Around the League - 2022-23 Season Edition

[TheGoldenJet]

Some Pittsburgh media are slowly picking up on the fact they may have hired a snake oil salesman with a shoddy GM record in Dubas

Joe Starkey: Is it OK to be underwhelmed by Penguins' hire of Kyle Dubas?

PITTSBURGH — The Penguins' official website does not list an individual as owning the team. Under "Name" it reads "Fenway Sports Group," and under "Role" it says "Ownership."

kdhnews.com

 

[hockeywiz542]

According to NHL insiders including James Mirtle and Elliotte Friedman, Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas is interested in hiring away Brandon Pridham, Wes Clark, Darryl Metcalf, as well as other members of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ analytics department.

Here is an article from The Athletic which profiles Wes Clark, current Director of Amateur Scouting and Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

‘He’s that silent assassin’: Wes Clark is helping Kyle Dubas shape the Leafs

As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

theathletic.com

(Top photo of John Tavares, Wes Clark and Matt Moulson: Courtesy of Richard Clark)

July 8, 2020

As the 2018 NHL Draft inched closer, Jason Bukala and Wes Clark continued to argue.

Bukala, the Florida Panthers’ director of amateur scouting, and Clark, an amateur scout with the organization, couldn’t agree on whether to select Peterborough Petes forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev. The forward was skilled but small.

If he was available beyond the second round, Clark believed they should take him. Bukala disagreed. With other undersized prospects in the system, Bukala didn’t want to add too many of the same body types to their pool.

The Panthers never got the opportunity as Der-Arguchintsev was selected in the third round, 76th overall, by the Maple Leafs.

It was a typical suggestion from Clark, who made a name for himself with the Panthers by looking beyond size and other typical hockey attributes.

“He’s a very deep thinker,” Bukala said. “He digs in on players but he also understands the vision of the organization and the leadership ahead of him and what they’re looking for in players.”

Clark has brought those attributes with him to Toronto, where he works as the Leafs’ assistant director of player personnel and, unofficially, Kyle Dubas’ right-hand advisor. He is unorthodox and influential. And although he was among Craig Custance’s list of the top 40 under 40 shaping the NHL’s future in 2018, he still operated largely behind the scenes. Many Leafs fans would be justified in not knowing his name. The Leafs declined to make Clark available for this story.

But those who know Clark say he is one of the more unique people in professional hockey. As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a progressive, forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

“He thinks so differently from so many people in the hockey world,” said Brandon DeFazio, a longtime friend and recent KHL player. “He appreciates so many different things that often aren’t valued at a high level.”

It was called the “Dungeon.”

Richard Clark’s homemade gym in the basement of his Oakville home didn’t have air conditioning and was stuffed with as much old gym equipment he could find.

“It was archaic,” said Richard Clark, Wes’ father. “But it worked.”

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the “Dungeon” was where local athletes found the kind of intense workouts they couldn’t get elsewhere. Richard had tried working out with his son and his son’s friend Matt Moulson at a local YMCA. But Clark didn’t want to be seen around his father, whose workouts were considerably aggressive.

And so they gathered with other local teenage hockey players in the “Dungeon” to push each other.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

According to NHL insiders including James Mirtle and Elliotte Friedman, Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas is interested in hiring away Brandon Pridham, Wes Clark, Darryl Metcalf, as well as other members of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ analytics department.

Here is an article from The Athletic which profiles Wes Clark, current Director of Amateur Scouting and Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

‘He’s that silent assassin’: Wes Clark is helping Kyle Dubas shape the Leafs

As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

theathletic.com

(Top photo of John Tavares, Wes Clark and Matt Moulson: Courtesy of Richard Clark)

July 8, 2020

As the 2018 NHL Draft inched closer, Jason Bukala and Wes Clark continued to argue.

Bukala, the Florida Panthers’ director of amateur scouting, and Clark, an amateur scout with the organization, couldn’t agree on whether to select Peterborough Petes forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev. The forward was skilled but small.

If he was available beyond the second round, Clark believed they should take him. Bukala disagreed. With other undersized prospects in the system, Bukala didn’t want to add too many of the same body types to their pool.

The Panthers never got the opportunity as Der-Arguchintsev was selected in the third round, 76th overall, by the Maple Leafs.

It was a typical suggestion from Clark, who made a name for himself with the Panthers by looking beyond size and other typical hockey attributes.

“He’s a very deep thinker,” Bukala said. “He digs in on players but he also understands the vision of the organization and the leadership ahead of him and what they’re looking for in players.”

Clark has brought those attributes with him to Toronto, where he works as the Leafs’ assistant director of player personnel and, unofficially, Kyle Dubas’ right-hand advisor. He is unorthodox and influential. And although he was among Craig Custance’s list of the top 40 under 40 shaping the NHL’s future in 2018, he still operated largely behind the scenes. Many Leafs fans would be justified in not knowing his name. The Leafs declined to make Clark available for this story.

But those who know Clark say he is one of the more unique people in professional hockey. As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a progressive, forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

“He thinks so differently from so many people in the hockey world,” said Brandon DeFazio, a longtime friend and recent KHL player. “He appreciates so many different things that often aren’t valued at a high level.”

It was called the “Dungeon.”

Richard Clark’s homemade gym in the basement of his Oakville home didn’t have air conditioning and was stuffed with as much old gym equipment he could find.

“It was archaic,” said Richard Clark, Wes’ father. “But it worked.”

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the “Dungeon” was where local athletes found the kind of intense workouts they couldn’t get elsewhere. Richard had tried working out with his son and his son’s friend Matt Moulson at a local YMCA. But Clark didn’t want to be seen around his father, whose workouts were considerably aggressive.

And so they gathered with other local teenage hockey players in the “Dungeon” to push each other.

Leafs would do well to block Dubas from picking off the FO assets that the Leafs have. Promotions and raises should be used galore, time for MLSE to flex its financial muscles in preparation for the inevitable Dubas raid.

 

[KMNRB]

Mirtle: Get ready for a Maple Leafs-Penguins rivalry — on and off the ice

With Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh and ready for battle in the Eastern Conference with his old team, a heated new rivalry has just been born.

theathletic.com

How Dubas’ exit was foreshadowed in 2017

We’ll never know for sure, but more and more people you talk to around the league believe Dubas had at least some inkling the Penguins seriously wanted him when he went into those failed, odd negotiations with Shanahan last month.

Which puts what happened in a different light.

The thing, too, is that the notion of Dubas feeling chafed and wanting more autonomy in Toronto is not a new one. In fact, it was happening early on in his tenure with the team, soon after Lou Lamoriello was brought in as GM in July of 2015.

By the spring of 2017, the Colorado Avalanche, in the midst of a disastrous last-place season, were courting Dubas for a high-level front-office role. Then-GM Joe Sakic wanted to push the Avs in a more analytical direction, and he wanted permission to talk to Dubas.

That wasn’t granted. And my understanding at the time was that this was when Shanahan promised Dubas that he would succeed Lamoriello as GM the following year.

There were some now-familiar themes in that story: “The Leafs’ front office is full of division and disagreement, even as the team has excelled and exceeded expectations on the ice. There’s a circle of power and influence that’s being contested by a lot of big personalities — Lou Lamoriello, Mike Babcock, Mark Hunter etc. — and the results aren’t always pretty. One result of that is Dubas’ voice has been marginalized.”

One thing I recall being really interesting in reporting out that story was that people close to Dubas believed he would be happy to go to a place like Colorado, where he could do more of the “weird” things he wanted with a roster and front office than it felt would be possible in Toronto. That sort of unfettered ability to exact change, without the heavy scrutiny in a large market and a somewhat overbearing ownership situation, always appealed to Dubas, even six years ago.

Now, Pittsburgh isn’t exactly a tiny hockey market. There is going to be prying eyes. But FSG is new to hockey, and they’re going to be turning over the keys in full here. In the president role, Dubas finally should have closer to the total control that he’s long wanted and that he wasn’t going to get by staying in Toronto.

While a lot of the takes after Shanahan fired him a couple weeks ago admonished Dubas for “overplaying his hand” in negotiations, the better, more accurate read of the situation, especially in hindsight, is that he was fully prepared to move on entering those talks.

After not being given a contract extension last summer, Dubas finally had the ability to contemplate life outside of Toronto and that emboldened him to take the stand he did with Shanahan.

Yes, a late request for more autonomy from the MLSE board didn’t go his way, but Dubas had been in the organization for nine years. He had to have known how that would be received by a board that refused to extend him after a 115-point season.

Dubas would have also known, like everyone in the hockey world, that Pittsburgh was about to have a major house cleaning and push in a more analytical direction, thanks to new ownership.

Dubas had to have known he would have other options when the dust settled. Options more in line with what he had been seeking since being blocked from going to Colorado in 2017.

So, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on what Dubas does with the Penguins as he builds out that front office and roster. Some of his hiring in Toronto was unorthodox, and some executives with other teams have been critical of the unique four-person AGM set up he put in place, but that may have been only the beginning.

It seems Colorado got lucky. They would never have won the cup if they had become the experimental site for Dubas to try out "weird things." I wonder what more would he try beyond those we saw in the past few years (under six-feet defence, soccer-like possession game, drafting with a total disregard of size, ...)

 

[facelessjoe1990]

If Wes Clark leaves we should try to poach Brad Whelan the long time assistant director of amateur scouting for Tampa. They just made him a Co- Assistant after ten years with the team. He found Kucherov. If the player development goes to Pittsburgh than we should try to get Rich Peverly from Dallas. He helped Jason Robertson.

 

[The Masters]

this is how stupid ron maclean was yesterday on the biggest broadcast of the year]] get this fkin tool off the air

 

[Superstar]

Helps when you have Petro and Theo on your D.

You mean the same Petro Dubas could have signed, but thought that 4 forwards earning 50% of the cap was a better strategy? What a genius, I tell ya! Why isn't there a statue built for him in TO? One playoff round victory in 5 years makes him the greatest Leafs GM ever! No wonder there's mourning everywhere with his departure!

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Some interesting situation regarding the nichuskin talk

 

[baton elevated]

According to NHL insiders including James Mirtle and Elliotte Friedman, Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas is interested in hiring away Brandon Pridham, Wes Clark, Darryl Metcalf, as well as other members of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ analytics department.

Here is an article from The Athletic which profiles Wes Clark, current Director of Amateur Scouting and Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

‘He’s that silent assassin’: Wes Clark is helping Kyle Dubas shape the Leafs

As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

theathletic.com

(Top photo of John Tavares, Wes Clark and Matt Moulson: Courtesy of Richard Clark)

July 8, 2020

As the 2018 NHL Draft inched closer, Jason Bukala and Wes Clark continued to argue.

Bukala, the Florida Panthers’ director of amateur scouting, and Clark, an amateur scout with the organization, couldn’t agree on whether to select Peterborough Petes forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev. The forward was skilled but small.

If he was available beyond the second round, Clark believed they should take him. Bukala disagreed. With other undersized prospects in the system, Bukala didn’t want to add too many of the same body types to their pool.

The Panthers never got the opportunity as Der-Arguchintsev was selected in the third round, 76th overall, by the Maple Leafs.

It was a typical suggestion from Clark, who made a name for himself with the Panthers by looking beyond size and other typical hockey attributes.

“He’s a very deep thinker,” Bukala said. “He digs in on players but he also understands the vision of the organization and the leadership ahead of him and what they’re looking for in players.”

Clark has brought those attributes with him to Toronto, where he works as the Leafs’ assistant director of player personnel and, unofficially, Kyle Dubas’ right-hand advisor. He is unorthodox and influential. And although he was among Craig Custance’s list of the top 40 under 40 shaping the NHL’s future in 2018, he still operated largely behind the scenes. Many Leafs fans would be justified in not knowing his name. The Leafs declined to make Clark available for this story.

But those who know Clark say he is one of the more unique people in professional hockey. As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a progressive, forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

“He thinks so differently from so many people in the hockey world,” said Brandon DeFazio, a longtime friend and recent KHL player. “He appreciates so many different things that often aren’t valued at a high level.”

It was called the “Dungeon.”

Richard Clark’s homemade gym in the basement of his Oakville home didn’t have air conditioning and was stuffed with as much old gym equipment he could find.

“It was archaic,” said Richard Clark, Wes’ father. “But it worked.”

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the “Dungeon” was where local athletes found the kind of intense workouts they couldn’t get elsewhere. Richard had tried working out with his son and his son’s friend Matt Moulson at a local YMCA. But Clark didn’t want to be seen around his father, whose workouts were considerably aggressive.

And so they gathered with other local teenage hockey players in the “Dungeon” to push each other.

What is Pitt giving in return ? Prospects, draft picks? letting teams poach your staff is over. Compensation needed.

 

[hockeywiz542]

What is Pitt giving in return ? Prospects, draft picks? letting teams poach your staff is over. Compensation needed.

Official Site of the National Hockey League | NHL.com

The official National Hockey League website including news, rosters, stats, schedules, teams, and video.

www.nhl.com

NHL to end coach and executive compensation policy

By Dan Rosen

December 8, 2015

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Draft-pick compensation for the hiring of coaches and executives from other teams will be eliminated, effective Jan. 1, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday following the completion of the Board of Governors meeting.

The original policy was put into effect Jan. 1, 2015, in part to allow for compensation for coaches and executives under contract who departed for a position with another team. But it morphed to include coaches and executives who had been fired but remained under contract.

Now the League will return to the previous policy, which requires teams to grant permission to its coaches and executives under contract to interview with other teams. If permission is granted and the coach or executive changes teams, there will no longer be any compensation to the team losing personnel.

"On balance, it just wasn't worth the debate, the confusion, the uncertainty that flowed from it," Commissioner Bettman said. "Frankly, I thought the old policy worked very well. I think you remember from the GM Meeting [November 2014], one of the caveats that I put into place when I agreed to implement the revised policy was that if there are any problems with this we will scrap it and go back to what we had. That ultimately happened. We deferred to the will of the GMs for a year, we tried it, and I think we were better off with the policy we had."

Commissioner Bettman said the Board agreed fully with reverting to the previous policy.

"I asked if there was any discussion or comment before I announced that that was the decision I was going to make, and there was none," Commissioner Bettman said. "So overwhelmingly, I think people, having heard the presentation and seen the experience over the past year, decided what we had that worked well for 10 years roughly was probably the best way to go."

There was discussion about modifying the policy to prohibit teams from receiving compensation for fired coaches and executives, but the League felt fired coaches and executives would have to be included if the newer policy were to remain in effect.

.....................

The policy in place this year allowed the Vancouver Canucks to secure a second-round draft pick when coach John Tortorella was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 21. Tortorella hadn't coached for the Canucks since the end of the 2013-14 season, but he was still under contract. The Toronto Maple Leafs had to sacrifice third-round draft picks to the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils for hiring coach Mike Babcock in May and general manager Lou Lamoriello in September.

.....................

"I think it was pretty clear all the reasons supporting why it's been eliminated," Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said. "It's unfortunate for us the year in which they tried it out was a year in which we were seeking [a coach and GM], but I can't complain and look back. If we had to do it all over again we would still go out and do it if we were acquiring somebody like Mike and Lou. At the end of the day there are certain things you can control and other things you can't, so I support their decision today to take it away."

 

[Stephen]

According to NHL insiders including James Mirtle and Elliotte Friedman, Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas is interested in hiring away Brandon Pridham, Wes Clark, Darryl Metcalf, as well as other members of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ analytics department.

Here is an article from The Athletic which profiles Wes Clark, current Director of Amateur Scouting and Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

‘He’s that silent assassin’: Wes Clark is helping Kyle Dubas shape the Leafs

As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

theathletic.com

(Top photo of John Tavares, Wes Clark and Matt Moulson: Courtesy of Richard Clark)

July 8, 2020

As the 2018 NHL Draft inched closer, Jason Bukala and Wes Clark continued to argue.

Bukala, the Florida Panthers’ director of amateur scouting, and Clark, an amateur scout with the organization, couldn’t agree on whether to select Peterborough Petes forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev. The forward was skilled but small.

If he was available beyond the second round, Clark believed they should take him. Bukala disagreed. With other undersized prospects in the system, Bukala didn’t want to add too many of the same body types to their pool.

The Panthers never got the opportunity as Der-Arguchintsev was selected in the third round, 76th overall, by the Maple Leafs.

It was a typical suggestion from Clark, who made a name for himself with the Panthers by looking beyond size and other typical hockey attributes.

“He’s a very deep thinker,” Bukala said. “He digs in on players but he also understands the vision of the organization and the leadership ahead of him and what they’re looking for in players.”

Clark has brought those attributes with him to Toronto, where he works as the Leafs’ assistant director of player personnel and, unofficially, Kyle Dubas’ right-hand advisor. He is unorthodox and influential. And although he was among Craig Custance’s list of the top 40 under 40 shaping the NHL’s future in 2018, he still operated largely behind the scenes. Many Leafs fans would be justified in not knowing his name. The Leafs declined to make Clark available for this story.

But those who know Clark say he is one of the more unique people in professional hockey. As the Leafs continue to forge a path as a progressive, forward-thinking organization, Clark’s influence will likely only continue to grow.

“He thinks so differently from so many people in the hockey world,” said Brandon DeFazio, a longtime friend and recent KHL player. “He appreciates so many different things that often aren’t valued at a high level.”

It was called the “Dungeon.”

Richard Clark’s homemade gym in the basement of his Oakville home didn’t have air conditioning and was stuffed with as much old gym equipment he could find.

“It was archaic,” said Richard Clark, Wes’ father. “But it worked.”

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the “Dungeon” was where local athletes found the kind of intense workouts they couldn’t get elsewhere. Richard had tried working out with his son and his son’s friend Matt Moulson at a local YMCA. But Clark didn’t want to be seen around his father, whose workouts were considerably aggressive.

And so they gathered with other local teenage hockey players in the “Dungeon” to push each other.

Did Wes Clark unearth Denis Malgin for Florida too? If his big passion projects were Geno and SDA, I would allow Pittsburgh to speak with him...

 

[baton elevated]

Yes I remember we had to twice pay draft picks when we acquired Babs and somebody else and then they allowed others to do it. Leafs always getting the Sh!t end of the stick.

 

[Stephen]

The more realistic scenario is the Leafs will rebuild their front office with Treliving people over the coming years. It's just the nature of front offices. The way Mirtle seems to be reporting it's like we've never had a pre-Dubas history.

 

[Menzinger]

I'm curious to know how many articles they wrote about lou after he was fired. I'm assuming most of the articles at that time were pro dubas and not much about lou. Their obsession is getting a little strange and cringey. We care about the Leafs. If Kyle Dubas does something that influences the leafs, then discuss it at the time and when he happens. All this speculative bs is getting ridiculous.

I know Mirtle and Jonas havent been the only ones in this regard too. A lot of people appeared to have been completely swooned by Kyle Dubas. His presser told me all I needed to know about the guy.

I will say though, I was critical of all the sdpn people to be acting like this too but it seems like Adam has finally stopped sippin the Dubas Kool-aid. He was constantly reminding steve and jesse that he never really accomplished anything here and its possible a new set of eyes does good for this franchise.

To be fair to the athletic, it WAS a major story to the most media covered hockey team in the world. TSN/Sportsnet/Globe and Mail/Sun ect have all been covering the drama themselves extensively

It's "our" clicks and eyeballs that ultimately drive the coverage. If people weren't hugely interested in the content, it wouldn't be produced

 

[uncleben]

Leafs would do well to block Dubas from picking off the FO assets that the Leafs have. Promotions and raises should be used galore, time for MLSE to flex its financial muscles in preparation for the inevitable Dubas raid.

I don't get it
You hate Dubas and what he brought to the organization, but you want to pay extra to keep all his "guys" in the organization?

 

[Warden of the North]

The more realistic scenario is the Leafs will rebuild their front office with Treliving people over the coming years. It's just the nature of front offices. The way Mirtle seems to be reporting it's like we've never had a pre-Dubas history.

Didn't you hear? There are no more scouts and execs left in all of hockey if we lose our current staff. All future decisions will be made by flipping coins or spinning bottles.

 

[Dreakmur]

Did Wes Clark unearth Denis Malgin for Florida too? If his big passion projects were Geno and SDA, I would allow Pittsburgh to speak with him...

I wouldn’t just allow them to talk, I’d fire him today and let him job hunt.

 

[stickty111]

Dubas is clearly respected in the hockey world. Thats now what 3 teams who wanted him. Colorado, us, and now Pittsburgh. We can criticize Dubas, but it's clear teams see his value.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Intention to hire Mike Babcock conjures memories of two previous coaching hires

The Blue Jackets have a history of turning to strict, demanding coaches when they lose their way as an organization.

theathletic.com

When news broke on Saturday that the Blue Jackets intend to hire Mike Babcock as soon as his contract expires with Toronto at the end of the month, the response across the hockey world was a mixture of incredulity and scorn.

Babcock, 60, has been one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game, but his reputation was sullied after he was fired by Toronto early in the 2019-20 season.

Stories surfaced involving former players Mitch Marner (Toronto) and Johan Franzen (Detroit) who alleged verbal and mental abuse under Babcock. He hasn’t coached in the NHL since, although he interviewed with Washington the following summer.

To be clear, Hitchcock and Tortorella have never been accused of mentally or verbally abusing players to the degree that Babcock has, but the response this weekend to the Blue Jackets’ decision to hire Babcock conjured images of those two previous hirings.

In both cases, the reputations did not meet the reality. Hitchcock and Tortorella both established order in the dressing room and high expectations on the ice. There were difficult days over the course of a season where relationships became frayed, absolutely.

But most players look back on their experiences with Hitchcock and Tortorella as positives. Jake Voracek and Nash have credited Hitchcock for helping to launch their NHL careers. Zach Werenski, Cam Atkinson, Seth Jones and others will always defend Tortorella.

When the Blue Jackets lose their way as an organization — and let’s be honest, they’ve spent most of their 23 seasons wandering aimlessly — they turn to strict, demanding coaches who set high standards and insist on players meeting them.

These are not always easy people to be around, and the Blue Jackets will have to fill out Babcock’s coaching staff accordingly. Hitchcock and Tortorella both needed assistant coaches to build up young players after particularly tough practices or to tell the coach when they’re pushing too hard on the pedal.

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, under immense pressure to get this hire right, will need to keep a close eye on Babcock and his relationship with players, just as he did throughout Tortorella’s tenure in Columbus.

But these coaches have typically served the Blue Jackets very well. Five of the franchise’s six playoff berths have come with Tortorella (four) and Hitchcock (one). With Hitchcock and Tortorella, the franchise had a .543 points percentage. All other coaches combined? A .447 points percentage.

It is telling that Babcock was one of the first candidates to interview for the job after Brad Larsen was fired in mid-April. Kekalainen insisted that associate coach Pascal Vincent was a candidate, but that the imperative was to land a coach who could restore a professional atmosphere in the dressing room.

In that sense, the hiring of Babcock should not be a surprise. Their interest in Patrick Roy and a willingness to consider Joel Quenneville for the NHL (if he were reinstated by the league) was proof that they were looking for a firm, demanding coach.

The Blue Jackets clearly believe Babcock’s version of the stories regarding Marner, Franzen and others, that the way he’s been castigated since his firing in Toronto has been wildly inaccurate and deeply unfair.

 

[ULF_55]

Bet the under on him lasting the full 7 years. Those post Crosby Malkin years will be dark.

My guess he is looking forward to that time.

They will be an albatross until they are finished.

 

[ULF_55]

I'm curious to know how many articles they wrote about lou after he was fired. I'm assuming most of the articles at that time were pro dubas and not much about lou. Their obsession is getting a little strange and cringey. We care about the Leafs. If Kyle Dubas does something that influences the leafs, then discuss it at the time and when he happens. All this speculative bs is getting ridiculous.

I know Mirtle and Jonas havent been the only ones in this regard too. A lot of people appeared to have been completely swooned by Kyle Dubas. His presser told me all I needed to know about the guy.

I will say though, I was critical of all the sdpn people to be acting like this too but it seems like Adam has finally stopped sippin the Dubas Kool-aid. He was constantly reminding steve and jesse that he never really accomplished anything here and its possible a new set of eyes does good for this franchise.

As I said elsewhere Dubas and Treliving have both accomplished nothing.

 

[ULF_55]

It seems Colorado got lucky. They would never have won the cup if they had become the experimental site for Dubas to try out "weird things." I wonder what more would he try beyond those we saw in the past few years (under six-feet defence, soccer-like possession game, drafting with a total disregard of size, ...)

Lidstrom's Red Wings played a soccer style possession game, but of course they had Lindstrom.

Loved watching them regroup rather than give up the puck.

 

[KMNRB]

Lidstrom's Red Wings played a soccer style possession game, but of course they had Lindstrom.

Loved watching them regroup rather than give up the puck.

It has worked well for them during regular season.

But not yet during the playoffs.

Some criticisms (such as Ferraro who said they play around the puck instead of through the puck) may have to do with this disadvantage of this style during the playoffs.

Maybe the league will continue to evolve, but hard to see them do well in the playoffs with this style today.

 

[ULF_55]

It has worked well for them during regular season.

But not yet during the playoffs.

Some criticisms (such as Ferraro who said they play around the puck instead of through the puck) may have to do with this disadvantage of this style during the playoffs.

Maybe the league will continue to evolve, but hard to see them do well in the playoffs with this style today.

Maybe the difference is the Wings always seemed to have some players (Franzen) who weren't stars but could score some heavy goals. And well, they did have stars who didn't wilt.

 

[BallardEra]