Confirmed with Link: Caps clean house: McPhee gone, Oates gone

[g00n]

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

Well it could be a lot of things. He could be talking about Ovie, or something with Ted, or Oates, or Patrick. If he's saying "the issue" and talking about pointing fingers it's probably one of those guys or some dynamic between two of them.

My guess is it's a jab at Oates, and XGMGM is lamenting that he let go of so much control over the team, which ultimately cost him his job. Remember, XGMGM was giving Oates players and Oates was going mad scientist, either misusing them or not using them at all. It looked like Oates was TRYING to get everyone fired, which he ultimately did.

 

[Hivemind]

Apparently McPhee turned down a job offer this summer to be with his family. The year's worth of severance pay from the Capitals probably didn't hurt, either.

McPhee did have a very good job opportunity this summer but decided this was a year to re-connect with this family.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...-shero-refreshed-and-ready-to-be-back-in-game

 

[Capitlols]

Severance pay? Didn't his contract run out? Wasn't he technically not even fired?

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

Severance pay? Didn't his contract run out? Wasn't he technically not even fired?

He got 1 year of salary for 17 years of work for the Capitals. My Boss has done something similar in the past.

Don't go away mad, money.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The fact that he knew what was wrong (defense) and didn't fix it makes me very angry that he wasn't gone sooner. He pretty much admitted to wasting a few years of prime Ovie because he was too arrogant to make moves to fix his roster.

 

[Hivemind]

The fact that he knew what was wrong (defense) and didn't fix it makes me very angry that he wasn't gone sooner. He pretty much admitted to wasting a few years of prime Ovie because he was too arrogant to make moves to fix his roster.

That there have been at least four different posts (mostly in the roster building thread) discussing that quote, and each of them have taken a different stance on what McPhee was referring to amuses me greatly.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Maybe he's talking about the D? Hoping Carlzner grow into #1s and that the Hershey D kids grow into NHLers?

 

[txpd]

my take is that he is talking about young players that he expected to fill needs that for one reason or another didn't. He could be pointing a finger at Kuznetsov who could have been a solution to something years ago.

It could be that he wanted to trade Alzner and Varly for Pronger and Leonsis said no. Its really hard to know.

 

[txpd]

That there have been at least four different posts (mostly in the roster building thread) discussing that quote, and each of them have taken a different stance on what McPhee was referring to amuses me greatly.

McPhee is good about not saying a lot when he doesn't want to. Or in this case saying just enough. He clearly does not want us to know WHO he might be pointing a finger at.

oh....not too long ago someone called me out for McPhee not being hired yet. now we know why.

 

[g00n]

McPhee is good about not saying a lot when he doesn't want to. Or in this case saying just enough. He clearly does not want us to know WHO he might be pointing a finger at.

oh....not too long ago someone called me out for McPhee not being hired yet. now we know why.

Riiiiight. If he were offered a GM job in the NHL, you think he would have turned it down for a year of "family time"? Even as he's ramping up his hockey activity just a few months later and before the season starts?

He's saying all the right things and trying to get his name out there while floating the "I know what I did wrong and it wasn't my fault" suggestion. He and Shero are both putting their names into the minds of owners for when things go sour this season. He's not turning down all these great jobs you thought he was going to get thrown at him.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

McPhee is good about not saying a lot when he doesn't want to. Or in this case saying just enough. He clearly does not want us to know WHO he might be pointing a finger at.

oh....not too long ago someone called me out for McPhee not being hired yet. now we know why.

We know jack really. "a very good offer" could mean anything from Dir of Player Personnel to Assistant GM, and CERTAINLY it didn't mean a GM position or he wouldn't be taking a year off. To me this says nothing more than "sure Caps, I'll take the free $ and wait another year for a GM spot to open".

We've always known that he's got ties with Burke and some others around the league. We've also always known that the guy isn't an idiot and could probably go to a place like Winnipeg and turn the franchise around. It's not like he sucked, he was just too arrogant and thought he was smarter than everyone. I hope in his year off he learns a little humility. It will serve him well in his next job.

 

[txpd]

I know...I should know better.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

That there have been at least four different posts (mostly in the roster building thread) discussing that quote, and each of them have taken a different stance on what McPhee was referring to amuses me greatly.

Can you point out what posts you're talking about? The roster building thread's last post was yesterday, and this article with the referenced quote just posted this afternoon.

 

[Hivemind]

Can you point out what posts you're talking about? The roster building thread's last post was yesterday, and this article with the referenced quote just posted this afternoon.

Sorry, it was the Training Camp Thread. My mistake. Specifically, these posts:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90209147&postcount=173
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90209519&postcount=176
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90209763&postcount=177
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90213453&postcount=179

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Sorry, it was the Training Camp Thread. My mistake. Specifically, these posts:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90209147&postcount=173
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90209519&postcount=176
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90209763&postcount=177
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=90213453&postcount=179

Don't know how I missed those, thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Langway]

McPhee is good about not saying a lot when he doesn't want to. Or in this case saying just enough. He clearly does not want us to know WHO he might be pointing a finger at.

...just that he does point that finger internally.

I would guess it's about ownership interference both recently and over the years. In reality he came up short in a number of management areas to the point where I don't think a single position or hire could be it unless he's deluding himself. The suggestion that ownership hired Oates may have been the moment when the writing was on the wall. There wasn't much organizational cohesion beyond that point (not that it was any good post-BB and pre-Oates anyway). They should have just fired him post-Dale if they had no confidence in his direction. Even if ownership was a big factor over the years, he certainly could have done way more in smaller but nonetheless impactful areas.

 

[swimmer77]

Nice to see McPhee enjoying his time with family. I wish him the best of luck.

I never could bring myself to criticize him too much without knowing the dynamics of the GM / Owner relationship.