Confirmed with Link: It's Started! (Management firings)

[Deport Ogie]

The only add Hextall ever made that improved the team was Rakell.

Every other move turned out to be something from meh to ass.

Rakell trade and re-sign were positives. I would also say re-signing Letang and Malkin to solid AAV numbers were positives although you lose some credit for jerking Malkin around in the process. I'm pretty sure Hextall never actually wanted him back. The original Carter trade was fine.

McGinn out and Kulikov in is neutral. Kulikov moved no needle in any direction but it's an expiring deal that gets us out of a bad contract.

Everything else is small to large in the negative. Some of that is stuff that anyone paying attention could have told you would be negative and some are things that I personally was okay with at the time that didn't turn out as well as it maybe should have.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

Placed on waivers:
Nic Petan #mnwild
Christian Wolanin #Canucks
Kiefer Sherwood #Smashville
Michael McCarron #Smashville
Mark Jankowski #Smashville

Man, a good coach and Tolvanen with McCann and Kap would in hindsight make a great 3rd line. I love our 2 hockey lines with 2 turtle lines.

 

[PensandCaps]

The Carter extension was horrible, but let's not re-write what he did when he first got here. Carter had 28 goals and 56 points in 90 games in his first 2 years with the Penguins and was super productive (8 goals and 10 points in 13 games) in the playoffs. The mistake was giving him 2 years with a NMC, not re-signing him.

He should have just gotten a 1 year deal that would keep being 1 year deals as long as he performed. If he wouldn't sign a 1 year deal or if he started playing poorly, you just let him walk.

Meh. I think it was dumb. He already was looking slower and worse by that contract. Why Rush? Wait and see how his body holds up, and he very clearly looked completely different by the end of that year.

 

[SEALBound]

Absolutely zero interest in Jason Botterill.

Not because I think he's an idiot or a bad gm. I just don't want someone coming in with any familiarity with this roster or coach. I want someone who is far enough removed from it to make actual analytical decisions and not emotional ones.

Hextall and Burke should have been that but they totally bombed and clearly had no interest in using analytics based on the players they brought in.

I would love to get him back as a AGM but that's what he's currently doing now. Why change unless it's for the bigger role.

As an aside, I find it fascinating that fans jump between "Hextall ruined this terrific team with his horrible moves" and "Sullivan hasn't had the pieces he needs to have success". Especially because the 2 playoff series with Hextall were substantially more competitive than the last 2 playoff series with JR.

This "great team" that Hextall ruined lost in the qualifying round to Montreal and got swept by the Islanders in the two previous years. But apparently that wasn't Sullivan's fault, he just needs a better team around him!

Hextall ruined a meh team and Sullivan had enough pieces to make it work but his stubbornness prevented that.

We lost in the 1st round the last two of JR, 1 of Hexy's, and missed this year. We are objectively worse overall under Hextall than the last two of JR. That said, neither were good. Id liked the rosters under JR better though. I think Hextall walked into a better position that what our new GM will be.

Well if Kyle Dubas is the NHL Billy Bean they say he is, this club would certainly be a test of his fantabulous abilities….

I would be interested to see what he would do with this team where he has more room to maneuver by NOT having 4 major contacts taking up the majority of the cap. After a cursory look, I don't see a ton that I don't like from his trade history. Shows a willingness to address team issues and needs. There would be worse GMs out there for sure.

Rob Rossi
@Real_RobRossi
·
39m
There’s A LOT of people speaking about new GM candidates.
Amusing to me.
These people aren’t getting info from FSG, so how useful is it?

Speculation is just that — speculation.

Carry on… What a PUTZ

Lol, Rossi trying to be the comforting voice of reason on twitter like he's some super special in the know guy. What it means is "I have ZERO info, so don't pay attention to anyone else!"

 

[SomeDude]

Man moving Marino and Matheson to make room for Petry really panned out awesome.

I wonder what baseball team Jeff Petry’s dad ended his career with? Who could it be?

What are the odds?

 

[PensandCaps]

Just weird, of ALL the players to sign mid season, why Jeff Carter? Where was the rush to sign Malkin/Letang and Zucker this year? instead gave his money to a washed up Granlund.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

Just weird, of ALL the players to sign mid season, why Jeff Carter? Where was the rush to sign Malkin/Letang and Zucker this year? instead gave his money to a washed up Granlund.

it was totally an old school buddy contract. that's why getting rid of him was a good 1st step....

 

[Pens x]

Not sure I agree of firing Burke, but whatever... Sullivan will get fired next year at some point when they realize his ways are no longer working..

Does anyone know what Burke did on a day to day basis? Why do you care that he was fired? I’m pretty sure the next GM will be able to handle press conference unlike coward Hextall, thereby making Burke completely unnecessary.

 

[K Fleur]

Not one of our UFAs should be resigned.

Hell I’d probably let all of the RFAs walk too

 

[SomeDude]

Just weird, of ALL the players to sign mid season, why Jeff Carter? Where was the rush to sign Malkin/Letang and Zucker this year? instead gave his money to a washed up Granlund.

He was gonna go to Switzerland. The horror.

 

[The Old Master]

I’m sure some of us are busy rewiring a house while blind drunk.

why are you bringing me up in this conversation?

 

[Pens x]

Hopefully the organization learned that when a GM is too much of a coward to handle press conferences and unable to articulate their plan for the team, they should not hire them.

 

[Darren McCord]

Lol, Rossi trying to be the comforting voice of reason on twitter like he's some super special in the know guy. What it means is "I have ZERO info, so don't pay attention to anyone else!"

I love how he was like don't listen to anyone! No one knows!
....
Next day they are all fired


Dude is an idiot who think he is special for hanging with Geno.

 

[Deport Ogie]

I would be interested to see what he would do with this team where he has more room to maneuver by NOT having 4 major contacts taking up the majority of the cap. After a cursory look, I don't see a ton that I don't like from his trade history. Shows a willingness to address team issues and needs. There would be worse GMs out there for sure.

Part of the allure is apparently the idea that he would have full autonomy over hockey ops. People in Toronto deny it but there persists this idea that Shanahan still has his grubby mitts up in the operation and retains some veto power over Dubas decisions.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I wonder what baseball team Jeff Petry’s dad ended his career with? Who could it be?

What are the odds?

I seriously did not know that was Jeff's dad.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

Part of the allure is apparently the idea that he would have full autonomy over hockey ops. People in Toronto deny it but there persists this idea that Shanahan still has his grubby mitts up in the operation and retains some veto power over Dubas decisions.

I think it would be great to have him. With all those crazy contracts they keep finding depth. (although they had a lot of high picks from the previous fails)

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I'm late to this because of work, but just to clarify something...

Mike Sullivan is not picking the next management team. I think people are misreading or misunderstanding that part of the release.

He is assisting in the day to day operations of the team while a search is underway. He'll probably help manage the pro and amateur scouts, help oversee off-season workouts, that sort of thing.

He's not picking the GM. Maybe he'll be part of that process once some finalists are announced, or at least kept informed. But I think there was some overreaction specifically related to his involvement in the search.

 

[TNT87]

Welcome in the new Pens GM.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Congrats on being older and closer to death than your average HF poster.

Not cool bro .

 

[Turin]

I always liked Botterill, I wouldn’t mind him getting a crack at a non rebuilding team he’s familiar with.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm late to this because of work, but just to clarify something...

Mike Sullivan is not picking the next management team. I think people are misreading or misunderstanding that part of the release.

He is assisting in the day to day operations of the team while a search is underway. He'll probably help manage the pro and amateur scouts, help oversee off-season workouts, that sort of thing.

He's not picking the GM. Maybe he'll be part of that process once some finalists are announced, or at least kept informed. But I think there was some overreaction specifically related to his involvement in the search.

No, the response was because if Sullivan even had a chance of being fired, he wouldn't be involved in the hockey operations stuff he will be doing.

He should be fired, but him continuing to do work in these roles for the team just shows that the team has no intention on getting rid of him. They won't hire a GM that has the authority to fire Sullivan, they'll bring in another guy who will plan on working with Sullivan.

 

[ColePens]

I appreciate him standing up for inclusivity and being a voice for many.

I'll give him credit for that.

I mean cool. We can all do that. That doesn't mean we deserve to be the GM of a f***ing professional hockey team. I can respect that from a human side but it literally has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.

Here is what I guaran-damn-tee. If you are man, woman, or anything and everything in between... IF YOU CAN SCORE AT A MCDAVID CLIP - you will be paid 10+M and you will gladly be accepted on any and every NHL team.

f*** I'd trade Sid right now for that human if they are putting up 150 pts.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

No, the response was because if Sullivan even had a chance of being fired, he wouldn't be involved in the hockey operations stuff he will be doing.

He should be fired, but him continuing to do work in these roles for the team just shows that the team has no intention on getting rid of him. They won't hire a GM that has the authority to fire Sullivan, they'll bring in another guy who will plan on working with Sullivan.

There is a lot that happens at the end of the season involving player evaluations and preparing players for summer training/workouts/rehab.

Sullivan is basically the only remaining individual in hockey ops with the ability to do that. Andy Saucier, who was a video coach two years ago, certainly isn't.

I don't think he's going to be fired, and people can be upset about that, but this notion that he's puppeteering anything and leading the GM search is over the top.

 

[Turin]

I wonder what baseball team Jeff Petry’s dad ended his career with? Who could it be?

What are the odds?

Lmao I didn’t know this.

Honestly don’t think that move had anything to do with FSG, Hextall and Burke were trying to build a heavier defense, but a fun coincidence.

 

[Josey Wales]

Not cool bro .

Does not bother me ! I am am closer to Heaven & being out of this batshit crazy world