Confirmed with Link: Leafs Promote Dave Morrison & Troy Bodie, Hire Wes Clark as Assistant Dir. Of Player Personnel

[Walshy7]

Paper promotions and things like that happen in all industries when trying to groom people to the positions you want. He'll be brought in, and they'll clean out some of Hunter's old staff. I highly doubt Dave Morrison was given his old job back on merit. Wes Clark will have that full role within a couple years.

If the Leafs get Tavares, I don't think there is any way I can cheap shot the guy. So, hope that happens.

But if it doesn’t happen? Cheap shots away?

 

[A1LeafNation]

Not sure I'm a huge fan of Dave Morrison, his track record as director of amateur scouting was awful. Seems like he always survived the axe for whatever reason, and just keeps getting reassigned/promoted.

His lists are good. Looks like Burke and team were overruling the direction of the picks.

 

[93LEAFS]

But if it doesn’t happen? Cheap shots away?

No.

But, if you think Dave Morrison was promoted on merit, considering we demoted him 3 years ago, and don't think somethings up? Well......... Either Dubas is going to be extremely hands on running the scouting department, or he'll let Wes run it, with Morrison in a supervisory role. I'm pretty sure the role Wes Clark got, doesn't exist with any other NHL team. Now, different teams have different labels for similar jobs. But, something is up with promoting Morrison back up to a significant position.

 

[stickty111]

There is no way you know marner wouldn’t be here. All the info we have is they wanted provorov or werenski if marner wasn’t there. So Babcock wanted a dman all that is is an example of why he shouldn’t be in on drafts no arguments here. Weird that the 2015 draft has more viable prospects left than the 2016 draft when the big dman binge started. There is no way you know who dubas wanted what a joke, too many pretend insiders on here

Yeah people just make up stuff that Dubas wanted Strome. They attribute every wrong decision to Dubas so he is looked in a negative way, just because super scout fridge specialist Hunter wasnt hired.

 

[stickty111]

Almost every post of yours involving Dubas has some sort of cheap shot at him, I get it you preferred hunter but give it a rest “so and so was promoted so they take the fall for dubas” “it’s a paper transaction so dubas didn’t give his friend a job straight away”. I’m beginning to think all the people you know in scouting circles are hunter-ites which puts incredible bias on all of your opinions and facts and even scouting reports which you are great at but can we trust them now?. How can you not like a leaf move so much you need to cheap shot the guy who got the job every time you mention him?

Quoted for truth

 

[stickty111]

But if it doesn’t happen? Cheap shots away?

He takes shots at Dubas on a daily basis.

 

[ITM]

Why is Dave Morrison being recycled around the organization? Seemed like a pretty mediocre company guy who has managed to stay on for many regime changes. Reminds me of Keith Acton in a way...

It's bizarre to say the least.

 

[Stephen]

No.

But, if you think Dave Morrison was promoted on merit, considering we demoted him 3 years ago, and don't think somethings up? Well......... Either Dubas is going to be extremely hands on running the scouting department, or he'll let Wes run it, with Morrison in a supervisory role. I'm pretty sure the role Wes Clark got, doesn't exist with any other NHL team. Now, different teams have different labels for similar jobs. But, something is up with promoting Morrison back up to a significant position.

Only way it makes sense is if Dave Morrison's been championing Jamie Benn, David Pastrnak, Colton Parayko, Sebastian Aho, Nikita Kucherov at all the various drafts over the years and someone just realized he's a savant whom never had it his way. Other than that, just seems like an unremarkable staff member who has had insane lasting power.

 

[93LEAFS]

Only way it makes sense is if Dave Morrison's been championing Jamie Benn, David Pastrnak, Colton Parayko, Sebastian Aho, Nikita Kucherov at all the various drafts over the years and someone just realized he's a savant whom never had it his way. Other than that, just seems like an unremarkable staff member who has had insane lasting power.

I mean, I understand him sticking around. But, they just promoted him to basically Mark Hunters Job, and added an assistant role in there, which no other team in the league has. It is pretty damn fishy. It's clear the long-term plan is to move Wes Clark higher up.

Running Pro-scouting is like a Canadian senate gig. You get paid and have you to show up occasionally. It's basically hockey dead. To return from it, to your old position, in the same organization is insane.

 

[garce]

I mean, I understand him sticking around. But, they just promoted him to basically Mark Hunters Job, and added an assistant role in there, which no other team in the league has. It is pretty damn fishy. It's clear the long-term plan is to move Wes Clark higher up.

Ok as a complete outsider, no connections to SFA why are all these gymnastics being done? Shanahan is the boss no?

 

[93LEAFS]

Ok as a complete outsider, no connections to SFA why are all these gymnastics being done? Shanahan is the boss no?

Dubas appears to have the same freedom Lou did.

To get Wes Clark out of Florida, he needed to be given a clear promotion. This title gives him that.

 

[Go4soda]

It's bizarre to say the least.

Keith acton is a perfect comparison. I thought the exact same thing. To survive all those changes in personnel above them is unusual. Always though acton must have something incriminating on those guys or something.

 

[Walshy7]

Dubas appears to have the same freedom Lou did.

To get Wes Clark out of Florida, he needed to be given a clear promotion. This title gives him that.

So could it be just that? This invented semi promotion while they try and find a replacement for Morrison if they intend to let him go?.

 

[garce]

Ok thanks so the issue is the Dubas/Clark relationship and whether he is qualified for the job.

 

[93LEAFS]

So could it be just that? This invented semi promotion while they try and find a replacement for Morrison if they intend to let him go?.

Who fully knows. I've heard Wes is the one out there trying to recruit new scouts, which puts him in a pretty powerful position organizationally and well above any regular scout.

They aren't just going to put Morrison in charge for a couple weeks, otherwise, it would have been done pre-draft.

NHL scouting and how the jobs are actively listed on an NHL team isn't that simplistic. Sometimes the guy who runs the board has the title of Director of AM scouting, sometimes its director of scouting or in the case of the Leafs and Rangers it was Director of Player Personnel (Gordie Clark runs the Rangers board).

If Morrison somehow returned from the joke that is pro-scouting (basically the easiest and cushiest job you can get in the NHL, coaches do there own pre-scouting for strategy, and most GM's can easily track guys they tracking in the league), to the head of player personnel, it is an extremely strange series of events. Morrison basically got demoted from a position, and then brought right back into it, even though we had more success since he was replaced.

 

[Kiwi]

I personally, think its a paper promotion (with a pay raise), and its to eventually move Wes into the job. It just is done so it doesn't look to the outsiders that Dubas immediately promoted his friend who has all of 2 years scouting experience in the NHL to the head scout within a team. My guess is Dubas is letting Clark run the show, as Morrison ultimately answers to Dubas.

I think that's a bit of a reach

Morrison has been around for quite some time and Clark doesn't have anything close to enough experience to do that job, maybe he's getting groomed to step into that role eventually like Dubas did when he came on board I don't see the problem with that if it's what there trying to do

 

[Stephen]

Wait, it seems like we are just getting Wes Clark back from the Panthers:

Leafs consultant Wes Clark moves on to the Florida Panthers

 

[93LEAFS]

Wait, it seems like we are just getting Wes Clark back from the Panthers:

Leafs consultant Wes Clark moves on to the Florida Panthers

Yeah, he's been a close Dubas associate since SSM. Hunter and Lou didn't want him in Am scouting so he was either fired or left to work for Florida.

 

[diceman934]

I think I beat you to the Hunter would quit, but you were pretty much the only other person in that corner with me.

Not sure as I said it a long time before Lou was removed.

 

[diceman934]

It's bizarre to say the least.

It is a smoke screen is the only thing that makes sense as he is as bad as they come at evaluating talent.

 

[93LEAFS]

Not sure as I said it a long time before Lou was removed.

I posted it in November. But, I also thought Hunter would win out on Lou's backing.

 

[Menzinger]

He was in charge of 3 drafts. And, he drafted better than anyone else for the Leafs in forever. Even turning the Leafs scouting staff into an average drafting team with our history was an accomplishment.

People are dramatically over exaggerating how many guys gets ELC's (especially out of juniors). Also, ignoring, it was Dubas who decided not to give them ELC's (it may have been different with Lou or Hunter), and not looking at the average return for each pick.

What's the standard we now hold for Dubas for this draft? Should we be expecting at least two bonafide NHLers from Sandin, Durzi, SDA, Stotts, Hollowell, etc?

Though the standard is a bit different.

Hunter had drafts where the Leafs were drafting every round at 4th overall, 1st overall and 16th overall. We should ideally have higher standards/returns for that than 25th overall selections.

 

[93LEAFS]

Though the standard is a bit different.

Hunter had drafts where the Leafs were drafting every round at 4th overall, 1st overall and 16th overall. We should ideally have higher standards/returns for that than 25th overall selections.

17th. But, the things people seem to bash Hunter on is the 2nd round and later, where he did well above average in his short stint here. With, the main attacks being on Rasanen, Greenway and a Middleton. As pointed out, multiple times, if you hit on 40% of your second round picks, you are drafting better than most of the league. I'd also point out that we did not have a full complement of picks all year, and they lined up differently. For example, we had 24, and eventually re-acquired our own 2nd round in a series of trades down (originally lost in the Bernier deal). Grundstrom if he's a hit, was on a Washington 2nd rounder I'm pretty sure.

 

[deletethis]

Connections in high places? Maybe the backing of Tanenbaum explains how certain members of the management survive the purges?

 

[Menzinger]

17th. But, the things people seem to bash Hunter on is the 2nd round and later, where he did well above average in his short stint here. With, the main attacks being on Rasanen, Greenway and a Middleton. As pointed out, multiple times, if you hit on 40% of your second round picks, you are drafting better than most of the league. I'd also point out that we did not have a full complement of picks all year, and they lined up differently. For example, we had 24, and eventually re-acquired our own 2nd round in a series of trades down (originally lost in the Bernier deal). Grundstrom if he's a hit, was on a Washington 2nd rounder I'm pretty sure.

Sure, But the fact remains far the only non top 10 Leafs pick from the last few drafts to play an nhL game is Dermott. Yeah maybe Grundstrom makes it, but he’s still got a ways to go. I’d say at BEST so far the Leafs are fairing at least average compared to other NHL teams at the last three draft cycles.

And I do agree that it’s fair to say that at best scouting is essentially just educated guesswork (and hindsight does make it very easy to be critical of selections), yet that then begs the question how much of an actual advantage does having “the best scout” actually give a team