New York Islanders: Lamoriello Contract Not Renewed; John Collins Searching for Next GM

[periferal]

You should take a look at the roster he created instead of blaming him for what the players aren't doing. Shanahan cant control the pressure that the players feel playing in the Toronto market. Brad Marchand's post game after game 7 will help you there. Toronto was choking way before Shanahan was POHO. Shanahan would be an excellent hire.

Just so we're clear...

Are you saying that the Leafs lack of winning since 1967 is primarily due to the pressure Toronto market...And that Shanahan is to be forgivenfor any mistakes because really no president or GM would succeed there?

 

[Strickland]

From the article below...

"The hockey world is not exactly brimming with experienced high-end management talent, and arguably no one currently available has a stronger resume than Shanahan. Already a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player, the 56-year-old spent five years in the NHL’s head office, rising to the position of the league’s senior vice president, before arriving in Toronto."

I think this is a HUGE point. There are many NHL teams that operate without a team President. The same way there aren't 32 Super Bowl caliber quaterback on the planet at any given time, there probably aren't 32 great (or even good) NHL team Presidents to hire. And I think this is the key point...

Scott Malkin lives overseas and wants his New York Islanders to have a President.

Malkin might be willing to havea an inexperienced Mathieu Darche as his GM, but Malkin isn't a hockey guy and doesn't want to have to babysit the hockey people. He doesn't even want to run the business side of the Islanders and that's why John Collins was hired.

End of day...Count on an EXPERIENCED team president being hired - And odds are it's Shanahan.


"Shanahan was hired by the Leafs in April 2014 and spearheaded an extensive overhaul of the team’s hockey operations department while restoring connections with the franchise’s alumni. He’s overseen an operation that has made nine consecutive playoff appearances, the longest active streak among NHL teams, but hasn’t advanced beyond the second round during his tenure."

Again...Lou was a one man show - A "hockey dictator" so the Isles front office is currently as barren as any in the NHL. A team President is going to need to fill that out and that is something Shanahan can do.

End of day I think Malkin sleeps better at night if an experienced executive is 100% in charge of hockey operations. It's probably why he's keeping close ties with Lou. In this way we should be happy Malkin isn't Pegula sticking his nose in things he's not good at, but...Now we have to see if he can put the most competent people in charge to get us to a Cup.

Yup. Shanahan isn't coming to be a GM. He's coming to hire that GM (and it'll be an AGM like Darche if I had to bet) and to let that person go to work executing a shared plan for the organization going forward. The GM will mold the roster and the system, while Shanahan goes about building out the Front Office. And man, the Isles need it. Desperately.

Do I love Shanahan as POHO? Not really. His warts are apparent. But it'll allow fresh blood into the organization and probably mean no retread hire as GM. Which is good.

And at this point, good is about the best you can hope for.

 

[periferal]

I was under the impression Shanahan was for sure on his way out? Interesting.

Shanahan is playing the "Panarin card" by using the Isles as leverage to get a bigger contract from an original 6 team.

 

[periferal]

Right so you just answered it. It's not Shanahan's fault that the core four is soft. Sign me up for the playoffs every season.

I mean...Hysterical.

So the guy who hired the THREE (3) GMs who constructed Toronto's SOFT roster gets a free pass....

Oh and your standards are two playoff series wins in over a decade.

Cool. Please share all of your other opinions so I can root for the opposite.

 

[Strickland]

Except, FLA has Zito as GM/POHO;
3 AGMs
3 Special Advisors to the GM
1 Sr VP Hockey Operations
Plus, Player Development, Hockey Operations and Data Science staff. And that's not even getting into the scouting department.

So agreed that it isn't only the taxes, but it's not like it's Bill Zito and "Chris Zito" and nobody else, like with the Isles.

Yup. There is no analogue to how barren the Isles front office is. It's on an island by itself now that the Coyotes are in Utah and have some money. The Isles front office has been embarrassingly bereft of talent for three decades now. They need to completely rebuild it. A project that's gonna take years. It's something a new GM probably couldn't do.

Even in Florida, Zito has some kind of infrastructure. Viola, when not fighting with Tallon, had built up a solid analytical department that Zito walked into. There's nothing like that on Long Island.

 

[periferal]

Built out the front office in TO, oversaw a full-scale rebuild that yielded multiple stars and has had them in the dance year after year. His resume isn't perfect, but it's miles better than any of the other candidates out there.

I mean this is is where we're at...

People passionate about making arguments for president/GM candidates not because they're actually good...But because they're just their the best option out of a very bad group.

 

[JRD76]

I mean this is is where we're at...

People passionate about making arguments for president/GM candidates not because they're actually good...But because they're just their the best option out of a very bad group.

Sounds like choosing a president of the U.S.

 

[Strickland]

I mean this is is where we're at...

People passionate about making arguments for president/GM candidates not because they're actually good...But because they're just their the best option out of a very bad group.

To be clear, I think Shanahan is a good POHO. I think he's made mistakes in his time in Toronto, but they are far outweighed by the positives.

And he's good at what this team desperately needs: building up a front office that has talent and ability.

 

[doublechili]

I mean...Hysterical.

So the guy who hired the THREE (3) GMs who constructed this SOFT roster gets a free pass....

Oh and your standards are two playoff series wins in over a decade.

Cool. Please share all of your other opinions so I can root for the opposite.

Yet you want Darche, who was hired the summer before TBL won their first of 2 consecutive Cups, meaning the team was pretty much already built. And they've lost in the first round the past 3 years. So he's been assisting with their decline.

So maybe what a guy can contribute to the Isles is based on more than his prior team's record.

 

[Lights911]

I mean this is is where we're at...

People passionate about making arguments for president/GM candidates not because they're actually good...But because they're just their the best option out of a very bad group.

You're not going to find a perfect candidate. I'll happily take the guy who oversaw a team that made the playoffs nine years in a row, including six 100+point regular seasons

 

[Crashsunday]

Sounds like choosing a president of the U.S.

I mean this is is where we're at...

People passionate about making arguments for president/GM candidates not because they're actually good...But because they're just their the best option out of a very bad group.

Best of the worst possible choices…not a fan of the choices being presented. Tired of having to pick from the scraps being offered

 

[seabass45]

I mean this is is where we're at...

People passionate about making arguments for president/GM candidates not because they're actually good...But because they're just their the best option out of a very bad group.

That’s sort of the situation we’re in though. The good ones (Gorton as one notable example) aren’t available. It’s veteran GMs without a job and Shanahan.

 

[periferal]

Yet you want Darche, who was hired the summer before TBL won their first of 2 consecutive Cups, meaning the team was pretty much already built. And they've lost in the first round the past 3 years. So he's been assisting with their decline.

So maybe what a guy can contribute to the Isles is based on more than his prior team's record.

1. Part of the reason I want Darche is because he's unproven...In the face of every other named candidate who have all proven to be lackluster at best - And terrible at worst
2. So you'd rather have a guy who was #1 in charge of a franchise that's a mess, than a guy who's considered to be next great executive by those in the know and on perhaps the best run franchise in the entire NHL?

 

[impaaaaaact]

I mean this is is where we're at...

People passionate about making arguments for president/GM candidates not because they're actually good...But because they're just their the best option out of a very bad group.

What’s the alternative here? What is a better alternative that we or any other team has access to?

Flip a coin and see how many tries it takes you to get tails 7 times in a row. I’m not sure how you fix their game 7 issue, but the hope is to be able to build a front office that can get us to game 7s in the playoffs. Hopefully we’ll be able to actually win one.

 

[8EJS9]

Just so we're clear...

Are you saying that the Leafs lack of winning since 1967 is primarily due to the pressure Toronto market...And that Shanahan is to be forgivenfor any mistakes because really no president or GM would succeed there?

Go listen to Marchand press conference after game 7 and here it from the players yourself. Act like I'm just making that up?

 

[periferal]

That’s sort of the situation we’re in though. The good ones (Gorton as one notable example) aren’t available. It’s veteran GMs without a job and Shanahan.

I agree....

And I'm not saying Darche is god, but taking everything into account, I don't see how you could choose Jarmo, Bergevin, or Shanahan over him.

 

[8EJS9]

I mean...Hysterical.

So the guy who hired the THREE (3) GMs who constructed Toronto's SOFT roster gets a free pass....

Oh and your standards are two playoff series wins in over a decade.

Cool. Please share all of your other opinions so I can root for the opposite.

Just say you don't want Shanahan. Everything else you said is a bunch of garbage. I won't sit here and go back and forth with you because you're a Shanahan hater. You dream about the Isles having as good of a roster as the Leafs have.

 

[Strickland]

1. Part of the reason I want Darche is because he's unproven...In the face of every other named candidate who have all proven to be lackluster at best - And terrible at worst
2. So you'd rather have a guy who was #1 in charge of a franchise that's a mess, than a guy who's considered to be next great executive by those in the know and on perhaps the best run franchise in the entire NHL?

Hiring Shanahan allows you to hire Darche (or someone like him) as GM, too. He's not a GM and never will be. It gives the organization the cover to hire an unproven GM.

 

[periferal]

Go listen to Marchand press conference after game 7 and here it from the players yourself. Act like I'm just making that up?

You're not making anything up....You just need a healthy dose of perspective.

You're using a quote by a guy in a nationally televised interview...To absolve a decade of franchise ineptitude.

 

[impaaaaaact]

I agree....

And I'm not saying Darche is god, but taking everything into account, I don't see how you could choose Jarmo, Bergevin, or Shanahan over him.

Shanahan has nothing to do with Darche, but even so “he hasn’t f***ed up yet that I know about” is such a thin reason to ride so hard for the dude.

You really don’t know anything about him at all at the end of the day. All he is is potentially void of negatives, but you can’t even prove that. More likely he’s just like the rest of them (with less experience) than some GM messiah

 

[8EJS9]

You're not making anything up....You just need a healthy dose of perspective.

You're using a quote by a guy in a nationally televised interview...To absolve a decade of franchise ineptitude.

So then what's your reason as to why the Leafs cant win? It's definitely not because they don't have the talent. And how many coaches have they been through now?

 

[Lights911]

You're not making anything up....You just need a healthy dose of perspective.

You're using a quote by a guy in a nationally televised interview...To absolve a decade of franchise ineptitude.

A decade of franchise ineptitude? We're Islanders fans, right?

 

[periferal]

Hiring Shanahan allows you to hire Darche (or someone like him) as GM, too. He's not a GM and never will be. It gives the organization the cover to hire an unproven GM.

There are a bunch of team in the NHL that don't have a Team President at all. If Malkin had guts he could hire Darche right now and if he still wanted a President could hire one months/years later when the right fit came available.

Because the concern is that Shanahan could fire Darche at any time. And if you saw who he's hired at GM with Toronto not sure why you'd him to be choosing a new GM for your favorite team ever.

 

[Strickland]

To absolve a decade of franchise ineptitude.

eh not really

There are a bunch of team in the NHL that don't have a Team President at all. If Malkin had guts he could hire Darche right now and if he still wanted a President could hire one months/years later when the right fit came available.

Because the concern is that Shanahan could fire Darche at any time. And if you saw who he's hired at GM with Toronto not sure why you'd him to be choosing a new GM for your favorite team ever.

Malkin clearly feels he needs one. It is what it is. As to Shanahan firing Darche (or whoever), cross that bridge when we get to it. right now the pressing concern is the state of the front office. Shanahan built a good front office in Toronto. He'd need to do the same here, but with much less of a budget.

 

[periferal]

So then what's your reason as to why the Leafs cant win? It's definitely not because they don't have the talent. And how many coaches have they been through now?

Take the entire Isles roster and coaches from 2020-2022 and make them the Maple Leafs. You think they don't get as far in the playoffs because they play in front of that "intense Toronto pressure-cooker?"

The Leafs are just as soft as they are talented. The moment they signed Tavares they should've shipped Marner out the door for assets that would've imporved their defense, goaltending, and most importantly...Character and toughness. Instead now they're going to lose him for nothing. Terrible team building.