Will there be a super star for Seattle Kraken in its inaugural season?

[Panteras]

Beniers

 

[jbron]

Well it's certainly not Ron Francis.

 

[skagittarius]

Nothing wrong with your best player between the pipes and building out from there. Combine that with responsible, defensive minded forwards that skate well and are tenacious on the back/forecheck...count me in. That took the Habs to the finals. Not saying that will be the case here, and this certainly isn't the roster I would have chosen, but I think this team will be competitive (with some cap room), albeit not very exciting.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Eberle

 

[scholl]

Beniers

Exactly. A new team needs to create a new star and there is no other choice than Beniers.
He will be the franchise face for Kraken.

 

[Miracle on Ice]

Beniers will probably be the face of the franchise for the futur. But for now, Eberle and Grubi will probably be the closest to a star we will have.

 

[klozge]

No. It'll take a while.

 

[A838]

The sooner they get rid of Francis the better. He is not a good GM. Might as well have put Chiarelli in there.

 

[gstommylee]

The sooner they get rid of Francis the better. He is not a good GM. Might as well have put Chiarelli in there.

Can we stop judging the GM when we haven't even played an entire season or two.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Can we stop judging the GM when we haven't even played an entire season or two.

I think it's fair to have differing opinions on what GMRF should have done. But I do not understand why folks are calling for his head already. Its interesting because I think our starting roster does not look much worse than what Vegas had before the start of the season. Infact, I think we may have a better roster on paper than they did on opening day.

Ofcourse things changed when the likes of Karlsson, Theodore, Schmidt, etc. all played above what they did before the expansion draft. I am not saying that Wennberg, Geekie, Dunn, etc. can reach that level but who is to say that they don't.

Some of this moves are definitely head scratchers and I like many others am slightly confused (and perturbed) by the lack of picks we have accumulated. Same with a few of the picks he made in the expansion draft. But I don't think he has been bad enough to have already been fired.

GMRF obviously wants us to have a good start out of the gate but his main concern should be the long term success of the team.

 

[gstommylee]

I think it's fair to have differing opinions on what GMRF should have done. But I do not understand why folks are calling for his head already. Its interesting because I think our starting roster does not look much worse than what Vegas had before the start of the season. Infact, I think we may have a better roster on paper than they did on opening day.

Ofcourse things changed when the likes of Karlsson, Theodore, Schmidt, etc. all played above what they did before the expansion draft. I am not saying that Wennberg, Geekie, Dunn, etc. can reach that level but who is to say that they don't.

Some of this moves are definitely head scratchers and I like many others am slightly confused (and perturbed) by the lack of picks we have accumulated. Same with a few of the picks he made in the expansion draft. But I don't think he has been bad enough to have already been fired.

GMRF obviously wants us to have a good start out of the gate but his main concern should be the long term success of the team.

Oh having an opinion on what seattle could had done is indeed fair. But the whole should been figured or else well never have a good team is a joke. You can't judge an expansion team choices in players until at least 2 season out.

 

[jbron]

The difference between the Kraken roster and the Golden Knights roster at similar dates moving into their inaugural isn't that far apart.
The glaring difference is that Vegas had a ton of drafts in the opening entry level draft. Twelve picks including 3 first rounders in 2017. That
set them apart in building their prospect pool and future trade pool.

 

[gstommylee]

The difference between the Kraken roster and the Golden Knights roster at similar dates moving into their inaugural isn't that far apart.
The glaring difference is that Vegas had a ton of drafts in the opening entry level draft. Twelve picks including 3 first rounders in 2017. That
set them apart in building their prospect pool and future trade pool.

And yet look at that team now? All those 3 first rounders got traded include one that was 1C material. That team isn't any better than it was in year 1.

 

[jbron]

It's better to have the draft picks stocking the prospect pool or offering up for trades than having a barren cupboard.

 

[gstommylee]

It's better to have the draft picks stocking the prospect pool or offering up for trades than having a barren cupboard.

and yet sometimes its better to have cap flexibility then to be in cap hell and having to give up assets just to move a bad contract.

 

[LokiDog]

And yet look at that team now? All those 3 first rounders got traded include one that was 1C material. That team isn't any better than it was in year 1.

Well they obviously went further than anyone expected in year one, so short of winning the Cup, it was impossible for them to be any better than they were in year one.

But they traded one of those picks for Pacioretty, who has 117 points in his last 119 games for them as well as 15 goals and 30 points in the playoffs, in 36 games.

They traded another one of those picks for their captain, Mark Stone, who has 135 in 138 games since the trade.

It's not exactly like those trades haven't worked out for them or helped them to remain competitive. Las Vegas is considered a heavy contender every year so far, and having the trade capital to make some of the moves they've made has helped.



I'm not criticizing the job Francis has done. As @Fistfullofbeer says, there's been some headscratchers and it would have been nice to amass some more picks, but I'm reserving judgement and am reasonably satisfied with the roster for now and the expectations it gives me. Still, there's no point in sticking our heads in the sand and acting as if the multiple 1sts and other extra picks that Vegas acquired haven't helped them stay virtually as close to winning a Cup as anyone since they've entered the league.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I think it's fair to have differing opinions on what GMRF should have done. But I do not understand why folks are calling for his head already. Its interesting because I think our starting roster does not look much worse than what Vegas had before the start of the season. Infact, I think we may have a better roster on paper than they did on opening day.

Ofcourse things changed when the likes of Karlsson, Theodore, Schmidt, etc. all played above what they did before the expansion draft. I am not saying that Wennberg, Geekie, Dunn, etc. can reach that level but who is to say that they don't.

Some of this moves are definitely head scratchers and I like many others am slightly confused (and perturbed) by the lack of picks we have accumulated. Same with a few of the picks he made in the expansion draft. But I don't think he has been bad enough to have already been fired.

GMRF obviously wants us to have a good start out of the gate but his main concern should be the long term success of the team.

It seems to be the cool thing on HFBoards.
Poeple have deemed Francis to be an idiot and no good at all and because of that you always have folks even coming in here and talking how bad he is and how badly he needs to be fired......for reasons.....

Looking at our board I think we're all basically on the same page in being OK with the roster and liking most of the signings, while also being baffled by a couple of decisions during the expansion draft(Quennville, Bayreuther) and the lack of trades/aquiring of picks after the expansion draft.

Though, I think we'll see a couple more trades once we get closer to training camp because that's when teams will realize they might need another player while we still can't keep all of the ones we currently have under contract.

 

[Cogburn]

The sooner they get rid of Francis the better. He is not a good GM. Might as well have put Chiarelli in there.

Maybe to the first part, I'm not going to judge anything until I see the final product.

I agree with the second part, but again, new owners, new organization, new scenario.

The last part is absolutely not true. Chiarelli wasted years of having the best player in the league in such a way that they might not recover during his best years.

 

[gstommylee]

Maybe to the first part, I'm not going to judge anything until I see the final product.

I agree with the second part, but again, new owners, new organization, new scenario.

The last part is absolutely not true. Chiarelli wasted years of having the best player in the league in such a way that they might not recover during his best years.

Can we just wait and see what happens the next couple years before doing the whole GM must be fired or they won't do great at all..

 

[ThorNton Apologist]

Morgan Geekie has the best chance to be the next William Karlsson

 

[Cogburn]

Can we just wait and see what happens the next couple years before doing the whole GM must be fired or they won't do great at all..

Of course. I don't think Francis is a good GM based on his past, but I won't write off his efforts with at least seeing it in action. I'm hoping for a redemption story, not a "I was the most negative, so I am the most right" moment if the team crashes. I don't want a crash, I want an entertaining team that can win. It's attitudes of hoping the team fails that brought me here in the first place.

 

[gstommylee]

Of course. I don't think Francis is a good GM based on his past, but I won't write off his efforts with at least seeing it in action. I'm hoping for a redemption story, not a "I was the most negative, so I am the most right" moment if the team crashes. I don't want a crash, I want an entertaining team that can win. It's attitudes of hoping the team fails that brought me here in the first place.

Sure i want an exciting product too but its the whole bloody self proclaimed experts that know how to run a sports franchise that is just out right annoying.

People chill the heck out and treat this team as an expansion team not a revolving door staff hiring/firing just cause the team might not do great its first year. People need to stop comparing this to vegas... Vegas is being run like garbage where very year must be win the cup now and forget about how the team will look years from now. Basically that team will have a massive nose dive in a couple years standing wise and copying them is not how we want this team to be.

 

[Irie]

Folks really need to stop comparing Seattle to Vegas. The expansion situation was apples to Oranges.

Francis asked for 1st round picks, no one was selling, unlike in the Vegas situation.

Blame it on the cap situation, the strength and depth of the 22 and 23 drafts, or GMs having learned from 2017.... whatever, the environment was completely different.

1. GMs spent the last 3 years positioning themselves for this draft. No one was trading a top prospect to protect a player. (i.e. Tuch/Theodore)

2. No team was exposing or offering up young proven goal scorers to protect other players (Smith(26yo - 30g) Marchessault(26yo - 25g).

3. No team was offering a 1st, 2nd, and prospect (Karlsson) to take on an insured LTIR-retired contract just for offseason cap flexibility (Clarkson).

4. No one was paying a 1s, 2nd, and defensive prospect to take on a one year cap dump(Grabovski).

5. No team was giving Seattle a 2nd to take on a stanley cup winning, top overall pick and current Vezina finalist goalie(Fleury)

6. The market is much, much tighter for overpaid players that Seattle could draft and flip the way Vegas did with Pickard/Emelin/Methot/Schlemko/TVR), Most, if not all of those guys would require assets to unload, whereas Vegas flipped them for a return.

Guaranteed Francis would have taken any of those deals if offered. Anyone looking at what Vegas did and wondering why Seattle didn't walk away with the same haul in this expansion draft does not have a grasp on the differences between the drafts and the current cap environment. Comparing them is ridiculous.

 

[Cogburn]

Sure i want an exciting product too but its the whole bloody self proclaimed experts that know how to run a sports franchise that is just out right annoying.

People chill the heck out and treat this team as an expansion team not a revolving door staff hiring/firing just cause the team might not do great its first year. People need to stop comparing this to vegas... Vegas is being run like garbage where very year must be win the cup now and forget about how the team will look years from now. Basically that team will have a massive nose dive in a couple years standing wise and copying them is not how we want this team to be.

Vegas set an unrealistic expectations for early success. I don't think they're run as bad as all that, but Seattle is a different team, formed under different circumstances.

How ever, I am not a huge fan of Francis. I'm not screaming for his head or even wondering who else is out there yet, but let's see the team before we claim it needs a new GM.

 

[gstommylee]

Vegas set an unrealistic expectations for early success. I don't think they're run as bad as all that, but Seattle is a different team, formed under different circumstances.

How ever, I am not a huge fan of Francis. I'm not screaming for his head or even wondering who else is out there yet, but let's see the team before we claim it needs a new GM.

Even people wanting him fired after 1 year would be stupid. There is no way we would have a cup contending roster in the first year people need to keep it realistically and firing GM after its first season is not realistic.