2024-25 Kraken Roster discussion

[Fistfullofbeer]

There's no limit on buyouts.

Good. Buy both of them out then. The team just doesn't seem to trust Gru and that is bad for a team already struggling and low in confidence. Give Daccord a better backup to give him some breaks without expecting a L every time we do so.

 

[tank44]

I've been on team Grubauer for a while but the past few outings really has turned me. Can we buy him out mid-season? It's bad...

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I've been on team Grubauer for a while but the past few outings really has turned me. Can we buy him out mid-season? It's bad...

No benefit of doing that. We will still need a backup for this season and Kokko is not quite ready. Throwing him to the wolves is not going to be good for his confidence either.

If someone waives a goalie who is not making much, we can maybe go for him but our cap situation is pretty tight so not sure how feasible that is.

But they can definitely not go into next season with Gru on this team.

 

[majormajor]

So who made the decision to keep going with Grubauer for so long? I need to know who to be angry at.

Francis? Bylsma? Someone above Francis?

I somehow missed this earlier but Friedman reported on ownership overruling Francis on the coaching hire, among other things. Did we talk about this?

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

So who made the decision to keep going with Grubauer for so long? I need to know who to be angry at.

Francis? Bylsma? Someone above Francis?

I somehow missed this earlier but Friedman reported on ownership overruling Francis on the coaching hire, among other things. Did we talk about this?

I have seen this multiple times but since its Friedman, I am not sure how much to believe it. However, if this is true, we can't hope both Bylsma and Francis next season. Took us only 3 years to turn into a dysfunctional organization.

 

[majormajor]

I have seen this multiple times but since its Friedman, I am not sure how much to believe it. However, if this is true, we can't hope both Bylsma and Francis next season. Took us only 3 years to turn into a dysfunctional organization.

I have zero reason to distrust Friedman.

 

[Kevinsane]

Meddling ownership would really really be a blow to this team. As much as I don’t like the job Francis has done, you hire hockey people to hire hockey people, and stay the eff out of the way.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

So who made the decision to keep going with Grubauer for so long? I need to know who to be angry at.

Francis? Bylsma? Someone above Francis?

I somehow missed this earlier but Friedman reported on ownership overruling Francis on the coaching hire, among other things. Did we talk about this?

That Friedman report was totally weird and made no sense.

According to it Francis somehow didn't want to go in on free agents and especially Stephenson(somehow the guy that was a crap signing) but also didn't want the development coach(Bylsma) but rather McLallan.

1) If he's always overruled than why do you need Francis?

2) Going from trying to keep on building with young players but than wanting the win now coach over the development guy makes absolutley no sense.

Like ECH speculated, that artcile looked like someone handed information to Friedman and it only tried to protect Francis who's on the hot seat....strange one that....

 

[majormajor]

Meddling ownership would really really be a blow to this team. As much as I don’t like the job Francis has done, you hire hockey people to hire hockey people, and stay the eff out of the way.

Especially picking the coach?

 

[majormajor]

That Friedman report was totally weird and made no sense.

According to it Francis somehow didn't want to go in on free agents and especially Stephenson(somehow the guy that was a crap signing) but also didn't want the development coach(Bylsma) but rather McLallan.

I don't know the particulars of the reporting on the Stephenson signing - did Friedman say something about him in particular?

Francis' reputation as a risk averse GM who is very analytics friendly does run against signing Stephenson.

1) If he's always overruled than why do you need Francis?

We see this with a lot of clubs where the GM gets bossed around. It's not without precedent.

2) Going from trying to keep on building with young players but than wanting the win now coach over the development guy makes absolutley no sense.

I don't think the archetypes of Bylsma as the development coach and McLellan as the win now coach are very meaningful.

Edit: Someone on reddit quoted Friedman from last May talking about the coaching debate:

“Seattle, I think there’s three names: Dan Bylsma, Todd McLellan and Jay Leach. And the interesting thing about Seattle is, in New Jersey I think at different times, different people have argued in favor of who should be the next coach of the Devils. I think that’s also the case in Seattle. I don’t know if a split is the right word, but at different times I think people have argued for different people.”

So he's got a longstanding source. I'm not sure that it is not Francis covering his ass, but I'm guessing it's probably someone else. It's not a completely new story that someone started spinning now that the season has gone badly.