Confirmed with Link: John Chayka Terminates Contract with Coyotes; Steve Sullivan named interim GM

[XX]

I think Chayka holds blame even because he did nothing post-trade, even after the wheels fell off.

He might not have had the clout with ownership if they viewed it as his fault. If they asked him to play out the season with Tocchet, firing Toc isn't an option.

Chayka doesn't deploy the players, get them up for games, coach the PP, manage lazy players etc... that's all on Tocchet and it was all on display during that slide, to the point where Tocchet looked dazed and confused in the postgame.

No evidence supports keeping Tocchet and letting Chayka go. Either the coach goes or a full reset happens.

You've also got the testing-gate percolating quietly in the background.

Doesn't help but is likely a nothingburger other teams that just want to torment the Coyotes ran up with the league. Hard to imagine a GM risking everything by openly violating a clearly defined rule. If it was an open and shut case, we'd have heard by now.

 

[Mosby]

I can’t believe he got the new arena figured out so quickly. That’s why Gutierrez is spending so much time on other areas, right?

 

[Jakey53]

NHL GM’s Upset about stretchgate using media to create chaos. Inexperienced owner caught scrambling when he could easily stop the rumour mongering with one phone call.

The best thing to do is wait. No need for any phone call, and I don't see how our owner is scrambling. He's not stupid, he knew what he was doing. All the media hounds and the fans are speculating at the moment, and like COVID, most expect the worst and start to panic.

 

[LuckyNumber11]

Said this in the other thread but I’m under the belief that if Chayka gets canned it’s 100% because of the investigation and he could just be a lame duck right now because of it

 

[rt]

Craig mentioned him as being healthy. Could be family that got sick. Parents or in-laws. That could cause him not to go. All kinds of speculation. Pick the scenario you like.

None of those personal/family/health reasons make hockey’s #1 insider tweet about it.

 

[XX]

I can’t believe he got the new arena figured out so quickly. That’s why Gutierrez is spending so much time on other areas, right?

He can easily do both, but he has no business negotiating with players. If true, it would mean that Chayka is basically fired at this point. They are potentially daring him to resign or quit by freezing him out of key duties.

 

[rt]

The best thing to do is wait. No need for any phone call, and I don't see how our owner is scrambling. He's not stupid, he knew what he was doing. All the media hounds and the fans are speculating at the moment, and like COVID, most expect the worst and start to panic.

Your analogy makes less sense than you do.

 

[Jakey53]

Said this in the other thread but I’m under the belief that if Chayka gets canned it’s 100% because of the investigation and he could just be a lame duck right now because of it

Why do it now? That investigation has been going on for some time.

 

[Jakey53]

None of those personal/family/health reasons make hockey’s #1 insider tweet about it.

It's got your panties in a knot. If he gets fired, he gets fired. I think there are many better at the GM's job than Chayka.

 

[rt]

It's got your panties in a knot. If he gets fired, he gets fired. I think there are many better at the GM's job than Chayka.

Your brain is knotted panties.

 

[rt]

Elliotte on 31 Thoughts Pod
21min mark:

Hall is an interesting story

Interviews XG recently and asked Is there any question that JC is the GM? XG was thrown by that ? - he said “why are you asking me?” - didn’t seem like there would be any doubt

After the dinner, people were surprised. They wondered if it was punishment. Was it a suspension? No. It wasn’t NHL. It’s weird though. EF reaches out to people (insiders) who found this very surprising.

Ferris wouldn’t talk. Ferris is a free-agency zealot. EF says an unconfirmed rumor of 7.5m per yr opening bid.

Talked about AM’s other businesses suffering. Says he’s had people tell him something is definitely up. It surprises him though. Chayka has a lot of enemies around the league but is highly thought of by the org. EF has multiple very reliable sources telling him opposite things. Says the whole thing is very weird.

Thinks Hall is wired different. Different guy. Means that as a compliment. Hall wants a stable winner. Hall likes AZ a lot. Likes Chayka and likes Tocchet. Most important thing for Hall is to stop losing and start winning. Will bet on winning as best as he can.

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

Said this in the other thread but I’m under the belief that if Chayka gets canned it’s 100% because of the investigation and he could just be a lame duck right now because of it

Yes, I have wondered if the result of the "investigation" could be something like this. If it ever becomes a thing.

There's a couple of ways to go about that, too...

A) Chayka and co did something so indefensibly bad or against the rules/unfair that ownership doesn't want that to represent the team or it hamstrings the team to such an effect that firing Chayka is necessary. Assuming it's not already a stipulation of punishment if it's that bad.

B) Chayka and co did something somewhat unfair.
IF ownership thinks that he is a good GM and all that... then they need to back him up and tell other owners/teams to piss off and get over it and move on. (Assuming the league punishment is already handed out or deemed unnecessary)
IF ownership thinks that Chayka hasn't done a good enough job at GM'ing, then perfect time to fire him and it appeases the mob as a byproduct.

C) Nothing was found that bad by the investigation in which case... fire or not fire him based on whatever metric is being used for success.

 

[XX]

Thinks Hall is wired different. Different guy. Means that as a compliment. Hall wants a stable winner. Hall likes AZ a lot. Likes Chayka and likes Tocchet. Most important thing for Hall is to stop losing and start winning. Will bet on winning as best as he can.

The time to court Hall is not a week before competition resumes with a lowball offer. This underhanded meeting demonstrates to me that Gutierrez doesn't understand the position of the organization relative to the player, so he had no business being there or doing this.

This goes back to why Chayka didn't bother to talk contract during the season; that isn't the player Hall is or what he is looking for.

There are alarming factors at play even just ignoring going behind your GM's back to do something like this.

 

[hbk]

The best thing to do is wait. No need for any phone call, and I don't see how our owner is scrambling. He's not stupid, he knew what he was doing. All the media hounds and the fans are speculating at the moment, and like COVID, most expect the worst and start to panic.

its Friday afternoon. If there is an announcement they will do it now. If no announcement then I suspect this is just other teams trying to screw with AZ/Chayka.

 

[hbk]

The time to court Hall is not a week before competition resumes with a lowball offer. This underhanded meeting demonstrates to me that Gutierrez doesn't understand the position of the organization relative to the player, so he had no business being there or doing this.

This goes back to why Chayka didn't bother to talk contract during the season; that isn't the player Hall is or what he is looking for.

There are alarming factors at play even just ignoring going behind your GM's back to do something like this.

Are also doubting the powers of “the deal maker”?

 

[rt]

The time to court Hall is not a week before competition resumes with a lowball offer. This underhanded meeting demonstrates to me that Gutierrez doesn't understand the position of the organization relative to the player, so he had no business being there or doing this.

This goes back to why Chayka didn't bother to talk contract during the season; that isn't the player Hall is or what he is looking for.

There are alarming factors at play even just ignoring going behind your GM's back to do something like this.

I honestly don’t really care if they fire Chayka. But this timing is horrific.

 

[_Del_]

that's all on Tocchet

I'm not advocating keeping Tocchet. No excuse for keeping him. The guy tasked with making the decision to keep or fire him since December was ..?
Like I said, a slim chance of them deciding to let him ride out the last year with some excuse about a rift with Cbayka. I'm not justifying that decision were it to happen.

 

[Mosby]

I love that the old boys around the league hate Chayka. All because of stupid shit like stretchgate and because he’s 30.

 

[XX]

Are also doubting the powers of “the deal maker”?

The dynamics of your average business transaction are nothing like wooing a player with much better options on a limited timeline in a salary cap world where you are structuring a contract over what is likely 8 years.

Contracts are something even experienced, savvy GMs struggle with. Initiating negotiations at this point tells me this dude has very little understanding of the situation at hand. The fact that it was a 'lowball' enough of an offer to get noted by gossipers and put out there to make the org. look bad reinforces that. That definitely feels like Ferris having his way with someone completely out of their depth.

Chayka hasn't been embarrassed in any negotiation so far that I can think of because he comes on strong with a good offer and demonstrates an understanding of what the player wants (including security beyond just AAV) and how the organization values them.

This guy seems to be acting like he's negotiating bids on a drywall subcontract.

 

[_Del_]

I can’t believe he got the new arena figured out so quickly. That’s why Gutierrez is spending so much time on other areas, right?

Flipside, if I'm the owner of a multi-million dollar business and think the GM has handed out bad contracts, why would I let him keep negotiating? Maybe they already made the decision to cut him loose after the playoffs and wanted to avoid the distraction of firing him now.

 

[XX]

Flipside, if I'm the owner of a multi-million dollar business and think the GM has handed out bad contracts, why would I let him keep negotiating?

It's possible for you, as the owner, to be completely wrong in your assessment.

I happen to think Chayka does an excellent job of spending big on years you should buy while also minimizing risk where you should. The most hated contract right now is Keller, a player that will likely go on to be a PPG winger with a real organization and coach, making that an excellent deal. Schmaltz is a market value top 6 player for his production. Other contracts, like Dvorak and Chychrun, are excellent and favor the team. He's easily a net positive in this regard.

 

[rt]

Chayka deserves to be fired for not firing Tocchet in January. Buts idiotic to go through this drama right now.

 

[hbk]

The dynamics of your average business transaction are nothing like wooing a player with much better options on a limited timeline in a salary cap world where you are structuring a contract over what is likely 8 years.

Contracts are something even experienced, savvy GMs struggle with. Initiating negotiations at this point tells me this dude has very little understanding of the situation at hand. The fact that it was a 'lowball' enough of an offer to get noted by gossipers and put out there to make the org. look bad reinforces that. That definitely feels like Ferris having his way with someone completely out of their depth.

Chayka hasn't been embarrassed in any negotiation so far that I can think of because he comes on strong with a good offer and demonstrates an understanding of what the player wants (including security beyond just AAV) and how the organization values them.

This guy seems to be acting like he's negotiating bids on a drywall subcontract.

Here’s the thing. Now if Hall does not sign with AZ we get to blame “the deal maker” not Chayka.

 

[_Del_]

I don't think he's been particularly great at spending other people's money, but neither opinion is relevant to why ownership would allow him to talk to agents or sideline Chayka. Ownership's is. He asked why Gutierrez would be negotiating with players (if true), I provided an answer.

I don't think casually tossing out a number over dinner really means he's negotiating a contract. Even if you cut out Chayka, it'd be ridiculous to think an actual negotiation is going to take place over dinner without an agent present (to say nothing of the the GM).

He tosses out a number casually. "How receptive would you feel about a figure in X-dollars/ term neighbourhood..." Hall reports it to Ferris. Ferris is annoyed as an agent that they talked to his player about numbers without him there and that the money was low, so he leaks to media that they lowballed him in "negotiations" at dinner to leverage the team. Chayka reads it and is understandably pissed that he was left in the dark about "negotiations" taking place at a dinner he wasn't invited to. Media runs wild, because they love a circus, and AZ is a favourite fodder.


Or Gutierrez is now point man on money, and possibly they made the decision to can Chayka after the playoffs, but Ferris leaks to start the experts media to start the circus.



Seems like there are all sort of options short of full -on clown show (but also, Coyotes...)

 

[Jakey53]

Chayka deserves to be fired for not firing Tocchet in January. Buts idiotic to go through this drama right now.

What drama? All we have heard or read is what Friedman said. Let's wait until we hear the rest of the story. Talk about being guilty until proven innocent.