Confirmed with Link: Caps clean house: McPhee gone, Oates gone
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g00n
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- Nov 22, 2007
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That does help. I think what GMGM sees is a lot of offensive players have natural talents and a lot of self-directed learning by the time they reach a certain age and the elite scorers are typically rare. Part of that is due to the drive they have and their values. So that gets transformed into "you can't teach scoring" when the truth is "NHL level scoring talent is rare, it's easier to teach defense to cheap players".
He's been saying these things or variations on them for years. Just about everyone on the outside can see the weaknesses it's created. Yet in his mind the Caps were a few unlucky breaks short of being the Bruins, offensively competent and entertaining, and but for goaltending were just 3 points out of a playoff spot and primed for a Cup in 3 years rather than trending downward from their peak 4 years ago.
Again, I know he's trying to sell himself for a new job. But it's still the same crap he's spouted for years even when he had a secure job. He really believes it, imo.
Atlas
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- Sep 7, 2004
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McPhee deserves the blame. Ted deserves even more blame for allowing such mediocrity and dysfunction here.
Wasn't it pretty much confirmed they were in on Pronger, but didn't want to pay the (very high) cost? He also made an offer to Chara, whether it was high enough or not. Both those players are two-way defensemen with offensive skills central to their games. Both of them play/played on teams' #1 PP units. It just doesn't make any sense. You could say that's why he didn't go after other defensemen like Michalek or (thankfully) Volchenkov. Those quotes mean he should be very interested in players like Chara or Pronger.
g00n
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If he thinks you can teach anyone defense, why would he pay for it? McPhee would look at Chara and Pronger as too expensive based on their offensive numbers rather than invaluable based on their defensive ability with offensive upside. In fact, I think he lowballed them just for that reason: He never saw the expense for such players as justifiable even at market value.
Instead he would seek out mobile puck-movers or waiver wire projects with the belief that they could become solid defensively because defense is easy to learn and skill is uncoachable. At some point he got fixated on size as well so a guy like Schultz was a GMGM wet dream.
We have his own quotes over the years and his actions to go by. He believed defensive ability to be a throwaway skill teachable to anyone. It's why he never restocked the post-Finals defensive roster.
BobRouse
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There is no doubt there was interest.
But the question is "how much interest"? Those kinds of players do not come cheap whether in contract or acquisition cost.
In the end GMGM had a plan to build the team via young players mainly through the draft. He brought in some other guys here and there but he stuck with his philosophy which in the end didn't work out like he thought.
He overvalued his plan and undervalued what those kinds of guys could have brung to the team. Or in other words he didn't want to pay the price.
txpd
Registered User
its been pretty well confirmed that the caps would have traded Alzner or Carlson, Varly and a 1st for Pronger.
I would have done that at the time. Pronger had one run with the Flyers before injuries basically took him out. Who's to say that one season of Pronger was worth all that, but the Flyers did make the finals in the one run.
I would have done that at the time. Pronger had one run with the Flyers before injuries basically took him out. Who's to say that one season of Pronger was worth all that, but the Flyers did make the finals in the one run.
txpd
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Glad to know that at least one of us was in on the McPhee/Leonsis working relationship enough to know that it was McPhee with all the brilliant ideas and Leonsis who didn't care enough to do anything about it.
g00n
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Not sure if it was this thread but I've seen mention of GMGM's future prospects and whether he'd be snatched up by another team right away. This is the first rumor I've heard about him and it's not a GM job:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...le-out-of-mix--mcphee-on-radar-155918356.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...le-out-of-mix--mcphee-on-radar-155918356.html
How many GM spots have been open during the time McPhee has been unemployed that he may have had a shot at? Possibly 2 IMO, Calgary and maybe Vancouver.
Devil Dancer
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- Jan 21, 2006
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I wonder how that would work out for the Caps. Would GMGM be swayed by lingering resentment? I hope not.
Hivemind
We're Touched
Pretty sure we've had this conversation already this off-season. The only recently fired GM to already land a new job is Rutherford in his short-term gig in Pittsburgh. The only job that McPhee could really have competed for would be Calgary.
RandyHolt
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- Nov 3, 2006
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Agreed, which made the prediction even more laughable.
But how many assistant positions have been available? Sure he may be over qualified, but after being unemployed for X months, that loses significance. If he was that good, they land him a job and add the word executive or vice to the title.
It also seems teams are slowly starting to restructure front offices, and there may be more job openings than we are aware of. Heck, no one here even knew about BMac's existence, let alone his job title.
Heck it seems the league is inventing positions themselves. Director of player safety - its a PR stunt.
If players and agents hated him so much, I bet other front offices hated him as well.
Hivemind
We're Touched
What, in your opinion, constitutes a quick hire in the hockey executive world? Gone from one job and hired in the same off-season?
The director of player safety is the guy who doles out suspensions. It's the position recently vacated by Shanahan when he took over in Toronto, and Campbell before him.
The director of player safety is the guy who doles out suspensions. It's the position recently vacated by Shanahan when he took over in Toronto, and Campbell before him.
SimplySensational
Heard of Hough
Its not about resentment, its about him being forced to be hard on the Capitals, as if they haven't already been pretty hard on the Capitals.
g00n
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My concern with GMGM being in that position is that he tends to get into a bubble. I think they were like that before in Vancouver. Someone in a league-wide position needs to have his finger on the changing pulse of the entire league, day to day. Getting ideas stuck in your head and ignoring what's going on around you is probably not the best way to ensure player safety or adapt to the landscape when called for. Having a deadpan demeanor shouldn't be the only qualification for the job.
BobRouse
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McPhee is one smart dude and has a law degree. Maybe his philosophy about the value of Dmen isn't in line with what alot of us thought but he's bright nonetheless.
I suspect he would do great in that positon. Much better than that meat lunk Shanahan who hardly had an education. McPhee played in the league too and was about as tough as they came.
NobodyBeatsTheWiz
Happy now?
Spoiler Alert: The are a LOT of people who have law degrees that aren't particularly smart. It's not a hugely intelligence-intensive discipline.
(Apologies to any resident lawyers)
g00n
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artilector
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He's a fine hire for some struggling franchise that needs somebody with patience to slowly build up a team with incremental adjustments.
They just need to make sure they axe him as soon as they get to the "pretty good with lots of promise" stage.
They just need to make sure they axe him as soon as they get to the "pretty good with lots of promise" stage.
amjay13
Registered User
Any idea what GMGM is referring to here?
"I knew at the time what the issue was and I should have addressed it," McPhee said in diagnosing his last few years in Washington. "I was trying to be patient and hope things would work out. It’s easy in hindsight. But if I say anything else, then I’m pointing fingers, and I don’t want to do that."
http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...-shero-refreshed-and-ready-to-be-back-in-game
"I knew at the time what the issue was and I should have addressed it," McPhee said in diagnosing his last few years in Washington. "I was trying to be patient and hope things would work out. It’s easy in hindsight. But if I say anything else, then I’m pointing fingers, and I don’t want to do that."
http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...-shero-refreshed-and-ready-to-be-back-in-game
NobodyBeatsTheWiz
Happy now?
I'd guess that the core had gotten stale and complacent, but he wanted to let them play through it due to a misplaced sense of loyalty.
BrooklynCapsFan
No more choking!
HunterSThompson
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