Confirmed with Link: Guerin named GM

[absolute garbage]

I think part of the problem is that he's not just talking to the fans; he's talking to the players. Kicking off the pre-pre-season by lamenting the lack of talent on the team would be a little ham-fisted, even if it'd be cathartic for portions of the fanbase.

Hearing the same boilerplate statements at these pressers is boring, but they're the boilerplate for a reason: they don't limit his options by making public statements about what he's going to do. Even if he's pretty familiar with the team he likely doesn't have a firm grasp of what his options are. Spurgeon's a case in point: until he actually has a chance to talk to him I don't think Spurgeon himself knows what he's going to do, and the result of that conversation is going to affect Guerin's first year here substantially.

We won't know much about where his head is actually at until he makes some moves.

I mean, with that logic you could say he now kicked off the pre-pre-season by lamenting the lack of character on the team? I'm not expecting him to bash the players (I don't think he criticized the character of the group either by the way) or reveal his plans or anything, was just hoping a little more progressive outlook with some ideas about how he sees the team and the general strategy he might have. After all, you have a team that missed the playoffs last season with aging key players, bottom-tier forward group and little elite talent coming up. Even if you don't say it like that straight up, I just don't think that saying "we have everything here to succeed" is a good look either.

 

[P10p]

Watched the Guerin vids on Youtube as well and agree.

He seems like a more normal and reasonable person than Fenton, so that's nice I guess and I bet he's better at communicating and building relationships, but can't say that he instilled much confidence in me. He didn't really say anything worthwhile about the team. He did the exact same "well I have to evaluate things as we move forward" thing as Fenton did, which is absolutely perplexing to me as you'd imagine a guy who works in the NHL and is being hired the GM would already fully know what the team and the players are, the strengths and weaknesses and so for but apparently this is an impossible ask for new GMs. Seems like they are incapable of evaluating the team and its players unless they literally sit in the Wild executive suite under contract.

He also went on about the need for "character" and "sacrificing for the team", which is a very kind of traditional populist hockey jargon/rhetoric. I'm always waiting for a GM to say "well we need talent, our players need to be better than the opposition players", but for whatever reason that also seems to be an impossible ask. Does he at least internally realize that things like character and sacrifice are useless without talent? Not sure.

He kept saying how this team has everything to succeed, like a committed owner and a great fan base. Those things that Pittsburgh had as well. He didn't really talk about this one other important thing in order to have success, which is, you know, the roster. The players on the ice who in the end determine whether you win or lose. Was waiting for someone to ask him "you guys had Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh, you think that had anything to do with the success you had? We don't have those kind of centers here", but not this time at least.

Again, not a very confidence-inspiring start. No idea what he thinks about the team (or if he thinks anything about the team) or what's the strategy going forward. Or what he thinks about success in the NHL in general. But we'll see.

I think you need to temper your expectations regarding an introductory press conference

 

[absolute garbage]

I think you need to temper your expectations regarding an introductory press conference

Acting like it's impossible to have a good, interesting, insightful and confidence-inspiring introductory press conferences is... well kinda what you'd expect from people who follow the NHL where the expected manager is a former player who got punched in the head a couple times too many in his playing career.

Just saying that this kind of stuff that's considered normal and expected in the NHL wouldn't really fly in a lot of other businesses.

 

[2Pair]

Now we're just making things up to complain about?

 

[Webster]

Now we're just making things up to complain about?

Fans should look forward to this season, there are changes for the better and players sound excited

 

[P10p]

Acting like it's impossible to have a good, interesting, insightful and confidence-inspiring introductory press conferences is... well kinda what you'd expect from people who follow the NHL where the expected manager is a former player who got punched in the head a couple times too many in his playing career.

Just saying that this kind of stuff that's considered normal and expected in the NHL wouldn't really fly in a lot of other businesses.

Been to too many conferences to count. This is the par for these types of things across alot of industries. Off the high horse you go.....

 

[Northerner]

The Wild weren't that far out of the playoffs last year. Remember more than half the teams make the post season. Maybe I'm the only one but I don't think this team is that terrible.

 

[Wabit]

The Wild weren't that far out of the playoffs last year. Remember more than half the teams make the post season. Maybe I'm the only one but I don't think this team is that terrible.

They aren't terrible enough for those that want to rebuild. They are not good enough for those that want more than to just make the Playoffs and end with a probable 1st round exit. The team is in the "meh" zone.

 

[2Pair]

They aren't terrible enough for those that want to rebuild. They are not good enough for those that want more than to just make the Playoffs and end with a probable 1st round exit. The team is in the "meh" zone.

Just about every team in the league is a "probable 1st round exit". San Jose and Boston are the only teams to make it past the 1st round in both of the past 2 seasons. The Conference finals have had 12 different teams in the last 3 years.

 

[Wabit]

Just about every team in the league is a "probable 1st round exit". San Jose and Boston are the only teams to make it past the 1st round in both of the past 2 seasons. The Conference finals have had 12 different teams in the last 3 years.

Fine, fringe playoff team make you happy with wording?

 

[2Pair]

Fine, fringe playoff team make you happy with wording?

So what's your point then? That that Wild are in the same group as probably 20-25 other teams?

 

[Wabit]

So what's your point then? That that Wild are in the same group as probably 20-25 other teams?

Not worth my time. Read my initial reply to and comprehend. If that's too much then: (some) fans want a Cup or a 1OA, nothing in between will make them happy.

 

[fredrikstad]

I guess I have no expectations as I can't remember the last rookie GM to succeed who wasn't already in a good situation.
I expect this to really provide nothing of note.

As far as I can recall, Jeff Gorton on the Rangers, was a rookie GM? And he has so far done a good rebuild.

 

[AKL]

As far as I can recall, Jeff Gorton on the Rangers, was a rookie GM? And he has so far done a good rebuild.

The team still hasn't done anything, and frankly, if they weren't gifted the 2oa earlier this summer, their rebuild wouldn't look nearly as good.

 

[fredrikstad]

Epstein

Not THE "suicide" Epstein? I know, nothing to joke about. But I just couldn't help myself

 

[fredrikstad]

2oa

You have a valid point there. And he was the AGM for a couple of years for that team. I guess he learned quite a lot from Sather and others from the front office.

 

[OmazingGrace]

The wild are good when healthy, 1 injury to a key player. Dumpster fire.

 

[Digitalbooya]

The wild are good when healthy, 1 injury to a key player. Dumpster fire.

It wasn’t just one injury... Koivu missed 34 games. Dumba missed 50. I’m almost certain Granlund was playing through some sort of injury. Suter was trying to figure out his new style and recovery from an experimental surgery. That’s four *key* players.

 

[57special]

I wonder what Guerin's plan is for the season? I suspect that it's to simply see what he has. This team has a bunch of question marks in the form of either unrealized potential(i.e. Ek, Greenway, Kunin, Fiala), or age/injury(Koivu, Suter, Parise, Staal).

 

[DeagleJenkins]

I wonder what Guerin's plan is for the season? I suspect that it's to simply see what he has. This team has a bunch of question marks in the form of either unrealized potential(i.e. Ek, Greenway, Kunin, Fiala), or age/injury(Koivu, Suter, Parise, Staal).

without knowing what he really has in the younger group id assume he waits this season out then starts rebuild or retool next year.

 

[TaLoN]

Q&A: Bill Guerin and his family on life in the NHL and...

 

[OmazingGrace]

It wasn’t just one injury... Koivu missed 34 games. Dumba missed 50. I’m almost certain Granlund was playing through some sort of injury. Suter was trying to figure out his new style and recovery from an experimental surgery. That’s four *key* players.

I know. what I meant was even one injury rekks their spirit

 

[a79krgm]

The wild are good when healthy, 1 injury to a key player. Dumpster fire.

I think you can say this about any team. The predictors rank every team in the Central ahead of the Wild. No way ALL those teams are having a stellar season. For at least one team injuries will expose their weakness.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I know. what I meant was even one injury rekks their spirit

What happens when you take the most upbeat guy on the team and remove him for 50 games? Not really surprised by that one.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

They are closer to terrible than good. I don’t see how they can finish outside the bottom 5 in scoring which will put tremendous pressure on the D and Dubs to play near perfect.