Time for Rutherford to step aside?

[CampbellCane]

Long time lurker, first time poster. As many of you, I am highly disappointed with the teams performance this year. Up until this debacle that is the 2013 Carolina Hurricanes season, I have been a staunch supporter of Rutherford and his moves. While I cannot say I agreed with everything he has done, or agree with the team he iced, I did believe he was a comptant general manager given the circumstances under which he had to operate. But now, it is quite clear that it is time for Rutherford to step aside. Does anyone think this may occur this off season? If so, who would we look to as a replacement?

I have put some thought into my questions, more so his replacement though. Personally, I believe that if Rutherford were to step aside or be removed we should pursue a Brian Burke-esque type general manager. The current team obviously lacks in size, toughness, and checking ability. Given the division we will be a part of next year, the three aforementioned qualities will be invaluable to ensure we are at least able to compete. Our bottom six is too small currently and our skill players (with the exception of Ruutu, who I agree is on a terrible contract) do not check much to speak of.

Hopefully, I am not the only one who feels this way regarding the direction we need to go in. If I am, flame away!

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[normalpsychology]

Well past the time for him to step aside. Making the playoffs twice in what is going to be 10 years after this season should never be acceptable. Not in a league where over half the teams make it in. I would also like them to bring in someone from outside the organization but I really doubt that will happen. This is Carolina.

 

[Zombie Mike Murphy]

I kinda disagree. JR honestly did a mostly good job the season, we've just been ****ed with injuries. Without the Ward, Faulk, and Ruutu injuries, we're dominating the southleast this year.

 

[snakepliskin]

we like our group including JR--we lost ward faulk pitkanen ruutu-we didnt have a chance-lets give JR credit for taking a chance on semin - for once we have an abundance of offensive players (1st time ever) and a lot invested in them plus ward--the answer is trading skinner for all the D we can get

 

[Blueline Bomber]

What "abundance of offensive players"?

The two Staals, Semin and Tlusty. That's our offensive talent. Skinner's too hot and cold, and Ruutu can't stay healthy.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

Yes, he has done enough damage.

 

[StormCast]

Credit due for trying to upgrade the Forward scoring but even before the swoon was way too top heavy. On paper a really good top 6 but the bottom 6 not even marginal.

On D? He's done a 180 degree turn from the Cup year. From D-D heavy to O-D/PMD heavy.

It does make you appreciate Cam Ward's performances and attitude though. I can't imagine any of the true elite G's in the league could match their current stats in front of this mangy group of mutts.

 

[normalpsychology]

I'm shocked that there are people who even if you scratch this year due to injuries would still want to keep JR around. Playoffs two times in nine years is acceptable to you? In a league where over half the teams make the playoffs every year??

 

[bleedgreen]

You can only make the moves that are available, and staal/semin were there. Still he's needed better d for a few years now and that was obvious. With Murphy coming we're only gonna get softer.

We need better d. I've said it many times but swapping out Pitts for a similarly priced guy with maybe less skill but more gumption and health would be a good start.

Mcbain for bellemore is a good swap if Faulk is healthy. It's just like adding Allen, his strength is so needed he doesn't have to do much else.

You guys are thinking too small on the playoff stats. How many times were we in the playoffs in is whole career? He should've been gone long before we won the cup.

 

[Oogie Boogie]

You can only make the moves that are available, and staal/semin were there. Still he's needed better d for a few years now and that was obvious. With Murphy coming we're only gonna get softer.

We need better d. I've said it many times but swapping out Pitts for a similarly priced guy with maybe less skill but more gumption and health would be a good start.

Mcbain for bellemore is a good swap if Faulk is healthy. It's just like adding Allen, his strength is so needed he doesn't have to do much else.

You guys are thinking too small on the playoff stats. How many times were we in the playoffs in is whole career? He should've been gone long before we won the cup.

So you're satisfied with what he has done?

 

[Ole Gil]

That we came into the season an injury away from Corvo being in the shutdown pairing is inexcusable.

But offensively, I think in hindsight, the woes fall on Muller.

What happened to Larose and Jussi? (they had 19 goals and 46pts respectively last season) What the hell is he doing with Skinner? Jordan seems to be lost in whatever 'system' it is that the 2nd line is supposed to be playing. We get a goal from the 3rd and 4th line once every 10 games.

Is everybody not named Staal-Semin-Tlusty underperforming to vastly underperforming on Rutherford? Maybe there is no lines construction that could give good results, but it's not like Muller has tried much.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

I think it's quite simple what happened to those two.

They are middling (Jokinen) or poor (LaRose) offensive players whose stats were inflated by playing with Skinner or Staal.

When you play those two together on the same line with an AHL winger in Bowman, they aren't going to do much. I've yet to see a line with either Jokinen, Ruutu, or LaRose as its best player that has not sucked. They are complimentary players (or just plain garbage in the case of LaRose).

Skinner got concussed and has a bad attitude and an unwillingness to change his game on top of it. Jordan hasn't had anyone half decent to play with since Skinner's concussion.

JR's biggest mistake outside of the defense is expecting clowns like Dalpe, Boychuk, Bowman and Welsh to do anything.

 

[HisIceness]

He's not going anywhere unless

-He resigns

-A situation where a new owner comes in

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Paul Maurice - fired 1 season + 30 games after making it to the SCFs
Peter Laviolette - fired 2 seasons + 25 games after winning the Cup
Paul Maurice 2.0 - fired 2 seasons + 25 games after making it to the ECFs

Jim Rutherford - still has a job despite three (soon to be four) consecutive playoff misses

 

[TheBigKahuna]

He should be writing his exit speech tonight!

 

[bleedgreen]

So you're satisfied with what he has done?

i was unsatisfied with jr over a decade ago. ive lived through every trade hes ever made. hes actually gotten much better over the years - though i still generally disagree with my fair share. satisfied? no. do i think he did more positive things last off season than he ever has before? yes. you cant say he wasnt pro active. we needed d, but we also needed a legit number 2 center and a second line winger. if we had gotten better d we would still be *****ing about the other two problems. i cant complain about last off season. i was shocked at what he did to fill the holes.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

Rutherford impatiently overpaid for Jordan Staal. Instead of waiting another year, he gave in, and paid dearly for a 3rd line center....giving away his #1 d-man prospect in the process. All for what? 42 games of mediocre play out of a guy who will be making $6m per season over the next 10 seasons? Some people are still patting Jimmy on the back for getting Jordan. Some of us are a little more cynical. The best thing JR has done in recent years, was trade Kaberle for Spacek....and ONLY because he had already signed the horrible Kaberle to a 3 year deal!

 

[normalpsychology]

Rutherford impatiently overpaid for Jordan Staal. Instead of waiting another year, he gave in, and paid dearly for a 3rd line center....giving away his #1 d-man prospect in the process. All for what? 42 games of mediocre play out of a guy who will be making $6m per season over the next 10 seasons? Some people are still patting Jimmy on the back for getting Jordan. Some of us are a little more cynical. The best thing JR has done in recent years, was trade Kaberle for Spacek....and ONLY because he had already signed the horrible Kaberle to a 3 year deal!

yep, exactly. Imagine how much better our forward group would be with Sutter. He couldn't wait 1 shortened season? We have 2 sometimes 3 useless lines. At least with Sutter we could still have a checking line to take some pressure off the other players. Sutter would also be a better choice for an offensive #2. Did he really think this was our playoff year when he makes basically 0 improvements on defense? His overpaying once again hurts the team and it's becoming more clear every day how little J Staal is actually like the said he would be. You move Skinner to the third line and suddenly offensive production is coming from there and not the second line anymore. J Staal is trying to be forced into the kind of player he simply cannot be. Whatever line he is on just dies offensively. And pandering to our Captain's moods by signing him hasn't really helped either!

JR can resign now or more likely be "promoted" to some other position in the hurricanes org and he can go out as the guy who signed Semin. At least that's one positive thing to remember about him in a career otherwise filled with absolutely ridiculous decisions.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Sutter a better offensive 2C. I've heard it all now.

 

[normalpsychology]

Could be, easily. I know we can't continue trying to force J Staal into the role because whatever line he is on automatically dies offensively.

 

[StormCast]

Sutter a better offensive 2C. I've heard it all now.

I think you missed the key point. It's in the numbers.

16>11, ergo Sutter is better than JStaal. C'mon it's the new math man.

 

[normalpsychology]

They've both got 9 goals (i think) and Sutter has done while still playing on a third line.

 

[StormCast]

They've both got 9 goals (i think) and Sutter has done while still playing on a third line.

Well case closed then as the stats have spoken.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Yes, let's judge Jordan after 40 games into his 10 year deal

 

[garnetpalmetto]

yep, exactly. Imagine how much better our forward group would be with Sutter. He couldn't wait 1 shortened season? We have 2 sometimes 3 useless lines. At least with Sutter we could still have a checking line to take some pressure off the other players. Sutter would also be a better choice for an offensive #2. Did he really think this was our playoff year when he makes basically 0 improvements on defense? His overpaying once again hurts the team and it's becoming more clear every day how little J Staal is actually like the said he would be. You move Skinner to the third line and suddenly offensive production is coming from there and not the second line anymore. J Staal is trying to be forced into the kind of player he simply cannot be. Whatever line he is on just dies offensively. And pandering to our Captain's moods by signing him hasn't really helped either!

JR can resign now or more likely be "promoted" to some other position in the hurricanes org and he can go out as the guy who signed Semin. At least that's one positive thing to remember about him in a career otherwise filled with absolutely ridiculous decisions.

1) Gronk *was* put in the 2C position during the times Sid and Geno were injured. IIRC he was even 1C at one point when *both* were injured. He succeeded in those cases. He'll succeed as our 2C.

2) There was no indication Jordan was a lock to sign here. Calling Rutherford "impatient" here isn't exactly fair. If he gets to the open market, who's to say that some GM with much deeper pockets couldn't throw an insane contract at Staal that convinced him to go to, say, Buffalo, rather than Raleigh.

Sutter a better offensive 2C. I've heard it all now.

I know.