Confirmed with Link: Canucks interested in hiring Michael Futa ( Management)

[F A N]

I like Hextall as a draft and develop guy. Jury is still out as to whether he could put together a winning team but I generally like his philosophy.

I don't know much about Futa besides his resume. I have no issues with adding him to the management team. The guy clearly has GM aspirations and I am not a fan of him in that capacity. He reminds me of those overrated Leafs AGMs under Burke/Nonis.

I disagree with those who think he's any sort of upgrade over Benning because of "resume." He was "co-Director" of Amateur Scouting during the Kings' Cup winning years. His AGM years coincided with the Leafs descent to the bottom. Looking back, Owen Sound had a good regular season here and there but wasn't close to winning anything. It's a huge downgrade if the Canucks had wanted Lombardi and then settled for Futa.

 

[Fatass]

I still want Hextall. Proven builder and would have the guts to tell Aqua where to go when Aqua tries to interfere.

Whoever we hire has to be at least as good at managing up as they are down.

Would Aquaman hire a guy who tells him the truth, and not just what he wants to hear though? As soon as Gillis disagreed with Aquilini’s ideas, he was gone. Linden disagrees, and he’s gone too. Benning is a “yes sir boss” guy. He’s the Lamb-chops to Sherry Lewis.

 

[Fatass]

I like Hextall as a draft and develop guy. Jury is still out as to whether he could put together a winning team but I generally like his philosophy.

I don't know much about Futa besides his resume. I have no issues with adding him to the management team. The guy clearly has GM aspirations and I am not a fan of him in that capacity. He reminds me of those overrated Leafs AGMs under Burke/Nonis.

I disagree with those who think he's any sort of upgrade over Benning because of "resume." He was "co-Director" of Amateur Scouting during the Kings' Cup winning years. His AGM years coincided with the Leafs descent to the bottom. Looking back, Owen Sound had a good regular season here and there but wasn't close to winning anything. It's a huge downgrade if the Canucks had wanted Lombardi and then settled for Futa.

Is Futa a “yes” man? Maybe Lombardi isn’t?

 

[I am toxic]

i think it would be totally fair to ask a lifer hockey guy like benning to assess transaction "x" and why it went well or not, and let them explain it in their own words, but to use economics jargon that is frequently misunderstood by laypeople is a patronizing gotcha move.

This is a near-billion dollar enterprise.

My god.

 

[I am toxic]

Lol. This is a $700m business not Home Depot.

Ah, you beat me to it.

eta:kruts must be trollin', boy, sure got me

 

[F A N]

Is Futa a “yes” man? Maybe Lombardi isn’t?

Bet he says "yes" if he gets to be GM.

 

[I am toxic]

Sadly, I think you're right. He might have heard the term, but I doubt whether he could explain it.

Most people here still can't wrap their minds around the likelihood that the opportunity cost for JT Miller was a lottery pick.

Unless of course they believe we would have made the playoffs without ever having Miller on the squad last season. But given that it took a once in a lifetime pandemic to squeak into the playoffs, I don't think anyone is going to embarrass themselves by admitting to thinking that.

 

[Fatass]

Bet he says "yes" if he gets to be GM.

Yup. But, if Benning is President, would Futa be leapfrogging Wisebrod?

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Yup. But, if Benning is President, would Futa be leapfrogging Wisebrod?

Weisbord can be an admin assistant.

 

[Fatass]

Weisbord can be an admin assistant.

Is that the “I’ll get the Timmy’s” guy?

 

[RandV]

wouldn't he have to be GM or higher? anything lower and why does LA let him go?

re: the bolded, a familiar occurrence with both benning and aqualini. some combo of lack of communication, inconsistency, and bickering between them and their employees about rank and responsibility.

I'm only speculating based on random tidbits I've seen here and there but I suspect there was some minor shenanigans in play. Futa was a long time assistant to Lombardi who seemed to be getting groomed to eventually take over, I think even turning down opportunities with other teams to wait for his time in LA. Then finally Lombardi's gone and the Kings promote... Rob Blake to the GM role. Futa left the organization shortly after that.

So it really seems like for years the organization plan was to have Futa replace Lombardi when he retired, but when the time actually came ownership decided they liked Rob Blake better.

 

[CantStoptheBrock]

Most people here still can't wrap their minds around the likelihood that the opportunity cost for JT Miller was a lottery pick.

Most people here still can't wrap their minds around the opportunity cost of not acquiring JT Miller.

The problem with importing a concept from a field that is totally empirical, finance and economics, to a field significantly impacted by intangibles and uncertainty, team sports, is that the concept becomes so open as to what subjectively constitutes "cost" or "value" as to become virtually unusable.

In fact, most economics professors make this point on day one of their courses, in terms of the dangers of over-applying concepts rooted in a specific field to all fields of life, i.e. breaking up with a girl or guy you love because of opportunity cost. It's akin to analyzing why you fell in love according to Newton's law of gravity.

While economics and finance have definite values, represented by money, life and hockey have more ambiguous values that individuals and organizations need to establish for themselves. In this way, one person or organization's opportunity cost is not the same as another's, making it a subjective, rather than scientific, mode of analysis.

 

[F A N]

I'm only speculating based on random tidbits I've seen here and there but I suspect there was some minor shenanigans in play. Futa was a long time assistant to Lombardi who seemed to be getting groomed to eventually take over, I think even turning down opportunities with other teams to wait for his time in LA. Then finally Lombardi's gone and the Kings promote... Rob Blake to the GM role. Futa left the organization shortly after that.

So it really seems like for years the organization plan was to have Futa replace Lombardi when he retired, but when the time actually came ownership decided they liked Rob Blake better.

The "plan" was in place when the Kings were fresh off their 2nd Cup victory. It was downhill for the Kings from there and Futa, not having managed to secure a GM position, lost his lustre.

 

[Melvin]

Hire a PHO you fools.

 

[vanuck]

I remember being excited the last time we hired a "draft guy" in Benning for a management job. Having learned my lesson, I'd be very curious to know what kind of role he'd be filling and perhaps even more importantly his all-around intelligence and philosophy to building contenders.

 

[Fatass]

Most people here still can't wrap their minds around the opportunity cost of not acquiring JT Miller.

The problem with importing a concept from a field that is totally empirical, finance and economics, to a field significantly impacted by intangibles and uncertainty, team sports, is that the concept becomes so open as to what subjectively constitutes "cost" or "value" as to become virtually unusable.

In fact, most economics professors make this point on day one of their courses, in terms of the dangers of over-applying concepts rooted in a specific field to all fields of life, i.e. breaking up with a girl or guy you love because of opportunity cost. It's akin to analyzing why you fell in love according to Newton's law of gravity.

While economics and finance have definite values, represented by money, life and hockey have more ambiguous values that individuals and organizations need to establish for themselves. In this way, one person or organization's opportunity cost is not the same as another's, making it a subjective, rather than scientific, mode of analysis.

I don’t know what any of this means. But the fact is we gave up a first (without Miller it’s likely a top ten pick, who would be in our lineup just about when Miller is a UFA and leaving) for Miller and he’s shocked we are wasting at least a year of his time with us by not resigning our top three UFAs. So we go backwards this year, and next. Then there’s one year left with Miller. We would have been way better off with that first then. Going backwards now is just bad, considering we gave up so much to get Miller.

 

[Bubbles]

If my memory is correct, he was a top candidate for vacant GM jobs about 5 years ago. Not sure what he's been up to since.

 

[F A N]

Yup. But, if Benning is President, would Futa be leapfrogging Wisebrod?

Weisbrod would be made Chief General Manager.

 

[racerjoe]

Not gonna lie, I was okay with Benning lol. I think my top choice was McNabb from Anaheim, apparently has a great eye for talent.

My idea was to have more of a great talent evaluator paired with an analytical guy and a cap/contract specialist so that they could all complement each other. Whenever the analytical guy and talent evaluator both liked a player that was available via free agency, trade or waivers, they’d target the player at a reasonable cost. And of course the contract specialist or capologist would handle contracts and keep the other two informed about the team’s cap situation in both the short term and long term.

Easier said than done of course, because the GM would have to have faith in the other two and be willing to accept their evaluations. That’s not easy to do when you’re technically the head guy and really like a player that your assistant GM is not a fan of.

My entire philosophy has changed in the mind boggling time we have had Benning here. I would really like to get a great team of managers here. Gillis in an interview talked about this if anyone remembers. Have one guy at the top, and then an assistant for the Cap, and assistant for prospects, one for development, and so on. Name them all GM's if that helps, I don't think it matters, but have guys that specialize in a certain field, that know one area and are in charge of it. Currently you have too many guys who take part in so many aspects of the team, its hard to wonder if they are good at any part of it.

I still want Hextall. Proven builder and would have the guts to tell Aqua where to go when Aqua tries to interfere.

Whoever we hire has to be at least as good at managing up as they are down.

He is another guy I would want to talk to.

I just know now, it is so hard to say as a fan you want guy X cause we know so little about how they would try and build a team.

 

[lawrence]

I welcome a change right now no joke but our season just started ? If so maybe Jb is reaching out to him for a director of amateur scouting position to replace bracket?

I personally think the Canucks want's him him in our organization. Taking a chapter out of the Leafs poaching other under contract staff from other teams. I think maybe adding another assistant to Benning? I recall Mike Gillis had Lorne Henning and Lawrence Gillman as his assistance.

 

[lawrence]

Weisbrod would be made Chief General Manager.

assistant to the regional manager.

 

[PM]

i think it would be totally fair to ask a lifer hockey guy like benning to assess transaction "x" and why it went well or not, and let them explain it in their own words, but to use economics jargon that is frequently misunderstood by laypeople is a patronizing gotcha move.

Potential interns and entry level positions get asked questions like these nowadays. In the real world job positions are extremely competitive and interviews gruelling. The least we could do is set the same standard for the highest positions in one of the more valuable hockey franchises.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Most people here still can't wrap their minds around the opportunity cost of not acquiring JT Miller.

The problem with importing a concept from a field that is totally empirical, finance and economics, to a field significantly impacted by intangibles and uncertainty, team sports, is that the concept becomes so open as to what subjectively constitutes "cost" or "value" as to become virtually unusable.

In fact, most economics professors make this point on day one of their courses, in terms of the dangers of over-applying concepts rooted in a specific field to all fields of life, i.e. breaking up with a girl or guy you love because of opportunity cost. It's akin to analyzing why you fell in love according to Newton's law of gravity.

While economics and finance have definite values, represented by money, life and hockey have more ambiguous values that individuals and organizations need to establish for themselves. In this way, one person or organization's opportunity cost is not the same as another's, making it a subjective, rather than scientific, mode of analysis.

That seems like a really long winded way of saying that you personally don't believe opportunity cost can be applied to running a hockey team?

 

[David71]

Weisbord can be an admin assistant.

or weisbroid can be out the door?

 

[HedonisticAltruism]

[...] a field that is totally empirical, finance and economics, [...]

...I don't think you were paying close enough attention to your prof's then.

And there's absolutely no reason you can't apply opportunity costs to other aspects of life - the biggest challenge is if you're using the 'right' metrics and knowing the limitations of such analysis. There absolutely is an opportunity cost when breaking up too - why do so many people get stuck in dead-end marriages 'for the kids' or in abusive relationships? Comparing gravity to love is absurd as an analogy.

I can't believe you really think there's that strong of line between 'objective' and 'subjective' - this once was a billion dollar franchise and you think it comes down to subjective measurements enough to ignore concepts developed in a *social science* as is. I mean, if all of hockey is subjective, I guess goals, assists, wins, losses are all subjective, too right?