Confirmed with Link: Boudreau fired; Evason interim head coach

[TaLoN]

Otherwise, putting on my tinfoil hat, it might be that Bruce wasn’t going to be coming back next season anyway, and Guerin didn’t want to risk our lottery pick.

This is a much more believable scenario than others are putting forward. Doesn't make sense otherwise to fire the coach that was getting the team the points in the stretch run.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

And yet, Evason iced the exact same lineup that produced the recent 7-3-1 streak.

I still can't connect that dot.

 

[AKL]

This is a much more believable scenario than others are putting forward. Doesn't make sense otherwise to fire the coach that was getting the team the points in the stretch run.

Guerin’s probably already had discussions with the league about fixing the draft to grant us Lafreniere or Stutzle for the Classic, but that can’t happen if we make the playoffs now can it?

 

[TaLoN]

And yet, Evason iced the exact same lineup that produced the recent 7-3-1 streak.

I still can't connect that dot.

Evason likely knows he's not going to be the long term answer... he's going to try to win for his own future's sake in another job down the line. That doesn't mean he's the same calibur coach even with the same lines though.

Late in the game they called a timeout...Evason didn't even seem to talk to the players to give instruction or anything...Bruce would've been directing traffic so to speak on the other hand.

 

[AKL]

And yet, Evason iced the exact same lineup that produced the recent 7-3-1 streak.

I still can't connect that dot.

Yeah that’s the confusing part for me too. I would expect to see changes on Wednesday, but who knows.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Evason likely knows he's not going to be the long term answer... he's going to try to win for his own future's sake in another job down the line. That doesn't mean he's the same calibur coach even with the same lines though.

Late in the game they called a timeout...Evason didn't even seem to talk to the players to give instruction or anything...Bruce would've been directing traffic so to speak on the other hand.

These two things are pretty contradictory.

It's usually not the head coach that does that stuff anyway.

 

[TaLoN]

These two things are pretty contradictory.

It's usually not the head coach that does that stuff anyway.

When a coach calls timeout, it's not the coach setting up the play? I know Lemaire did it every single time...Bruce as well... I have seen some others defer to an assistant, but Evason let the players do it, which was bizarre IMO.

I know those optically don't mesh, but I don't know how else to explain it. Evason isn't going to intentionally try to make himself look like a bad coach, is he? He's going to want another job. He knew the lines Bruce had were working.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

When a coach calls timeout, it's not the coach setting up the play? I know Lemaire did it every single time...Bruce as well... I have seen some others defer to an assistant, but Evason let the players do it, which was bizarre IMO.

I know those optically don't mesh, but I don't know how else to explain it. Evason isn't going to intentionally try to make himself look like a bad coach, is he? He's going to want another job. He knew the lines Bruce had were working.

Maybe I am mistaken but I have seen BB sit back and he had assistants drawing up plays not himself. You see it often in the NHL that someone else draws up plays for certain situations.

 

[MuckOG]

Maybe I am mistaken but I have seen BB sit back and he had assistants drawing up plays not himself. You see it often in the NHL that someone else draws up plays for certain situations.

My cynical side tells me that this was on purpose. It's Guerin's way (through Evason) of telling the players who didn't care for Boudreau that it's now on them and there is no one else to blame.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

My cynical side tells me that this was on purpose. It's Guerin's way (through Evason) of telling the players who didn't care for Boudreau that it's now on them and there is no one else to blame.

That could be some form of evil genius lol

 

[TaLoN]

Maybe I am mistaken but I have seen BB sit back and he had assistants drawing up plays not himself. You see it often in the NHL that someone else draws up plays for certain situations.

I think that did happen on occasion for defensive zone draws, but pretty sure at least offensively it was Bruce.

Either way though, completely bizarre having it be the players alone doing it.

 

[Bazeek]

Evason is an enigma. I get that the change was abrupt so I won't read too much into the first game, but if we go into Wednesday with the same lines... pretty odd. The late timeout also seemed strange just because he's been in charge of the powerplay all year.... you'd think he'd have some ideas in that situation.

Nothing to draw conclusions from, just odd. Especially from a guy that's been a head coach before and has been waiting for years to get a crack at it in the NHL.

 

[57special]

Evason is probably a competent hockey guy. I just have reservations about him because of how he got the assistant, and Head, coaching jobs here in MN.

 

[Uberdachen]

 

[TaLoN]

Evason is an enigma. I get that the change was abrupt so I won't read too much into the first game, but if we go into Wednesday with the same lines... pretty odd. The late timeout also seemed strange just because he's been in charge of the powerplay all year.... you'd think he'd have some ideas in that situation.

Nothing to draw conclusions from, just odd. Especially from a guy that's been a head coach before and has been waiting for years to get a crack at it in the NHL.

Evason calls timeout... everyone comes over to see what the plan is. He looks at them, says "..... yeah, I've got nothing." Players proceed to try to figure it out themselves.

 

[Drewcifer]

I think the most likely explanation for this firing, which we will never get in public, is that with Boudreau as coach this team might have made the playoffs, but Guerin would rather have the draft pick because he knows they are going nowhere with this line up.

 

[Bazeek]

Evason calls timeout... everyone comes over to see what the plan is. He looks at them, says "..... yeah, I've got nothing." Players proceed to try to figure it out themselves.

That's an order of magnitude weirder than the timing of Boudreau's firing. Definitely something to keep an eye on.

 

[Screaming Buffalo]

Here's my take on the firing:

Guerin is telling the players that it's up to them and he wants to see exactly what players he has going into the future. The experience/structure/protection of an experienced coach are gone. Firing Bruce now guarantees Guerin will learn something about this team in the final months, whether good or bad. There's only so much a coach can do, at some point the players need to motivate themselves. That's what Guerin is trying to figure out. If he had no intention of extending Bruce, makes sense to let him go now.

Evason is simply the guy who gets the title of "interim". IMO, Evason was told the same thing: its up to the players now (explanation for deferring to players late in Saturday's game). I bet Evason will take a hands-off approach all year (because that's what he was told to do). Win or lose, Guerin wants the rest of the season to be a productive building block for the future. Win some games, great. Build some "hope" for the future with the guys who are catalysts going forward and fill some gaps around them. Lose every game the rest of the season, great. Pick up a couple assets in the draft and do what you can to rebuild the roster.

 

[Bazeek]

Here's my take on the firing:

Guerin is telling the players that it's up to them and he wants to see exactly what players he has going into the future. The experience/structure/protection of an experienced coach are gone. Firing Bruce now guarantees Guerin will learn something about this team in the final months, whether good or bad. There's only so much a coach can do, at some point the players need to motivate themselves. That's what Guerin is trying to figure out. If he had no intention of extending Bruce, makes sense to let him go now.

Evason is simply the guy who gets the title of "interim". IMO, Evason was told the same thing: its up to the players now (explanation for deferring to players late in Saturday's game). I bet Evason will take a hands-off approach all year (because that's what he was told to do). Win or lose, Guerin wants the rest of the season to be a productive building block for the future. Win some games, great. Build some "hope" for the future with the guys who are catalysts going forward and fill some gaps around them. Lose every game the rest of the season, great. Pick up a couple assets in the draft and do what you can to rebuild the roster.

This is the direction I've been leaning as well, I'm just having a hard time seeing Evason agreeing to be this hands-off in what's his first NHL head coaching gig. He finally gets a chance to show a little bit of what he's capable of, and he's got to keep his hands behind his back? Oof.

Then again, it's not like he'd have much of a choice. And as ruthless as it is, Guerin wins pretty much no matter what. Team surges and makes the playoffs? Great! Team craters and finishes in the basement? Great! Team keeps floundering and finishes on the bubble? Not great, but at least he'll have a better idea of what he's really working with going into this summer.

We've said for years that this team teases and tricks you into thinking that they're more than they really are. This all looks a lot like an attempt to strip the illusions away.

 

[Screaming Buffalo]

This is the direction I've been leaning as well, I'm just having a hard time seeing Evason agreeing to be this hands-off in what's his first NHL head coaching gig. He finally gets a chance to show a little bit of what he's capable of, and he's got to keep his hands behind his back? Oof.

Then again, it's not like he'd have much of a choice. And as ruthless as it is, Guerin wins pretty much no matter what. Team surges and makes the playoffs? Great! Team craters and finishes in the basement? Great! Team keeps floundering and finishes on the bubble? Not great, but at least he'll have a better idea of what he's really working with going into this summer.

We've said for years that this team teases and tricks you into thinking that they're more than they really are. This all looks a lot like an attempt to strip the illusions away.

The bolded portion of your reply is exactly what I was trying to say with more words. Bruce makes player better, creates an illusion that they are better than they are. Which is a great characteristic for a coach but Guerin wants to see the players for what they are.

 

[Webster]

Boudreau didn't respect some of the veterans, it's as simple as that. It caused a lot of disturbance within the group, and now with the race for a playoff spot they just had to get rid of it.

 

[Bazeek]

Boudreau didn't respect some of the veterans, it's as simple as that. It caused a lot of disturbance within the group, and now with the race for a playoff spot they just had to get rid of it.

You can post this another 100 times and it will still be wrong.

There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Bill Guerin has spent the last year watching this team and come to the conclusion that, y'know what, we really need to reorient ourselves around 30+ year old players. This team's got bigger, more pressing concerns than Mats Zuccarello's or Zach Parise's or Eric Staal's ice time, and if that rubs anyone the wrong way? Line up and start signing those waivers, boys.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

I still think that if GMBG already knew that BB wasn’t coming back next year, why wait? Clearly he has been thinking about firing him for a few weeks as it is. Had he fired him 6 weeks ago, the timing wouldn’t look so odd. What he probably learned from this for the next time is don’t wait.

 

[Webster]

If the leadership group isn't going, nothing will. They have a lot of power, a coach is toast if they turn against him.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Did anyone actually read the article?

"...Boudreau said “it’s quite possible” the decreased ice time amidst the development of players like Kevin Fiala, Joel Eriksson Ek, Luke Kunin and Jordan Greenway were rubbing veterans the wrong way."

It's not like Suter would publicly call out the coaches for pairing him with Brodin? Or Parise and Suter would bring in another coach to work on the PP without telling anyone? It's not like there hasn't been speculation that the locker room isn't split or has been toxic in the past. It's not that Boudreau doesn't spend time in the locker room and knowing his team. Yeah, Boudreau is totally lying here when he says that the veterans weren't happy with how he was running the team.