Ron Francis

[Irie]

I don't think you can call a strategy a whiff. Francis determined there was nothing of enough value to take from Columbus to justify the risk of needing to retain salary or add picks to dump, so they took an expiring contract they were not going to re-sign.

It was a solution to them being forced to select 30 contracts, when there were some they did not want.

You may see it as a lost opportunity to acquire assets, and that is fair, but it is pretty clear now that ownership and Francis are not paying salary to acquire picks, for better or worse, whatever their reasons.

 

[jbron]

Fair to say that Francis had a long time to prepare for the expansion draft as well as GM's around the league. The concern is that Francis didn't read the market well on players like Dillon and Zadorov. Others taken like Bayreuther, True, Cholowski, Donskoi, and Twarynski were of no value or others were available at lower contracts or higher upside. So it was a mix bag as well. Not all the decisions made followed a plan to save cap. The thing that is disappointing is that this isn't Ron's first go around as a GM. As an expansion team the Kraken doesn't have a talent pool.
So expansion picks and draft picks are important not just throw aways. The overall plan so far is confusing.

1. If you build around the D, then why wouldn't you pick up or trade for a RD. Past Larsson there is really nothing.
That's significant and it will show in the games unless they address this.
2. If you really want cap space then why the contracts for Grubrauer and Dreiger which eats up a lot for two goalies.
Further Schwartz ( often injured) and Wennberg ( 3rd line center). I get the Kraken need offense and free agents to come, but
could we see a trade for a player? Try to get Hertl, who was rumored to be on the trade block last year. San Jose will be a bottom feeder
looking for draft picks and cap space. Enter your #1 center.
3. If you have an expansion team you have to build a talent pool. Through the expansion picks, entry level draft, and college signings, etc.
Yes, their Palm Springs team is a few seasons away but it's not too early to start. Francis has a real cavalier approach to all of this
and it's a bad trend right from the start.
4. Francis like the team is a work in progress. However, there are just 32 GM's in this league. Some flourish, some flounder. Those that
make very few mistakes succeed. And that's at all levels day in day out with draft picks, trades, coaches, and contracts. With so much time and
preparation whether big or small, there have been too many misses with Francis to start. Looking through rose colored glasses thinking
everything will be fine and those mistakes made aren't that severe is scary as they build up.

 

[Irie]

Fair to say that Francis had a long time to prepare for the expansion draft as well as GM's around the league. The concern is that Francis didn't read the market well on players like Dillon and Zadorov. Others taken like Bayreuther, True, Cholowski, Donskoi, and Twarynski were of no value or others were available at lower contracts or higher upside. So it was a mix bag as well. Not all the decisions made followed a plan to save cap. The thing that is disappointing is that this isn't Ron's first go around as a GM. As an expansion team the Kraken doesn't have a talent pool.
So expansion picks and draft picks are important not just throw aways. The overall plan so far is confusing.

At both the draft and the expansion draft, all 32 GMs are playing poker.

So many folks have been saying Francis should have known what teams were interested in what players, as if that situation is not fluid.

Calgary was not in the market for Zadorov until Seattle drafted Giordano. And after Francis took their captain, there might have been a little bit of resentment and Calgary may have gone elsewhere for a defenseman. Word was Zadorov was looking for a larger contract, and other than being physical, he is not a great overall defender. He returned a 3rd round pick in a draft that is 3 drafts away, while not nothing, it also is not some giant haul. Francis did not want to gamble on larger contract or cap. Smart imo.

The fact that Chevy gave two seconds for Dillon was surprising, given the general trend of the market. Staying away from that uncertainty while grabbing the best back-up goaltending option available at the time of the expansion draft was a safe, common-sense pick. Francis had no clue that Grubauer would sign with Seattle, but as the situation unfolded, Francis was willing to change the plan for a huge upgrade, so I view that flexibility as a solid plus.

"Bayreuther, True, Cholowski, Donskoi, and Twarynski " - One of these guys is not like the others.

Personally, I feel like Francis navigated the expansion draft fairly well given the unprecedented climate. I like the Geekie pick given the teams makeup of young D with potential, but very little top center potential. Bean would have been great too, but I understand this gamble.

Like quite a few others, my board had Clague from LA, Gaudette in Chicago, and a few other picks, but the more I look at the league and the roster, I start to believe that those guys would not have had any trade value, but would have been grabbed when waived during roster cuts before the season. Then Seattle would be scrambling to find players to fill their Charlotte obligations.

All in all, I don't feel there was anywhere near the amount of missed potential as people (especially on the trade forum) are making it out to seem. It's the same people that were saying Seattle could draft Voracek or Gostisbehere and flip them for a 1st or 2nd, based on what Vegas did, before the actual trades showed the real climate of the league and the players were shown to actually be partial cap-dumps.

 

[Irie]

1. If you build around the D, then why wouldn't you pick up or trade for a RD. Past Larsson there is really nothing.
That's significant and it will show in the games unless they address this.
2. If you really want cap space then why the contracts for Grubrauer and Dreiger which eats up a lot for two goalies.
Further Schwartz ( often injured) and Wennberg ( 3rd line center). I get the Kraken need offense and free agents to come, but
could we see a trade for a player? Try to get Hertl, who was rumored to be on the trade block last year. San Jose will be a bottom feeder
looking for draft picks and cap space. Enter your #1 center.
3. If you have an expansion team you have to build a talent pool. Through the expansion picks, entry level draft, and college signings, etc.
Yes, their Palm Springs team is a few seasons away but it's not too early to start. Francis has a real cavalier approach to all of this
and it's a bad trend right from the start.
4. Francis like the team is a work in progress. However, there are just 32 GM's in this league. Some flourish, some flounder. Those that
make very few mistakes succeed. And that's at all levels day in day out with draft picks, trades, coaches, and contracts. With so much time and
preparation whether big or small, there have been too many misses with Francis to start. Looking through rose colored glasses thinking
everything will be fine and those mistakes made aren't that severe is scary as they build up.

As far as your take on the overall message being relayed by the picks and then the UFA signings and trades, I completely agree. There is a bit of a mixed message.

At first I was not thrilled with the Eberle pick or the 5 year Schwartz signing. They seemed to contradict the general direction of build slow and maintain cap flexibility.

But everything I am reading and hearing about those two makes me think that they were both targeted to be leaders who can lead by example with their work ethic. I think Francis wants guys that put in the extra work being the role models in the locker-room full of relatively younger and up and coming players.

He is overspending quite a bit in this area, but he is trying to buy character... and honestly, probably not the worst way to spend cap for a team just starting out.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

As far as your take on the overall message being relayed by the picks and then the UFA signings and trades, I completely agree. There is a bit of a mixed message.

At first I was not thrilled with the Eberle pick or the 5 year Schwartz signing. They seemed to contradict the general direction of build slow and maintain cap flexibility.

But everything I am reading and hearing about those two makes me think that they were both targeted to be leaders who can lead by example with their work ethic. I think Francis wants guys that put in the extra work being the role models in the locker-room full of relatively younger and up and coming players.

He is overspending quite a bit in this area, but he is trying to buy character... and honestly, probably not the worst way to spend cap for a team just starting out.

This teem was never going to land high-end skill right off the bat either. That will be a slow process. However, what they can do is build a team with a hard-working and cohesive unit. The direction that GMRF went in is perfectly understandable because it gives us the best chance to win games with what we have.

 

[Irie]

This teem was never going to land high-end skill right off the bat either. That will be a slow process. However, what they can do is build a team with a hard-working and cohesive unit. The direction that GMRF went in is perfectly understandable because it gives us the best chance to win games with what we have.

At least not without heavily overspending and putting themselves in early cap trouble, which easily could have been the temptation, and I am thrilled Francis avoided it.

I think a lot of people are missing the general big picture, which is that bringing an expansion team in during this crazy cap crunch and building it properly is extremely challenging. In a normal year, cap would be rising and teams would have the ability and incentive to take on mid-level players to improve their teams, and Seattle could have accumulated these types of players in spades for capital.

The option to trade those mid-level assets for young, high potential unproven talent is the fast way to build a strong prospect base, and is usually available to expansion teams. Right now, teams are hoarding their young, cost controlled assets.

Seattle never had a chance to follow previous expansion models. This is uncharted territory.

 

[DEANYOUNGBLOOD17]

Francis..... should have at least 3 extra 2 nds for draft Capital.....

- should have got 2 2 nds for picking Dillion

- should have picked Bean and got Columbus 2 Nd....

- should of got the 3rd round pick for picking big Z from Chicago

- should have also used Cap space to get assets .... like Arizona did (Ladd)

- They should be looking @ trading Dunn with the excess they have on D fence.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

 

[The Marquis]

Boy, there's a whole lot of nothing being asked of him in that segment.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Greg Whyshinski ESPN article featuring a Q&A with Ron Francis.

 

[The Marquis]

Pretty much the expected answers from Francis. Not that they are bad answers, just the ones I think we all know to expect from him right now. Good on the interviewer for asking some rather direct questions.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Pretty much the expected answers from Francis. Not that they are bad answers, just the ones I think we all know to expect from him right now. Good on the interviewer for asking some rather direct questions.

Yep. I think GM's can only be so transparent to fans. But like you said, good on the interviewer for asking such questions.

 

[StreetHawk]

Francis..... should have at least 3 extra 2 nds for draft Capital.....

- should have got 2 2 nds for picking Dillion

- should have picked Bean and got Columbus 2 Nd....

- should of got the 3rd round pick for picking big Z from Chicago

- should have also used Cap space to get assets .... like Arizona did (Ladd)

- They should be looking @ trading Dunn with the excess they have on D fence.

Plenty of opportunities to get extra picks flipping their ED selections like LV did with Methot and others like that. Was never going to get deals to Not take someone like Columbus and Islanders deals.

but people should remember that picks don’t all turn out. Geekie May end up being as good as that 2nd for Bean. But he had plenty of chances to talk to teams and find out if they wanted someone from another team that he could claim and flip.

 

[jbron]

After 33 games and onward hopefully GM Ron Francis doesn't keep referring to the 5 away games to start the season and covid as the reasons for such a pitiful start. Understandably as an expansion team, they are without a top line center, a pure goal scorer, and are short on right hand defensemen. Yet, coaching should be a great concern even as we approach the 1/2 point in the season..

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

After 33 games and onward hopefully GM Ron Francis doesn't keep referring to the 5 away games to start the season and covid as the reasons for such a pitiful start. Understandably as an expansion team, they are without a top line center, a pure goal scorer, and are short on right hand defensemen. Yet, coaching should be a great concern even as we approach the 1/2 point in the season..

At this time, I would take everything GMRF says with a grain of salt. It's not exactly going to help if he throws the goaltending and coaching under the bus in the middle of the season. I am pretty unhappy with the way the season has gone but I am not going to read too much on our standings and performance till I know what our starting day roster for next season will be. i.e TDL + 2022 draft + off-season.

 

[The Marquis]

As long as it doesn’t take this team as long as the Mariners to make the playoffs, I’ll be happy

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

As long as it doesn’t take this team as long as the Mariners to make the playoffs, I’ll be happy

I think the NHL playoffs are not too hard to make into to be honest, considering half of the teams in the league make it every year.

 

[The Marquis]

Exactly, further emphasizing my point. BUT, thanks to being a Mariner's fan, I have a long rope for playoff drought... I'm a lifelong M's fan.. Have actual memories going to games as early as 1984... going to as many as 20 games per season, driving from Leavenworth. Hardcore. That original playoff drought was rougher than this one to be honest. A team with no historical success, 15 years in is a pretty terrible thing to support, but I did anyway, and frankly didn't care. A start like that for the Kraken would be far far worse, and I can't imagine it happening, so in short, I'm pretty easy to please.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Exactly, further emphasizing my point. BUT, thanks to being a Mariner's fan, I have a long rope for playoff drought... I'm a lifelong M's fan.. Have actual memories going to games as early as 1984... going to as many as 20 games per season, driving from Leavenworth. Hardcore. That original playoff drought was rougher than this one to be honest. A team with no historical success, 15 years in is a pretty terrible thing to support, but I did anyway, and frankly didn't care. A start like that for the Kraken would be far far worse, and I can't imagine it happening, so in short, I'm pretty easy to please.

The Sabres have the longest postseason drought in the NHL at 10 years. Detroit is next at 5.

The Mariners have the longest in the MLB at 20. Phillies are next at 10.

I think a lot needs to go wrong for a team to have such a bad drought though. Lot of bad luck and terrible management. I think we will find out in 2-3 years how bad that is for our team .. LOL.

 

[The Marquis]

I'm expecting the Kraken to make it in the first 5 years, so I'm sort of kidding, but I've learned through experience to set my expectations low.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I'm expecting the Kraken to make it in the first 5 years, so I'm sort of kidding, but I've learned through experience to set my expectations low.

My brain says year 3 (2023-24 season). We are drafting pretty high this season again and may be doing the same in the 2023 draft too. It really is all dependant on Francis though. Coaching issues, FA and drafting.

I think 5 years is too long given the way he drafted in the expansion (age of players). If it takes 5 years to make the playoffs, he might as well get things speeded up by moving players whose are not plan of that long term goal.

 

[The Marquis]

My brain says year 3 (2023-24 season). We are drafting pretty high this season again and may be doing the same in the 2023 draft too. It really is all dependant on Francis though. Coaching issues, FA and drafting.

I think 5 years is too long given the way he drafted in the expansion (age of players). If it takes 5 years to make the playoffs, he might as well get things speeded up by moving players whose are not plan of that long term goal.

I'd like to think that's the right amount of time, so we'll see. It's not that long. I'd definitely be good with 3rd year playoffs.

 

[Irie]

For all the complaining and second guessing Francis around the league and on these boards, I think there was always a plan and that has not changed.

On coaching

I saw the Hakstol hire as a resolve that the team was not going to replicate Vegas, and that gave me hope. Hakstol looked to be a "yes" man for Francis. He'd do what Francis asked behind the bench, and fall in line with general long-term strategy. The team would be competitive most nights, but ultimately lose a lot and produce high draft capital without being a complete embarrassment. In a couple of years when the foundation was built, he would be moved to a front office position and the team would bring in a high-priced coach with championship pedigree.

The expansion draft.

Stay away from high-priced aging players and maintain cap flexibility.
Target three characteristics in the draft,
1-Players that will be tradeable as their deals expire.
2-Players with solid work ethics and positive lockerroom presence
3-Use expansion picks where neither 1 or 2 were an option to draft players for the Charlotte agreement that would definitely clear waivers.

The plan.

Trade expiring assets and build through the draft.

I think for a team in Seattle's position at the expansion draft, that was a sound strategy.

I don't think that has changed at all, but the entire hockey world is questioning the direction of this team. I suspect we will see the UFAs moved and some extra draft capital acquired as the super boring, somewhat frustrating slow plan that builds the foundation for the future. It is going to be a hard sell to the fans, but I don't think it is a bad move.

Look at Yzerman in Detroit. If he wasn't a god in that city, he likely would have been fired after his second year, but their patience is starting to pay off and their future looks very bright.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

I don't think you can call a strategy a whiff. Francis determined there was nothing of enough value to take from Columbus to justify the risk of needing to retain salary or add picks to dump, so they took an expiring contract they were not going to re-sign.

It was a solution to them being forced to select 30 contracts, when there were some they did not want.

You may see it as a lost opportunity to acquire assets, and that is fair, but it is pretty clear now that ownership and Francis are not paying salary to acquire picks, for better or worse, whatever their reasons.

Agree 100%!!!

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

For all the complaining and second guessing Francis around the league and on these boards, I think there was always a plan and that has not changed.

On coaching

I saw the Hakstol hire as a resolve that the team was not going to replicate Vegas, and that gave me hope. Hakstol looked to be a "yes" man for Francis. He'd do what Francis asked behind the bench, and fall in line with general long-term strategy. The team would be competitive most nights, but ultimately lose a lot and produce high draft capital without being a complete embarrassment. In a couple of years when the foundation was built, he would be moved to a front office position and the team would bring in a high-priced coach with championship pedigree.

The expansion draft.

Stay away from high-priced aging players and maintain cap flexibility.
Target three characteristics in the draft,
1-Players that will be tradeable as their deals expire.
2-Players with solid work ethics and positive lockerroom presence
3-Use expansion picks where neither 1 or 2 were an option to draft players for the Charlotte agreement that would definitely clear waivers.

The plan.

Trade expiring assets and build through the draft.

I think for a team in Seattle's position at the expansion draft, that was a sound strategy.

I don't think that has changed at all, but the entire hockey world is questioning the direction of this team. I suspect we will see the UFAs moved and some extra draft capital acquired as the super boring, somewhat frustrating slow plan that builds the foundation for the future. It is going to be a hard sell to the fans, but I don't think it is a bad move.

Look at Yzerman in Detroit. If he wasn't a god in that city, he likely would have been fired after his second year, but their patience is starting to pay off and their future looks very bright.

Like the way you think and I agree totally! Francis has a plan