News Article: Shero fired, Fitz interim GM part II

[Unknown Caller]

Our fans, in my opinion should be more livid at our current ownership than Shero.

It appears they want to mimic the model of late stage Lou and that is completely terrifying.

Shero indeed had a plan and I believe we were maybe two seasons from seeing the true results of that. But management wants to go the route of spoiled children of "but I want it now!"

Maybe McPhee would be the best thing for them. Let's buy a bunch of big sexy names, make the playoffs, maybe make the second round and have no assets for the future. But at least we were "competitive"

I am hating this firing more and more.l by the day and the fact that we have fans actually happy about it shows the, with all due respect, nativity and shortsightness of some.

Similar to my prior post, they actually want the exact opposite of the old Lou approach. 180 degrees in the other direction. And they aren’t hiring a guy to just go buy sexy names and waste money. They’re going to do this properly. Unfortunately, it was at Shero’s expense. He’s a great GM, but I don’t think he fits the model they want to follow.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I won't be angry at ownership until the next GM does something short sighted and I think its ownership's fault. All this talk about how owners are clueless is projecting based on very little evidence and a cryptic press conference. At this point I still see this as firing Shero a year early instead of a year late.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I honestly believe Ray had no vision whatsoever for building team. I don't think the idea of cohesive components ever crossed his mind...It was pure opportunistic adds and stock piling picks and prospects with no description other than speed.

I think it was a terribly shallow path. I think Ray's plan was "Get good players" that is it...No vision, no identity and no real plan.

Yeah that’s the knock. But it’s also the opportunity for the new GM to take the assets Ray stockpiled and to tweak, wheel and deal them into a balanced club strong on fundamentals. Ray did a fine job of simply accumulating players. Now find the mix and coaching.

 

[MNDevilsfan]

If you read the Gillis article I posted in the other GM speculation thread, it gives you an idea of what structure they could be going for. As Friedman said, it will likely be a collaborative structure and very analytics/data and sports science driven. They don’t want the old style structure where one guy calls all of the shots.

Feels pretty safe to assume this will end up being the scenario. A hockey ops group, ownership, analytics, possibly Brodeur in the Shanahan role all having input.

 

[GameSeven]

Our fans, in my opinion should be more livid at our current ownership than Shero.

It appears they want to mimic the model of late stage Lou and that is completely terrifying.

Shero indeed had a plan and I believe we were maybe two seasons from seeing the true results of that. But management wants to go the route of spoiled children of "but I want it now!"

Maybe McPhee would be the best thing for them. Let's buy a bunch of big sexy names, make the playoffs, maybe make the second round and have no assets for the future. But at least we were "competitive"

I am hating this firing more and more.l by the day and the fact that we have fans actually happy about it shows the, with all due respect, nativity and shortsightness of some.

Two year may be too much rope. That would mark 7 years into a five-year plan if results didn't markedly improve.

I do feel like we are close, as evidenced by most of us expecting to be in the hunt *this* year. I've gone on record that I'd give him one more off-season.

I think the worst thing about where we are vis-a-vis ownership, is we know *nothing* of our current plan. Interim coach, interim GM. All we've heard is we want to "win more". Ok, great. But what is the next step here in establishing this newfound success?

 

[Edmonton East]

I won't be angry at ownership until the next GM does something short sighted and I think its ownership's fault. All this talk about how owners are clueless is projecting based on very little evidence and a cryptic press conference. At this point I still see this as firing Shero a year early instead of a year late.

Hilariously most of it is based on a reporter's butthurt opinion blog piece after someone she worked closely with for years departed the organization. A "someone" who could help her land jobs in the future.

Yet people on here take it as gospel

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Bull****...It was discussed even when Cory was ok.

When was this? When he was trading for Palmieri? When he made the greatest hockey trade in decades for Hall? When he dealt Henrique for a quality dman that helped us make the playoffs (while avoiding giving him an awful contract). What the **** are you talking about? The year we made the playoffs Cory was garbage and has been nothing but garbage since.

We aren’t having this moronic “rudderless ship” talk if we had average goaltending and could at least sniff the postseason.

 

[GameSeven]

I loved Shero, but I disagree with this. I think ownership actually has a very defined plan. They want to completely revamp the way the front office works and revolutionize their management structure. Shero was an old style GM who wanted complete autonomy and wanted to do things his own way.

If you read the Gillis article I posted in the other GM speculation thread, it gives you an idea of what structure they could be going for. As Friedman said, it will likely be a collaborative structure and very analytics/data and sports science driven. They don’t want the old style structure where one guy calls all of the shots.

Say if that's the plan... what's an honest timeline where such a restructure starts to pay dividends? Like a concrete plan. Are we presumably sellers at the deadline? Or just holding our cards? There's a couple of possible names in Free Agency, but it's generally thin. How do you speed this up, realistically?

I think a lot needs to be laid on the coaching. Maybe that's an avenue to improve, but we won't have any idea while we play the string out...

 

[JimEIV]

When was this? When he was trading for Palmieri? When he made the greatest hockey trade in decades for Hall? When he dealt Henrique for a quality dman that helped us make the playoffs (while avoiding giving him an awful contract). What the **** are you talking about? The year we made the playoffs Cory was garbage and has been nothing but garbage since.

We aren’t having this moronic “rudderless ship” talk if we had average goaltending and could at least sniff the postseason.

Every single time we talked about the defense I mentioned how there is no cohesion, no identy and no plan...Going back to Schlemko....I mentioned that we were throwing pieces together like we were rummaging through a junk yard...I always mentioned size and pairings and how nothing fits because there is no plan....Not only me, but plenty of other did as well.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

If you’re discussing what Shero inherited upon arrival, or his trade record, or our ****ing 2015 prospect pool, you’re completely missing the point.

It’s appalling how quickly the Shero defenders (of which I was one) forget how brutally he mismanaged the Hynes situation, and the detrimental effect that bizarre (willful?) miscalculation had on our season.

This entire organization — ownership, the fans, the players (“playoffs or bust” - Taylor Hall, September 2019) — was ready to take the next step, and Shero allowed his affection for Hynes to destroy everyone’s expectations. He allowed his meaningless, made-up “coach must grow with the team” mantra to cloud his objective judgment.

He had to be literally forced to terminate Hynes — not only did the organization incur serious damage due to Shero’s refusal to fire his buddy, but now we’re winning. I know, I know — we weren’t getting good goaltending earlier, and now we’re rid of the Hall distraction which has liberated the kids — but the bottom line (which is all the owners consider, frankly) is this team is winning, or at least competing, every single night... something that wasn’t happening under Hynes, who should’ve been canned in October but-for Shero’s nepotism... which cost us the season, Taylor Hall, attendance revenue, etc.

This really isn’t that hard.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I for one am actually happy with Fitz currently being the GM. I like him, I like how he thinks and was always hoping Shero would one day promote Fitz to GM and give himself some VP position. I hope the owners will stick with him. If not then I am a little worried with who they eventually will go with.

 

[Triumph]

This isn't a good team without Hynes, either. They're winning because teams win, it's really hard to be terrible and lose every night, even bad goalies have a good game - Detroit is terrible, they are bad at everything, and they've still managed 12 wins. Most years the worst teams still get to 25-30 wins. So yeah, Shero screwed up with Hynes, no doubt, but the team has much deeper issues, especially without Hall. Now you can also lay that at the feet of Shero/Hynes that players like Zacha and Wood are just not getting any better, but firing the coach has merely fixed the team at the surface level - they're more fun to watch. As Nasreddine said when he took over, he wanted the team to play aggressively and not be afraid of making mistakes. They're doing that. They're getting the stops lately to enable that sort of play to win games.

 

[NjDevsRR]

This isn't a good team without Hynes, either. They're winning because teams win, it's really hard to be terrible and lose every night, even bad goalies have a good game - Detroit is terrible, they are bad at everything, and they've still managed 12 wins. Most years the worst teams still get to 25-30 wins. So yeah, Shero screwed up with Hynes, no doubt, but the team has much deeper issues, especially without Hall. Now you can also lay that at the feet of Shero/Hynes that players like Zacha and Wood are just not getting any better, but firing the coach has merely fixed the team at the surface level - they're more fun to watch. As Nasreddine said when he took over, he wanted the team to play aggressively and not be afraid of making mistakes. They're doing that. They're getting the stops lately to enable that sort of play to win games.

Goaltending has definitely been better but the team itself has definitely stepped it up without Hall. They are making plays themselves instead of deferring. They look confident and that is a big step for a young team. Right now it is about building to next season and their recent play is a big step.

 

[MartyOwns]

I honestly believe Ray had no vision whatsoever for building team. I don't think the idea of cohesive components ever crossed his mind...It was pure opportunistic adds and stock piling picks and prospects with no description other than speed.

I think it was a terribly shallow path. I think Ray's plan was "Get good players" that is it...No vision, no identity and no real plan.

you don’t think he had a plan? he replenished our forward prospects, then replenished our defensive prospects (namely last draft and bahl). then he was fired before any of that could really come to fruition.

you can disagree with the plan- for example, not fixing the goaltending situation (which i don’t fault him too much for) and letting hynes stay on too long- but clearly he had a plan

 

[JimEIV]

I don't believe we are getting better goaltending...I believe there is a significantly better structure in place. It is so obvious when you watch this team now compared to a month or so ago...Especially in their own zone. There is far less confusion and running around the coverage seem simpler and more uniform. Watching a Hynes team I had a hard time figuring out who was actually responsible when there was a break down... Was that forward supposed to shade to the middle? The center is never where I expect him to be and you got two defenders in the same corner...I haven't seen that stuff (so often there has been moments) since Hynes left...Now we're going to make believe there is new found goaltending?

Yeah Cory shit the bed for sure...But this team under Hynes did no goaltender any favors. Or Defensemen for that matter

 

[guitarguyvic]

Our fans, in my opinion should be more livid at our current ownership than Shero.

It appears they want to mimic the model of late stage Lou and that is completely terrifying.

Shero indeed had a plan and I believe we were maybe two seasons from seeing the true results of that. But management wants to go the route of spoiled children of "but I want it now!"

Maybe McPhee would be the best thing for them. Let's buy a bunch of big sexy names, make the playoffs, maybe make the second round and have no assets for the future. But at least we were "competitive"

I am hating this firing more and more.l by the day and the fact that we have fans actually happy about it shows the, with all due respect, nativity and shortsightness of some.

There is no evidence that your second paragraph is actually true, so everything that follows in meaningless hand wringing.

Perhaps we should wait and see what happens at TDL and with a new GM before projecting all this doom and gloom?

 

[Call Me Al]

his plan was to be competitive this year and that part failed, partly because of his own decision making with the coach and goaltending

 

[JimEIV]

you don’t think he had a plan? he replenished our forward prospects, then replenished our defensive prospects (namely last draft and bahl). then he was fired before any of that could really come to fruition.

you can disagree with the plan- for example, not fixing the goaltending situation (which i don’t fault him too much for) and letting hynes stay on too long- but clearly he had a plan

Last draft was his 5th as GM and it's the first time Defense was a priority....Given Development time of a Dman (or any player for that matter) you are looking 8 or 9 to come to fruition from the time he became the GM to last years draft class making an impact. No problem with that?

 

[Darkauron]

NoT geTTing beTter goAltenDing.

Sorry blackwood you dont exist anymore. Shame.

 

[guitarguyvic]

When was this? When he was trading for Palmieri? When he made the greatest hockey trade in decades for Hall? When he dealt Henrique for a quality dman that helped us make the playoffs (while avoiding giving him an awful contract). What the **** are you talking about? The year we made the playoffs Cory was garbage and has been nothing but garbage since.

We aren’t having this moronic “rudderless ship” talk if we had average goaltending and could at least sniff the postseason.

Uhh I very distinctly recall being concerned with the lack of identity and culture starting in ray’s very’s first season here and discussing it here...so this is just very selective memory or maybe you just weren’t around?

 

[MartyOwns]

Last draft was his 5th as GM and it's the first time Defense was a priority....Given Development time of a Dman (or any player for that matter) you are looking 8 or 9 to come to fruition from the time he became the GM to last years draft class making an impact. No problem with that?

like i said, you can disagree with his plan (personally i don’t)...but you can. to say he had no plan and just added guys willy nilly is incorrect.

let’s face it, when you’re starting off with a prospect pool that’s one of the worst in the league, any plan you pick is going to be flawed in some way

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I want people to go through the list of players drafted between 2016 and now league wide and see how many actual good, producing players that there are in the league. The list is quite short. Some of these guys who are ripping Shero 's drafts actually expect the Devils to be full of 18-21 year old producers for some reason and I don't really understand why.

 

[HitemwiththeHyne]

The Owners have corrected an error. Let's see what comes next.

 

[Emperoreddy]

his plan was to be competitive this year and that part failed, partly because of his own decision making with the coach and goaltending

Except we are now succeeding because of one half of the goaltending tandem he bet on.

He was stuck with the other half because Cory’s contract was not movable or favorable for a buyout.

Someone like Lehner or Mzarik was not going to get better results then Blackwood is getting right now. We were not going to carry 3 goalies, and starting Blackwood in the minors when he outright deserved a NHL job would have been poor asset management.

So the only real option was getting a true number one in here. Who was available and what assets were we trading to get him?

Hynes is the real thing to hang over his head and he fixed that by firing him.

Now was not the time to fire the GM. Offseason maybe. Next year after a bad season? Definitely. January? Not at all.

We look like a clown show and are rightly be called that in the media. It’s fortunate local media doesn’t care about us or hockey or we would be getting roasted even harder right now.

 

[HitemwiththeHyne]

What if there is more to the story? This ownership group is on their 5/6 Gm with the Sixers. What if Ray walked away or they got tired of blowing smoke up their @@@@@?