Confirmed with Link: Guerin named GM

[chchelseII]

First test: Sign or trade Spurgeon
Second test: Sign Fiala
Third test: Sign JEE

1st:incomplete
2nd:incomplete
3rd: F (caught cheating off another's work)

 

[Sleestak Nation]

I was good with him, Mellanby or Hextall.

Onward ...

 

[OmazingGrace]

So much negativity in here. Give him a season, Jesus.

 

[BagHead]

Cool, we know basically nothing about how good he'll be. I hope he's good.

 

[grN1g]

A players GM, who likely sold CL on winning with Parise and Suters contracts. congrats to him but expect the same old routine.

 

[Webster]

Cool, we know basically nothing about how good he'll be. I hope he's good.

He should be pretty good and has a great personality, according to Pittsburgh GM and Crosby. They said Guerin was a huge factor when they won the cup two years in a row. Sounds like Leipold picked the best guy available.

 

[TheSauceBoss]

Anything is better than Fenton. Was hoping for either Guerin or Hextall. So *thumbs up* from me.

 

[MK9]

That is quite the picture.

He looks like Schwartzenegger at the end of Total Recall when he's dying in the vacuum of Mars.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

I’m very interested to get an idea of what billy’s Plan is

 

[thestonedkoala]

So much negativity in here. Give him a season, Jesus.

The negativity is based on Guerin's history as an AGM and a lot of us are wary of hiring yet another first time GM. Between hearing that he had a lot of influence on Rutherford and his trades to not understanding AHL veteran rules, there is a lot to be concerned about. I will say though that he does have connections and the NHL is definitely an ol' boys club, so that'll help. But I'd rather have had a guy with a bit more of a pedigree this time around than another first timer.

 

[dBoon]

Thankfully, looks don't win championships:

 

[Minnesnota]

4-t4-time Cup winner? How many as a player?

He won twice as a player, in 1995 with the Devils and 2009 with the Penguins.

 

[WILDTATE10]

I’m good with this hire. Him or Mellanby were my preferred choices out of the candidates we interviewed.

Tough task ahead Billy! Best of luck!

 

[Slow Motion]

If nothing else, based on the posts thus far, he has the benefit of low expectations .

 

[Nordiques1979]

Wait and see, Mellanby would have been a great pick personally.

 

[NonsenseElimination]

Scratching my head about this hire. Another rookie GM when we just fired one way in over his head?

 

[gphr513]

Scratching my head about this hire. Another rookie GM when we just fired one way in over his head?

I don't hate the idea of hiring another rookie GM. I don't necessarily think you always have to go the opposite of what you just did, and go with a retread GM like Hextall or some of the others who interviewed. If they truly think this guy can do the job, I'll give him a shot.

Maybe a little too much rope to give them, given how disastrous their last hire was, but I've always been an optimist, I guess.

 

[Northerner]

The reason people are standoffish about him is: hockey players aren't terribly well known for being geniuses...lol. Too many pucks to the head, I suspect.


Of course Guerin was a great player but two years at Boston College doesn't equate to "genius" in any way.

He won twice as a player, in 1995 with the Devils and 2009 with the Penguins.

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[Uberdachen]

I’m very interested to get an idea of what billy’s Plan is

15 beers at Chili's
Something
Something
Barf in the Cup



I kind of hope I don't ever know anything about him beyond this one picture.

 

[Bazeek]

I'm real hesitant to equate years spent in college to intelligence, especially for a pro hockey player. There are plenty of idiots with masters degrees running around.

This is the sort of job where you never know how someone will do until they do it, especially from the outside. Fenton had all the credentials to be good at the job and we know how that went. I'm not sure how many years Yzerman spent in school, but he seems to be doing just fine in the captain's chair. And I'm willing to bet that memories of barely missing out on Yzerman when Fletcher was hired were running through Leipold's mind during this process, too.

I'll go with cautious optimism until he starts making mistakes, with the expectation that he's bound to make a few in the next year.

 

[Wild11MN]

Scratching my head about this hire. Another rookie GM when we just fired one way in over his head?

What experienced GM would you want? Most of the guys available were widely disliked by their previous fanbase.

 

[DANOZ28]

im fine with billy. atleast he has winning culture in his blood. I think he'll be better than fenton & fletch. not sure if he can perform miracles.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I'm real hesitant to equate years spent in college to intelligence, especially for a pro hockey player. There are plenty of idiots with masters degrees running around.

This is the sort of job where you never know how someone will do until they do it, especially from the outside. Fenton had all the credentials to be good at the job and we know how that went. I'm not sure how many years Yzerman spent in school, but he seems to be doing just fine in the captain's chair. And I'm willing to bet that memories of barely missing out on Yzerman when Fletcher was hired were running through Leipold's mind during this process, too.

I'll go with cautious optimism until he starts making mistakes, with the expectation that he's bound to make a few in the next year.

About as reasoned and rational a take as we deserve. Guerin got two strong letters of recommendation from guys who do know what it takes to do the job. A job of which a large part is personality, a considerable part is experience within the hockey world, and a smaller part is pure luck in player procurement.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the "Four Cups" thing but it's obviously preferably to Fenton's zero. Now it's all about whether he can actually find personnel to help a guy navigate CBA issues, new barbells, facilities, analytics, etc.

I think this is the perfect situation for a young GM. A team with a tiny crack in the contention window. I'd prefer tanking for a 2020 pick, maybe Mr Guerin will feel the same come Christmas, meaning the Wild get futures for Parise, Spurgeon, Koivu, Staal, etc. He's certainly not getting fired next summer if it goes wrong.

 

[TaLoN]

What the Wild are getting in Bill Guerin, according to those...

 

[Randy Butternubs]