Proposal: Thoughts on Ottawa bringing in Fresh Blood to Front Office

[Tuna99]

Tuna, repeating the same thing you said in your initial post is entirely useless for debate. And if you're just looking for a place to say your piece without engaging in debate, maybe a message board isn't the right place.

Filatov wasn't slow. Kovalev wasn't slow. Conacher wasn't slow. Hemsky wasn't slow. Campoli wasn't slow. How exactly does one measure compete level? How are any of these players going "against the mold of what is working in the NHL" when, with the exception of Smith (who retired) and Filatov (who bolted back home,) everyone else on your list either found another landing spot in the NHL or is still gainfully employed in the league today?

Repeating the same thing over and over again doesn't make it true, sorry.

I think most fans would agree our pro-evaluation is an area we need a serious upgrade in, I don't like how they are evaluating players they bring in. Filatov, Kovalev, Chiasson, Legwand, Gomez - what qualities are they looking for in these players I don't know. But when we bring in players, I'd like t see the team have a philosophy - speed, great skater, huge compete level - it just seems with Murray that it's a haphazard evaluation and they favour size and slow feet over skill and speed.

And I'm sure if you call 29 GMs they offer you players that do not fit the NHL first - and want speed and tenacityi in return, which we do not ever seem to get.

 

[guyzeur]

I think most fans would agree our pro-evaluation is an area we need a serious upgrade in, I don't like how they are evaluating players they bring in. Filatov, Kovalev, Chiasson, Legwand, Gomez - what qualities are they looking for in these players I don't know. But when we bring in players, I'd like t see the team have a philosophy - speed, great skater, huge compete level - it just seems with Murray that it's a haphazard evaluation and they favour size and slow feet over skill and speed.

And I'm sure if you call 29 GMs they offer you players that do not fit the NHL first - and want speed and tenacityi in return, which we do not ever seem to get.

And those guys are so easy to get, nobody wants them

You should have added young and talented, physical with size and low dollars

 

[Sens]

And those guys are so easy to get, nobody wants them

You should have added young and talented, physical with size and low dollars

Nine years of controlling the development system... I don't see an excuse as to why we can't have a steady flow of fast talent

That should have been an organizational focus... Especially now with EK back there...

 

[Suiteness]

It's not happening. Melnyk is a Murray fan boy. Every single Melnyk interview he's out there praising Murray for being this Supreme Hockey mind that is unparalleled in this league.

I look at the body of Murray's work and I see C average manager who's never been able to build a winner but managed to sneak a few teams into the last playoff spot and make some fluke runs to the SC final where they finally got destroyed.

Ideally, Murray should have been canned in 2011, the year we bombed and landed Zibanejad at the draft. There's no way in hell he should have been allowed to lead the rebuild. It made zero sense then and the results prove it.

5 years. 5 years down the toilet because of Melnyk's blinders.

 

[BankStreetParade]

It's not happening. Melnyk is a Murray fan boy. Every single Melnyk interview he's out there praising Murray for being this Supreme Hockey mind that is unparalleled in this league.

I look at the body of Murray's work and I see C average manager who's never been able to build a winner but managed to sneak a few teams into the last playoff spot and make some fluke runs to the SC final where they finally got destroyed.

Ideally, Murray should have been canned in 2011, the year we bombed and landed Zibanejad at the draft. There's no way in hell he should have been allowed to lead the rebuild. It made zero sense then and the results prove it.

5 years. 5 years down the toilet because of Melnyk's blinders.

And since then only 2 teams have won the cup. So what's your point?

 

[Suiteness]

And since then only 2 teams have won the cup. So what's your point?

The point is this team is still wandering the desert and no closer to winning a cup than we were 5 years ago.

 

[Indrew]

And since then only 2 teams have won the cup. So what's your point?

His point is the team is mediocre and the GM should be held accountable at some point.

This team can't make the playoffs consistently and hasn't finished in a top 4 spot in the standings since 2005-06. The team hasn't been a serious contender in any season with Bryan Murray in the general manager role. After ten years, you have to wonder if MAYBE the general manager isn't capable of making the team a playoff threat, let alone a Stanley Cup contender.

It's fairly reasonable to believe that this team could benefit from new management.

 

[BonkTastic]

Melnyk is a Murray fan boy.

I rarely get to hear 50+ year olds described in terminology that would best be used on/by teenagers, which is good. I like keeping up to date.

I suppose Melnyk isn't woke, either.

 

[topshelf15]

His point is the team is mediocre and the GM should be held accountable at some point.

This team can't make the playoffs consistently and hasn't finished in a top 4 spot in the standings since 2005-06. The team hasn't been a serious contender in any season with Bryan Murray in the general manager role. After ten years, you have to wonder if MAYBE the general manager isn't capable of making the team a playoff threat, let alone a Stanley Cup contender.

It's fairly reasonable to believe that this team could benefit from new management.

Its called building with youth ,they tend to be inconsistant

 

[Langdon Alger]

Defend it all you want but these are all slow players, all low compete levels and all acquired and paid money. it says something about management when they continually are out acquiring players that go agains the mold of what is working in the NHL.

If you want to look at our 2 biggest issues, team speed and team compete - look at the players we have traded for or signed and it becomes very clear why we are at where we are at

I agree with most of what you're saying, but there is no way Jason Smith had a low compete level.

 

[Stylizer1]

A good GM knows the type of coach he wants for the type of team he wants to build?

Which one has Murray been successful at?

By scouting other teams you must be able to find players who can perform a certain role in order to move on to the next hole you are trying to fill. The issue with Murray is that he is trying to prove he can build through the draft and make a winner while making trades that set us back. Our Goaltending was set for the next 10 years and now we will be looking for a replacement within the next 3.

Murrya has failed at one which makes the other fail too.

 

[Tuna99]

We need someone who can defend the players, this is super important in a Canadian market.

We see the new public fight with Hoffman and it just do anybody any good. Sure when it comes time to trade him you are ahead of bad press and have built your case that your top scorer is soft, but it devalues the player, it makes trading them way harder which we saw with Heatley and Spezza and it sends a message to the dressing room that every player can be randomly selected for a cat fight in the press.

Just do it privately, no need to fight with your top p,ayers. If you don't like them, trade them. Like Boston did, like Toronto did - but do it quietly

 

[Stylizer1]

We need someone who can defend the players, this is super important in a Canadian market.

We see the new public fight with Hoffman and it just do anybody any good. Sure when it comes time to trade him you are ahead of bad press and have built your case that your top scorer is soft, but it devalues the player, it makes trading them way harder which we saw with Heatley and Spezza and it sends a message to the dressing room that every player can be randomly selected for a cat fight in the press.

Just do it privately, no need to fight with your top p,ayers. If you don't like them, trade them. Like Boston did, like Toronto did - but do it quietly

One of the reasons why I want someone else determining the fate of our players. Leadership is missing at all levels on this team.

This team needs a coach that will inspire his players to give a dam.

 

[Tuna99]

One of the reasons why I want someone else determining the fate of our players. Leadership is missing at all levels on this team.

This team needs a coach that will inspire his players to give a dam.

I do really like EK as a Captain, and Stone, Pageau, Phaneuf, Smith as leaders on the team. I think we have a lot of good but we can't have management undermining their top scorer mid-season. Look at the fan base, most have turned on Hoffman and distracted the fans from the real issues of Ryan, Management, Coaching.

It's just weird to me that you can have a 5th round pick become one of the best scorers in the NH, and you treat him like you don't want him around - I don't get it. And if they want to trade him there no need to announce his weaknesses in the press, just doesn't make sense

 

[umma gumma]

It's just weird to me that you can have a 5th round pick become one of the best scorers in the NH, and you treat him like you don't want him around - I don't get it. And if they want to trade him there no need to announce his weaknesses in the press, just doesn't make sense

How much of a difference can this really make though? Its not like GMs and scouts are seeing the press clippings and then thinking, "Oh **** Brian, thanks! I hadn't noticed that!"

Having said that, sometimes I wish Murray would say less. Although I'm not sure what he's said about Hoffman to the press. What has he said?

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Interesting article by Sylvain St Laurent on Patrick Weircoche. PW says for the last 6 years he's felt he's been trade bait (which is true - even Murray said he couldn't trade him a last year) but PW says this is something that has gone on with most players in Ottawa and it effects them, and he wants to move on to a team that wants him.

Ive always felt Murray doesn't defend his players or coaches well at all. Young players like PW, Zibby is now in the press for a trade, Hoffman, Ceci was in the trade news this year, Bishop and Lehner, Zach Smith last year, Anderson admitted he was on one and needles before Lehner was traded - all this to say that management has not defended their players. It is a business, but when you have players like PW coming out while still in uniform and saying him and most of his teammates have lived with the trade winds over the names for 6 years it effects you and your psyche.

This is one hint I'd love to see, whe Martin was here there were never ru ours, he stuck with u players, he shot down any trade rumours of any sort and never moved young core players.

Something to note as we look for new leadership.

Welcome to the NHL.

Every hockey city out there that has media and bloggers covering the team does the same exact thing. Ottawa is incredibly easy to play in compared to the fishbowls of Montreal or Toronto. Any players who are having trouble with the media or scrutiny in Ottawa....the fault is with the player. If you can't handle playing in Ottawa, you will wither in over half the markets in this league.