Hurricanes Name Don Waddell as GM and Rod Brind’Amour as Head Coach

[Bounces R Way]

Seems like a couple good line towers they've found themselves. What that line is and how it is different than the previous line seems a little unclear.

Never really seemed like bad management was the root of the Canes' problem to me. They just lacked a real marquee talent. Hopefully for the sake of their franchise they can find one with the 2OV pick. And a better goalie

 

[sandysan]

Seems like an oversimplification of the problems in Atlanta. Waddell had quite a bit of freedom while running the Thrashers. The fact that he was so incompetent at his job and failed to build a winning product most likely hastned the demise of the Thrashers.

Don Waddell, like Kevin Lowe, really has no business being a GM anywhere, mainly because of his performance in Atlanta.

I think that had he won the cup in atlanta, we would be exactly where we are today.

The ownership was openly hostile to the product. They looked to jettison the team as soon as they possibly could. Wadell may have many real warts, but how the thrashers left atalants isn't even remotely on him.

its not an oversimplification, the ownership group in atlanta wanted nothing to do with the thrashers and once they served their purpose of getting this same ownership things that they did they dumped the team them like garbage on the side of the interstate.

 

[RyCam]

I think that had he won the cup in atlanta, we would be exactly where we are today.

The ownership was openly hostile to the product. They looked to jettison the team as soon as they possibly could. Wadell may have many real warts, but how the thrashers left atalants isn't even remotely on him.

its not an oversimplification, the ownership group in atlanta wanted nothing to do with the thrashers and once they served their purpose of getting this same ownership things that they did they dumped the team them like garbage on the side of the interstate.

Nah, it is an oversimplification.

The Thrashers had 4 seasons under Time Warner ownership where they were at or close to the bottom of the East/League.

Atlanta Spirit, after purchasing the team, pumped money into the team for 7 seasons(not including the lockout season) to keep it afloat. During that time, the Thrashers made the playoffs a grand total of one time where they were quickly swept. That falls on the GM.

Oh, and I disagree that we would be where we are if the Thrashers won the cup in Atlanta, but it's a moot point because Thrashers fans never had an opportunity to cheer for a team that was remotely close to that point.

 

[sandysan]

Nah, it is an oversimplification.

The Thrashers had 4 seasons under Time Warner ownership where they were at or close to the bottom of the East/League.

Atlanta Spirit, after purchasing the team, pumped money into the team for 7 seasons(not including the lockout season) to keep it afloat. During that time, the Thrashers made the playoffs a grand total of one time where they were quickly swept. That falls on the GM.

Oh, and I disagree that we would be where we are if the Thrashers won the cup in Atlanta, but it's a moot point because Thrashers fans never had an opportunity to cheer for a team that was remotely close to that point.

how long after ASG bought the team did they start looking into dumping the thrashers ?

I believe the answer is " before the ink was dry". I also believe that this assertion was confirmed by documents from ASG when they started suing each other related to the move.

 

[Voight]

Who is Brind'Amour related to in Canes management?

I think the poster was getting at the fact he's really revered since he captained them to their only cup. & was part of another finals team.

 

[DaveG]

Nah, it is an oversimplification.

The Thrashers had 4 seasons under Time Warner ownership where they were at or close to the bottom of the East/League.

Atlanta Spirit, after purchasing the team, pumped money into the team for 7 seasons(not including the lockout season) to keep it afloat. During that time, the Thrashers made the playoffs a grand total of one time where they were quickly swept. That falls on the GM.

Oh, and I disagree that we would be where we are if the Thrashers won the cup in Atlanta, but it's a moot point because Thrashers fans never had an opportunity to cheer for a team that was remotely close to that point.

A$G didn't pump shit in to anyone but the Hawks and their lawyers pockets.

07-08: 43.6 million - 7.2 million below cap
08-09: 44.2 million - 15.25 million below cap
09-10: 51.9 million - 9.1 million below cap
10-11: 47.25 million - 16.5 million below cap

can't find data from 05-06 or 06-07 but I'm pretty dang sure they were spending well south of the cap then too, one of the Thrashers fans that's still around can probably give better data on that. But at the same time they were spending well over the NBA's soft cap with the Hawks. Let's not pretend that they wanted anything to do with the team from the get go, they wanted to get rid of them ASAP and their refusing to spend a damn thing they didn't have to on the Thrashers and alienating their fans throughout the process was intentional.

 

[varano]

Wasn't he the Assistant coach?

 

[the halleJOKEL]

Wasn't he the Assistant coach?

yes

 

[varano]

yes

So then why are people going nuts? This makes complete sense...

Unless you want Bylsma.

 

[sandysan]

A$G didn't pump **** in to anyone but the Hawks and their lawyers pockets.

07-08: 43.6 million - 7.2 million below cap
08-09: 44.2 million - 15.25 million below cap
09-10: 51.9 million - 9.1 million below cap
10-11: 47.25 million - 16.5 million below cap

can't find data from 05-06 or 06-07 but I'm pretty dang sure they were spending well south of the cap then too, one of the Thrashers fans that's still around can probably give better data on that. But at the same time they were spending well over the NBA's soft cap with the Hawks. Let's not pretend that they wanted anything to do with the team from the get go, they wanted to get rid of them ASAP and their refusing to spend a damn thing they didn't have to on the Thrashers and alienating their fans throughout the process was intentional.

Also, to add to the point, when the window opened for local ownerships to negotiate a purchase from ASG , didn't they have some ridiculous demands for RS to allow any non ASG owned team to play at phillips ? Terms that no sane ownership group would ever agree to ?

This led to the assertion that the thrashers had to move, because essentially they had been evicted from their arena and there was no where else they could play in Atlanta. So not only did they not want the team they had previously owned ( but didnt want) to play at phillips, they wanted to ensure that NO NHL team would play there as well.

A team without a place to play home games has but one option, relocation.

 

[varano]

A$G didn't pump **** in to anyone but the Hawks and their lawyers pockets.

07-08: 43.6 million - 7.2 million below cap
08-09: 44.2 million - 15.25 million below cap
09-10: 51.9 million - 9.1 million below cap
10-11: 47.25 million - 16.5 million below cap

can't find data from 05-06 or 06-07 but I'm pretty dang sure they were spending well south of the cap then too, one of the Thrashers fans that's still around can probably give better data on that. But at the same time they were spending well over the NBA's soft cap with the Hawks. Let's not pretend that they wanted anything to do with the team from the get go, they wanted to get rid of them ASAP and their refusing to spend a damn thing they didn't have to on the Thrashers and alienating their fans throughout the process was intentional.

Dumping money into a team has nothing to do with the cap. You need money to run a business. Even if a team is running 16.5M below the cap and spending 47 million, if the team costs 60 million to run... then well you can do the math right?

 

[the halleJOKEL]

So then why are people going nuts? This makes complete sense...

Unless you want Bylsma.

because anything dundon does is deemed done dumb immediately

 

[Vachon23]

I really think that Brind'amour have all to be a good coach but Waddell DG.. Sad because the Canes was really on the good track with there really good drafting !

 

[sandysan]

because anything dundon does is deemed done dumb immediately

for a guy who said he wanted to shake things up, hiring a guy with zero games as a head coach fits the bill, especially if he is a fan favorite. Hiring an old school guy like wadell, not so much. so I guess people are confused with the mixed message and to a lesser extent the timing ( hiring a HC when the GM's position is open is strange but that got resolved later).

I guess we will have to wait and see how it pans out, but either way it is kinda risky.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

This doesn't come as a shock to me, but I don't think Rod will be that good of a coach.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Terrible decision

 

[axecrew]

Ehh Francis never meant as much to us down here in Raleigh as he did up in Hartford. He came in after they moved down and had a couple good seasons in Raleigh before trying to win one last one with Toronto. Brindy, on the other hand, was the first BIG trade the franchise made after they moved and was integral in both runs to the Finals, including being captain on the Cup Champs. In Raleigh, he's more important to the franchise than Francis was.


Waddell was never the problem in Atlanta. In fact, that the team was able to be somewhat competitive while being owned by an organization that was openly antagonistic toward the fact they owned the team is a bit of a testament to his abilities as a GM. I have a lot more faith of the future of the team from a managerial perspective with him at the reigns than with Francis, I'll tell you that.

just to give you a little background...I'm a Chicago Wolves season ticket holder for 20+ years...I've seen Don at work...he drafts somewhat well with a few misses but its not there where he is poor.

 

[DaveG]

Dumping money into a team has nothing to do with the cap. You need money to run a business. Even if a team is running 16.5M below the cap and spending 47 million, if the team costs 60 million to run... then well you can do the math right?

I would buy this line of thought if it weren't completely contrary to their actions with the Atlanta Hawks, their actions towards the fans in Atlanta, and their actions the second the 7 year window had passed and they no longer had to keep the Thrashers. Everything they had done pointed to the fact that they just flat out didn't want the Thrashers under any circumstances, and that they were doing everything in their power to drive off their fans and attempt to push them toward the Hawks instead. No, Hawks and the arena were the toys that they wanted but the Thrashers were part of the package deal of the initial sale, a part that they never wanted and did everything in their power to get rid of when they weren't too busy suing eachother.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

I really think that Brind'amour have all to be a good coach but Waddell DG.. Sad because the Canes was really on the good track with there really good drafting !

I'm hopeful that he won't turnover the scouting staff. There's no real justification for doing so at this point in time. Since joining the organization in a different capacity back in 2014, he's seen the emergence of non-1st round picks as legit Top 4/Top 6 players (Slavin, Pesce, Aho and at times Rask.) Add in Dumoulin, Faulk and Andersen, and you can make the argument that the team has one of the best scouting groups in hockey.

I'd lose confidence in a hurry if he were to start bringing in his Atlanta guys or Dudley's Montreal guys.

 

[Vachon23]

I'm hopeful that he won't turnover the scouting staff. There's no real justification for doing so at this point in time. Since joining the organization in a different capacity back in 2014, he's seen the emergence of non-1st round picks as legit Top 4/Top 6 players (Slavin, Pesce, Aho and at times Rask.) Add in Dumoulin, Faulk and Andersen, and you can make the argument that the team has one of the best scouting groups in hockey.

I'd lose confidence in a hurry if he were to start bringing in his Atlanta guys or Dudley's Montreal guys.

yep, Francis did a good job ,like Cheveldeyoff did in Winnipeg but replace him by Dudley is not a good move .. I would take Francis to replace Dudley anytime

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

This doesn't come as a shock to me, but I don't think Rod will be that good of a coach.

Because why?

I'm not saying he will be a good coach, but none of us have any clue if he will be good or not. We don't know how he interacts and connects with players. We don't know how he will motivate a team. We don't know what type of system he would run. etc.. etc.. The only thing we do know, is that we don't know.

He may end up being good, or he may end up being bad, but any of us predicting it are just guessing.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Because why?

I'm not saying he will be a good coach, but none of us have any clue if he will be good or not. We don't know how he interacts and connects with players. We don't know how he will motivate a team. We don't know what type of system he would run. etc.. etc.. The only thing we do know, is that we don't know.

He may end up being good, or he may end up being bad, but any of us predicting it are just guessing.

The only former good NHL player that became a good coach, from what I can think of right now, is Gerard Gallant. But usually they don't make good coaches, and I know RBA will likely run a defensive system. But I mean I could be wrong for all I know he might lead the Canes to the Presidents Trophy and Stanley Cup all at once next year, but my prediction is he'll have one good season, and the rest will be bad.

 

[Gardner McKay]

He’s Don Waddell.

Correct. Don Waddell could f*** up anything. I really feel for the Canes here. The guy is bad. Chiarelli & Bergevin levels of bad. Maybe worse.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

The only former good NHL player that became a good coach, from what I can think of right now, is Gerard Gallant. But usually they don't make good coaches, and I know RBA will likely run a defensive system. But I mean I could be wrong for all I know he might lead the Canes to the Presidents Trophy and Stanley Cup all at once next year, but my prediction is he'll have one good season, and the rest will be bad.

Like I said, you don't know because you don't know anything about him as a coach (nor do I). You are saying just because some other former players didn't work out, he won't, which doesn't mean much at all.

Only time will tell, but I do know one thing. Unless the Canes fix the goaltending and improve their talent, no coach is going to be successful.

 

[HisIceness]

Ha...I just don't get how Waddell is still involved in the NHL, never mind a GM.

As far as I am concerned, he has about as much business in player transactions as I do at directing Hallmark Christmas films.

In the almost 20 years now that I've followed this league and studied the history, he's somewhere in the bottom 5 gm positions. I get Atlanta spirit group was a shitty ownership group and f***ed that franchise over but they also let him go as long as they did and then promoted him because they didn't want to fire him.

I was not happy when I found out that Karmanos hired him for whatever position was given to him because of this very possibility. Now I'm f***ing livid.

So then why are people going nuts? This makes complete sense...

Unless you want Bylsma.

First off, it screams country club. The kind of nepotism that has plagued this franchise since 2006.

Second, he was in charge of the power play for years. It was painful to watch. Now he's running everything. God help us.

Third, I for one am against hiring former legends as head coaches unless they are a sure thing. It rarely works outside of college football. It didn't work out well in Colorado for Roy.

And finally, this franchise is in dire need of something to rejuvenate the dwindling fan base and win over new fans. This is the complete opposite. Come December our games are going to look like that of an ECHL crowd, probably same quality too.

Yeah, I'm not happy right now and frankly my fan hood for this team is in question. As of right now I have zero interest in even watching next season's team play. Will continue to support the Checkers until Waddell gets his slimy hands on them.