It'd be one thing if it was simply JR coming out with his typical BS about signing a winger for Staal. He's done it in the past to no effect.
When Bob and the TSN crew come out and say they expect Carolina to be players for those two players, that's something different all together. That's what I'm basing my hope on.
Agreed, Dreger is prolly number 2 on my list of credible hockey sources after Bob. And whether or not it's Parise and Suter, I legitamatley believe that we're one or two pieces away from contending.
Agreed, Dreger is prolly number 2 on my list of credible hockey sources after Bob. And whether or not it's Parise and Suter, I legitamatley believe that we're one or two pieces away from contending.
FWIW, I'm hopeful too. Wouldn't keep doing this to myself if I wasn't.
The chances that we would spend the money to get either of the two would be surprising, as would either one actually signing here. In our favor would be our ability to overpay with cap space.
I'd also throw in here that jr once traded Pronger for shanny, three first rounders for Wesley, and signed fedorov to a ridiculous offer sheet. What does this mean? When he's ready to swing big he has no problem doing so. It would appear that this summer would be one of those times, the question is will any of the situations play out? Im scared of how much jr will overpay to get the things he wants. Either in picks, prospects or cash. He's always paid premiums to get what he wants.
My greatest fear with all this "Kirk Muller is a stud" stuff is that JR will use it as an excuse not to do what he has to do this summer. He may have even convinced himself that he doesn't suck and the problem the past three seasons was all coaching.
Well, JR, if you're reading this, you've done a horrible job the past three seasons and you need to fix it. Muller is great, but he'll be even better without having to play two fourth lines every night. Get him some talent, please.
this is my fear too. jr has always been too much of a "so youre saying there's a chance...." kinda guy. if anything goes right he feels he is justified in keeping it as is. i think if he doesnt get any of the big names, which he probably wont, he could put the same team out and say he thinks muller was all we needed. maybe give muller his fourth line.
My greatest fear with all this "Kirk Muller is a stud" stuff is that JR will use it as an excuse not to do what he has to do this summer. He may have even convinced himself that he doesn't suck and the problem the past three seasons was all coaching.
Well, JR, if you're reading this, you've done a horrible job the past three seasons and you need to fix it. Muller is great, but he'll be even better without having to play two fourth lines every night. Get him some talent, please.
this is my fear too. jr has always been too much of a "so youre saying there's a chance...." kinda guy. if anything goes right he feels he is justified in keeping it as is. i think if he doesnt get any of the big names, which he probably wont, he could put the same team out and say he thinks muller was all we needed. maybe give muller his fourth line.
This is what is going to happen... There is no question in my mind
My greatest fear with all this "Kirk Muller is a stud" stuff is that JR will use it as an excuse not to do what he has to do this summer. He may have even convinced himself that he doesn't suck and the problem the past three seasons was all coaching.
Well, JR, if you're reading this, you've done a horrible job the past three seasons and you need to fix it. Muller is great, but he'll be even better without having to play two fourth lines every night. Get him some talent, please.
Same here. This team still has glaring holes. Muller's done great, but unless the team makes changes, they will be a bubble team (at best) yet again.
I don't think JR can get Parise or Suter, but I do believe he's going to make a legit effort.
If he somehow got Suter, Pitkanen(and maybe McBain) would be out in a trade for top 6 help. That's probably the best situation, but extraordinarily unlikely.
Unlike previous coaches at the time of the hire, Muller has alot of opportunities should he chose to look around. He doesnt strike me as a guy who is going to commit when he doesnt feel the organization is committed to winning. If JR and PK are going to roll with business as usual, i think Kirk will be gone at the end of the deal if not sooner.
Unlike previous coaches at the time of the hire, Muller has alot of opportunities should he chose to look around.
He may now after showing what he's got in the AHL and NHL for a season, but coming into the season he had just interviewed with three teams and been turned down by all of them.
I don't think there's a whole lot of precedent for coaches stepping down.
I also think Muller's got more of a say in personnel than previous coaches. Muller takes over, and a few days later, Kaberle is traded? Boychuk goes from a regular callup to the last resort?
Obviously, JR makes the final decisions, but I can't see him doing the same thing he did last offseason. It clearly didn't work out, he realizes it didn't work out (trading Ponikarovsky, seeing how well Cole has played), if he does the same thing again this offseason, he needs to get the boot.
I think Cole and Whitney's success elsewhere will facilitate a strong push for a top-flight winger or a top defenseman. We may not get Parise or Suter, but if we're in the conversation to the very end (similar to LA in the Richards sweepstakes), then at least I know JR made an actual effort to improve the team.
I think one of the biggest differences between Mo and Muller aside from Muller being a much better coach is that while they are both player's coaches, Mo seemed to afraid to make the star players work.
He may now after showing what he's got in the AHL and NHL for a season, but coming into the season he had just interviewed with three teams and been turned down by all of them.
I don't think there's a whole lot of precedent for coaches stepping down.
The three teams who turned him down:
Dallas - they hired their AHL coach
NJ - Hired Deboer, who almost everyone thought got a raw deal on a terrible roster in FLA.
Minny - they hired their AHL coach who happened to be with Fletcher in Pitt
The cards were certainly stacked against him in these situations unless he totally blew the guys away in a board room interview. That said, he's shown enough here to partially substantiate what people thought he might be, a quality x/o guy and a true leader of men.
I agree there isnt much of a precedence for guys stepping down but do you really think JR will go with Muller in final year of his deal if Muller doesnt sign an extension? I dont think Muller will be like Mo and just let JR do whatever "you sign em, ill coach em".
I also think Muller's got more of a say in personnel than previous coaches. Muller takes over, and a few days later, Kaberle is traded? Boychuk goes from a regular callup to the last resort?
Unfortunately, I think Maurice also had a lot of say in the matter with all the ex-Leafs coming onboard (Brent, Tlusty, Kaberle, Ponikarovsky).
I'd gladly take over half of those Leafs signings if Maurice had a call in them. Brent is a damn solid #4C who can actually play on the PP and PK. Tlusty is becoming a good top 9 forward and a borderline top 6er with how his offense has developed this season. And Harrison has been one of the best bang for the buck dmen in the league the past couple seasons.
Sadly the Kaberle signing is enough negative to get rid of some of that positive.
Unfortunately, I think Maurice also had a lot of say in the matter with all the ex-Leafs coming onboard (Brent, Tlusty, Kaberle, Ponikarovsky).
Which hasn't been a total disaster. Tlusty and Brent have been two of the few bright spots this season. And Harrison has actually looked like an NHL defeseman. Poni wasn't scoring hat tricks every game, but he wasn't a total waste of a roster slot either, and he got us a better return in trade than Joe Corvo did! Kaberle was an obvious disaster, but 3 outta 5 ain't bad.
I'd gladly take over half of those Leafs signings if Maurice had a call in them. Brent is a damn solid #4C who can actually play on the PP and PK. Tlusty is becoming a good top 9 forward and a borderline top 6er with how his offense has developed this season. And Harrison has been one of the best bang for the buck dmen in the league the past couple seasons.
Sadly the Kaberle signing is enough negative to get rid of some of that positive.
Yeah, "Unfortunately" was probably a bad choice of words that was swayed by the Kaberle signing. The point I was trying to make was that I think Maurice had some say in the personnel as well so I don't think that will be unique to Muller. How much of a say Muller has vs. Maurce? who knows.
Yeah, "Unfortunately" was probably a bad choice of words that was swayed by the Kaberle signing. The point I was trying to make was that I think Maurice had some say in the personnel as well so I don't think that will be unique to Muller. How much of a say Muller has vs. Maurce? who knows.
Totally understandable. I mean that Kaberle signing was ****ing BRUTAL. I'm still kindof miffed that JR was supposedly asking a 2nd for Spacek though, even though the very fact that we don't have to deal with the Kaberle contract for 2 more years made that trade a win for us the second it was made.
In terms of input I'm sure that any competent GM has conversations with his coach during and after the season to ask "what kind of player do you need me to go out and get to make your system run better", and they try to get it. And IIRC Maurice mentioned that he has the input in who gets called up from Charlotte during the STH party, so I would imagine it's the same with Muller.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntonfortheHart
Which hasn't been a total disaster. Tlusty and Brent have been two of the few bright spots this season. And Harrison has actually looked like an NHL defeseman. Poni wasn't scoring hat tricks every game, but he wasn't a total waste of a roster slot either, and he got us a better return in trade than Joe Corvo did! Kaberle was an obvious disaster, but 3 outta 5 ain't bad.
Also, Dave types faster than I do
85WPM
Seriously, who the hell would guess that of all possible skills I could get from being a music major, it would be THAT which actually got me a decent job.
That having been said, my feelings toward our new coach can best be explained by this image of legendary Canadian singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen:
