Confirmed with Link: Francis out as GM - Don Waddell named GM 5/8/18

[A Star is Burns]

It doesn't always work out (look at guys like Jim Benning and Tim Murray), but he's been a guy the media has been putting out there for a few years. So, he's a well thought of candidate.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Throughout this whole situation so far, I feel like people are latching on to every little word reported and amplifying it to be the worst case scenario. Which is funny, because generally as we've gotten more information, it doesn't seem that bad. It seemed to me like he just doesn't want a GM making a bunch of scouting trips and inserting himself too much in the process over guys who spend their whole season and lives evaluating these guys. I think the new GM will obviously have input, but he wants the experts to be the experts. Seems like solid logic.

 

[RodTheBawd]

Throughout this whole situation so far, I feel like people are latching on to every little word reported and amplifying it to be the worst case scenario. Which is funny, because generally as we've gotten more information, it doesn't seem that bad. It seemed to me like he just doesn't want a GM making a bunch of scouting trips and inserting himself too much in the process over guys who spend their whole season and lives evaluating these guys. I think the new GM will obviously have input, but he wants the experts to be the experts. Seems like solid logic.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

This scares me more than a little. If the GM's role in this new structure is not very involved with the drafting of talent, then I can see a situation where he doesn't see picks as anything but currency for doing his job which is bringing in players to the team from other organizations. Taken to the extreme, that would bring us back to the JR days of trading too many of them away for quick fixes.

If the entire organization is on the same page though, that isn't likely. As others have said, that's how Tampa does it. I'm fairly sure Dubas and Hunter run the draft for the Leafs, not Shanahan or Lou.

 

[Lucky Lindy]

More news.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Throughout this whole situation so far, I feel like people are latching on to every little word reported and amplifying it to be the worst case scenario. Which is funny, because generally as we've gotten more information, it doesn't seem that bad. It seemed to me like he just doesn't want a GM making a bunch of scouting trips and inserting himself too much in the process over guys who spend their whole season and lives evaluating these guys. I think the new GM will obviously have input, but he wants the experts to be the experts. Seems like solid logic.

Yeah, I agree. My point was more to the statement that Futa didn't have a good draft record as a scout (which I'm not sure I agree with). It won't be his job to scout if he's the GM and won't be nearly as involved in the process. Like I said, TB does it that way as does Toronto so don't see a problem with it.

 

[DaveG]

I look at his record of drafting while he was the director of amateur scouting and I'm not too impressed... obviously that's only one part of being a GM though.

Really? Completely disagree with that take.
He's been extremely consistent in finding not just NHL level but solid players throughout his tenure in LA.

 

[HisIceness]

More news.

Interesting. I remember when Muller was cut loose Francis wanted permission to speak with one of their assistant coaches but was denied.

Edit: Forgot Lombardi is no longer with the Kings.

 

[DaveG]

Reading through the comments on that tweet, many LA fans seem upset about the possibility of him leaving. That's always a good sign I guess.

Like I know for a fact that I could care less if someone wanted to hire Velucci as our GM

Personally I'll disagree with you re: Velucci. Our development system has come a long way since he's been running things in Charlotte, though to be fair it had nowhere to go but up.

 

[MinJaBen]

If the entire organization is on the same page though, that isn't likely. As others have said, that's how Tampa does it. I'm fairly sure Dubas and Hunter run the draft for the Leafs, not Shanahan or Lou.

If the entire organization is on the same page, sure that would be nice. But I'm sure that is not the way it usually is. So, if they aren't on the same page, and it is not the GM's area of responsibility, who makes the decision to include next year's 1st in a trade? Dundon?

 

[MinJaBen]

Interesting. I remember when Muller was cut loose Francis wanted permission to speak with one of their assistant coaches but was denied.

Stevens was that guy, right? If that is true, we can see why...they had a succession plan in place. With LA having recently gone through with a GM replacement, I doubt that is a roadblock to this guys career that they would throw up right now.

 

[HisIceness]

I think thats right, and at least one other team (Penguins?) was in pursuit of him but Lombardi told Francis and JR to f*** off basically.

 

[andy500]

Interesting how quickly we seem to have moved.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

If the entire organization is on the same page, sure that would be nice. But I'm sure that is not the way it usually is. So, if they aren't on the same page, and it is not the GM's area of responsibility, who makes the decision to include next year's 1st in a trade? Dundon?

I'm sure they'll have structure in place. Other teams make it work. And it's not like the GM is going to be totally divorced from the process. Just not directly involved in scouting and what not. He'll still have a say.

 

[GoldiFox]

Futa drafted Zykov and he is the #1 goal scorer in the AHL right now. Canes could use those type of guys.

 

[MinJaBen]

Canes could use those type of guys.

Apparently, the Canes can't use one of those guys. Only the Checkers can.

 

[HisIceness]

Kings GM Dean Lombardi says Mike Futa staying put in Los Angeles | The Hockey News

Was highly sought after by the Leafs 3 years ago and the Sabres/Canucks before that.

 

[StormCast]

You have to admit, it's bat **** crazy for a player to have a family member routinely trashing the organization, including individuals by name, on social media. Especially when said player is absolutely terrible and on an albatross contract.

Every now and then we see an NHL family member make an inadvisable comment in public, but I can't think of another quite like this.

Closest I can think of is in the NFL, with Brent Grimes' wife on Twitter.

 

[The Faulker 27]

Futa drafted Zykov and he is the #1 goal scorer in the AHL right now. Canes could use those type of guys.

Yeah, if only we could use the top goal scorer in the AHL. Man, the possibilities!

 

[Ole Gil]

You have to admit, it's bat **** crazy for a player to have a family member routinely trashing the organization, including individuals by name, on social media. Especially when said player is absolutely terrible and on an albatross contract.

Every now and then we see an NHL family member make an inadvisable comment in public, but I can't think of another quite like this.

I get that it 'isn't done.' It's just funny that the people who really should be heavily invested in the sport... players, coaches, and their families are supposed to shut up. While us randos wiling away the hours on here trashing anyone we please don't get saddled with the bat **** crazy label.

Just one of those fun little quirks in life. That she's doing exactly what we do, and we're ripping into her for it.

 

[HisIceness]

Closest I can think of is in the NFL, with Brent Grimes' wife on Twitter.

If anyone here remembers when Glen Rice was a Charlotte Hornet, his Cuban wife was highly critical of everything the Hornets did and of the city. Someone in the media referred to her as The Cuban Misses Crisis.

Probably the best name for a nagging spouse/family member of a professional athlete I've ever heard.

 

[Breakdowns]

Wouldn't mind if we got Futa, seems like a guy with experience, I like that.

 

[The Faulker 27]

I get that it 'isn't done.' It's just funny that the people who really should be heavily invested in the sport... players, coaches, and their families are supposed to shut up. While us randos wiling away the hours on here trashing anyone we please don't get saddled with the bat **** crazy label.

Just one of those fun little quirks in life. That she's doing exactly what we do, and we're ripping into her for it.

It's not quite the same though. Anonymous poster on hfboards vs sister of Professional athlete on Twitter. I doubt anyone that matters is reading any of our bullshit.

 

[Canes]

Really? Completely disagree with that take.
He's been extremely consistent in finding not just NHL level but solid players throughout his tenure in LA.

On a second review, I should probably give him more credit. I like the Toffoli, Pearson, Schenn, Simmonds, Voynov and Martinez picks (Doughty was pretty much a gimme). Kempe, McKeown and Zykov and few others still remain to be soon

He did above average for their situation (lots of late picks and traded 1sts towards the end of his tenure as scouting director).

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

If Futa was director for 2007-2014, he most certainly got some quality players, particularly where they were drafting. Simmonds, Toffoli, Pearson, Voynov, Kempe, Martinez, Miller,Forbert, as well as a number of role players. Hickey was a bad pick, but Doughty and Schenn were both very good picks so they were 2 for 3 with their high picks. For some of those years, they had no 1st rounder and/or were picking at the very end of the 1st round.

EDIT: What he ^ said.