News Article: News and Note XXX: Now is the Summer of our Don Waddell Content

[Navin R Slavin]

Tulsky is at the top of their list

Of course he's at the top of their list. Doesn't mean they're at the top of his.

 

[GoldiFox]

Speculation suggests Rod is one of the lower if not the lowest paid HC in the league. He doesn't have a reported salary on CapFriendly but I think that was widely discussed through the rumor mill when he was hired ("Dundon wants to underpay everyone", etc.)

I wouldn't be surprised if backup backup goalie Anton Forsberg just got guaranteed more money next year than either Waddell or Rod make. Possibly more than both combined.

Paul Fenton only made $1 million and he was a hot shot GM candidate when hired.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

For the record, if I had to guess, I think Dundon is right in his hypothesis that more than 32 people can perform in the GM role at a high level - especially with the way the front office is set up.

However, I would be much more squeamish if he starts testing the same hypothesis on the head coach. Rod's not a case of "no one thought he'd be good and he was, so anyone can coach", Rod's a case of "no one thought he'd be good and he was, so never doubt Rod Brind'Amour again idiots."

Of course, the coaching life cycle is crazy short and by the time his contract is up everything might be different. But if he continues to prove to be an excellent head coach, pay up. Don't try to find another Brind'Amour. There may be other Waddells. There are not many other Brind'Amours.

 

[Svechhammer]

Dundon pretty much hand picked Brindy to be the coach. I think it would be a little silly of him to just let him walk over money.

The two people within the franchise right now I would not let walk out the door without giving an offer that would be hard to pass up are Tulsky and Brind'Amour, in that order. Tulsky might be the single most valuable asset within the entire organization, and he is nearing blank check status. From here on out, now that his analytical mind has rebuilt this and is now working, as long as he is here, we will contend. Period. And Brindy, I mean last year just speaks for itself.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Agree. Keep Brind'amour and Tulsky.

 

[FreshSeabass]

Does Tulsky have a verified list of things he has been apart of or is it just speculation from people here? honest question?

 

[Svechhammer]

Motion to rename this thread News and Note XXX: The Return of... someone

Maybe rename it on the chance someone else comes back, be it Waddell, Wardo, Williams, etc

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Does Tulsky have a verified list of things he has been apart of or is it just speculation from people here? honest question?

Again: go watch his talk at MIT/Sloan's Sports Analytics Conference. He spells out the way the franchise values players, and you can see that talk in practice in every single deal this franchise has made in the past year.

No Stone Unturned: Keeping up with the state of the art in the public domain - MIT Sloan Analytics Conference

 

[geehaad]

Since Waddell signed his contract with Karmanos, you can nearly guarantee it was for more money than Dundon wants to pay. When that contract expired, it's unrealistic to believe he paid Waddell *less* money, so my guess is Dundon is thinking that he's good with the situation if Waddell stays or goes.

Btw, those of you fearing that Waddell's departure causing a rift in the makeup of the Borg, keep in mind it is a group either hired by Dundon or promoted to their current position:

Rick Dudley
Paul Krepelka
Eric Tulsky
Rod Brind'Amour
Darren Yorke
Don Waddell
(not to mention the changes to the Scouting dept this summer)

Sure, any may walk to greener pastures, but a certain amount of loyalty is given to the person who gives you a significant promotion, typically.

 

[Svechhammer]

Since Waddell signed his contract with Karmanos, you can nearly guarantee it was for more money than Dundon wants to pay. When that contract expired, it's unrealistic to believe he paid Waddell *less* money, so my guess is Dundon is thinking that he's good with the situation if Waddell stays or goes.

Btw, those of you fearing that Waddell's departure causing a rift in the makeup of the Borg, keep in mind it is a group either hired by Dundon or promoted to their current position:

Rick Dudley
Paul Krepelka
Eric Tulsky
Rod Brind'Amour
Darren Yorke
Don Waddell
(not to mention the changes to the Scouting dept this summer)

Sure, any may walk to greener pastures, but a certain amount of loyalty is given to the person who gives you a significant promotion, typically.

Of all of them, Waddell leaving would create the least amount of ripples. Seriously, we're neck deep in analytics, and we're running the whole franchise from those core values. I have long since believed that Waddell was around to be the hockey face of the franchise that other GMs could call up and think they could take advantage of, when in reality we have been approaching everything with a binder of stats before a decision is made. Between the unknown aspect of Dundon and how things went for him in Atlanta, it appeared to work last year.

If he leaves, I'm sure there are plenty of other faces we could bring in to play the part of clueless GM, just so long as he understands his role.

Where I worry is the possibility of losing Tulsky.

 

[sabremike]

All I can ever think about with the talk of the team being run like a group is this old joke "The camel is a horse designed by committee".

 

[Svechhammer]

I swear, the main page just can't help itself when it comes to threads about the Canes. Trashing Dundon is like catnip to those people

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

Again: go watch his talk at MIT/Sloan's Sports Analytics Conference. He spells out the way the franchise values players, and you can see that talk in practice in every single deal this franchise has made in the past year.

No Stone Unturned: Keeping up with the state of the art in the public domain - MIT Sloan Analytics Conference

Thanks for posting the video. It was an informative watch.

 

[SvechneJerk]

I swear, the main page just can't help itself when it comes to threads about the Canes. Trashing Dundon is like catnip to those people

I don't get it, really. The level of disdain you've got to have for another team to spend that much energy in arguing a point you know so little about, is beyond me, but whatever. C'est la vie.

If they don't like our trajectory, screw 'em. Worry about your own freaking team.

I mean that as politely as possible, Dave.

 

[Lempo]

I swear, the main page just can't help itself when it comes to threads about the Canes. Trashing Dundon is like catnip to those people

I hope they don't learn of the Dundon offers you penny for your thoughts joke.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Speculation suggests Rod is one of the lower if not the lowest paid HC in the league.

IIRC he answered "No" when asked if he were to receive a raise when he moved from assistant to head coach at his introductory press conference last year.

 

[HisIceness]

I swear, the main page just can't help itself when it comes to threads about the Canes. Trashing Dundon is like catnip to those people

You'll have to forgive those people. You see, their lives would be so much better if this team was in Quebec City, even though none of them have ever been there nor have ever given a shit about the Nordiques even when they did exist.

Funny thing is, some of those same posters are the ones who complain that the NHL lacks marketing in the States, yet lets move franchises to small-market Canadian cities anyway!

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Of course he's at the top of their list. Doesn't mean they're at the top of his.

Exactly. For all we know, Tulsky may have felt his work wasn’t being valued or making an impact under Francis. We don’t know either way, but what we do know is Dundon has shown more support for it by publicly stating it, beefing up the analytics staff, and promoting Tulsky.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I swear, the main page just can't help itself when it comes to threads about the Canes. Trashing Dundon is like catnip to those people

I think it’s great that posters get so triggered by it.

 

[cptjeff]

So yeah, all those hot takes about Waddell leaving and what it means? Not so much, according to a random low level source within the Canes organization by the name of Tom Dundon.

Yeah, I expect Don to be the GM of the team for a while," Dundon said Wednesday.
...
"Tom's told me I have a job for life, but he's also encouraged me to explore other opportunities to see what the market will pay," Waddell told The News & Observer on Tuesday. "We started something here, I love it here, but when the job opened up and Tom said you should explore it, that's what I'm doing."
...

 

[A Star is Burns]

I saw that, and it's encouraging. I still wouldn't be shocked if he left for some reason, but I still don't see it as a foregone conclusion like many.

 

[Svechhammer]

I saw that, and it's encouraging. I still wouldn't be shocked if he left for some reason, but I still don't see it as a foregone conclusion like many.

Sometimes having the freedom to walk away at any time and not feel trapped is something that actually keeps you in a job for longer.

 

[emptyNedder]

Sometimes having the freedom to walk away at any time and not feel trapped is something that actually keeps you in a job for longer.

It's true only open marriages show real commitment.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I’m committed.

 

[WreckingCrew]

I hope they don't learn of the Dundon offers you penny for your thoughts joke.

How dare you, that was mine!!