Confirmed with Link: Is Glen Sather Stepping Down? [UPDATE: Yes]

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If we’re hiring Yzerman and bringing his scouts, can we keep ours to do the first round picks? The Tampa firsts haven’t exactly been awe inspiring since he took over

The legacy of Slater Koekkoek. Never draft players named after birds

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

Is there something in particular that makes you believe we don't use analytics?

Yes, i know We don’t, or atleast that we don’t use it. But i have nothing tangible to back this up with so you believe what you will.

 

[Gluten Free Breadman]

The sense I get from JD is that he'd support the process. I don't think he has any aspirations to be GM. With some of the other options, I think that will be a looming undercurrent.

Not sure why you would think that. Columbus this trade deadline went for broke trading their first and future first for Dzingle and rental Duchene, while not trading expiring free agents Panarin and Bobrovsky. They could potentially be horrible next year and in the situation Ottawa is in this year. I don't think JD supports the process. I think he pulled the trigger prematurely. CBJ didnt even clinch yet. We will see tonight.

 

[Thirty One]

The legacy of Slater Koekkoek. Never draft players named after birds

Robin Lehner was a pretty solid pick.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Robin Lehner was a pretty solid pick.

Robin Kovacs not so much

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Robin Lehner was a pretty solid pick.

Tony Hawk was a generational skateboarder

 

[Edge]

Not sure why you would think that. Columbus this trade deadline went for broke trading their first and future first for Dzingle and rental Duchene, while not trading expiring free agents Panarin and Bobrovsky. They could potentially be horrible next year and in the situation Ottawa is in this year. I don't think JD supports the process. I think he pulled the trigger prematurely. CBJ didnt even clinch yet. We will see tonight.

I think that team is in different place and mindset that this franchise right now — even with this year’s results and the possibility that they could beheading for a rebuild/reboot.

But it’s also worth noting that JD was with through the process to get to the point they’ve reached the last year or two. I think what you’re saying would stand out more if this is what they did when he immediately came in.

 

[Edge]

Put down the crack pipe.

Black tar heroin.

 

[Levitate]

JD also isn't the GM. I'm not entirely sure that the relationship between President and GM may be on any given team, maybe the President architects a vision and the GM executes it, maybe the President just handles more business side of things, I dunno.

My feeling is that Columbus went all in this year because they're concerned that even after some years of decent success in the regular season they're still going to have trouble keeping players, signing FA's, etc, and felt the need to show that they were serious about trying to win. Generally that's not as much of a concern in NY.

But...I think just about all NHL management will try to take their shots when they think the chance might be there. Sather and Gorton did, plenty of other teams will sell their draft picks to go for a chance at winning in the playoffs

 

[DutchShamrock]

Yzerman nailed some trades and that is where his legacy was built, right or wrong. The Sergrachev trade looks really good I think he robbed us on the St. Louis trade. I think he did ok with the McDonagh trade but we got the pieces we wanted and he overvalued Miller.

Yzerman's legacy should be judged on this offseason. He handed out huge contracts and NMCs. I'm curious to see how Tampa navigates the lack of cap and the mess of clauses.

Why would Yzerman come here with a plan and staff in place? He is rumored to have a GM in mind for Detroit (yes, @RangerBoy, it was freidman) and a strong personality. He won't come here without major concessions on our part.

 

[Edge]

Yzerman nailed some trades and that is where his legacy was built, right or wrong. The Sergrachev trade looks really good I think he robbed us on the St. Louis trade. I think he did ok with the McDonagh trade but we got the pieces we wanted and he overvalued Miller.

Yzerman's legacy should be judged on this offseason. He handed out huge contracts and NMCs. I'm curious to see how Tampa navigates the lack of cap and the mess of clauses.

Why would Yzerman come here with a plan and staff in place? He is rumored to have a GM in mind for Detroit (yes, @RangerBoy, it was freidman) and a strong personality. He won't come here without major concessions on our part.

I’m not sure I totally agree with that.

Sergachev, not unlike the guy he was traded for, continues to be more about possibilities than the sum of his talents. I feel like we love him a lot more than Tampa fans love him.

The St. Louis deal got us to where we wanted to go. While I personally felt we gave up a little too much, Tampa now finds itself trying to figure out what to do with Callahan post body breakdown, which was always a factor in that whole scenario.

I think the McD trade is a draw at best right now. Though I think it’s funny to find that Miller has already found himself in his usual spot in the dog house. That’s another deal that time might not be kind to, especially if Tampa can’t seal the deal.

Right now, Yzerman’s legacy is a whole bunch of maybes. And that’s one of the big reasons I find myself wondering where the rep comes from. Good or bad, he skipped out before the results were in.

 

[DutchShamrock]

I’m not sure I totally agree with that.

Sergachev, not unlike the guy he was traded for, continues to be more about possibilities than the sum of his talents. I feel like we love him a lot more than Tampa fans love him.

The St. Louis deal got us to where we wanted to go. While I personally felt we gave up a little too much, Tampa now finds itself trying to figure out what to do with Callahan post body breakdown, which was always a factor in that whole scenario.

I think the McD trade is a draw at best right now. Though I think it’s funny to find that Miller has already found himself in his usual spot in the dog house. That’s another deal that time might not be kind to, especially if Tampa can’t seal the deal.

Right now, Yzerman’s legacy is a whole bunch of maybes. And that’s one of the big reasons I find myself wondering where the rep comes from. Good or bad, he skipped out before the results were in.

To be clear, he is elevated based on the perception of those trades and not the reality.

Not to rehash the St. Louis trade, there was minimal leverage and we paid out the teeth. He exerted his power and we didn't. He won the trade. Re-signing Callahan was separate and stupid but it doesn't make the trade less.

Sergrachev is a win not because he is a polished product, but because Drouin is still falling short of expectations. Turning an average wing into a younger, ELC defenseman that contributes is a win for a contender.

 

[Cassano]

Yzerman is probably the best hockey exec the past 15 or so years. You let him run the show if he is willing.

 

[Edge]

Sergrachev is a win not because he is a polished product, but because Drouin is still falling short of expectations. Turning an average wing into a younger, ELC defenseman that contributes is a win for a contender.

Switch the name Sergachev for Druin in that first line and I don’t think anything changes. He took a step back this year. Considering that, I don’t find there to much difference to the second sentence.

Factoring in that one was drafted by Lil Stevie, and the other was targeted by him, yeah I’m not feeling that one.

 

[Ola]

Yzerman nailed some trades and that is where his legacy was built, right or wrong. The Sergrachev trade looks really good I think he robbed us on the St. Louis trade. I think he did ok with the McDonagh trade but we got the pieces we wanted and he overvalued Miller.

Yzerman's legacy should be judged on this offseason. He handed out huge contracts and NMCs. I'm curious to see how Tampa navigates the lack of cap and the mess of clauses.

Why would Yzerman come here with a plan and staff in place? He is rumored to have a GM in mind for Detroit (yes, @RangerBoy, it was freidman) and a strong personality. He won't come here without major concessions on our part.

I think you need to step back and evaluate Yzerman's work in Tampa from a broader perspective. It took a team from the cellar and made it the best in the NHL. It has been tremendously hard for organizations to move up the ranks like that. Its really a minefield you need to get through.

You can look at those Callahan and Filpulla deals and questions his ability, but facts are that he created an environment that kept those kids from getting that looser mentality, that enabled them to play to their strength and he created an environment in which a huge amount of kids has developed tremendously well. If you look at the Detroit Red Wings during their heights, they had -- exactly -- that. To the T. Kucherov, Point, Johnson and co, these guys are huge on Tampa. It is certainly materially incomplete from my POV to only attribute that to drafting, you need to developing side to which is at least as important as finding the right kids too.

From top to bottom, Yzerman has put together a very functional team. He also deserves credit for steering the organization in the right direction, he was right on track from the get go and didn't fall into any traps. I love the overall strategy he has for how a team should be constructed. Skill at center ice, a good number of guys that can open up ice. And I have been going on like a broken record about how its still important to have size on the back-end -- and he has made sure that they have that. Its certainly a big part in their record.

 

[RangerBoy]

Davidson was mum on the Rangers talk, even after a visit in his box up on the bridge from Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and assistant GM Chris Drury.

But those two names are exactly why I think Davidson is the perfect choice.

Davidson has great ties to the Rangers — he, as co-emcee, received arguably the loudest ovation the night all the Rangers from the ’94 championship team were celebrated in February.

Davidson also is enough of a presence, as was Sather, to keep the peace with Dolan and make sure the hockey department stays in the hands of the hockey people.

That, to me, is the most important piece of the current puzzle: to allow Gorton to complete the job he just started, or at least to give him enough time to complete it.

There have been other names rumored to be candidates, but I’m not sure how or why it would make any sense to hire an assistant GM or even a GM to be the president. If you’re doing that, just make Gorton president/GM, just as Slats was, and Neil Smith before him, especially with the staff Gorton has, with up-and-comer Drury as his assistant. If Gorton took on the presidency, too, Drury’s role could expand. But to hire somebody on or below Gorton’s level, a current or former GM or assistant GM, to be the president above Gorton, that’s folly, in my opinion.

If they can get him, the Big Man, John Davidson, should be...

 

[Ola]

If they can get him, the Big Man, John Davidson, should be...

I fully agree in relation to the lower hiarchy names mentioned. If they are afraid of the work load for Gorts, just split the precidency between a sports prez and a business prez.

I am not sure what Davidsson would contribute with really. I guess it couldn’t hurt to get him if Gorton is left a lone running the team.

I do think Yzerman really would contribute to the organization if he was made president. During his time in Tampa he has demonstrated that he has a perfect feel for what will work, but more importantly, what will NOT work.

That is a big weakness of both Sather and Gorton. They regularly put themselves in bad situations, because circumstances put them there. Like when we got Richards and ended up with a 5 man left shooting PP plus Stepan who sucked in his role. The alternative would have been to make a crappy commitment to a RHS who could play next to Richards on the PP, and it would have been better than the horrible situation we ended up with where BR couldn’t at all play the role he had built a career on. They sign horrible contracts, because the player had not “deserved” more. It’s their job to know who in the future will be deserving or not.

You can question some moves Toronto has made, but I think their Cap concerns are overblown and that they overall are in a great position moving forward. But sure they have some issues to work with, but who doesn’t? Overall I think Toronto is doing a better job managing their franchise than we are doing. They are pushing it harder on more fronts. Their AHL franchise is in a Grade A shape, ours is D minus... Their analytics are further ahead than ours. And so forth. I think a troika of Yzerman, Gorton and Drury could lift us one notch.

 

[Inferno]

The more I think about it the more they should just give it to Gorton. He can be president and gm.

 

[RGY]

The more I think about it the more they should just give it to Gorton. He can be president and gm.

As much as I like Gorton, I would not want him taking on both positions. Take advantage of the open position and bring in another hockey mind. Just make sure its someone who can work with Gorton and not flip everything upside down. JD or Yzerman for me.

 

[RangerLifer]

Black tar heroin.

You couldn't have been serious about Trottier. No more ex-Islanders here ever.

 

[Edge]

You couldn't have been serious about Trottier. No more ex-Islanders here ever.

Oh heavens no, of course not.

The man would’ve hand-written “the letter” last year.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

The more I think about it the more they should just give it to Gorton. He can be president and gm.

That’s kind of how I feel too, he’s already been working closely with Sather and Dolan for years, does he really need a Dolan keeper?

 

[nyrage]

Oh heavens no, of course not.

The man would’ve hand-written “the letter” last year.

but how many pages?

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

Tony Hawk was a generational skateboarder

I heard his analytics were bad though

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

How can they talk to JD if he's under contract? I know asking permission etc. I get that, but isn't that for career advancement and not lateral moves?