Seattle GM: Likely Francis (UPD: Francis Named GM 7/18/19)

Interior Cascadian

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Apr 2, 2007
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Olympia, WA
I would add Sean Burke to my list of candidates too. He was the assistant to the general manager and Coyotes' goaltending coach, a professional scout for Montreal, and most recently the GM of Canada’s 2018 Olympic team. There are rumors that his name is being floated around as a GM candidate for teams looking for a change.
 
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StreetHawk

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Sep 30, 2017
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Paywall.

Signs are pointing to GM hire this year which would allow 2 years before expansion draft.

Unless they are truly waiting for someone in particular is the market for their gm going to be better in 2020? Already seen McCrimmon come off the market.

Ideally more time to put together the scouting staff would be beneficial. Depends on which candidates are left and whether they truly have their target.
 

gstommylee

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Jan 31, 2012
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Sounds like they are gonna take their time. With 3 of the possibilities already out, they are not in any hurry to hire one.
 

StreetHawk

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But perhaps sooner is better. Paywall.


Sooner is preferable in that it gives the GM more time to assemble the staff. Maybe there are people he wants but they are still under contract to another organization for another year. So, maybe some of those people opt to not extend with their current club so that they can then sign on with Seattle in 2020. But, if you wait until 2020 to hire the same GM then some of those people might have signed extensions with their current club.

So, it really gives the GM more time to be selective about the team he is putting together. Not in such a mad rush to assemble the scouts and everyone in a span of a couple of months.
 
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cowboy82nd

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Feb 19, 2012
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This could be one of those cases where the NHL has a say in what the GM would be for Seattle. We need to be successful right out of the gate. I believe Kelly McCrimmon could be a possibility. He's assist GM for Vegas.

Why? The owner or owners will have a say in who the GM is. The NHL should and would stay out of it,
 

LadyStanley

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Sep 22, 2004
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Still to see if there are any front office changes this summer (that result in new folks available). NYR AGM left after Sather stepped aside (and JD came in).
 

Constable

corona fiend
Mar 17, 2014
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Refresh my memory...Since when has Holland preferred 'grit' over 'talent'?

Are you forgetting the massive multi-year contracts given to such notable offensive threats as Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Danny Dekeyser, and (thankfully expiring soon) Johnathan Ericsson? Especially the latter three.

Anyways, on the topic of the thread, I'd be all over getting Ron Hextall. Repeating Vegas is extremely unlikely, so it's better to bunker down and enter with the mindset of this being a multi-year project with a heavy focus on prospects and young talent. Hextall has shown he can take a prospect pool that has absolutely nothing in it and turn it into a top-5 pool in the league, and while he does tend to stick with a coach, this is not an issue for a rebuilding team. It's better to have a locker room that is great while sucking rather than being a desolate room.

If Hextall does not want the spot or his interview goes south, the next candidates I'd seriously consider would be Sean Burke or Trevor Timmins. I'd want both of these for the same reason as Hextall, to build an elite prospect pool to compete in the future with. TT also is currently a(n) AGM for Montreal, so he would have a few years experience before being hired as well, it wouldn't be a trial by fire.

Finally, I'd be cool with Gillis, if only because he seems to have actively made an attempt to become a modern-style GM as well as learn to embrace analytics as a tool.
 

supsens

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Oct 6, 2013
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Would be so nice if a young franchise didn't bring in an old hand like Hextall, Holland, Bowman, etc. Be forward-thinking and find the next up and coming GM who embraces analytics and can grow with the franchise and be there 10+ years.

They get one shot at building a team, they need someone to teach them how to do things, they are not looking for the next guy that might be a good GM, analytics are great and all but the GM has a lot of negotiating to do and analytics do not tell the story all that well, team style of play, who you play with and usage can change the numbers in a hurry
 

StreetHawk

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Sep 30, 2017
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Resetting the market: What's next for Seattle's GM search?

Paywall. Craig Custances looks at some potential candidates, from CBJ's Zito to Gillis and more.
They should be able to hire someone off a current staff come late June after the draft if that is their target. Unless there is a succession plan in place for that team like in NYR with Sather and Gorton.

Is Zito going to take over for Jarmo in the very near future? There’s Futa in LA who is behind Blake. Don’t see the current GM getting replaced.

Gillis if he’s the guy they can get him any time.

Unless the target is a current GM who might get fired or replaced who else will be available?
 

SillyRabbit

Trix Are For Kids
Jan 3, 2006
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Gillis has stated he’d prefer to be in a President role rather than GM.

He has a lot of ideas on how he wants to structure an organization from top to bottom beyond just roster construction.

In my opinion he’d be a great hire, he’s extremely intelligent and is very good at looking at the big picture.

Maybe he’d accept a President/GM dual role.
 

gstommylee

Registered User
Jan 31, 2012
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Gillis has stated he’d prefer to be in a President role rather than GM.

He has a lot of ideas on how he wants to structure an organization from top to bottom beyond just roster construction.

In my opinion he’d be a great hire, he’s extremely intelligent and is very good at looking at the big picture.

Maybe he’d accept a President/GM dual role.

Tod Leiweke is CEO/President
 

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