BY FAN FUEL – HOCKEY CENTRAL ASK THE INSIDERS
In this week’s edition of Hockey Central Ask the Insiders, several fan questions are answered including what kind of GM will Craig MacTavish be and how much pressure is on the Canadiens to lock up P.K. Subban?
Brian asks: What can we expect in terms of vision/planning from Craig MacTavish as a general manager? Are you surprised the Oilers didn’t wait until the end of the season?
Nick Kypreos: Really surprised the Oiler didn’t wait. I supposed they didn’t want the young kids to think it’s ok to drift into the season sunset without making anyone accountable for such a disappointing ending. MacT, who I had the pleasure of sitting beside in our Rangers days, is a good hockey man who understands chemistry. While star players are the driving force in any championship, look for Craig to find role players who can support the likes of Gagner, Hall and Eberle. Third and fourth line foot soldiers with character solidify Stanley Cups. MacTavish’s search is now on.
Doug MacLean: This is an interesting situation because Kevin and Craig have been heavily involved in the management of the Oilers. In fact they were Steve’s bosses. They will get a different personality in Craig and I expect he and Kevin will attempt to make some bold moves. They have no choice now that they have fired Steve. They have to add the right type of players to this core group of young players. Their vet group have not been good enough. The challenge is how to get the right vets to go there or make the big trade. Craig was always going to be the guy so I am not surprized they didn’t wait.
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Mike Keenan: Brian, Craig MacTavish is a well-educated seasoned hockey man. He has the winning pedigree and the experience to do the GM job for the Edmonton Oilers. His relationship with Kevin Lowe is very strong and respectful in a reciprocal fashion. They share the same vision for winning. Craig will have a pro-active approach to improve the Oilers immediately.
Neil Smith: Brian, it’s hard to say what management style Craig will have as a GM. We know him as a player, team captain, assistant coach, head coach and VP of Hockey Operations, but we have never seen him operate as the man in control. Therefore my speculation would be that MacT will continue to grow the organization with its young players but with his right foot pushing down a little bit harder on the accelerator. He was quoted as saying “I’m an impatient guy…” so I would suspect he will make some moves he feels will expedite the process that was started by his close friend Kevin Lowe.
Brian Lawton: First off, yes I am surprised the Edmonton Oilers didn’t wait until the end of the season to relieve Steve Tambellini of his duties. However, I am more surprised the club short circuited the job search process. The timing seems odd to me at best. I don’t really understand what was so pressing at this particular point in time with just two weeks left in the season that Steve had to be let go just then. Sure I get it that they lost what was a must-win game to a weak Calgary Flames roster on national television, but please you can’t be that knee jerk if you want to be a highly thought of organization in this league.
The Edmonton Oilers as a private company certainly have the right to do as they please. However, the lack of process with a true job search would concern me as a fan, staff member, player and certainly owner. It feels sloppy and lazy. Finding the right people is hard work and there really are no shortcuts. The premise that people have to just hire from within is a noble concept but often short sighted that doesn’t end well typically for the business.
With all that said don’t let any of it reflect poorly on Mac T as he is a very good choice in my opinion. Hard working, intelligent and a good all-around guy. I doubt though that after taking those management classes he referenced in his initial press conference that if it had been him running the search he would have bypassed the process. Time will tell because what you do as a general manager is very public and certainly sure to be second guessed.
I believe Mac T will utilize those skills he possesses like hard work and intelligence to inject a new level of process for the club in how they evaluate, draft, develop, trade and sign free agents. I believe that the organizations next steps forward will be born out of this fresh process.
Mac T has stated that he is impatient but I doubt he will act irrationally in his tenure as general manager. I expect him to be methodical in his efforts. That doesn’t mean slow it means thorough in the decision making process.
In my opinion Craig has correctly identified the short comings of the club and will be on a mission to shore up his D and to get bigger, grittier up front. Now as he pointed out in his press conference, talk is cheap and it will be action and execution that determines how he does as a GM. I personally wish him good luck as he is one of the true good guys in this tough business.
Casey asks: Do you think the Leafs will buyout Mikhail Grabovski and then sign Tyler Bozak to a similar deal? I can’t see them wanting to pay Bozak more than Grabovski who appears to be overpaid.
Scott Morrison: If the Leafs don’t think Grabovski can bounce back I think they would first try to trade him, though they most likely would have to retain some of the salary to make it happen. I think they would explore that option before they went the buyout route.
Chris Johnston: I would be very surprised to see the Leafs use one of their amnesty buyouts on Grabovski. You are correct in identifying him as a player that hasn’t performed up to his contract this season, but I don’t think it’s reached a point where the team wants to give up on him just yet. If anything, Grabovski could be a possible trade target, although I’d say it’s more than likely he’ll be back in Toronto next season. Bozak, on the other hand, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and his future with the team is much less certain.
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Derek asks: Given how well P.K. Subban has played this season, how much pressure (if any) is on the Canadiens to lock him up?
Nick Kypreos: Depends how aggressive PK wants to get. It’s standard practice for any home team to ask for a team discount. GM Marc Bergevin will be no different. But the window for Bergevin to get a discount opened and closed this past season. He could have locked him up for $5 million-plus on six or seven years. But because he wasn’t sold on PK he waited and unfortunately that wait period will cost him large. PK is now a Norris trophy candidate and that pushes his price tag at $8 million-plus to buy unrestricted years. I know my good pal Doug MacLean says its ok for any GM to pay out big bucks when a guy proves himself but if you ask me any amateur GM can pay standard market prices. GM’s who can see forward and lock up great players at under market prices are the ones that are valued best by their owners.
Doug MacLean: General managers don’t mind paying the price if a player has proven himself. What they don’t like is paying on potential and that was the problem they had with the last negotiation. PK had been good but not at the price point he wanted. They also wanted to see PK improve in other team related issues. It appears that he has passed with flying colours as I know they are very happy with him. They can start to negotiate July 5 or they can wait until he becomes a group two free agent the following July 1. I suspect the next round of negotiations will be easier based on his play and they have a better feel for the player.
Jeff Marek: Well, he’s still technically a restricted free agent at the end of his current deal so there’s not the same pressure as if he were unrestricted. However I do feel the Habs understand they have to get this deal done as soon as possible (they can start negotiating a long term deal with PK on July 5th). It’s an unfortunate one in some ways for Montreal too. They could have had Subban for $5 million x five years but instead chose to bridge him out of his entry level deal to a more team-friendly second contract and they got it. Problem is, now that Subban has demonstrated he is among the elite blueliners in the game, the $4 million price tag is very much a thing of the past. He’s easily a $7 million defenceman and I assume that’s where negotiations will start. We may look back at how Montreal played hardball with Subban in negotiations this season and say GM Marc Bergevin was penny wise but pound foolish.
Kyle asks: What’s the latest on the NHL going to the 2014 Sochi Olympics? have they closed the distance at all or are the sides still far apart?
Scott Morrison: There is certainly nothing imminent on the Olympic front and we are told that as of today there no in-person meetings scheduled and there is no timetable. The cost of travel and the cost of insurance and who pays the bulk of that expense continues to be a major issue.
John Shannon: Kyle, I fully expect the NHL and NHLPA to participate in the Sochi Olympics. But it is far from done. There are a ton of issues still to be negotiated between the NHL and the PA, with the IOC and the IIHF. While insurance costs for the Vancouver Olympics totalled about $6 million, it is expected to be double that total in Russia. In 2010, that insurance was paid for by the IOC and the IIHF. As was the travel costs for all the professionals to come to Vancouver, a total of around $2 million. This time around, every NHL player (no matter the country) will be on a charter from one of five cities, New York, Toronto, Dallas, Chicago or Los Angeles, with each charter in the $1.5 million range. You can do the math Kyle, it’s a lot more money.
And by the way, add the logistic issues of hotel rooms, broadcast/media and VIP access and NHL shield branding with the Olympic rings (which is worth millions), this thing is far from done.
Chris Johnston: The interested parties (NHL/NHLPA/IOC/IIHF) are down to working out the final details on this issue. While nothing has been hammered out just yet, no one seems to believe that the deal is in danger of falling apart. I’m fairly confident in declaring that the NHL players will be in Sochi in February. However, a far more interesting question surrounds the Pyeongchang Games in 2018 — would the NHL consider sending its players to South Korea or are we about to witness the last Olympic hockey tournament with the best players in the world?
Patrick asks: How short a leash does Darcy Regier have in Buffalo to fix the Sabres?
John Shannon: Patrick, I’m not sure Darcy is on any leash at all. He works for an owner that loves the Sabres, at any cost. He was able to turn Jason Pominville into at least four parts (two prospects and two picks). He has hired a coach in Ron Rolston, who has the team playing relaxed and above .500, and finally and believe it or not has some quality pieces to the puzzle. There are a ton of managers who would love to have Meyers, Ott, Grigorenko, Hodgson, Foligno and Ehrhoff on their teams. Re-signing Thomas Vanek, and re-invigorating Ryan Miller are Darcy’s biggest issues, and I expect Terry Pegula will allow Regier to do both.
Jeff Marek: If you’ve heard Buffalo owner Terry Pegula speak about his team lately you have to wonder if Regier has much of a leash at all. From the top on down this is a franchise that is not only disappointed in how this season turned out but also embarrassed. When Pegula bought the team, his stated singular goal was to restore pride to the Sabres franchise and build around winning a Stanley Cup (where the previous owner, Tom Golisano seemed singularly focused on qualifying for revenue sharing). I’m not sure exactly how much rope Regier has at all and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him dismissed at the end of the season when other candidates for the position become available. The name I keep hearing is Rick Dudley, who’s currently an assistant GM with the Montreal Canadiens, and is of course a former Sabre which Pegula would like more of in his front office.
Mike Keenan: Patrick, I believe Darcy Reiger has been given ample opportunity to fix the Sabres over a long period of time. I am sure the ownership will set very immediate expectations to have a playoff team next season.
Neil Smith: Patrick, only Mr. Pegula can answer your question factually. However I would suspect that Darcy will have a difficult time convincing his owner that he should be given another chance to rebuild the organization after the season ends. Having said that, I am not knowledgeable of the relationship between Terry Pegula and Darcy Regier. They very well might be very close and have a good working relationship while sharing a common vision for the Sabres. As I said above, only Mr. Pegula knows for sure.
Brian Lawton: I would say that the fate of Darcy Regier has already been decided. There really is nothing he can do at this stage to lose his job or save his job. The fact that the owner stuck with him through the trade deadline is obviously a strong statement about the future. At the same time, having run a club I am continually surprised by how many owners go through this critical period only to remove the general manager after the season is complete. It seems illogical and yet it happens all the time.
Regardless of what happens with Darcy you can’t say enough about the longevity he has had with the Sabres. He has survived every conceivable pitfall you can imagine a general manager having to deal with for over 16 years. This in itself is truly remarkable in today’s pro sports environment. For me it is hats off to Darcy for being able to keep it together in Buffalo but if this is the end of his tenure then that decision has already been made. A five game winning or losing streak to end the season isn’t going to change it one way or another.