Bryan Murray needs to step down as GM of the Senators.

[LetsGoBLUES91]

He should just for number 3. But if it makes him happy, I suppose he might as well.

I think I'd "let him go" or force his retirement if the owner has the heart to do it. I know that's a tough conversation.

 

[starling]

Everything that people are speculating about re: Melnyk, Murray's hands being tied, etc. is true.

FWIW.

Are they still yet to pay off your jersey design?

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Meh, Melnyk opens up his wallet when big names need to be re-signed. Macarthur, Ryan and Anderson all got good contracts.

The Sens are 30th out of 30th when it comes to payroll, so listing 3 guys who got paid at market doesn't hold much water IMO.

 

[frivolousz21]

Taking out health when he was born the Nazis still had complete control of Normandy.

How often are the full time active GMs in their mid 70s

 

[NyQuil]

Taking out health when he was born the Nazis still had complete control of Normandy.

You can hardly blame Bryan Murray for that.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

The Sens are 30th out of 30th when it comes to payroll, so listing 3 guys who got paid at market doesn't hold much water IMO.

The team is still rebuilding. They've completely replaced their core in the past 5 years, have the one of the two youngest teams in the league. They're not in a position to be contenders. That's the point.

If Melnyk isn't willing to shell out the coin for players like Hoffman, Stone, Ceci and Lazar when they come of age, then we have evidence that he's going to run a perpetual budget team.

He spent to the cap when the Sens were challenging for a cup. There is no evidence as of yet to suggest that he won't do it again when the time is right. Right now the time is clearly not right.

Fans have been preaching this budget thing and scapegoating the owner for so long that people seem to think its a fact at this point.

 

[NyQuil]

The last thing you want to do is throw money at guys like Leino and Ehrhoff the way Buffalo did.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

The last thing you want to do is throw money at guys like Leino and Ehrhoff the way Buffalo did.

Exactly. A team needs to use free agents to round out a team, not establish the core. Build from within, make some prudent trades and then plug holes with free agents when the team is on the verge.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

The Sens are 30th out of 30th when it comes to payroll, so listing 3 guys who got paid at market doesn't hold much water IMO.

Where should the Sens payroll be? We had prospect who needed spot. I know i wouldnt trade Stone, Hoffman or Boro for most of the UFAs that were available and willing to sign on a non contending team. Then you have Wier who looked like an NHLer and earned his contract before regressing. Cowen should have gotten more AHL time but his injury forced him into being an NHL sooner then he was ready. Lehner is better then most back up and is relatively cheap.

 

[Lord Moriarty007]

I blame the owners of the Sens more then Murray.

 

[HarrisonFord]

3 reasons.

1. He lowballed the franchise's all time best player out of town 2 years ago.

2. He has become a puppet for a miserable owner and the lying that goes along with that has tarnished his legacy in the game.

3. He's in the battle of his life with his health and one that he's not very likely to win. He needs to step away and take care of his health because the stress of running the sens can't be helping him.

I do wish him all the best in his fight but he needs to step down for the sake of his health and the future of the senators.

Agree or disagree?

I think I disagree with point 3. Hockey is very clearly his passion, and I would think that being the GM is actually going to have a net positive impact on him. Keeps him driven, keeps his mind off of the cancer, allows him to enjoy doing what he loves doing until he can't anymore.

You can hardly blame Bryan Murray for that.

 

[NyQuil]

Ultimately, fans pay lip-service to a rebuild but they don't like the look of it when it happens.

Turfing Spezza was the signal that this team was not interested in competing in the playoffs. You can make all kinds of arguments about "net positive" due to his defensive shortcomings, but ultimately he was a PPG center and team captain who is now plying his trade in Dallas.

Spezza knew what Alfredsson knew - that this team is too young and may be not talented enough (yet?) in the short-term to compete at an elite level.

They may make the playoffs anyway, if they play a hell of a lot better, but not with any kind of expectation of an extended run.

That's what I find so odd about the firing. Must be something I'm not aware of.

 

[Blind Gardien]

I think he can make up his own mind... if it's his desire to play out his remaining healthy(ish) months doing what he loves to do - and that's managing in the NHL - then that's entirely his call. I don't really imagine the Sens could ever "fire" him in these circumstances, but I'm sure they've had all kinds of internal discussions given those circumstances, and the guys like Dorion and Lee who would be next in line are suitably prepped and the whole thing is well-understood on an organizational level.

I'd say let Murray be, let them do their thing, they will anyway. They've had ample opportunity to figure it all out.

 

[icefists*]

Murray needed to go years ago,everyone who says Murray's hands are tied,its true that the last couple years they have been,but they haven't always been,and when they were not handcuffed he did not do any better.I think it is time for a new GM,but would like Murray to stick around as his drafting is very good.

 

[FireMurray]

3 reasons.

1. He lowballed the franchise's all time best player out of town 2 years ago.

2. He has become a puppet for a miserable owner and the lying that goes along with that has tarnished his legacy in the game.

3. He's in the battle of his life with his health and one that he's not very likely to win. He needs to step away and take care of his health because the stress of running the sens can't be helping him.

I do wish him all the best in his fight but he needs to step down for the sake of his health and the future of the senators.

Agree or disagree?

100% agree. If this was a serious franchise they would've fired him after he went through his third coach but alas here we are. Considering his health circumstances the respectable thing would be to ask him to step aside. Funny thing is local media has never ever held him to account. Not now and not prior to his illness. Only in Ottawa can a guy run through 4 coaches he handpicked himself and never get questioned about his accountability for them.

 

[NyQuil]

100% agree. If this was a serious franchise they would've fired him after he went through his third coach but alas here we are. Considering his health circumstances the respectable thing would be to ask him to step aside. Funny thing is local media has never ever held him to account. Not now and not prior to his illness. Only in Ottawa can a guy run through 4 coaches he handpicked himself and never get questioned about his accountability for them.

I was wondering which side of the fence you would fall on in this thread.

 

[Satoru Gojo]

I have a feeling he'll retire at the end of the season, I think will see Shero and Bylsma coming in for 2015-2016.

 

[nwaZ*]

Not a fan of walking dead's having such instrumental roles in an organization. I don't understand why they're willing to take on such a stressful part. From either side.

 

[FireMurray]

You don't know the Murrays well if you think any of them ever step down. Murray will be in Ottawa throwing players, coaches and media under the bus until the cows come home. Lifetime position.

You get it. If there's anything that has been consistent in Ottawa since 2007 it's Murray throwing people under the bus and maintaining 100% immunity despite it.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

He's a good GM imo, most of his big "mistakes" have been out of his hands. He's always drafting quality players, and actually tries to address his teams problems without taking unnecessary risks. I disagreed with the firing yesterday, but I don't think it was his decision.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Actually, Dorion is already doing a lot of the day-to-day GMs work.

And Melynk is absolutely the guy to point fingers at for the problems on this team. Sure, you will have a smaller payroll when you have a bunch of kids, but if you want the kids to develop properly, you need to open up the wallet and pay for some quality vets. Once the kids have matured, the vets can be traded (or their contracts expire) and you free up the cash for the new core. The "low payroll because of the kids" is not an excuse.

Melynk is making a nice profit with this team. Sadly, he is not reinvesting it on the ice.

 

[Laphroaig]

You don't know the Murrays well if you think any of them ever step down. Murray will be in Ottawa throwing players, coaches and media under the bus until the cows come home. Lifetime position.

So true and so sad.

 

[jferguson]

Give it a few more months.

 

[Vaclav Varada]

Hockey is pretty much the only thing Murray has left in his life. If he steps away I doubt he makes is much past Xmas. His whole life has been hockey, and it will be hockey until the unfortunate day he passes away. He needs his job to help him right now more then ever.

 

[Pyrophorus]

You really think another GM would have done better in his situation in the last few years?

He's worked with an incredibly tight budget, and done very well with it. Alfie leaving? Blame ownership. Spezza leaving? Blame Spezza/coaching/ownership.

Then the good. He got Ryan to resign. His drafting's been good. His resignings/contract management has been good to great(Anderson contract in question imo). MacLean hiring look like a genius not too long ago because of him, and now fired him at the right time rather than let them linger into another failing season before establishing a new coach too late.

Step down? Come on now. You are highly likely downgrading in GM if he steps down now. Honest question, what the hell do you think a new GM will do in the next 2yrs that Murray wouldn't to make this team "that" much better? Seriously what?

I think he's done a fine job, with the constraints he has had.

It may sound ghoulish and indelicate, but I hope the search is on, for his replacement.
Very tough. not just because of health, but because of someone who has done so well, with so little.