May Day 10
Registered User
This part of your post is why I went from a Adams basher to someone that defends him (when I feel the facts are being misconstrued).
Adams is an ok manager. He has people under him that give him ideas and he listens to them all and has the bulk of the front office and coaching staff in on team building decisions.
Because of my posts, I now have been labellled an "Adams fanboy". I've never said Adams was a very good GM. I've just said that the team could do a whole lot worse given the ownership situation.
Adams may be unable to make big moves, but that means he is unable to make big terrible moves.
I agree wholeheartidly with you when you say they need a hockey mind with experience, clout, and credibility at the very top of the organization, but right now that position is being occupied by Terry Pegula, who likely has the NHL team building skills of a Banana Slug.
Does anyone think the next GM Pegula hand picks is going to be a shrewd hockey manager that is going to make his own decisions and build a contender? I do not.
With Adams we get good drafting, no bad UFA contract decisions that will sink the organization for years, and no trading said good draft picks for short-term marginal(sometimes) upgrades.
Given the Pegula situation, I would like to see what the input from a more experienced coaching staff could do under Adams before having Terry rebuild the front office in the way he thinks is wisest. That notion scares the hell out of me.
That is an interesting point of view. Not incorrect. It is a bit hopeless and depressing though.
I think Adams is a better GM than Murray and Botterill, although I might give Murray the nod at pro-scouting. Murray sold a treasure trove of assets for pennies on the dollar. I thought Botterill was dreadful at most aspects (but I wonder how much say he had in Housley and Krueger).
I do like how Adams guards the assets, even though it is to a fault. I feel like they fall back on analytics to a fault and it undermines having a stratified, well-rounded, and gritty NHL roster. It could be a lot worse than Adams, and even if Pegula made a move, someone from within would probably get the job. Someone Pegula is comfortable communicating with.
Same thing goes with Granato. If/when they fire him (they might need to use him as a sacrifice at some point), the replacement isnt going to be Berube or Gallant. It will be Appert or Ellis. They would either life the interim tag 4th of July weekend or hire a college coach nobody wants like Guy Gadowsky from Penn State.
Everything has such a low bar and is depressing.
They seem to have alienated the alumni too, so we can't even go to games and be pumped full of nostalgia to feel good about.