Speculation: New GM Candidates?

[Zip15]

Actually there is some merit to this.

Its not like he was the most well respected GM out there, its not like he was the birther of many NHL GMs (Chicago is one example)

Over 16 years you burn a few bridges. There were some teams who wouldnt even deal with him.

Darcy's strength was in drafting, scouting and prospect development.

Burning bridges? Gee, now where did I hear that exact theme already today?

 

[Djp]

Shaking my head.

It's all a business my friend. Hate him when you are against him, love him when he is with you.

Darcy has royally fleeced some teams in trades MULTIPLE times.

Sure he has won a few trades....

but as you say someone gets royally fleeced in a trade...that is how bridges get burned. If what he said to teams about players ended up not true, they dont trust him anymore.

 

[dotcommunism]

Sure he has won a few trades....

but as you say someone gets royally fleeced in a trade...that is how bridges get burned. If what he said to teams about players ended up not true, they dont trust him anymore.

Except there were quite a few teams he traded with somewhat regularly.

The biggest obstacle to Darcy getting another GM job is that there aren't that many of them and they don't open up all that often

 

[VaporTrail]

What will be interesting is if Darcy lands a job somewhere as a GM, and our new GM makes a trade with him.

 

[kenfury]

So you want Darcy Regier. As you just described him to a T.

Those were Darcy's strengths. Every new job has a learning curve even if it is the same position at a new place of employment. I dont want the new guy to have too much of a learning curve at such a critical point. What the team does in the next two years sets the path for quite a few after.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Those were Darcy's strengths. Every new job has a learning curve even if it is the same position at a new place of employment. I dont want the new guy to have too much of a learning curve at such a critical point. What the team does in the next two years sets the path for quite a few after.

This is an important thing. The new guy in is going to have to read up well. Know how to build a team. Build. Not just suck and pick high. Draw from various sources of knowledge to build well.

 

[Paxon]

I don't buy 'experience' as reasoning for requiring that a candidate has been an NHL GM. All we need is someone who has sufficient experience working in an NHL front office, preferably with at least assistant GM duties. Candidates of the Botterill variety have more than enough experience. There will be plenty of people in the room who have relationships around the league, understand cap science, understand drafting, etc. The key component is whether the GM has the vision to see how all the responsibilities in the front office and all the resources of a team come together to build a coherent and effective plan.

GM's, guys above GM's on the hockey side where such roles exist (as we now have in LaFontaine), assistant GM's, scouting directors... all of these positions give a person experience with the full picture. They all sit down together and discuss every aspect of building the team. They all understand the moving parts like cap structure, contract status, drafting, trade markets, free agency availability, what it takes to ice a successful roster. They've seen how the processes unfold and have had some level of input. So long as sufficient experience at a high level in NHL front offices is there, the real qualities that should be sought are more innate. Hiring a guy like Messier who has no experience in important front office work would be ridiculous, but it doesn't need to be a Rick Dudley or Brian Burke, either.

It's also just as important who will fill key roles like the director of scouting. That's the guy who generally has the most impact on who is drafted. Dineen will almost definitely still be here to handle this year's draft, but do they keep him beyond? 2015 should be as a important a draft as this year's, after all.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Jim Benning being considered for Sabres GM

On Wednesday, the Sabres started a housecleaning process by firing general manager Darcy Regier and coach Ron Rolston.

As the Sabres begin to rebuild, Bruins assistant general manager Jim Benning could become a significant member of their organization. He is being considered to replace Regier, according to a league source.

Pat LaFontaine, Buffalo’s new president of hockey operations, has yet to ask the Bruins for permission to interview Benning but is expected to inquire.

Benning worked in the Sabres’ front office for 12 seasons and was director of amateur scouting before the Bruins hired him in 2006. Benning was the Bruins’ director of player personnel for one season. He was promoted to his current position on July 14, 2007.

 

[1972]

Jim Benning was the one adamant about trading Seguin...

I am hoping for Botterill

 

[Chainshot]

Jim Benning was the one adamant about trading Seguin...

I am hoping for Botterill

Benning may have a point in the off-ice character of a player being an important factor in shaping a roster, even one with as many vets and as much acknowledged leadership as the Bruins.

 

[sabres4ever]

Neil Smith rumored to be in the hunt as well http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/ranger-cup-architect-suits-buffalo-article-1.1518014

 

[SabresFan26]

Jim Bennings drafts were not overly impressive when he was here.

1st round picks: Kalinin, Hesiten, Kryukov, Novtony, Paille, Vanek, Stafford
2nd round picks: Peters, Kristek, Milley, Bartovic, Janik, Zigomanis, DiCaire, Roy, Thorburn, Pominville, Fabry, Funk
3rd round picks: Pandolfo, Preston, Tessier, Adams, MacArthur, Sekera

He also orchestrated arguably the worst draft in Sabres history in 2000

1. Kryukov
2. DiCaire
4. Rousseau
5. Denisov
7. Bizyayev
7. Gaustad
8. McMorrow
9. Courtney

 

[Digable5]

He also orchestrated arguably the worst draft in Sabres history in 2000

1. Kryukov
2. DiCaire
4. Rousseau
5. Denisov
7. Bizyayev
7. Gaustad
8. McMorrow
9. Courtney

Worst draft? He got first round talent in the 7th round. That's a win.

 

[Woodhouse]

Nashville's AGM Paul Fenton ran their drafts between 2003-2007 before passing the torch to their current chief amateur scout. He drafted these NHLers: Ryan Suter, Kevin Klein, Shea Weber, Alexander Sulzer, Alexander Radulov, Mike Santorelli, Ryan Parent, Pekka Rinne, Cody Franson, Cal O'Reilly, Patric Hornqvist, Jonathon Blum, Nick Spaling.

Also, some blurbs from his Nashville bio:

Fenton also serves as general manager of the Predators’ primary developmental affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, who made their AHL-record 11th consecutive playoff appearance in 2013.

Milwaukee became the first team in AHL history to post 40-or-more wins and 90-or-more points in eight consecutive seasons from 2002-03 to 2010-11.

Fenton joined the Predators after spending five seasons in the Anaheim Ducks’ hockey operations department. He served as a scout during his first three seasons with the Ducks and as the chief professional scout the last two years. A number of players drafted during Fenton’s run with the Ducks – such as Paul Kariya, Steve Rucchin, Ruslan Salei and Mike LeClerc – led Anaheim to the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. The Springfield, Mass., native also helped facilitate one of the Anaheim franchise’s largest trades, the February 1996 acquisition of Teemu Selanne

 

[Woodhouse]

Buffalo Sabres ‏@BuffaloSabres 10m
#Sabres President of Hockey Operations Pat LaFontaine says he plans to travel next week to talk with potential GM candidates.

 

[Jim Bob]

Buffalo Sabres ‏@BuffaloSabres 10m
#Sabres President of Hockey Operations Pat LaFontaine says he plans to travel next week to talk with potential GM candidates.

Fire up the Pegulacopter!

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Jim Benning was the one adamant about trading Seguin...

I am hoping for Botterill

Botterill or Loiselle sound good to me.

 

[Fly Boy]

Nashville's AGM Paul Fenton ran their drafts between 2003-2007 before passing the torch to their current chief amateur scout. He drafted these NHLers: Ryan Suter, Kevin Klein, Shea Weber, Alexander Sulzer, Alexander Radulov, Mike Santorelli, Ryan Parent, Pekka Rinne, Cody Franson, Cal O'Reilly, Patric Hornqvist, Jonathon Blum, Nick Spaling.

Want. That's a great list for having only 1 top 10 pick in that span and it turning into Suter.

 

[Jim Bob]

Jim Benning was the one adamant about trading Seguin...

I am hoping for Botterill

No candidate will be perfect.

Who knows what moves Botterill endorsed that didn't work out or would have been horrible if they had been made.

I'm not saying that Benning should be the guy. I just wouldn't discount him based on his take that the team would be better served by trading away Seguin than keeping him.

Especially since we have no clue what was going on behind the scenes in Boston that led to that decision.

 

[Jame]

I don't buy 'experience' as reasoning for requiring that a candidate has been an NHL GM. All we need is someone who has sufficient experience working in an NHL front office, preferably with at least assistant GM duties. Candidates of the Botterill variety have more than enough experience. There will be plenty of people in the room who have relationships around the league, understand cap science, understand drafting, etc. The key component is whether the GM has the vision to see how all the responsibilities in the front office and all the resources of a team come together to build a coherent and effective plan.

GM's, guys above GM's on the hockey side where such roles exist (as we now have in LaFontaine), assistant GM's, scouting directors... all of these positions give a person experience with the full picture. They all sit down together and discuss every aspect of building the team. They all understand the moving parts like cap structure, contract status, drafting, trade markets, free agency availability, what it takes to ice a successful roster. They've seen how the processes unfold and have had some level of input. So long as sufficient experience at a high level in NHL front offices is there, the real qualities that should be sought are more innate. Hiring a guy like Messier who has no experience in important front office work would be ridiculous, but it doesn't need to be a Rick Dudley or Brian Burke, either.

It's also just as important who will fill key roles like the director of scouting. That's the guy who generally has the most impact on who is drafted. Dineen will almost definitely still be here to handle this year's draft, but do they keep him beyond? 2015 should be as a important a draft as this year's, after all.

Im the opposite... i value the "experience" factor a great deal, given our situation... a lot of these guys have cut their teeth as assistants behind teams that we already in good shape...

running this ship, needs an experienced captain... for now

im in the Dudley/Neil Smith boat... i want a guy with the experience of building a team, making the final call, executing HIS vision. I hope we bring in some awesome assistant GM guys as well, we can groom our own Botteril's and Fenton's....

Pat Lafontaine is new to the job... he needs to choose a grizzled vet to lead things.

 

[Jim Bob]

Pat Lafontaine is new to the job... he needs to choose a grizzled vet to lead things.

I'm kind of leaning in that direction, as well.

 

[Jame]

I'm kind of leaning in that direction, as well.

Pat talks about bringing the right people together... and i believe in him to do that... but i can't imagine the right people are all "rookies"...

 

[kenfury]

Pat talks about bringing the right people together... and i believe in him to do that... but i can't imagine the right people are all "rookies"...

A smart boss hires people smarter than them to handle things. The best thing Patty can do is find the most qualified person to shepard the team through this rocky time even if it is only a two year position while they reassess what is going on.

 

[BuiltTagonTough]

I'm all on board for taking Fenton from Nashville. Him or Botterill.

 

[Moskau]

He said something today along the lines of the new GM being able to grow with the team. Smith and Dudley are past that point I would think.

Loiselle to me sounds very similar to an older version of Botteril. Seems to be very well versed in the economic side of the game. Do we know what picks he was involved with in Anaheim? Getzlaf and Perry? Yes please. Was he in charge of signing Clarkson? No thanks.

Basically every candidate will have some pluses and some minuses. I trust LaFontaine to make the right choice.