Speculation: Fire Bylsma/Shero? We are asking the wrong question

[JimmyTwoTimes]

I think Bylsma will be good somewhere else. He will finally change the things that we've always wanted him to, it taking him to lose his job to do so.

The thing I'm still upset with is they had a chance to fire him when we went cold after the Olympics. His coaching for team USA was a carbon copy of the previous 4 years in Pitt . They could've realized that and parted ways, giving this team the spark they needed. I realize so much goes on behind the scenes that we don't know about , but for them to believe he could get the job done in these playoffs is what's most troubling. It was painfully obvious for people on here , yet it took blowing a 3-1 series lead for them to see it. That doesn't bode well.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

That's why I suggested the Canes, they're not overly skilled outside of Eric and Skinner, Jordan....meh...

Jordan Staal: What the **** do I need to do to get away from this guy? He is part of the reason why I left in the first place.

 

[Riptide]

edit: Should be good to go. Any problems please PM me

Any problems... or ones just with the thread... because I happen to have this suspicious growth on my...

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

One newspaper in Edmonton thinks he should be hired there:

If the Pittsburgh Penguins fire Dan Bylsma, the Edmonton Oilers should hire him

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/20...n-bylsma-the-edmonton-oilers-should-hire-him/

After reading that, Boyd Gordon is doing jumping jacks at the prospect of all that new ice time, and Ryan Smyth is contemplating his decision to retire.

Meanwhile, Hall, Eberle, RNH, and Yakupov are anxiously dialing their agents to discuss whether they want to remain Oilers for much longer.

 

[Freeptop]

People expected this to occur before the players had their interviews and exited?

Any reasonable person would know that even if they decided after game 5 to fire one or both of Disco and Shero, they wouldn't announce anything until Friday at the earliest. Likely Monday.

It'll be Friday. Why do I say this?

"We find it's always better to fire people on a Friday. Studies have statistically shown that there's less chance of an incident if you do it at the end of the week."

 

[thegr8one66]

Dan Byslma is a good coach. He's intelligent, positive and brought a fresh new coaching style to the league. He won a Stanley Cup, and Jack Adams trophy, and was selected to Coach Team USA at the Olympics.

If I'm EDM, I wouldn't mind have someone like that behind the bench.

I know some believe he should have made adjustments during the playoffs. But maybe he did. Maybe the players just didn't execute properly. I'm positive it's a bit of both.

Essentially, every coach is hired to be fired. It's not that he's a bad coach, it's just that the team environment needed a shake up. People can bash him all they want, but he's not the one on the ice that's not back-checking, just floating around, not putting in a full team defensive effort or doing absolutely whatever it takes to win (like MTL, CHI, LA do).

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Dan Byslma is a good coach. He's intelligent, positive and brought a fresh new coaching style to the league. He won a Stanley Cup, and Jack Adams trophy, and was selected to Coach Team USA at the Olympics.

If I'm EDM, I wouldn't mind have someone like that behind the bench.

I know some believe he should have made adjustments during the playoffs. But maybe he did. Maybe the players just didn't execute properly. I'm positive it's a bit of both.

Essentially, every coach is hired to be fired. It's not that he's a bad coach, it's just that the team environment needed a shake up. People can bash him all they want, but he's not the one on the ice that's not back-checking, just floating around, not putting in a full team defensive effort or doing absolutely whatever it takes to win (like MTL, CHI, LA do).

Great coach my ass...
What forced him to use Tanner Glass and Craig Adams like superstars during the entire season??
Why was Dupuis tied to Crosby's hip when Iginla came on board??

When Bennett was scratched in favor of Glass in game 7, you knew DB was making a statement and going out as DB.

He's likely to move all the young players on Edmonton to the minors and replace them with grinders. No, he needs to got a less talented heart and soul team. I really think he'll do well with that type of team under his belt.

 

[joeyjake5]

Both must go.

DB for the stretch pass offense that the opposing teams can shut down. DB does not come up with any alternatives when the stretch pass isn't working.. The PP which has no front net presence. Copy the Flies or Bruins PP. On the PK, reliance on Scuds, Orpik and Adams as your top PKers. And not sending out somebody to take care of Dubinsky, Moore and Staal who man-handled Sid.

RS for mis-handling the Cap, bad drafting, bad trades and bad player evaluation.
Scuds contract and bad play is reason enough. Letang's contract. Resigning Adams. Not getting Saad in the 2nd round. Offering two #2s for Murray. The Morrow trade. Not resigning Nisky for an affordable price when you had the chance. Structuring a team with not grit.

If either one stays, this team will be in the same situation next year as it right now.

 

[joeyjake5]

Totally agree with all of this. I was a Shero supporter for years. Then, last TDL, he paid high prices for garbage players (Morrow and Murray). I mean really, think about that. TWO 2nd's for Murray? This was massive overpayment both at the time and in retrospect. This is a guy who, after the year was out, could only get a 1 year deal for 1.5 million -- that's how little he is regarded by GMs around the league.

Shero's explanation -- "I don't set the prices around the league" -- was nauseating. Yeah, I don't set the price that Chipotle charges either Ray, but if they wanted fifty bucks for a burrito I'd leave the store.

Long story short, what I was BANKING on with Shero was that he had a great insight to all of these PMD's, and that, over time, he was going to raise their value appropriately and sell them off a-la Whitney and Gogo. Even without getting INSANE return-on-investment for them, I figured he'd be able to flip a young legit top-4d prospect for a young legit top-6 wing prospect without much difficulty. But yeah, it's become apparent that that was never really the plan, and that he has 0 talent for asset management. There's NO excuse for not playing Despres in the big show this season -- we need to know what we have in him, trial by fire sort of thing, and we're not figuring that out in the AHL. Same with Borts, even. I mean hell, look at Lovejoy's statline out in Anaheim. What more can you say about Ray? Just ugh, man. Ugh. I thought you had a vision, but you were just an empty suit the whole time.

So true.
RS had five years to get another cup. He failed, he is responsible for the construction of this team. As it stands now, the Pens are not a Cup contender for next year. Do you want to Give RS another shot after failing for five years.

 

[ozpensfan]

Ray Shero has left more holes in this ship then the titanic - Grossly overpaid for vets at deadline and with re-signing.

Vanek -An outside prospect and a 3rd round pick

Gaborik - Fratton and a condition pick

Mouslon + McCormick - 2 x 2nd round picks

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

...don't forget Hemsky...

 

[Darth Vitale]

The Edmonton article is a laugher. Pretty clear that moron never watches Bylsma coach / just looks at regular season stats and awards.

 

[ozpensfan]

Also hate the fact that we give up these assets / picks just to let them walk. Surely we could have kept Morrow around for 1.5 million for some grit and extra punch

Mason Raymond - Had to go through a PTO and ends up having a pretty good year signed to league minimum

 

[mrzeigler]

I am SO looking forward to the reaction to the introduction of new Penguins GM Pierre McGuire.

 

[mrzeigler]

Great coach my ass...
What forced him to use Tanner Glass and Craig Adams like superstars during the entire season??
Why was Dupuis tied to Crosby's hip when Iginla came on board??

When Bennett was scratched in favor of Glass in game 7, you knew DB was making a statement and going out as DB.

He's likely to move all the young players on Edmonton to the minors and replace them with grinders. No, he needs to got a less talented heart and soul team. I really think he'll do well with that type of team under his belt.

Not to defend Bylsma (I'm tired of him, too), but I'd say that what forced him to use Glass and Adams like superstars were the injuries/suspensions to Malkin, Neal, Dupuis, Bennett, Sill Megna, etc. Although Bylsma certainly loves Adams, you have to acknowledge that more than a few lineup decisions were prompted by the injury situation. Even if a coach hated Adams, the fact that he was healthy enough to play 82 games this season pretty much guaranteed that he would see a decent amount of ice time. Would you rather have them pull up Kobasew from WB? Give more time to Taylor Pyatt?

Sort this years Pens stats by games played, which is a fairly good indicator of games healthy. Had our skilled players been available for more games this season, it's likely that Adams wouldn't have averaged his 12:27 of ice time nor Glass his 11:47. More robust/consistent top lines means would have meant that those healthy role players wouldn't have had their roles enhanced.

And it's likely the latest writst-surgery announcement regarding Bennett contributed to him not playing in Game 7. I'm not assuming Bennett couldn't have played that game, but I will assume that the problem with his wrist limited his effectiveness — was it Game 5 or 6, or both, in which he was terrible? — and made DB more likely to scratch him even if BB said he could play.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I am SO looking forward to the reaction to the introduction of new Penguins GM Pierre McGuire.

Haha, it would be SO Pierre to stab his buddy Shero in the back like that.

 

[Gooch]

I am SO looking forward to the reaction to the introduction of new Penguins GM Pierre McGuire.

At least we know he wouldnt hate youth.

I never really hated Pierre like most people seem to. He seems to really know his **** and has a genuine passion for the game. He just gets into a creepy mode and stands really close to people. Subban kissing him the other night was hilarious.

 

[ADifferentTim]

I was just watching First Take and saw the ESPN ticker, "Penguins to fire Dan Bylsma and GM Ray Shero."

 

[Frederick Stanley]

I think I can close this now.