Leafs search for a new coach/GM

[CarltonTheBear]

Kelly McCrimmon has decided not to sign with Toronto.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Now one of those will get deleted when the decision comes. It's the Dean Blundell way.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Now one of those will get deleted when the decision comes. It's the Dean Blundell way.

http://twitter.com/ItsDeanBlundell/status/608365532446924800

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Hmm, figures. Someone as great at his craft as he is wouldn't limit himself to just one method.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I saw this article this morning, where apparently Kelly McCrimmon has been interviewing coaching candidates to take over for him in Brandon.  If this is true, it certainly lends some weight to the idea of him leaving for another opportunity/the Leafs.

I wonder, assuming he's taking the position with the Leafs, if they'll wait on an announcement until McCrimmon has new people in place to take over his duties.

http://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-news/report-mccrimmon-spoke-with-coaching-candidates-306872981.html?

 

[Kin]

Now one of those will get deleted when the decision comes. It's the Dean Blundell way.

http://twitter.com/ItsDeanBlundell/status/608365532446924800

The thing I like best is all of the hip pop-culture references he uses. That's how you know he speaks to my generation.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

He's mad fleek yo.

 

[ZBBM]

Glad to hear from Coxey that there will be no GM before the draft.  We already knew Shanahan would be calling the shots.  I'm not sure it even makes sense now to add somebody with that title, if his powers are actually going to be far less than the rest of the people in the league who have it.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Glad to hear from Coxey that there will be no GM before the draft.  We already knew Shanahan would be calling the shots.  I'm not sure it even makes sense now to add somebody with that title, if his powers are actually going to be far less than the rest of the people in the league who have it.

In terms of the draft specifically I'm sure Shanny will defer to Hunter and Dubas. But yeah, you're right. If someone came in before the draft he wouldn't be the one making the pick at 4.

 

[Kin]

Glad to hear from Coxey that there will be no GM before the draft.  We already knew Shanahan would be calling the shots.  I'm not sure it even makes sense now to add somebody with that title, if his powers are actually going to be far less than the rest of the people in the league who have it.

Maybe. But I do think that there's one piece missing from the current staff or, at the very least, one sort of Grey area that I'd be interested to see get cleared up.

Having Hunter in charge of the draft makes sense and I'm fine with the sort of three headed decision making process they've described but there is a day to day reality of running a hockey team that I'm not sure they have the right person in place for. Who's negotiating with Kadri's agent? Who in the front office has ever negotiated a pro contract? Snap decisions are required to be made when it comes to negotiating with free agents.

Similarly who's the guy working the phones trying to get the best return on Kessel? If Phaneuf to Detroit is a long, drawn out process with offers and counter offers, who is it that might be talking to Ken Holland at a GMs meeting? A process where Hunter, Shanahan  and Dubas sit down and talk things out until a consensus is reached will work for some things but there will be some times where it'll be two minutes before a draft pick is made and it'll be "Hey, I want to trade you X, Y and Z for the pick but only if player A is still available". Is that Hunter on that phone call? Dubas? Babcock?

A lot of this is why I'd sort of hoped Nonis might stick around. Not for any key decision making, no, but for negotiation and just the general process of things.

 

[herman]

I agree with the above. He would also be the bland media point person to spout platitudes.

 

[ZBBM]

Glad to hear from Coxey that there will be no GM before the draft.  We already knew Shanahan would be calling the shots.  I'm not sure it even makes sense now to add somebody with that title, if his powers are actually going to be far less than the rest of the people in the league who have it.

Maybe. But I do think that there's one piece missing from the current staff or, at the very least, one sort of Grey area that I'd be interested to see get cleared up.

Having Hunter in charge of the draft makes sense and I'm fine with the sort of three headed decision making process they've described but there is a day to day reality of running a hockey team that I'm not sure they have the right person in place for. Who's negotiating with Kadri's agent? Who in the front office has ever negotiated a pro contract? Snap decisions are required to be made when it comes to negotiating with free agents.

Similarly who's the guy working the phones trying to get the best return on Kessel? If Phaneuf to Detroit is a long, drawn out process with offers and counter offers, who is it that might be talking to Ken Holland at a GMs meeting? A process where Hunter, Shanahan  and Dubas sit down and talk things out until a consensus is reached will work for some things but there will be some times where it'll be two minutes before a draft pick is made and it'll be "Hey, I want to trade you X, Y and Z for the pick but only if player A is still available". Is that Hunter on that phone call? Dubas? Babcock?

A lot of this is why I'd sort of hoped Nonis might stick around. Not for any key decision making, no, but for negotiation and just the general process of things.

The short answer I guess, and only time will tell whether it's feasible, is Shanahan.

 

[Zee]

Now one of those will get deleted when the decision comes. It's the Dean Blundell way.

http://twitter.com/ItsDeanBlundell/status/608365532446924800

The thing I like best is all of the hip pop-culture references he uses. That's how you know he speaks to my generation.

Dean is learning to make his tweets more vague now. Any trade the Leafs pull off that may include Kessel or Phaneuf would be called "big", so he can point back to his tweet and say he knew all along. It's the Eklund playbook.

 

[Kin]

The short answer I guess, and only time will tell whether it's feasible, is Shanahan.

But that's why I said I'm as interested in getting that cleared up more than anything. Is that true or is that a guess? Will Shanahan be the guy going to GM meetings?

 

[ZBBM]

The short answer I guess, and only time will tell whether it's feasible, is Shanahan.

But that's why I said I'm as interested in getting that cleared up more than anything. Is that true or is that a guess? Will Shanahan be the guy going to GM meetings?

It's a true guess.  I guess.

Well, I can't see all three going.  Maybe Shanahan wants to encourage Hunter and Dubas to think they are co-GMs along with him (and maybe they all understand that to be the case), so he won't take the title formally.  But if only one guy gets to represent the team at important meetings, it's got to be Shanahan.

 

[Kin]

It's a true guess.  I guess.

Well, I can't see all three going.  Maybe Shanahan wants to encourage Hunter and Dubas to think they are co-GMs along with him (and maybe they all understand that to be the case), so he won't take the title formally.  But if only one guy gets to represent the team at important meetings, it's got to be Shanahan.

For what it's worth, these are mainly rhetorical questions. I know that they haven't actually been answered by the team so, you know, you don't need to try for the sake of trying.

 

[ZBBM]

It's a true guess.  I guess.

Well, I can't see all three going.  Maybe Shanahan wants to encourage Hunter and Dubas to think they are co-GMs along with him (and maybe they all understand that to be the case), so he won't take the title formally.  But if only one guy gets to represent the team at important meetings, it's got to be Shanahan.

For what it's worth, these are mainly rhetorical questions. I know that they haven't actually been answered by the team so, you know, you don't need to try for the sake of trying.

Kindly use the "rhetorical" emoticon next time.

 

[rdowdall]

It's a true guess.  I guess.

Well, I can't see all three going.  Maybe Shanahan wants to encourage Hunter and Dubas to think they are co-GMs along with him (and maybe they all understand that to be the case), so he won't take the title formally.  But if only one guy gets to represent the team at important meetings, it's got to be Shanahan.

For what it's worth, these are mainly rhetorical questions. I know that they haven't actually been answered by the team so, you know, you don't need to try for the sake of trying.

Kindly use the "rhetorical" emoticon next time.

There is no emoticon for what I am feeling.

 

[Highlander]

What not even the sunglass guy? 8)

 

[Fanatic]

The Maple Leafs sent out a communiqu? last week indicating any team wanting to talk trade should go through assistant GM Kyle Dubas. This led to speculation maybe Dubas would be elevated to the full-time GM position, but that appears premature. Director of player personnel Mark Hunter is responsible for draft selections, so it doesn?t look like Toronto wanted to add another 72-ounce Lone Star steak to his plate. What it does say, though, is Brendan Shanahan really trusts Dubas. That?s big responsibility at this time in the franchise?s existence.

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