Confirmed with Link: Head Coach Vacancy Pt III: How's your spelling? (Eakins/Vigneault/Messier/Gretzky)

[Tackaberry]

If the GM and the coach don't agree on the team structure and style, failure is inevitable.

Slats coached the Oilers. Yes, the roster was awesome, but they also played a style that was fun to watch and had to be fun to play - like what they call "attractive football" in the world's game.

Torts hockey was not fun to watch and it clearly wasn't fun to play. Every game was a chance for someone to get a puck in the wrong place and only rare chances to put the puck in the right place. Not coaching offense is grounds for dismissal.

A coach is supposed to put players in the best position to succeed. Torts put players in a position to not fail.

I hope we get someone who wants to put the puck in the net and can put a decent defensive scheme in front of the world's premier goaltender.

I didn't expect to be excited about next year this early, but firing Torts was the best way to start.

 

[McRanger]

In Vancouver while AV goes to Dallas.and we end up with Ruff.

For some reason I can't hear his name without thinking of Sean Connery telling Alex Trebek how his mother likes it.

 

[RangerBoy]

Eakins is a Burke guy. Sather and Burke have known each other forever.

 

[end2endrush]

Its frustrating to see everyone whining how we didn't make it further in the playoffs. did we actually deserve it? did you actually think we were better than boston? and if so you actually think we'd stand a chance against pitt? i really don't think coaching was the problem. although i'm not shooting myself cause torts is gone, cause he was a love/hate kind of guy. sather goes thru coaches like his cigars. i dont want to get all hyped up just to be let down again. eakins would be my #1, AV as much as all you hate him is probably the second best option here. either way there will be lots of changes ahead of us. knowing our luck we will buy out richards, he has a bounce back year and lights it up. ha

 

[Thirty One]

https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/340510531779715073

No truth to the rumour Wayne Gretzky has interviewed for coaching job in Vancouver. Word from both 99 and Canucks.

Probably because he's already accepted the Rangers job.

 

[LORDE]

Torts hockey was not fun to watch and it clearly wasn't fun to play. Every game was a chance for someone to get a puck in the wrong place and only rare chances to put the puck in the right place. Not coaching offense is grounds for dismissal.

A coach is supposed to put players in the best position to succeed. Torts put players in a position to not fail.

I hope we get someone who wants to put the puck in the net and can put a decent defensive scheme in front of the world's premier goaltender.

Amen.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

What has rarely come up that I think is a huge concern is how little Sather seems to know about his team. If, by all reports, he was prepared to bring back Torts and it took the player exit interviews to get a real grasp on the feelings in the lockerroom. Shouldn't the GM have a better idea of what's going on with his team?

 

[Bluenote13]

What has rarely come up that I think is a huge concern is how little Sather seems to know about his team. If, by all reports, he was prepared to bring back Torts and it took the player exit interviews to get a real grasp on the feelings in the lockerroom. Shouldn't the GM have a better idea of what's going on with his team>

He's the anti-Neil Smith. NS wanted to know everything about his team and see every AHL game with his own eyes when possible, plus he scouted with his own eyes during and after the season.

Ya know, his commitment level was high, unlike some guys who just like to sit back with a sweet smelling cigar and dream of Banff hunting trips.

 

[Inferno]

no coach is perfect....even Scotty Bowman had his critics...the only thing we really need to know is, does our coach have the ability to coach a successful power play.

I'm thinking that's priority 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 for this club. I think even strength this team is just fine.

 

[alkurtz]

One thing is obvious: there is no consensus here on the boards as to who should be our next coach. So....no matter who Sather ultimately selects, there is guaranteed to be unhappiness here.

Personally, I could live with any of the names being bandied about. Each has his strengths and weaknesses. If the Rangers decide to hire a "retread' (Ruff, AV), they will bring the lessons learned from their firing to their new job. I've always felt that no matter what your profession, self-assessment is one of the keys to success. No doubt Ruff and AV have thought endlessly about how their tenures ended: it has probably dominated their thinking and they've learned lessons.

If we hire an experienced coach looking to move on and have a new challenge (Tippett, Babcock, McLlennen), I think that could work also. Each of these guys has had success in their own way and would bring that here.

If Sather hired someone whose first job went sour like Boucher, well that also could be a recipe for success. No matter how successful you were in Juniors or the minors, coaching at the NHL level for the first time must be, to a degree overwhelming. You are sure to make mistakes that you wish you had a "do over" for. A hire like that could work out just fine.

If we decide to go with a coach looking to break in to the NHL coaching ranks (Eakins, Weight), there is the possibility of uncovering the next great NHL coach so that could be cool too. Of course, you just don't know how a "newbee" will do until they do it.

Ultimately, Sather will make the choice based on who he thinks is the best fit from his own evaluation of the team now and where he sees it in the future. So instead of discussing the pros and cons of each, maybe this ongoing discussion should be about Sather and what his vision of the team is. We can knock Sather all we want (I would love him to ride off into the sunset in Banff) but he is not going anywhere. We can knock or praise all of his previous choices, but we can't get away from the fact that although he will discuss the vacancy with others in management, he will make the decision. Yes, that may be a scary thought, but it is the reality of the situation.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Just get that Dallas Eakins guy.

If I watch another game where the team is playing remotely close to Torts style, I'm going to kill something. (probably myself or an inanimate object)

From what I read, and I read so much in the last 2 threads ... plz just get that guy.

Ruff is a D minded coach, AV don't know ... anybody else

I want the new guy ...

 

[Son of Steinbrenner]

What has rarely come up that I think is a huge concern is how little Sather seems to know about his team. If, by all reports, he was prepared to bring back Torts and it took the player exit interviews to get a real grasp on the feelings in the lockerroom. Shouldn't the GM have a better idea of what's going on with his team>

It's a double edged sword. If Sather is around the lockerroom too much that would be a bad thing. I have no issue with Sather keeping a "safe distance" from the team. I don't think he could be completely out of touch considering his Assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld also acted as a practice Coach.

I think the players were as professional as possible and didn't go to Sather during the year to complain. I think the players used the forum granted to them during the end of year meetings to say what they had to say. I give the players credit for being honest, for keeping the gripes to themselves during the season. (Other than the Avery tweet which Callahan dismissed) That shows maturity that other Rangers teams did not possess.

Sather should lose his job too but I can't fault him for not knowing how bad the situation in the room had become.

 

[McRanger]

What has rarely come up that I think is a huge concern is how little Sather seems to know about his team. If, by all reports, he was prepared to bring back Torts and it took the player exit interviews to get a real grasp on the feelings in the lockerroom. Shouldn't the GM have a better idea of what's going on with his team>

I think of that as a plus. At this point I doubt he has any real responsibilities with the day-to-day running of the team.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

We can speculate for days but the only true "veterans" on the team are Lundqvist, Staal, Girardi, and Callahan.

doubt it, but callahan? the dude is so politically correct for a captain.

 

[qwertyaas]

For some reason I can't hear his name without thinking of Sean Connery telling Alex Trebek how his mother likes it.

Hahaha. Well played.

Eakins is intriguing. Stay away from Messier...

 

[NHRangerfan]

Hahaha. Well played.

Eakins is intriguing. Stay away from Messier...

Some good stuff on Eakins

http://canucksarmy.com/2013/5/28/coaching-candidate-profiles-dallas-eakins

One of my favourite lines which Eakins would repeat almost nightly in his first two seasons was that keeping a goal out of your own net was as important to the outcome as scoring a goal. The mantra has caught on, as the Marlies have become one of the league's top penalty killing clubs for three straight seasons - an influence which has worked its way up to the Maple Leafs

Eakins believes in a strong forecheck and plenty of offensive contribution from his blue line. He believes in mental toughness, and constant pressure - regardless of the score.

Several hundred well-trained athletes were unable to finish Saturday's famous Leadville 100 race, but the coach of the AHL's Toronto Marlies made sure he wasn't one of them. Eakins spent 11 hours 15 minutes traversing the punishing 160-kilometre course—having to dismount and push his bike during "multiple" steep, rocky climbs—before eventually reaching the finish line.

 

[Whiplash27]

Hahaha. Well played.

Eakins is intriguing. Stay away from Messier...

Mess could be a good assistant, but I can't see him as a HC. He's never coached any meaningful games in his life. I'm not sure where the Messier rumors are even coming from.

 

[rangers1314]

1-3-1. No thanks. The Rangers will need to slash ticket prices to get fans to pay to watch that type of hockey.

As long as they win, I dont care what style they play. Honestly.

 

[Synergy27]

Slats coached the Oilers. Yes, the roster was awesome, but they also played a style that was fun to watch and had to be fun to play - like what they call "attractive football" in the world's game.

I've been waiting for someone to make the soccer analogy. I agree completely, and honestly, I'd rather see my favorite team lose while playing a positive, "attractive" game than win playing the way they did the past couple of seasons. I guess that says something about me as a fan, but I also think it means I'm not a hypocrite for criticizing Lemaire's hockey ruining Devils teams.

What has rarely come up that I think is a huge concern is how little Sather seems to know about his team. If, by all reports, he was prepared to bring back Torts and it took the player exit interviews to get a real grasp on the feelings in the lockerroom. Shouldn't the GM have a better idea of what's going on with his team>

This could be a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe Torts and Slats had an agreement that the coach would be the buffer. Maybe the players didn't think it would be right, or that circumstances were dire enough, to force their way into Sather's office midseason to voice their displeasure. Hell, I view this as exit interviews being put to good use - it's over, let's hear the REAL story. What's the point of them otherwise?

 

[Clowes Line]

I like this Eakins guy. Just no Messier, for the sake of all things living.

 

[Riverdale]

As long as they win, I dont care what style they play. Honestly.

I am on the fence with this.

While I want the Rangers winning games more than anything, I also want to see them play some exciting hockey.

It would be a bummer to think back on the Lundqvist years and say "Man, was that a boring team".

 

[Krams]

I'd love Eakins but Vancouver makes too much sense for him.

 

[Synergy27]

I am on the fence with this.

While I want the Rangers winning games more than anything, I also want to see them play some exciting hockey.

It would be a bummer to think back on the Lundqvist years and say "Man, was that a boring team".

It would also be a bummer to set a precedent for winning a certain way and then watch other teams adjust to that style as well and to see the game as a whole suffer for it. This is an enormous reason why the '05 lockout happened and is obviously THE reason why the nu-NHL exists in the first place.

 

[Bluenote13]

It's a double edged sword. If Sather is around the lockerroom too much that would be a bad thing. I have no issue with Sather keeping a "safe distance" from the team. I don't think he could be completely out of touch considering his Assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld also acted as a practice Coach.

I think the players were as professional as possible and didn't go to Sather during the year to complain. I think the players used the forum granted to them during the end of year meetings to say what they had to say. I give the players credit for being honest, for keeping the gripes to themselves during the season. (Other than the Avery tweet which Callahan dismissed) That shows maturity that other Rangers teams did not possess.

Sather should lose his job too but I can't fault him for not knowing how bad the situation in the room had become.

Good points, though, it doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. Does he have to hang around the locker after every game to know whats going on ?

I think of that as a plus. At this point I doubt he has any real responsibilities with the day-to-day running of the team.

I think he was put into a 'committee' situation by Dolan 2 years ago.

 

[NikC]

What has rarely come up that I think is a huge concern is how little Sather seems to know about his team. If, by all reports, he was prepared to bring back Torts and it took the player exit interviews to get a real grasp on the feelings in the lockerroom. Shouldn't the GM have a better idea of what's going on with his team>

This idea is speculation by Larry Brooks. Sather was very nondescript in his press conference and spoke in generalities. He never stated that he wasn't planing on firing Tortorella, just that Tortorella took it as a surprise. He said the decision was made after a year end evaluation with staff.

Darren Dreger mentioned that someone within the organization told him in February that Tortorella lost the room and that several on the team knew he wouldn't be back. The timing of the firing doesn't indicate to me that Sather had no idea what was going. It might have well been that Sather was going to give him another season (or at best half) to prove himself pending changes.

I'm hoping we find out more of what happend in the past months...