OT: Our biggest mistake was letting Jim Nill go

[Steve Yzerlland]

He should have replaced Ken Holland. Then if he failed Yzerman would have came back. Or better yet they both have stayed and Holland just left

 

[ShanahanMan]

Yep

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

He should have replaced Ken Holland. Then if he failed Yzerman would have came back. Or better yet they both have stayed and Holland just left

Holland wouldn’t step aside so Red Wings hero Yzerman could become GM.

You think he would’ve done it for Nill?

 

[DamonDRW]

this was discussed so many times here.

roster Dallas currently has is comparable to the best of pre-cap era. that is excellent asset management via trades and drafting

 

[Henkka]

Nill is not perfect either, has had his problems and been building the team without a Stanley Cup for 11 years.

Bad deals for Benn and Seguin for example.

Finally those are ending (still 2 years of Seguin), so the success can happen.

 

[RabidBadger]

I can't say I didn't see this topic coming with Dall-ass being in the conference finals

 

[Ricelund]

Nill has done a tremendous job in Dallas. He's lucky Klingberg turned down that extension!

 

[Winger98]

Nill deserves a ton of credit for Dallas. Happy for the guy.

Have to say, though, that the issue for Detroit wasn't just losing Nill. It was also everyone he took with him to Dallas. The same as when Yzerman left here to go to Tampa. I'm not sure who/if we lost to Atlanta when Waddell left us in 98 to go GM there.

We bled so much front off office talent. It would be really interesting to see a full Holland GM tree.

 

[ricky0034]

Holland wouldn’t step aside so Red Wings hero Yzerman could become GM.

You think he would’ve done it for Nill?

I mean I don't think he would have wanted to for anyone but yes I do think it's more likely he would have for the guy that had been his AGM for 15 years

 

[JediOrderPizza]

Holland would've retired a legend, Nill probably struggles here and we are all still clamoring for Yzerman is how I think it goes down.

 

[izlez]

I do love that when you can specifically point out your gold standard of a GM using hindsight, its still a guy in year 12 that hasn't won shit.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Holland wouldn’t step aside so Red Wings hero Yzerman could become GM.

You think he would’ve done it for Nill?

For sure not. Ownership should have made the decision.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I mean I don't think he would have wanted to for anyone but yes I do think it's more likely he would have for the guy that had been his AGM for 15 years

April 19 2019 Yzerman named GM, Holland signs multi-year extension with the Wings and is promoted to Senior VP and Senior Advisor of Hockey Ops.

May 07 2019 Holland leaves the Red Wings and is named GM of the Oilers.

It took less than 3 weeks for him to break his contract extension and leave the organization where he made his career so he could GM somewhere else. There's no way he was stepping aside for anybody until he was forced to. And when he was forced to, he bailed immediately.


(and why do my posts occasionally switch fonts?? It reminds me of that one Wings fan who always posted in a different font)

 

[better Red than Dead]

Nill deserves a ton of credit for Dallas. Happy for the guy.

Have to say, though, that the issue for Detroit wasn't just losing Nill. It was also everyone he took with him to Dallas. The same as when Yzerman left here to go to Tampa. I'm not sure who/if we lost to Atlanta when Waddell left us in 98 to go GM there.

We bled so much front off office talent. It would be really interesting to see a full Holland GM tree.

The head scout McDonnell I believe? And Mark Leach with him, Leach is now head scout for the Leafs. Big losses. With Yzerman, other than Verbeek I don’t remember anyone else

 

[SantosHalper]

The head scout McDonnell I believe? And Mark Leach with him, Leach is now head scout for the Leafs. Big losses.

Not really. Jimmy Howard and Brendan Smith their best picks.

 

[ricky0034]

April 19 2019 Yzerman named GM, Holland signs multi-year extension with the Wings and is promoted to Senior VP and Senior Advisor of Hockey Ops.

May 07 2019 Holland leaves the Red Wings and is named GM of the Oilers.

It took less than 3 weeks for him to break his contract extension and leave the organization where he made his career so he could GM somewhere else. There's no way he was stepping aside for anybody until he was forced to. And when he was forced to, he bailed immediately.


(and why do my posts occasionally switch fonts?? It reminds me of that one Wings fan who always posted in a different font)

well yeah I said he wouldn't either way

I just take issue with the idea that he would have been more comfortable doing so with Yzerman than Nill when I think it would have been the opposite, however much of a Wings legend Yzerman is Jim Nill was Holland's AGM for 15 years and Yzerman was a few years removed from being a player

 

[better Red than Dead]

Not really. Jimmy Howard and Brendan Smith their best picks.

Off the top of my head, Tatar, Nyquist, Hudler, etc…

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

well yeah I said he wouldn't either way

I just take issue with the idea that he would have been more comfortable doing so with Yzerman than Nill when I think it would have been the opposite, however much of a Wings legend Yzerman is Jim Nill was Holland's AGM for 15 years and Yzerman was a few years removed from being a player

To clarify, I wasn't arguing Holland's comfort level as much as optics. Ilitch wanted Holland to step aside to bring in a hometown hero and Holland said no, knowing that if word got out he prevented Yzerman from being GM it wouldn't sit well with the fans. Him saying no so Nill could be GM wouldn't be nearly as big of a deal.

When finally forced to move out of the position, he left the franchise he'd worked with his entire career in less than 3 weeks.

He wasn't giving up GM until somebody pried it from his cold dead hand.

 

[SimonEdvinssonAtSix]

So we should have Nill, whos taken a decade to build up Dallas, but FIRE YZERMAN after 6 years?!?!
This fan base is out to lunch

 

[FMichael]

So we should have Nill, whos taken a decade to build up Dallas, but FIRE YZERMAN after 6 years?!?!
This fan base is out to lunch

Well in 12 seasons as the GM - the Stars made the playoffs 8 of those seasons, made it to the Cup Finals (losing to Tampa in 2020), and it's the 3rd season in a row of making the Western Conference Finals (currently 1-0 on the Oilers).

The 5 seasons prior to his arrival the Stars did not make the postseason.

So yeah - Nill looks pretty damn sharp since taking over GM duties in Dallas if you ask me.

List of Dallas Stars seasons - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ShanahanMan]

So we should have Nill, whos taken a decade to build up Dallas, but FIRE YZERMAN after 6 years?!?!
This fan base is out to lunch

lol right. They just make the final 4 year after year while we remain one of the worst teams in the league.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

He should have replaced Ken Holland. Then if he failed Yzerman would have came back. Or better yet they both have stayed and Holland just left

Yes.

 

[SantosHalper]

Off the top of my head, Tatar, Nyquist, Hudler, etc…

All Europeans.... Håkan kept Wings amateur scouting alive. North American scouting was weak under McDonnell.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

So we should have Nill, whos taken a decade to build up Dallas, but FIRE YZERMAN after 6 years?!?!
This fan base is out to lunch

Nil’s team building has been superior to Yzerman.
Better trades. (Granlund, Ceci, Rantanen, , Seguin.)
Better free agents. (Pavelski, Marchment, Duchene, Dumba, Steel)
Better draft. (2017 alone blows us away.)

The piece he inherited that remains is Benn.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

All Europeans.... Håkan kept Wings amateur scouting alive. North American scouting was weak under McDonnell.

And now it’s strong under him in Dallas.

Maybe Detroit needs better junior and pro scouts in North America.