Ongoing NHL thread - Part deux

[Bloody Brian Burke]

*immediately hangs phone up* Honestly not sure why I fielded this call. Oh, right, Kessel rumors. *calls again* As the Pens fake GM representative, I'd like to inquire about the availability of JvR or Kadri. Move quickly though, Sutter and Scuds won't be on the market long!

You can have either of them, but you'll have fewer first round picks over the next few years than the New York Rangers.

 

[tducey]

Big game tonight in Tampa. Got to think the result tonight determines what Babcock does next year. Detroit loses he steps down as coach, they win and he stays.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Big game tonight in Tampa. Got to think the result tonight determines what Babcock does next year. Detroit loses he steps down as coach, they win and he stays.

Doubt it. Whoever gives him a cheque for the GDP of a small nation will be the team to sign him, regardless of status.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Doubt it. Whoever gives him a cheque for the GDP of a small nation will be the team to sign him, regardless of status.

I'd like that team to be the Isles, but I'll be surprised if they let Capuano go.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

That's 3 first round exits in 4 seasons for Detroit.

If Babcock and McLellan are indeed the two best coaches available this offseason, they have a combined 2 playoff series victories amongst them over a combined 8 seasons.

 

[BGDave]

That's 3 first round exits in 4 seasons for Detroit.

If Babcock and McLellan are indeed the two best coaches available this offseason, they have a combined 2 playoff series victories amongst them over a combined 8 seasons.

Similar to SJS and STL in terms of playoff success.

In another city, would the fans want Babcock ousted?

As a TOR fan, I can totally NOT relate to this dilemma.

 

[pixburgher66]

That's 3 first round exits in 4 seasons for Detroit.

If Babcock and McLellan are indeed the two best coaches available this offseason, they have a combined 2 playoff series victories amongst them over a combined 8 seasons.

There's a lot of Pens fans pining for Babcock...and I don't get their reasoning. Do I think he could have success in Pittsburgh? Yeah, sure. But Dan Bylsma has more series wins than Babcock since 2009.

 

[dash]

But Dan Bylsma has more series wins than Babcock since 2009.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Hey pix ... cap issues aside ... you think the Pens are willing to part with Pouliot for Vrbata

 

[pixburgher66]

Hey pix ... cap issues aside ... you think the Pens are willing to part with Pouliot for Vrbata

Nope. Hella tempting, but Pouliot is the real deal, and the Pens will have to lean on young cheap Dmen for a few years here. That and Johnston absolutely loves the kid. Had him in Portland, raves about him. Seeing the highlights from Wilkes-Barre is simultaneously bumming me out and exciting me. Really wish they could've pushed for a game 6, because getting him back would've been huge.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Nope. Hella tempting, but Pouliot is the real deal, and the Pens will have to lean on young cheap Dmen for a few years here. That and Johnston absolutely loves the kid. Had him in Portland, raves about him. Seeing the highlights from Wilkes-Barre is simultaneously bumming me out and exciting me. Really wish they could've pushed for a game 6, because getting him back would've been huge.

yah i didnt think so but Im hoping Rutherford continues his run of senility

 

[pixburgher66]

yah i didnt think so but Im hoping Rutherford continues his run of senility

The deal wouldn't get past the Grand Pumba of hockey operations, David "I know absolutely nothing about hockey" Moorehouse.

 

[dash]

How about Harrington for Engelland?

/I'll just show myself out.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

There's a lot of Pens fans pining for Babcock...and I don't get their reasoning. Do I think he could have success in Pittsburgh? Yeah, sure. But Dan Bylsma has more series wins than Babcock since 2009.

Someone was saying to me earlier, if Rutherford has said he's sticking with Johnston, no reason to believe he's not going to. He's hired 5 coaches total in his 22 years as a GM. Not a guy who shuffles the deck a lot.

 

[pixburgher66]

How about Harrington for Engelland?

/I'll just show myself out.

"That's per year."

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Someone was saying to me earlier, if Rutherford has said he's sticking with Johnston, no reason to believe he's not going to. He's hired 5 coaches total in his 22 years as a GM. Not a guy who shuffles the deck a lot.

WillieD declined the Pens job offer last offseason because he felt they had plans for Babcock this offseason ... so theres that

 

[pixburgher66]

Someone was saying to me earlier, if Rutherford has said he's sticking with Johnston, no reason to believe he's not going to. He's hired 5 coaches total in his 22 years as a GM. Not a guy who shuffles the deck a lot.

I don't see it happening AT ALL. The reason this speculation even exists is because of Scarf Boy™. Or should it be Ice Cream Boy™ now? Anyway...last year when the coaching search was going down (keep in mind Rossi who was reporting this stuff, and at the time was still beat writer and not columnist, loved the old regime and was pissed that he didn't get an exclusive with Lemieux and Burkle), things began stating that whomever was hired could simply be a stop gap of a coach until Babcock became available this summer. So, the seed was planted long ago, and some people haven't given up on the crock. "He's said he wants to coach Sid! He coached Canada to gold!" Annnnnd his Stanley Cup success since 2008 (even give him '09 for appearance)? Right. Again, I love the guy, but it's just a weird thing for fans to be stuck on. Another narrative (one I sort of subscribe to) is that Moorehouse is far too involved. He micromanages things he doesn't know about (aka hockey), and if he thinks they should get Babcock, they will. And ANOTHER rumor is that the team isn't great financially (stable, but not necessarily making money) and Burkle wants out because he's a business man...wants to make money, not spend it. Lots of weird moving parts.

 

[pixburgher66]

WillieD declined the Pens job offer last offseason because he felt they had plans for Babcock this offseason ... so theres that

Really? I thought it was because they already hired Tocchet and he didn't like the idea of not choosing his assistants. Huh. My overall feeling on it though is there's no way a competent team (maybe they're not) can hire someone to be a dead duck basically. You don't make a decision to forgo a season simply because something is on the horizon. I'd hope not anyway. They'll hire him now and I'll get pissy about it.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Really? I thought it was because they already hired Tocchet and he didn't like the idea of not choosing his assistants. Huh. My overall feeling on it though is there's no way a competent team (maybe they're not) can hire someone to be a dead duck basically. You don't make a decision to forgo a season simply because something is on the horizon. I'd hope not anyway. They'll hire him now and I'll get pissy about it.

Canucks hired him and he "had" to keep Glenn Gulutzen as an asst. (mind you they had prior experience on the same bench together)

 

[pixburgher66]

Canucks hired him and he "had" to keep Glenn Gulutzen as an asst. (mind you they had prior experience on the same bench together)

The plot thickens.


I still don't see it, but who knows. I'd feel pretty horrible for Johnston, and considering how the Blysma thing went down, it wouldn't be good PR for the Pens.