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

[SEALBound]

DK was also beating the drum all season long that FSG were absentee owners. More than any other media member. Then it turns out they’ve been pretty involved all along. Maybe he’s right on this but DK gets caught up in his own emotions a lot.

Who knows really. What I got from the presser was that FSG will be MORE involved. They set up that one guy as the overwatch which I imagine they didn't have this year because they didn't think they needed it. I imagine missing the playoffs sounded the alarm that there was an issue. But I mean, you had a 16 year streak going, you resigned your big names...what did FSG group really need to be doing? It's an arbitrary level of involvement for everyone. We all have different ideas of what is too much and what is too little. We only scrutinize when something goes wrong with the benefit of hindsight. If they made the playoffs, this wouldn't even be a discussion. I highly, highly, HIGHLY doubt that DK has ANY access to the communications between the FO and FSG. The benefit there is the DK gets to arbitrarily set what he thinks the appropriate involvement is without asking the FO or FSG...so...yeah, f*** DK.

Didn’t Mario and Burkle do the same thing with Shero and Bylsma? They fired Shero, talked up Bylsma and then let JR fire Bylsma as soon as he came in.

Exactly the same thing. Shero went first. Then JR came in and canned DB Day 1, minute 1. Mario and Burkle were complementary of both during the process. So the "Sullivan is a rock star" stuff holds little water. The new GM will get the freedom to manage the team as they see fit. FSG likely understands that you can start off a good relationship with a GM and FO by tying their hands behind their back day 1, especially if the goal is to turn the ship around.

If GMs hear “we really like Sullivan and we just gave him a contract extension “ that’s basically saying we’re not interested in firing him to all GM candidates…nothing is going to be said aloud…it’s just that no candidates are going to come in there and say they think Sullivan is part of the problem who want to get the job…to the contrary, I think anyone who doesn’t toe the company perspective that Sullivan walks on water just won’t be hired…also, the core wants Sullivan to stay…I think that’s a big reason FSG pumps him so much…Sid loves him because he doesn’t want to play a defensively responsible system and wants to play aggressively offensive regardless of whether the team has the players to do so…

I don't think the contract extension matters much. Not to a large group like FSG. If they are that high on him and they want to keep him AND the new GM wants him gone, you promote him up.

Honestly, making Sullivan a AGM isn't the worst idea out there. I do think he has a good read on players and what the team needs, if you are to believe the part of him wanting Chychrun. What you need is a coach willing to put Bryan Rust on the third line when he plays like dog shit for 20 straight games.

 

[Pens1566]

If DK has info on a swingers convention, it's probably legit. Otherwise ...

 

[Pens x]

Okay I’ll take it. If Sullivan returns @Pens x is banned from saying sleepy.

Deal, but only if you never mention Petry again.

Are you still defending Hextall to people?

 

[Gurglesons]

Deal, but only if you never mention Petry again.

Are you still defending Hextall to people?

Never defended Hextall.

I will have to mention Petry because he is still here.

 

[Pens x]

Never defended Hextall.

I will have to mention Petry because he is still here.

Then at least be objective about him this season or obsess over a new mediocre player.

 

[Gurglesons]

Then at least be objective about him this season or obsess over a new mediocre player.

Pretty objective about everyone. Letang is my favorite player and dunked on him all year.

 

[pistolpete11]

If I was a GM candidate, not being allowed to fire the coach would be a bigger deterrent for me than the barren prospect pool, aging core, or bad contracts. Even if I liked Sullivan and wanted to keep him, I'd at least like to know that that was my call.

 

[Pens x]

If I was a GM candidate, not being allowed to fire the coach would be a bigger deterrent for me than the barren prospect pool, aging core, or bad contracts. Even if I liked Sullivan and wanted to keep him, I'd at least like to know that that was my call.

This. No respectable GM is taking the job, unless they are foolish enough to think Sully should still be the coach of this team, and if someone truly thinks that, they aren’t a respectable candidate for GM.

I really hope no one here is clueless enough to honestly think the new GM will have the authority to fire Sully.

Many people took way too long to see Sully sucks and Hextall was a fraud. Please don’t be fooled again.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

If I was a GM candidate, not being allowed to fire the coach would be a bigger deterrent for me than the barren prospect pool, aging core, or bad contracts. Even if I liked Sullivan and wanted to keep him, I'd at least like to know that that was my call.

Yeah, if that's part of the package of accepting the job, then any established GM would balk at it. Only an unproven (read: bad GM who has no other options) would agree to a job in Pittsburgh where the coach is off limits.

 

[Pens1566]

Yeah, if that's part of the package of accepting the job, then any established GM would balk at it. Only an unproven (read: bad GM who has no other options) would agree to a job in Pittsburgh where the coach is off limits.

Or someone that is getting a promotion from Asst. GM or similar. And even then, I wouldn't take it.

 

[Gurglesons]

Yeah, if that's part of the package of accepting the job, then any established GM would balk at it. Only an unproven (read: bad GM who has no other options) would agree to a job in Pittsburgh where the coach is off limits.

I think 90% of the league offices thinks Sullivan is a genius.

 

[SEALBound]

I think 90% of the league offices thinks Sullivan is a genius.

I think he IS a really good coach. I don't think anyone denies that he knows the Xs and Os and overall has really good knowledge of the game. The kicker comes when his message gets stale. All coaches have an expiration date. If you're not changing your personnel over quickly, you need to change your coaches out. You can't keep a core like this with the same coach for years on end. Otherwise, you get stale, which we've seen TWICE now.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think there probably is a good coach in there somewhere.

But for being such a genius he sure hasn't had any new ideas in like... half a decade.

 

[Rave7215]

Or someone that is getting a promotion from Asst. GM or similar. And even then, I wouldn't take it.

You'd pass on a mutli-million dollar, guaranteed pay increase and the prestige of having one of the most coveted jobs in world, of which only 32 exist?

 

[Pens1566]

You'd pass on a mutli-million dollar, guaranteed pay increase and the prestige of having one of the most coveted jobs in world, of which only 32 exist?

If I'm an up and coming hot shit AGM? Yeah, I don't take it. I bide my time to wait on a better offer.

I also wouldn't walk into a boxing ring with one arm tied behind my back.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

You'd pass on a mutli-million dollar, guaranteed pay increase and the prestige of having one of the most coveted jobs in world, of which only 32 exist?

I take your point but I dunno... the Penguins job seems like kind of a shitshow nightmare.

 

[Rave7215]

If I'm an up and coming hot shit AGM? Yeah, I don't take it. I bide my time to wait on a better offer.

I also wouldn't walk into a boxing ring with one arm tied behind my back.

There's no guarantee that another better offer is coming. That's insane risk. It's fun to think that but people will want the job even with the constraints of the coach.

I take your point but I dunno... the Penguins job seems like kind of a shitshow nightmare.

$10+ million dollars and the chance at one of the most coveted jobs in all of sports is more than worth it. Especially if you're confident in your abilities to turn it around, which you would be to even be considered for the job.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Holy sheepshit was Ron flippin' Hextall really making like 10M dollars?!?

I mean I dunno. I'm probably wrong but a team with as many question marks as this one seems like it would give most smart execs with a promising resume pause.

 

[Rave7215]

Holy sheepshit was Ron flippin' Hextall really making like 10M dollars?!?

I mean I dunno. I'm probably wrong but a team with as many question marks as this one seems like it would give most smart execs with a promising resume pause.

He was paid $3.5 million a year on his contract. So yea

If you land the job, you are set for life. It's the pinacle of a lot of these guys careers. It's the ultimate goal. You will have control of the roster and to build the department to your desire. You just can't fire the coach in your first year. You have cap space, freedom to make choices on the roster other than the core three. People will want the job and its a better situation than most people here think it is.

 

[Pens1566]

There's no guarantee that another better offer is coming. That's insane risk. It's fun to think that but people will want the job even with the constraints of the coach.

$10+ million dollars and the chance at one of the most coveted jobs in all of sports is more than worth it. Especially if you're confident in your abilities to turn it around, which you would be to even be considered for the job.

Not a guarantee, no. But I'm not in the habit of setting myself up for failure due to things outside my control either. I think it's way more risky to go into that situation and already be handcuffed in such a ridiculous manner.

And I don't really believe our job is all that coveted to be perfectly honest. We're in a difficult situation and everyone knows it.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Lol we pay idiots too much money

 

[canadianguy77]

If I'm an up and coming hot shit AGM? Yeah, I don't take it. I bide my time to wait on a better offer.

I also wouldn't walk into a boxing ring with one arm tied behind my back.

You also risk someone else coming up and being the next hot shit GM. And all you really have to do is improve this team 5-10 points in your first season, which shouldn't be all that difficult.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

In the end I'm probably off base simply because this is the NHL and even if this hypothetical GM fails... well... you fail upward for a while in THIS league. So why would he worry.

 

[Pens1566]

You also risk someone else coming up and being the next hot shit GM. And all you really have to do is improve this team 5-10 points in your first season, which shouldn't be all that difficult.

Maybe, maybe not. But the guy (or girl) that takes is gonna have to deal with all kinds of limitations being placed on them already that it just screams PASS.

1. Aging core with historical health issues that has to be kept around
2. No real prospect pool to speak of outside of a bunch of possible tweeners
3. Some real problem contracts
4. No legit goaltending
5. Some cap space now, but FA is awful this season. And FA spending is usually a great way to get into cap trouble anyway.

If anything, I'd say getting to 100pts next season would be a miracle.

 

[BusinessGoose]

If "everyone" knows the pens GM gig is a shitshow, then if you fail, they will know why. If you succeed, you'll increase your value.

Either way you just made millions.

No one is going to pass this up.