Confirmed with Link: CBJ hire Don Waddell as President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. JD to serve as Senior Advisor

[Big Daddy Cane]

I don't know why Waddell is doing a press tour talking about what he'll do in Columbus when he's only a few hours into evaluating the team.

This is the guy that supposedly works well with good advice from those working under him. So I hope he doesn't get backed into saying anything that he can't walk back later when the FO really gets to work.

He’s a media friendly guy. The fanbase will have a steady stream of content to talk about in the years to come based on his print interviews, radio hits and podcasts.

Just don’t take his words too seriously. 4 days before Hamilton signed in New Jersey, he said that he felt “pretty good” about Dougie re-signing in Carolina. The rumored contract offer wasn’t even close ($6.2 mil cap hit).

His catchphrase was “we like our group” or “we like our team”. Next thing you know, they go out and makes major splashes at this past trade deadline.

Ultimately, he’s accountable to ownership, not fans or media.

 

[majormajor]

He’s a media friendly guy. The fanbase will have a steady stream of content to talk about in the years to come based on his print interviews, radio hits and podcasts.

Just don’t take his words too seriously. 4 days before Hamilton signed in New Jersey, he said that he felt “pretty good” about Dougie re-signing in Carolina. The rumored contract offer wasn’t even close ($6.2 mil cap hit).

His catchphrase was “we like our group” or “we like our team”. Next thing you know, they go out and makes major splashes at this past trade deadline.

Ultimately, he’s accountable to ownership, not fans or media.

That's good. Because he doesn't know anything yet.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

That's worrying. One or two moves, okay...half a dozen or more...that's too much.

Whole heartedly disagree. This team has finished in the East’s basement the last two years. It’s time for major changes.

 

[majormajor]

Whole heartedly disagree. This team has finished in the East’s basement the last two years. It’s time for major changes.

Does it matter to you that they've changed over half [most?] of the team in those two years?

Like part of the reason we were in the basement is the amount of turnover, the lack of chemistry and so on.

 

[CBJx614]

Does it matter to you that they've changed over half [most?] of the team in those two years?

Like part of the reason we were in the basement is the amount of turnover, the lack of chemistry and so on.

Exactly. We didn't finish where we did because a complete lack of talent, in that case I would agree, overhaul everyone.

But like MissADD said, new faces doesn't exactly mean trades. Holding judgement until October

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

That's worrying. One or two moves, okay...half a dozen or more...that's too much.

This team needs a half dozen moves. 1 to 2 isn't going to be much different than what we had.

Does it matter to you that they've changed over half [most?] of the team in those two years?

Like part of the reason we were in the basement is the amount of turnover, the lack of chemistry and so on.

2 years with no chemistry is the concerning part. Sometimes people just don't fit.

 

[stevo61]

Does it matter to you that they've changed over half [most?] of the team in those two years?

Like part of the reason we were in the basement is the amount of turnover, the lack of chemistry and so on.

Many teams better than us do that too. Bringing in vets vs shipping them out makes a difference

 

[majormajor]

Many teams better than us do that too. Bringing in vets vs shipping them out makes a difference

Yeah I'm fine with making moves if they serve an important role - like adding a veteran shutdown D. But making moves for the sake of making moves I'd say is a bad idea.

 

[CBJx614]

This team needs a half dozen moves. 1 to 2 isn't going to be much different than what we had.

If he truly wants to make some defensive upgrades I could see Bean and Boqvist being moved.

Elvis should be on the list of "quick fixes" for improved GA.

And then getting some depth so we aren't relying on kids like KJ and can force them down to Cleveland

 

[CBJWerenski8]

He talks about free agency upcoming and not the first time I've heard him say that. I don't think he's going to be afraid to be active at the draft and in UFA.

He did also say at the end that July 1 scares him because a lot of the worst deals are made on July 1 and he doesn't want to be a part of that.

Just got around to watching this, the one thing I took away from this is that they’re going to do whatever they can to help Elvis. And I don’t expect us to ever be active in the UFA market with Waddell (at least for the top prizes).

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

If he truly wants to make some defensive upgrades I could see Bean and Boqvist being moved.

Elvis should be on the list of "quick fixes" for improved GA.

And then getting some depth so we aren't relying on kids like KJ and can force them down to Cleveland

So that's 4 changes for possible improvement just right off the top of your head.

I'm all for moving Bean and Boqvist. It's probably time for Elvis but I wouldn't be surprised if he resurrected on another team. I'm also not opposed to flipping KJ. He might be fantastic but it also depends if he fits on this team. I'm undecided if he'll ever grow into his potential or if the previous administration rushed his development.

Just got around to watching this, the one thing I took away from this is that they’re going to do whatever they can to help Elvis. And I don’t expect us to ever be active in the UFA market with Waddell (at least for the top prizes).

I mean superstars are superstars but the right depth players go deep into the playoffs.

Jarmo liked to go bargain basement shopping for depth players it seemed but over pay for them.

 

[CBJx614]

So that's 4 changes for possible improvement just right off the top of your head.

I'm all for moving Bean and Boqvist. It's probably time for Elvis but I wouldn't be surprised if he resurrected on another team. I'm also not opposed to flipping KJ. He might be fantastic but it also depends if he fits on this team. I'm undecided if he'll ever grow into his potential or if the previous administration rushed his development.

There's ideas and then there's reality. You might want to do something, but you only do it if it there's someone willing to work to get something done. We heard it from Jarmo quite a bit, wanting to make something happen but you just can't find someone to play ball with. Don't force moves for the sake of making them

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

Does it matter to you that they've changed over half [most?] of the team in those two years?

Like part of the reason we were in the basement is the amount of turnover, the lack of chemistry and so on.

I personally feel it is a lack of talent. Especially on defense and down the middle. We’re also just lacking quality veteran depth at forward. One of my biggest gripes with Jarmo over the past 2 seasons was with his roster building and failure to supplement the team with adequate, established players down the entire lineup. It seems like Don also sees that as a glaring issue with the roster he’s inherited, so that is why I’m hopeful for more new faces.

 

[EDM]

Funny, we focus on the draft, and successfully add significant young talent. Then we whine about the need for more veterans.

To me Waddell is veteran presence with a wealth of hockey knowledge and team building experience. I happy we added him and I am willing to give him time to use his knowledge base to reconstruct the roster to his vision.

As for KJ, he sort of reminds me of RyJo.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

There's ideas and then there's reality. You might want to do something, but you only do it if it there's someone willing to work to get something done. We heard it from Jarmo quite a bit, wanting to make something happen but you just can't find someone to play ball with. Don't force moves for the sake of making them

Jarmo was also way too attached to his guys and overvalued them. He built the roster and it didn't work. Waddell has no connection to these guys. Change needs to happen to break the cycle and it's possible something that could be perceived as a negative move now could be better for the team in the long run.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

If ownership was content to let the current roster play out and not make significant changes to it, then why on earth would they have let JD fire Jarmo and then push JD aside?

This is not a roster on the cusp of any great breakout, imo. It's an overrated roster on the young end and an abysmal roster on the veteran end-especially when one takes into account salaries. The goaltending and defense were nothing shy of awful last year. There was nothing close to high end scoring talent on the team (save Werenski).

The CBJ roster and prospect pool of 23-24 is not anything that you'd want your new GM to look at and say "stay the course". It's a collection of "maybes", "nots" and mediocres for the most part. The "sure things" are few and far between.

 

[CBJx614]

Jarmo was also way too attached to his guys and overvalued them. He built the roster and it didn't work. Waddell has no connection to these guys. Change needs to happen to break the cycle and it's possible something that could be perceived as a negative move now could be better for the team in the long run.

I agree with that and I think for that reason we might see a guy like Boqvist traded. But we dont need to do a lot. Replace Bean and Boqvist with a stable veteran presence, combined with competent goaltending and a cohesive plan/system going into the season and I think this team would see an improvement based on internal growth and cohesion.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I agree with that and I think for that reason we might see a guy like Boqvist traded. But we dont need to do a lot. Replace Bean and Boqvist with a stable veteran presence, combined with competent goaltending and a cohesive plan/system going into the season and I think this team would see an improvement based on internal growth and cohesion.

I know it has been mentioned that he said he could have a far bigger ipact on the team fixing the backend than getting goal scorers. I think we are ok on goal scoring and I could certainly see about 3 changes on the blue line. I think Bean and Boqvist are 2 of those. I do think the goaltending as a whole was better last year until it went of the rails when Jarmo/PV just decided to demote Elvis to the 3rd string even when he was playing the best of them all at that time.

Perhaps just having a new front office can cleanse the palate on things that created animosity between Jarmo and players.

 

[EspenK]

Who in their right mind think that trading Bean & Boqvist will bring immediate help? I can see opening up roster space to add a UFA veteran D for a 2 or 3 year stint but I don't think you get much back in trade for those 2 except maybe a 2nd and that is questionable.

 

[EDM]

Opening roster space would be helpful.

 

[CBJx614]

Who in their right mind think that trading Bean & Boqvist will bring immediate help? I can see opening up roster space to add a UFA veteran D for a 2 or 3 year stint but I don't think you get much back in trade for those 2 except maybe a 2nd and that is questionable.

Addition by subtraction... You aren't trading them for the piece that fixes the solution, you're getting them off your books for whatever you think is fair value.. You get rid of two of our worst Dmen who are the worst at playing D and replace them with competent, veteran pieces.

 

[Crede777]

Addition by subtraction... You aren't trading them for the piece that fixes the solution, you're getting them off your books for whatever you think is fair value.. You get rid of two of our worst Dmen who are the worst at playing D and replace them with competent, veteran pieces.

Agree on Bean but I disagree about Boqvist.

The coaching staff need to stop putting Werenski on the top PP unit. Replace him with Boqvist who is much more adept at getting shots through from the point. At ES he should be the #4/5 guy instead of on a pairing with Werenski.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Funny, we focus on the draft, and successfully add significant young talent. Then we whine about the need for more veterans.

To me Waddell is veteran presence with a wealth of hockey knowledge and team building experience. I happy we added him and I am willing to give him time to use his knowledge base to reconstruct the roster to his vision.

As for KJ, he sort of reminds me of RyJo.

KJ is nothing like RyJo. KJ is a Gym rat , always working on getting better , honing his craft. He’s our best prospect behind Fantilli. You know why our organization continues to lose ? Because we constantly rush players to the NHL, and they don’t develop as they should . Waddell gets that .. you want to compare how they (Carolina)have developed players , compared to how we develop players ? If Jarmo was sold on KJ is a center , he should have been In Cleveland, playing 20 minutes a night at Center . Same with Sillinger .. both players had a massive step back their sophomore year . Waddell has said he believes only a select few young players are ready to play in the nhl , and players shouldn’t be playing in the NHL just hanging on . This will be a massive change …

 

[DarkandStormy]

Addition by subtraction... You aren't trading them for the piece that fixes the solution, you're getting them off your books for whatever you think is fair value.. You get rid of two of our worst Dmen who are the worst at playing D and replace them with competent, veteran pieces.

Didn't Jarmo try to do that by adding Gudbranson, Severson, and Provorov the last two off seasons?

 

[cbjthrowaway]

If ownership was content to let the current roster play out and not make significant changes to it, then why on earth would they have let JD fire Jarmo and then push JD aside?

i've been banging this drum for months on this board.

anyone saying there shouldn't or won't be major changes to the roster seem to think that a completely new executive coming in to oversee the roster should/will be content to simply continue building jarmo's roster with jarmo's players.

they have valuable assets but the value of many of those those assets is, at present theoretical – guys who may one day be productive NHL contributors but aren't there yet, and development doesn't happen in a vacuum.

meanwhile, teams like florida have extracted actual value by finding/signing and, more importantly, having meaningful roles available for undervalued scrap-heap players or change-of-scenery guys (verhaeghe, forsling, reinhart, montour).

building through the draft only truly works one of two ways:

1. bridging between eras and/or supplementing an existing core (i.e. dallas)
2. building around a small handful of superstars from the top of the draft (colorado, edmonton)

florida closed its "build through the draft" era and now only has a few drafted players – but many 'core' players – on its roster. barkov is their franchise player, ekblad is a low-end top pair defenseman, and lundell is a middle six forward… that's it. their other core guys (tkachuk, reinhart, montour, forsling) were acquired elsewhere.

The CBJ roster and prospect pool of 23-24 is not anything that you'd want your new GM to look at and say "stay the course". It's a collection of "maybes", "nots" and mediocres for the most part. The "sure things" are few and far between.

roster, yes. prospect pool… it's objectively a top-10 (and on most lists a top 5) system that's about to add a top-5 pick. and they have young roster players with talent.

but to the points above, the florida model (colorado too, to an extent) would be to convert some of that theoretical value into actual value by trading for guys who can be contributors on the top half of the roster with some untapped value. consolidation then opens up opportunities for bargain-bin RFA finds.

if the plan is to build most of a roster through the draft, they're going to be stuck running in the hamster wheel and it'll never coalesce into a winner.