Richards Firing Timing

[Viqsi]

Not really looking to start a separate discussion thread, but the poll idea came to mind and so I opted to put it together. I figure this'll get merged eventually.

I'm just curious as to where folks stand, in general, w/r/t this whole fire the coach thing. There's some nuance to it beyond "fire"/"don't fire" and it'd be nice if that could be demonstrated.

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[ndd17]

He should to be fired in November last year.

 

[niflheim]

None of the above. JK said last year that we all as one big family. Keep Nostra Famiglia
We ll fix our problems next year, maybe year after next

 

[EspenK]

I went with option 2 but am really halfway between there and 3. We should have a replacement locked in if we are going to fire him.

 

[Fro]

right there with you Espen...

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

An interim coach isn't going solve anything. If he goes, he goes when a replacement is lined up.

If he rights the ship before the replacement is found, so be it. He can stay until next year and then he is replaced with someone better.

 

[Forepar]

Voted 3, was between 2 and 3 for reasons Espen states.

I am afraid changing coach/system now puts this season into "done" category.
As bad as 0-6 start is, I'm just not ready to mail in the season yet.

And yes, I fear that another 4 games of suck will end the season too... but if there is any hope to this season, then it is with TR.

And I understand that calls to end the TR era now and get started with new coach for future seasons. But my choices for long-term (if TR is out) are not available yet,
My preference is that we don't get to those "other" long-term choices. Prefer TR gets this thing turned around. But needs to be QUICK.

 

[major major]

I don't think an interim coach would be a problem. I'd guess Larsen or Hartsburg would be fine in that role. Couldn't be worse.

 

[213 Sentinel]

I don't think an interim coach would be a problem. I'd guess Larsen or Hartsburg would be fine in that role. Couldn't be worse.

Never challenge worse. Worse loves a challenge.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I don't think an interim coach would be a problem. I'd guess Larsen or Hartsburg would be fine in that role. Couldn't be worse.

Maybe its guilt by association but I don't think anyone in the current coaching structure would be able to change the message.

 

[hockey17jp]

Morale is obviously super low, I don't think firing Richards will do anything but worsen that. Our main problem here is the laughingstock of a defensive corps we have. Poor Todd Richards has very little to work with there.

I think we should stick with him for a little while longer.

 

[Speedy Sanderson]

I'd give him another 4 or 5 games. It's not his fault that the Jackets defensemen are horrendous. It is his fault that he hasn't devised a scheme to better hide some of our defensive weaknesses.

If the Jackets can Richards, they need to hire someone outside the organization and make sure it's a long-term solution, not a temporary fix.

 

[CBJx614]

Watching Hockey Central (withOUT DM)and they're talking about how if you're gonna fire Richards and make a coach change after 6 losses you should have done it in the offseason and I agree to an extent.

With that said I think they need to have someone in mind already if things get worse. If they remain winless, I think he's gone before 10 games. I think right now, every win buys him a few more games or at least until he can string a few wins in a row. But they have to get just 1 win first.

So I guess I'm inbetween 2 and 3.


But I mean I just really hope that the first win is tomorrow, mostly because I'm going (thanks J2F!)

 

[We Want Ten]

Watching Hockey Central (withOUT DM)and they're talking about how if you're gonna fire Richards and make a coach change after 6 losses you should have done it in the offseason and I agree to an extent.

With that said I think they need to have someone in mind already if things get worse. If they remain winless, I think he's gone before 10 games. I think right now, every win buys him a few more games or at least until he can string a few wins in a row. But they have to get just 1 win first.

So I guess I'm inbetween 2 and 3.


But I mean I just really hope that the first win is tomorrow, mostly because I'm going (thanks J2F!)

Who thought we would lose the first 6 though?

 

[DarkandStormy]

Watching Hockey Central (withOUT DM)and they're talking about how if you're gonna fire Richards and make a coach change after 6 losses you should have done it in the offseason and I agree to an extent.

Why? They signed him (and the rest of his staff) after the team made the playoffs in 2014. Reasonable.

They had 508 man games lost last season - you can't even come close to evaluating him as a head coach last season. If you didn't believe in him after 2014, don't sign him. But you don't sign him to a multi-year deal and then fire him because of injuries a season later.

 

[CBJx614]

Who thought we would lose the first 6 though?

Why? They signed him (and the rest of his staff) after the team made the playoffs in 2014. Reasonable.

They had 508 man games lost last season - you can't even come close to evaluating him as a head coach last season. If you didn't believe in him after 2014, don't sign him. But you don't sign him to a multi-year deal and then fire him because of injuries a season later.

Why? Because it's only six games. Yes it's the first 6 and it makes it tougher. But you're going to lose 20-30 games anyway.But it's only 6 games out of 82. We have 76 more games to go. We know this team can compete, we were beating teams who were hunting for playoff spots.

Right now we're killing ourselves mentally trying to do to much, make it to pretty and most importantly we're "working harder not smarter". Yes yes we're supposed to be a hard working team, I know. What I mean is that we need to simplify our game. Instead of trying to thread the needle on a breakout pass, reverse it, go D to D and try to the other side. When we're entering the zone FFS can we stop trying to make a pass entering the zone. Yeah it looks pretty but more times than not you're going to go offside or turn the puck over. Just get past the red line and get the puck deep, let's the big boys go bang in the corners and setup the cycle game.

 

[Eikka]

My main reason for HCTR to get fired is his complete inability to evaluate the players he has and how to adapt his system accordingly. If you know that your teams biggest weakness is the D-mens ability to move the puck under pressure you try to coach your team so that this weakness isn't so easily exposed. Make your forwards commit defensively. Drop the centerman lower. Play more passive forecheck. Keep the gap between defensemen and forwards smaller. If you want to play this "relentless hockey", use it wisely. I'm not gonna even start with the pairings.

Second thing with HCTR is that he has the leadership qualities of a night lamp. Based on what he gives outside, he's terrible at dealing with adversity. He has publicly said that he has no idea what's wrong and how to fix things. Like WTF. Even if you don't have a clue, act like you have everything under control.

End rant.

 

[Apari]

He should've been fired already.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Why? Because it's only six games. Yes it's the first 6 and it makes it tougher. But you're going to lose 20-30 games anyway.But it's only 6 games out of 82. We have 76 more games to go. We know this team can compete, we were beating teams who were hunting for playoff spots.

I mean what does this have to do with firing him over the summer?

 

[CBJx614]

I mean what does this have to do with firing him over the summer?

They were simply stating that if you're going to do a coach change do it in the offseason. Changing a coach mid season with no preparation for a system change is basically giving up 5-15 wins, depending on a multitude of factors. Nobody was suggesting Richards be fired before the season, just that it'd be a train wreck to make the change now that the season is in full swing.

 

[DJA]

They were simply stating that if you're going to do a coach change do it in the offseason. Changing a coach mid season with no preparation for a system change is basically giving up 5-15 wins, depending on a multitude of factors. Nobody was suggesting Richards be fired before the season, just that it'd be a train wreck to make the change now that the season is in full swing.

This is pretty false, it's actually well documented that teams get a "bump" from a coaching change that is usually good for 4 wins or so.

Count me in the group that has no idea WTH Sportsnet is talking about.

 

[TaketheCannoli]

I voted #3. I almost voted fire JK. I'd really like to fire Prout, Connauton and yes, even Tyutin.

 

[CBJSlash]

When was the last President of Hockey Ops that was fired? Pushed out sure, but fired? As long as JD is in charge (which will probably be until he resigns), Jarmo will be the GM. I don't think this is a bad thing. Jarmo doesn't independently make all these calls. There are a group of 3-4 hockey brains that make these calls. The days of MacLean, Howson on a island making decisions are long gone. We are better for it.

Bad read on the defense, but given how they played last year, I don't think this sort of regression was expected with the addition of Murray.

 

[major major]

Bad read on the defense, but given how they played last year, I don't think this sort of regression was expected with the addition of Murray.

Yes, and IMO this is a fireable offense. The D core was bad for most of last year, and they should have known it was still a weak group.

 

[CBJSlash]

Yes, and IMO this is a fireable offense. The D core was bad for most of last year, and they should have known it was still a weak group.

I think you are misunderstanding the dynamics of the front office. JD, Zito and a few scouts are a part of these decisions. It's a team decision. JD won't fire JK for a decision he was a major part of. JD will be a part of these team decisions as long as he's with the team. Like it or not JK will be our GM for 10+ years.

Sure we knew it was the weaker part of our team, but I think they put too much stock into adding Murray back in and Cody should have started over Prout from the beginning. Prout isn't an NHL player and hasn't been for 2 years. Murray has been borderline top 4 at this juncture. He'll get better.