Confirmed with Link: Avs GM Chris MacFarland to Preds as President of Hockey Operations

[Scoresberg]

Hiring Blake is already a bad look, no matter how you slice it, but for me, I think right now I just want to wait and see what happens. Come to think of it, this is actually a huge summer for us. How do we deal with the veterans? What about the goalie situation? Younger guys? Trade market? FA? We have now gotten rid of the history baggage of this franchise and turned a new page towards a fresh future.

Your move, Chris.

 

[Predsfan4life]

I could always pull out the ole "how many of us on a message board have run hockey ops?" argument. Mac wanted Blake he hired Blake because someone comes on here and says "he sucks it's a bad hire" because of move A,B. and C on an LA Kings team that I'm not fully aware of what was going on behind the scenes (other than what we see on the periphery) is invalid. Also the argument of he shouldn't have drafted Quinton Byfield just because of the "consensus" of all the scouts and hockey community is also a terrible and misleading argument--in addition to Blake "should have got in a time machine and realized the guy that was rated to be a top 1c/2c would have not become one and should have gone off script and drafted someone else lol". It's not on Blake that Byfield has yet to become the player he was drafted to be--that's on the player--not on the guy drafting him.

Majority of the everyone has "battered fanbase" syndrome caused by years of irrelevance in the NHL and lack of playoff success. Get all your clicks and likes for "Rob Blake sucks" but we still have to let it play out.

 

[herzausstein]

Is the option Blake or Poile Jr? I think Im fine with it then.

 

[Predsanddead24]

I could always pull out the ole "how many of us on a message board have run hockey ops?" argument. Mac wanted Blake he hired Blake because someone comes on here and says "he sucks it's a bad hire" because of move A,B. and C on an LA Kings team that I'm not fully aware of what was going on behind the scenes (other than what we see on the periphery) is invalid. Also the argument of he shouldn't have drafted Quinton Byfield just because of the "consensus" of all the scouts and hockey community is also a terrible and misleading argument--in addition to Blake "should have got in a time machine and realized the guy that was rated to be a top 1c/2c would have not become one and should have gone off script and drafted someone else lol". It's not on Blake that Byfield has yet to become the player he was drafted to be--that's on the player--not on the guy drafting him.

Majority of the everyone has "battered fanbase" syndrome caused by years of irrelevance in the NHL and lack of playoff success. Get all your clicks and likes for "Rob Blake sucks" but we still have to let it play out.

Sure we’re all obviously armchair QBing here. Are we all supposed to just come on here on never question any decision because we’re not professionals. What’s the point of even having a message board then?

 

[Softball99]

Hiring Blake is already a bad look, no matter how you slice it, but for me, I think right now I just want to wait and see what happens. Come to think of it, this is actually a huge summer for us. How do we deal with the veterans? What about the goalie situation? Younger guys? Trade market? FA? We have now gotten rid of the history baggage of this franchise and turned a new page towards a fresh future.

Your move, Chris.

Bad look to who...the crybabies in LA.The chicken littles. How much are y'all getting paid for your hockey knowledge/IQ Etc. Tell me where he screwed up development or even bringing in prospects.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Bad look to who...the crybabies in LA.The chicken littles. How much are y'all getting paid for your hockey knowledge/IQ Etc. Tell me where he screwed up development or even bringing in prospects.

I don’t get the hand wringing either. I think Blake is fantastic hire. He did a fairly good job building up kings. He made mistakes, but his GM record was far better than tom Fitzgerald who seems to get a pass. He has experience in implementing the kind of structural changes that CMAC wants to implement. And I think every organization should have a star former player in upper management, as they are often able to provide insight into areas others can’t. I would have been disappointed if he was our GM choice, but snagging him as number 2 is a coup.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

I mean, discussing the Blake hire and his history in LA is a legit topic for a message board. What I would say people are pushing back on is the hyperbolic ZOMG type posts.

 

[Predsanddead24]

I mean, discussing the Blake hire and his history in LA is a legit topic for a message board. What I would say people are pushing back on is the hyperbolic ZOMG type posts.

Where are all these hyperbolic ZOMG type posts you’re talking about? All I see is people saying Blake was a bad GM and questioning the hire.

 

[braindead]

Poile Jr is gone just like that. Never liked having him involved. I understand David got his start from his dad but different time, different world and felt like different aptitude. Nepotism hires are a bad look.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Is the option Blake or Poile Jr? I think Im fine with it then.

There were fans that actually thought Jr. should take over after David retired so I'm sure those people are apoplectic right now.

 

[Olderfan]

On the Blake thing. He is NOT a GM, AGM, anything GM. He's VPOHO. He's doing what he's good at. Development. The only GM is CMAC. Damn Chicken Littles. The job he was hired for here he did very well in LA

On the Blake thing. He is NOT a GM, AGM, anything GM. He's VPOHO. He's doing what he's good at. Development. The only GM is CMAC. Damn Chicken Littles. The job he was hired for here he did very well in LA

Sorta feels like Cmac hired him a “Business GM”in Blake. Someone with GM experience who can run the office while he concentrates on being the “On The Ice GM”.
After that is basically what Poile Jr did as AGM.
Not only that but as an experienced GM and ex-player he brings another “input mind” on player/coach decisions which Poile Jr simply could not do(in my opinion).
Not a bad way to view this.
What I like about it is that it says “OK, people, I’m here”.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Sorta feels like Cmac hired him a “Business GM”in Blake. Someone with GM experience who can run the office while he concentrates on being the “On The Ice GM”.
After that is basically what Poile Jr did as AGM.
Not only that but as an experienced GM and ex-player he brings another “input mind” on player/coach decisions which Poile Jr simply could not do(in my opinion).
Not a bad way to view this.
What I like about it is that it says “OK, people, I’m here”.

Word is Blake ain’t replacing Poole. Plan is to hire someone else for that position. This is an additional role.

 

[herzausstein]

Oooo I like the idea of cleaning house. Especially in the analytics and player development

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Oooo I like the idea of cleaning house. Especially in the analytics and player development

I don’t know how much we need to clean house there as supplement. Just hasn’t been big enough focus. Hard to say if the guys we have can be part of the solution.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

We have learned I think a lot about haslam as owner these past few months.

• He wants to build a top organization.
• He is a patient man who is more concerned with doing it right than quick.
• He realized that our front office was not robust enough.
• I don’t know but I strongly suspect that he laid out vision to Trotz and it differed greatly from trotz’s “I make all the decisions based on my gut, I don’t need anyone’s counsel” approach. This is I believe the fundamental difference that led to trotz “retiring”.

There is no guarantee that CMAC is right guy or that he will be able to make us a contender, but it’s starting to feel exciting to be a Preds fan again.

 

[PredsV82]

If he's humble enough to hold himself accountable and learn from his mistakes then who am I to doubt MacFarland hiring him as a number 2?

Still haven't heard Trotz or Brunette admit to any mistakes.

This x 1000000

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Now that Mac has shown he’s fully cleaning house, I’d be shocked if Bruno is still here in a few weeks.

 

[Softball99]

Only if the coach he wants is available. Otherwise you end up moving deck chairs and treading water

 

[Olderfan]

Only if the coach he wants is available. Otherwise you end up moving deck chairs and treading water

You’re right. But maybe he could release Bruno and designate someone as Interim, like say Richardson or someone else.

 

[Softball99]

An interim to start the season would be as weird as me suggesting that Vegas will bring Cassidy back after Hardass gives them the new coach bump in the playoffs. Not saying it won't happen, just weird

 

[Kat Predator]

Only if the coach he wants is available. Otherwise you end up moving deck chairs and treading water

I'm ok with Bruno coasting in as opening day HC if he gets fired after the 1st period of the 1st game regardless of the score.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Only if the coach he wants is available. Otherwise you end up moving deck chairs and treading water

If he doesn’t think we are ready to contend he will be looking for coach to help develop the kids and install systems. Doesn’t need to be Bednar or carle to help with this process. The rebuilding coach doesn’t usually survive the rebuild anyway.

 

[glenngineer]

Get out from Brunette as soon as you can. If it's tomorrow, great. If it's next week, fine. Any way you do it, do it sooner than later. Do not let your young kids be exposed to the shit show of a coach we currently we have.

 

[PredsV82]

You dont want to waste training camp with Brunos dogshit awful system, whatever it is. If hes not the coach of the future(and for f***s sake if that was the plan why did we even bother) get him out.

This "waiting for the coach he wants to become available" talk is nonsense. If the coach he wants isnt available now, how the hell would anyone know when they would be available?

I assume everyone who says this means Bednar but what makes anyone think he gets fired? Colorado will probably have a good regular season next year and if so are we gonna let Bruno shit on our prospects for another whole season? Madness.

Bruno needs a Mike Commodore Pack Your Shit ASAP.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

You dont want to waste training camp with Brunos dogshit awful system, whatever it is. If hes not the coach of the future(and for f***s sake if that was the plan why did we even bother) get him out.

This "waiting for the coach he wants to become available" talk is nonsense. If the coach he wants isnt available now, how the hell would anyone know when they would be available?

I assume everyone who says this means Bednar but what makes anyone think he gets fired? Colorado will probably have a good regular season next year and if so are we gonna let Bruno shit on our prospects for another whole season? Madness.

Bruno needs a Mike Commodore Pack Your Shit ASAP.

I don't know why people even think Bednar would want this job. He's proven himself by coaching the Avs through a rebuild and came out the other side with a cup. If he leaves Colorado, I would suspect he's going to want a shot with a team that's about to exit the rebuild phase and he can get them to the cup in a couple years, theoretically.

Sack up, be a big boy GM, and find a new up and coming coach to lead the rebuild.