Kraken 24/25 HC speculation

Irie

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I dunno, I only watched a couple of those “Hard Knocks” style training camp reality shows last pre-season, so maybe I missed a lot…but MacLellan struck me as a “play hard and the rest will sort itself out” coach without a lot of tactical nous.

Where’s that Kings dude with the Kopitar pfp who showed up in GDTs asking about Dunn’s health when we need him? Is MacLellan a bum or what?

McLellan hockey is boring. He runs a 1-3-1 and when his teams are on, there tends to be very little flow to games - which is exactly how he wants it.

When his guys are buying in and their gap control is on point, they can really shut opponents down, but if they fall behind early, or guys aren't playing as disciplined as the system requires, his system seemed to fall apart fairly easily. As soon as the King's would spread the ice even a little, maybe pushing for some offense, the neutral zone opened up and there were always lanes to take the blue line and that last defender was usually caught flat-footed. If they aren't forcing opponents to dump and chase, they have trouble.

His team really needs a good PP to offset their weak forecheck and lack of quality chances at even strength, so I am not sure the Kraken have enough top end personnel to be a good fit.
 

majormajor

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Young players do not seem to properly develop under his watch.

Do you have any particular stories or players in mind?

He only had two top twenty picks to work with, Boldy, whose development has been very successful, and Rossi, who was delayed because of health issues.
 

Irie

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Do you have any particular stories or players in mind?

He only had two top twenty picks to work with, Boldy, whose development has been very successful, and Rossi, who was delayed because of health issues.
Boldy was dominant in Hocley-East at BC, and was outstanding in the AHL as well, I think he is the kind of player that was ready and was going to develop under any coach. Rossi's situation was unfortunate, and I am not faulting Evason for his struggles, I mean, they replaced Evason with Hynes, so it isn't like there was some huge philosophy change.

I will admit that my info of the development situation in Minnesota is somewhat second hand coming from Wild fans (a college teammate of mine that I talk hockey with pretty regularly is from Minny, and he's a die hard Wild fan, but even a ton of folks on the wild board here were pretty emphatic about Evason's miss-handling of some of the younger players. like Fiala, Shaw, Kunin and Duwar.

Rewarding guys with icetime with less talent that play safer dump and chase and bench guys that play more offensively that try to make plays was the biggest comlaint. With a strong blueline, you can't argue with the results, but as the defense became more suspect, you had a team that would give up goals in bunches. I know they had a good record last season, but whenever I watched them play, they were getting bailed out by their goaltending, Gustavsson was fantastic, I think they gave up 4 or more goals something like 30 times - for a team playing the style Evason asks of them, those are tough games to win.

Now mind you, I am not really of the mindset that Francis needs to find a coach to get this team to the third round of the playoffs. I feel that a coach that can communicate and get the most out of the prospects and help them develop should be priority 1.
 
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Kat Predator

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Boldy was dominant in Hocley-East at BC, and was outstanding in the AHL as well, I think he is the kind of player that was ready and was going to develop under any coach. Rossi's situation was unfortunate, and I am not faulting Evason for his struggles, I mean, they replaced Evason with Hynes, so it isn't like there was some huge philosophy change.
I think the Hynes system is known as the 0-0-5 or group-hug-the-goalie. :sarcasm:
 

Kat Predator

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Stipulating that GMRF is hellbent on building the team through the draft (and nothing suggests anything different), the new coach's strength should be on teaching and development and not just fundamentals. All drafts are not the same, so someone who has flexibility and can adapt on the fly would be a good idea. Which somewhat ties into someone who has good connections and an accurate forecast of where juniors, etc. are trending so as to build a pipeline of talent. Anybody can say, "just give me the next Crosby" but it's a slam dunk that guy will be long gone by the time, if it ever happens, a Crosby falls out of the sky and lands in his lap. Might as well count on the Amazon guy leaving a pile of gold bricks on your front porch.
 

RainyCityHockey

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According to Friedman the three favourites, as of right now, for the job are

Todd McLellan, Dan Bylsma and Jay Leach.

 

Fistfullofbeer

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According to Friedman the three favourites, as of right now, for the job are

Todd McLellan, Dan Bylsma and Jay Leach.

I don't know why there is a rush for that hire. Just wait till after the playoffs so you have more options.
 

gstommylee

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Jan 31, 2012
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According to Friedman the three favourites, as of right now, for the job are

Todd McLellan, Dan Bylsma and Jay Leach.


Seattle is so so tight lipped so its hard to really know what they have in mind for HC. Back before we hired hakstol, Friedman would made us believe we were going to hire Tocchet so he's just throwing out some ideas based on what he thinks and what he's heard. We could end up hiring someone else that no one has even thought off.
 
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The Marquis

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Seattle is so so tight lipped so its hard to really know what they have in mind for HC. Back before we hired hakstol, Friedman would made us believe we were going to hire Tocchet so he's just throwing out some ideas based on what he thinks and what he's heard. We could end up hiring someone else that no one has even thought off.

Yeah. Exactly.

Freidman’s Sources: Existing Kraken coaching list and HF Kraken board.
 
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sigma six

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This league is so full of retread coaches. As long as he has the chops, I'd prefer to get a fresh face in there.
 
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KrakenSabresMike

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Oct 7, 2020
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According to Friedman the three favourites, as of right now, for the job are

Todd McLellan, Dan Bylsma and Jay Leach.

Friedman knows zilch - i highly doubt that is the best Francis can do as his job is on the line if he messes this hire up. There’s no way that the list ( as a note Friedman seems to be getting worse by the day)

Also if that’s really the list wouldn’t this hire be done by now??
 

RainyCityHockey

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I don't know why there is a rush for that hire. Just wait till after the playoffs so you have more options.

Yeah.
I really wouldn't understand firiing Hakstol to bring in McLellan.

I mean, if you want to bring in a guy who couldn't really do it in the playoffs you might as well bring in Bruce.
At least the interviews would be fun with everyone always on alert for those F-Bombs. :sarcasm:

McLellan also was never able to get more out of his teams than people expected from them on paper.

Seattle is so so tight lipped so its hard to really know what they have in mind for HC. Back before we hired hakstol, Friedman would made us believe we were going to hire Tocchet so he's just throwing out some ideas based on what he thinks and what he's heard. We could end up hiring someone else that no one has even thought off.

Yeah, they don't have much sources.

Though, with interviewing coaches you know their agents also leak stuff to keep their guys in the conversation.
 

majormajor

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McLellan also was never able to get more out of his teams than people expected from them on paper.

I felt like the Kings teams the previous couple of years did really well. I was rooting for the Oilers and I thought the Kings were a scary good matchup team in each series, up until this year. Super disciplined. And they had the 1-3-1 down to a science. Not that I want us to emulate it, but there was a ton of buy-in for Todd with their system.
 

kihei

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I felt like the Kings teams the previous couple of years did really well. I was rooting for the Oilers and I thought the Kings were a scary good matchup team in each series, up until this year. Super disciplined. And they had the 1-3-1 down to a science. Not that I want us to emulate it, but there was a ton of buy-in for Todd with their system.
Don't you think we would emulate it in all likelihood if McLellan gets the job?
 

majormajor

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Don't you think we would emulate it in all likelihood if McLellan gets the job?

I'm not sure. Does McLellan bring it around with him wherever he goes? I don't remember it being a thing in Edmonton.
 

RainyCityHockey

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I felt like the Kings teams the previous couple of years did really well. I was rooting for the Oilers and I thought the Kings were a scary good matchup team in each series, up until this year. Super disciplined. And they had the 1-3-1 down to a science. Not that I want us to emulate it, but there was a ton of buy-in for Todd with their system.

Just watch Kevin Fiala's end of season interview.
He pretty much said that he'd like to move on from that system which is understandable given that players(especially forwards) hate it.

It's also a friggin boring system.

I personally would go for someone new and not take part in the recycling of coaches but I doubt Francis fired Hakstol to bring in an (NHL)unproven coach.

Overall my guess is still that we'll end up with Evason.
 
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majormajor

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Just watch Kevin Fiala's end of season interview.
He pretty much said that he'd like to move on from that system which is understandable given that players(especially forwards) hate it.

It's also a friggin boring system.

I personally would go for someone new and not take part in the recycling of coaches but I doubt Francis fired Hakstol to bring in an (NHL)unproven coach.

Overall my guess is still that we'll end up with Evason.

Yes the effectiveness of the system is quite different from the aesthetics of the system.
 

RainyCityHockey

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As you say, no indication he was a candidate…but I probably would have preferred him over any of the three names recently mentioned.

Yeah, I doubt he was in play for us given the openings and him basically being the #1 guy unless Rod the Bot became available.

Though, I watched part of the sdpn podcast and it might be a good thing we(so far) didn't hire a coach that has won a stanley cup.

It seems like there are only three coaches in NHL histroy to win stanley cups with different teams.
Two of them were in teh 1930's and 1940's when there was only six teams around and the other one was Scotty Bowman.

So I guess the Leafs(huge surprise) won't win the cup with their new guy behind the bench...:joker:
 
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Fuhrious

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Feb 3, 2004
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Yeah, I doubt he was in play for us given the openings and him basically being the #1 guy unless Rod the Bot became available.

Though, I watched part of the sdpn podcast and it might be a good thing we(so far) didn't hire a coach that has won a stanley cup.

It seems like there are only three coaches in NHL histroy to win stanley cups with different teams.
Two of them were in teh 1930's and 1940's when there was only six teams around and the other one was Scotty Bowman.

So I guess the Leafs(huge surprise) won't win the cup with their new guy behind the bench...:joker:
I only dipped into the main board thread for a minute or two, but it looked like they (Leafs fans) were already dragging him…
 
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The Marquis

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I think there’s a certain level of desire that a coach who already has his name on the cup would have by coaching the Leafs. There’s winning the cup, then there’s the Leafs winning the Cup. The latter makes you a bonafide legend in the biggest hockey market in the world. You’d be the ultimate legendary coach.
 

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