Speculation: Who would you actually want as the next GM?

[doublechili]

Not you too? Maybe John Chayka is available. He'd be about what, 30 now.

I really don't have a position other than hoping the owners get it right - kind of an open mind here. Well, except for Doug Wilson - yuch. And hey, for all any of us know, Chayka is the second coming of Torrey/Devellano.

BTW, Tulsky in CAR and Chris Patrick in WAS are young guys and they're doing okay, I'd say.

 

[Torrey Redux]

Steve Yzerman?

If Detroit ever cut him loose I would still strongly consider Yzerman. One, he knows the job. Two, he did a great job in TB. Three, yeah, he deserves most of the heat for the DET rebuild fail to date but there was a fair amount of bad luck involved too. Four, the fact that he's had a rough time in DET will make a competitor like him super-motivated to get it right the next time.

 

[Cameraguy]

I always thought Jon Cooper would be GM at some point. He's an amazing person, very smart guy too.

 

[Throttle]

If Detroit ever cut him loose I would still strongly consider Yzerman. One, he knows the job. Two, he did a great job in TB. Three, yeah, he deserves most of the heat for the DET rebuild fail to date but there was a fair amount of bad luck involved too. Four, the fact that he's had a rough time in DET will make a competitor like him super-motivated to get it right the next time.

One has to really look at his starting point in TB to evaluate his job in TB. He started with 2 franchise players and a top 20 forward in the game. And in the end, he never won the Cup with TB as the GM either. When he left, his former assistant made some strategic trades that helped them get over the top.

While he hasn’t hit the lotto balls in DET, his rebuild leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Torrey Redux]

One has to really look at his starting point in TB to evaluate his job in TB. He started with 2 franchise players and a top 20 forward in the game. And in the end, he never won the Cup with TB as the GM either. When he left, his former assistant made some strategic trades that helped them get over the top.

While he hasn’t hit the lotto balls in DET, his rebuild leaves a lot to be desired.

One also shouldn't necessarily judge GMs in the year or years they take a particular action. TB's sustained excellence, dominance and Cups have Yzerman's fingerprints all over them. He drafted Nikita Kucherov (2nd round), Brayden Point (3rd round), Ondřej Palát(7th round), Anthony Cirelli (3rd round) , signed undrafted players Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde and acquired Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Černák via trade. They have zero Cups without these unbelieveable late round picks and moves. That resume alone gets him a pass in my book.

And to my first point, I'll say it again, the absolute joke that Lamoriello won GM of the Year for two years in row demonstrates in spades just how absurd it is to judge a GM on a teams "success" (such as it was) in given year when all he really accomplished was to sew the seeds of our current horrendous situation.

 

[Throttle]

One also shouldn't necessarily judge GMs in the year or years they take a particular action. TB's sustained excellence, dominance and Cups have Yzerman's fingerprints all over them. He drafted Nikita Kucherov (2nd round), Brayden Point (3rd round), Ondřej Palát(7th round), Anthony Cirelli (3rd round) , signed undrafted players Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde and acquired Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Černák via trade. They have zero Cups without these unbelieveable late round picks and moves. That resume alone gets him a pass in my book.

And to my first point, I'll say it again, the absolute joke that Lamoriello won GM of the Year for two years in row demonstrates in spades just how absurd it is to judge a GM on a teams "success" (such as it was) in given year when all he really accomplished was to sew the seeds of our current horrendous situation.

Well, the fans didn’t vote on Lou’s GM of the Year award, so his peers voted for him.

Yzerman already had KEY pieces in place when he took over the team giving him a phenomenal starting point. He also whiffed on first rounders too (people like to overlook that). He did an admiral job, but he didn’t win the Cup as the GM. Additional loves were made after he left to Detroit that proved very important to them winning - moves Yzerman didn’t make. So, his fingers prints are on TB, but they are also 100% on his mess of a rebuild in DET too, which hasn’t yielded one franchise player on it.

 

[Torrey Redux]

Well, the fans didn’t vote on Lou’s GM of the Year award, so his peers voted for him.

Yzerman already had KEY pieces in place when he took over the team giving him a phenomenal starting point. He also whiffed on first rounders too (people like to overlook that). He did an admiral job, but he didn’t win the Cup as the GM. Additional loves were made after he left to Detroit that proved very important to them winning - moves Yzerman didn’t make. So, his fingers prints are on TB, but they are also 100% on his mess of a rebuild in DET too, which hasn’t yielded one franchise player on it.

We can bat around facts and opinions all night but as I said, if he became available he'd be on my short list for the reasons I mentioned.

 

[On Edge]

What I do know, is I don’t want Roy at GM. Still deciding on him as coach…

 

[Dutch Frost]

Alexei Yashin

 

[MJF]

Alexei Yashin

He’ll make black turtlenecks mandatory.

 

[Dutch Frost]

He’ll make black turtlenecks mandatory.

He had a small investment with the golden knights a while back. GM of the Russian womens team, they won the bronze.

I think him being President of the Team is a lot better than Chris Lamarillo.

What I do know, is I don’t want Roy at GM. Still deciding on him as coach…

I want him gone at the end of the year, it was fun, thank you for your time but he is not cut out being an NHL coach. Last thing I want is him being a GM. We had Garth Snow, I aint doing this again.

 

[seafoam]

He’ll make black turtlenecks mandatory.

There's legitimately nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's probably a plus.

 

[doublechili]

What I do know, is I don’t want Roy at GM. Still deciding on him as coach…

Yeah, I don't get the Roy-for-GM support. Gotta go clean slate. And FWIW, coaches have probably the most impact on PP/PK. Sometimes a team is really good or bad on one or the other of those (and bad teams can have a good PP or PK but just be terrible 5v5). To be historically bad at both PP and PK is a ringing condemnation of the coach, IMO.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I always thought Jon Cooper would be GM at some point. He's an amazing person, very smart guy too.

Now this I like

 

[Rehabguy]

Elon Musk

 

[doublechili]

Elon Musk

He's kinda busy, but I'm on board with that if he could fit us in.

BTW, all kidding aside, I could see our pretty innovative owners at least investigating non-hockey guys for the GM position. For example, I believe CHI looked into an Asst GM with the Cubs when they were looking for a GM. The idea would be to have an asset management genius running the show, and relying on scouts for input on the personnel decisions. Just a thought, but we'll see what they do.

 

[Rehabguy]

He's kinda busy, but I'm on board with that if he could fit us in.

BTW, all kidding aside, I could see our pretty innovative owners at least investigating non-hockey guys for the GM position. For example, I believe CHI looked into an Asst GM with the Cubs when they were looking for a GM. The idea would be to have an asset management genius running the show, and relying on scouts for input on the personnel decisions. Just a thought, but we'll see what they do.

All kidding aside as well, the reason why I brought up Musk is because I believe in his core values. Hard work and meritocracy. That's all they guy asks for in all his businesses and he leads by example. He has an extreme work ethic and he believes that you are shit unless you contribute to the greater good and he doesn't care who you are or where you come from you need to earn your keep in life. That's the kind of GM this team needs. Someone who holds the players accountable and who holds them to a higher standard.

I think as coach Roy exemplifies that and like Musk he has been extremely successful in almost everything he has done. I think with time he will excel as a coach and/or GM if he chooses. The things he did with the Quebec Ramparts as owner, GM, and head coach since 1996 is nothing short of amazing. He stated that after their last championship win last year he was retiring to take on a new challenge. The Isles are that new challenge. He just needs time and a GM (if it is not himself) who can get the right players on the ice to execute his vision.

Like Musk at least in regards to the business or sport of hockey I can't think of any role that Patrick Roy held where he did not eventually succeed to be the very best and like Musk there has to be some failures or challenges along the way but one would have to be a fool to bet against Roy. Also as I have often said if you want to get an idea of how someone would perform you look at their most recent accomplishments. Unlike Lou, Roy's successes are recent not from decades ago. I think he would do a great job as GM of the Isles if he were to choose to do so. Right now he has got his hands full undoing the damage dealt by recent coaches and that damage runs deep.

A lot on these boards has been made in regards to the lack of practice on the powerplay that Roy admitted may have been a mistake to start the season. I love that about the guy. He's honest and says it like it is. Holds himself accountable too. When was the last time we had a coach like that? The last coach would say something like the players don't have respect for the "right way to play the game" rather than admitting that maybe he himself was the problem. Kudos to Roy!

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

I always thought Jon Cooper would be GM at some point. He's an amazing person, very smart guy too.

No against this, but how many former coaches (or even players) have gone on to become a successful GM?

Of course, I ask this question because of the most recent addition to that group (Trotz) is not doing so hot (albeit early) and another (Yzerman) can't seem to get it going either.

 

[Rehabguy]

No against this, but how many former coaches (or even players) have gone on to become a successful GM?

Of course, I ask this question because of the most recent addition to that group (Trotz) is not doing so hot (albeit early) and another (Yzerman) can't seem to get it going either.

Yserman much like the player he was himself built the Lightning to be one of the most formidable Cup winning and consistently dominating teams in the modern NHL. The fact that he's having issue with Detroit today doesn't take away those accomplishments. You trust the guys who know what it takes to win consistently like Roy and Yserman- the guys who have been there and done that.

 

[doublechili]

FWIW, here's a few guys who are doing pretty well as GM:

Bill Zito (FLA): Yale undergrad, U Wisconsin law degree, former player agent;

Eric Tulsky (CAR): Harvard undergrad Chemistry/Physics, PhD Cal Berkeley, analytics jobs in hockey;

Chris Patrick (WAS): Princeton undergrad, MBA from UVA. Worked in investment banking before hockey;

Kent Hughes (MTL): Middlebury College undergrad, BC law degree, former player agent.

If I had to guess, I'd say these are the kinds of guys our smart, Harvard-educated owners go for when selecting a new GM.