so in the postseason. Would a guy like Babcock have entrusted two 20-year-olds as a pairing? I'm willing to bet no, he would've doubled down on EJ and/or Cole (even Nemeth) and come what may.

Now...I'm not here to say Jared Bednar is a definitively better coach than Mike Babcock, but my favorite coaches throughout the years are ones who adapt their tactics/usage to the players they have, rather than force players to fit their scheme. Bednar IMO is more the former than the latter.
Ironic because after his first season he was viewed by many on here (some of them well-respected posters I might add) as not being able to adapt his system to the players he had. I agree with you by the way.
 

klozge

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Jul 19, 2009
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Ironic because after his first season he was viewed by many on here (some of them well-respected posters I might add) as not being able to adapt his system to the players he had. I agree with you by the way.
Many (me included) even thought this very thing after two thirds of the latest season. And that's why it's a good thing it's Sakic and not one of us who's managing this team.
 
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RockLobster

King in the North
Jul 5, 2003
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Ironic because after his first season he was viewed by many on here (some of them well-respected posters I might add) as not being able to adapt his system to the players he had. I agree with you by the way.

Well, that was the thought because he had shown an inability to do so previously and even up to that point. So, in my estimation, giving him his due (which he deserves) for his coaching in the playoffs doesn't mean that it can't be pointed out that until getting a playoff spot secured it certainly looked like he was headed to 2 of 3 seasons with a horrendous slide.

I am glad that he appears (at the very least in the PO's) to have figured out how to make in-game adjustments. I hope it's something that sticks with him and that he grows with going forward.
 

SaltySkywalker

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Remember when everyone wanted Sakics head? Ahhh man, good times. I'll admit, I was skeptical at times, but the deeper we go in the playoffs and how well we are positioned for the future...gotta hand it to our CAPTAIN!
 
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arun

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I’ll admit and start to eat snow, i wanted the #Bedxit but i’m starting to give him some love. He’s been handling the bench pretty well these past months. Next game we lose the hashtag will return.

The calmness he brings seem to benefit our boys. I’d like tose e him rage at refs from time to time but my opinion is a moot point anyway lol
 

Pokecheque

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Hell, I turned on the guy this year, so the righteous indignation I carried like a badge throughout last season isn't quite as shiny now.

I still wonder though why he waited sooooooooooo long to finally break up the top line, especially considering how well Soderberg was playing up to that point. But...whatever.
 

MarkT

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Nov 11, 2017
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Hell, I turned on the guy this year, so the righteous indignation I carried like a badge throughout last season isn't quite as shiny now.

I still wonder though why he waited sooooooooooo long to finally break up the top line, especially considering how well Soderberg was playing up to that point. But...whatever.

The more I've listened to him talk, the more I think those decisions (like keeping the top line together for too long) are less a result of him being stubborn or not creative, and more a result of him talking to the players and hearing from them that they don't want to be split up. He seems like a coach who really talks things over with his team, especially the leadership group, before making decisions. I feel like he doesn't make major lineup changes between games unless he's got the buy-in from Gabe, Nate, EJ and Barrie at least. During games obviously he has to make changes without consultation, but my theory I think helps explain why he's sometimes "slow" to make lineup changes. It might also explain why MacKinnon was caught yelling at him, because behind closed doors they probably have informal arguments/discussions all the time about lineups, line combos, strategy, systems, etc..

Basically, it seems more like he's a good manager rather than an authoritative boss.
 
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forsbergavs32

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Still don't like some of the personnel choices he makes but overall he did a damn good job this year, especially in the playoffs.
 

expatriatedtexan

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I really have liked his calm demeanor behind the bench...that being said, I wouldn't be rushing to lock him up long term this summer. He's got another year on his contract. Let it play out and see how things go. It's not like his contract will count against the cap. If he gets a huge pay-day, he'll have absolutely deserved it.
 

Colorado Avalanche

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Hopefully he is here for a long time and the Avs win many cups with him as HC.

He was close getting fired this season, but in the end, he made the second round of playoffs so he will be saved for the next season. Next season pressures higher, though. I expect a better position in the regular season and similar run in playoffs. No more playoff bubble team, but regular playoff team.
 
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expatriatedtexan

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He was close getting fired this season, but in the end, he made the second round of playoffs so he will be saved for the next season. Next season pressures higher, though. I expect a better position in the regular season and similar run in playoffs. No more playoff bubble team, but regular playoff team.
Source please....
 
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