Lou Will Not Return

[CarltonTheBear]

I didn't say impossible- don't put those words in my mouth.  I said they are hard to acquire.

Sorry, but nobody said it was "easy peasy" either for the record.

 

[herman]

Do you think Lou had any restrictions on what he could do with the Leafs' pool of assets, given that he was signed on as a seat warmer?

Other than several picks from 30-60, I don't think Lou actually spent anything of high/long-term value, other than the cap space Zaitsev is occupying (and Kadri/Rielly, but that's much less contentious).

 

[Kin]

Yup, easy peasy.  You should be GMing from your basement... its sooo easy.

I'm pretty confident I'd be making less excuses for myself than you are for the guy billed as being the ultimate insider. Despite the fact that my basement is dusty as hell.

 

[Kin]

Do you think Lou had any restrictions on what he could do with the Leafs' pool of assets, given that he was signed on as a seat warmer?

Other than several picks from 30-60, I don't think Lou actually spent anything of high/long-term value, other than the cap space Zaitsev is occupying (and Kadri/Rielly, but that's much less contentious).

I think that'd be a more convincing hypothesis if Lamoriello's not very good performance wasn't a carry-over from his post-lockout Jersey tenure.

 

[herman]

Do you think Lou had any restrictions on what he could do with the Leafs' pool of assets, given that he was signed on as a seat warmer?

Other than several picks from 30-60, I don't think Lou actually spent anything of high/long-term value, other than the cap space Zaitsev is occupying (and Kadri/Rielly, but that's much less contentious).

I think that'd be a more convincing hypothesis if Lamoriello's not very good performance wasn't a carry-over from his post-lockout Jersey tenure.

He's definitely conservative in philosophy and action (unless there's a Kovalchuk or Schneider situation).

 

[Kin]

He's definitely conservative in philosophy and action (unless there's a Kovalchuk or Schneider situation).

And I was pretty sure that Kovalchuk was an ownership thing. At least the signing anyway.

 

[herman]

And I was pretty sure that Kovalchuk was an ownership thing. At least the signing anyway.

That rings a bell, now that you mention it.

 

[Kin]

That does not mean any were available for the Leafs.

It also doesn't mean that only the defensemen that did get moved were the only ones theoretically available. Those are just three examples of moves Chayka was able to make, showing that defensemen do get moved. The specifics of the situations there aren't really relevant.

Again, the point I was making is that Lamoriello's defenders are quick to point out the supposed advantages he has in making deals...but then when those deals don't materialize they're essentially arguing that his deal-making abilities are effectively nil. That he's no more likely to make a deal offering a certain package of players or prospects than you or I would be so long as the other team has other inclinations.

So it's not that GMing is easy, it's that only one of those two things can be true

 

[Bullfrog]

Nothing ground-breaking here but Brian Burke talked to MacLean about the Lou situation last night:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/brian-burke-weighs-maple-leafs-lamoriello-replacement/

I enjoy Burke much more on the camera than behind a GM's desk. Wonder if his plan is to make this more of a full-time gig (Cherry replacement maybe one day?)

I thought it was interesting that he wasn't shy to criticize Lou for not being a marketing guy and about his rules around players.

 

[herman]

Nothing ground-breaking here but Brian Burke talked to MacLean about the Lou situation last night:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/brian-burke-weighs-maple-leafs-lamoriello-replacement/

I enjoy Burke much more on the camera than behind a GM's desk. Wonder if his plan is to make this more of a full-time gig (Cherry replacement maybe one day?)

I thought it was interesting that he wasn't shy to criticize Lou for not being a marketing guy and about his rules around players.

I'm more surprised they didn't just take the tie out of there, instead of leaving it as a scarf.

 

[Frank E]

Maybe it would be interesting looking at who you think has done a great job of General Managing over the past 3 years, and why.

 

[herman]

Maybe it would be interesting looking at who you think has done a great job of General Managing over the past 3 years, and why.

I bet most people in the public sphere would name whichever team has the most wins.

 

[herman]

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2018/05/03/leafs-links-friedman-on-kyle-dubas-he-thinks-differently-but-hes-worked-really-hard-to-understand-the-way-the-business-already-was-and-how-to-marry-the-two/

Pull quotes from the 31 Thoughts podcast on the Leafs GM situation.

Friedman on whether Dubas won?t play it as ?safe? as Lamoriello:

I think Lamoriello was there at a time when they had to kind of play it safe because it was squirrelly before that. It wasn?t going in the right direction and he stabilized it. Look ? what do we know about Dubas? The draft he ran, he traded down twice and then got Dermott. He added more picks. That is something he really believed in. It was a different strategy at the time. He made the Kessel deal. He fought to include Murray and couldn?t get him. Dumoulin was the other guy he really fought for and couldn?t get him. But he believed in Kapanen. Now that kid looks like he?s going to be a real find. And that was a really complicated deal they went back and forth on. I think people portray Dubas? He thinks differently, but I think he?s worked really hard to understand the way the business already was and how to marry the two. He?s out scouting a lot, trying to learn things. He?ll have some different ideas. I also think he?s been painted as someone he might not truly be ? which is more radical than he really is.

 

[Bates]

I'm not picking up for Lou but simply posting in regards to the 3 players mentioned.  2 had clauses that let them decide roughly where they would go with one of those saying publicly he didn't want to go to Canada.  The other was a free agent signing that was in full control of where he went.  None are first pairing and their contracts make them kinda not worth giving up assets for.  The Coyotes are last yearly because of their players, not in spite of them. Lou failed in the defence dept but not in regards to these 3.

That does not mean any were available for the Leafs.

It also doesn't mean that only the defensemen that did get moved were the only ones theoretically available. Those are just three examples of moves Chayka was able to make, showing that defensemen do get moved. The specifics of the situations there aren't really relevant.

Again, the point I was making is that Lamoriello's defenders are quick to point out the supposed advantages he has in making deals...but then when those deals don't materialize they're essentially arguing that his deal-making abilities are effectively nil. That he's no more likely to make a deal offering a certain package of players or prospects than you or I would be so long as the other team has other inclinations.

So it's not that GMing is easy, it's that only one of those two things can be true

 

[CarltonTheBear]

2 had clauses that let them decide roughly where they would go with one of those saying publicly he didn't want to go to Canada.

I'd be curious to see when Demers (I'm assuming that's who you're talking about) publicly stated he didn't want to go to Canada.

Demers sorta confirmed that he nixed a trade to Vancouver, but I don't think he said anything about the entire country.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

2 had clauses that let them decide roughly where they would go with one of those saying publicly he didn't want to go to Canada.

I'd be curious to see when Demers (I'm assuming that's who you're talking about) publicly stated he didn't want to go to Canada.

Demers sorta confirmed that he nixed a trade to Vancouver, but I don't think he said anything about the entire country.

I could be wrong, but I'm almost certain it was mentioned that privately he didn't like the taxation in Canada.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I'm more surprised they didn't just take the tie out of there, instead of leaving it as a scarf.

That's kinda his thing. He wants everyone to know that he CAN put a tie on, he's just choosing not to.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I'd be curious to see when Demers (I'm assuming that's who you're talking about) publicly stated he didn't want to go to Canada.

Demers sorta confirmed that he nixed a trade to Vancouver, but I don't think he said anything about the entire country.

I could be wrong, but I'm almost certain it was mentioned that privately he didn't like the taxation in Canada.

Eh. I don't think anybody really "reported" that, it was just something that started getting floated on social media. I mean it's certainly possible that that's true, who knows, but it's not the same as publicly stating it (I know you're not the one who said that).

 

[herman]

It?s on like Donkey Kong

https://twitter.com/theathleticto/status/992111865105969152?s=21

Lots of recent media push dispelling the notion that Dubas is an analytics nerd. In addition, Bourne offers some insight into the types of players Dubas looks for.

Dubas has dealt a ton with the Marlies and deserves credit for a lot of the players who?ve graduated and made an impact with the big club. But were he in charge of the Leafs the past few years, the team would likely not look the same.

I know he was a fan of a guy like Nate Schmidt, I know he was a fan of forwards like Yanni Gourde, I know he was a fan a half dozen other unheralded players who had successful NHL seasons this year. I suspect he?ll find the Leafs a couple more incomparable

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I was just thinking about that media push too herman.

Looking at it now, it seems they wanted to take time to craft a new public image for Dubas in the hopes it goes a long way towards convincing more casual fans that he is more than just some nerd with a calculator and pocket protector.