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[Fired] Kekalainen out as GM in Columbus


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21 minutes ago, wai_lai416 said:

lol he doesn’t contribute anything to the special team.. he’s the 17th ranked skater on the team in average penalty kill minutes.. dunno why there’s a myth he’s a good pker when he hardly even pk and contributed 0 points on the powerplay.. if he keep up his current pace the last 1.5 months he’s not even going to match his career high with like 20 more games played. Mikheyev is great skating and defensively that’s all good if he’s a 3rd liner. He’s playing on supposively the scoring line.. he’s not doing any scoring.

 

They weren't playing him on the PK at all early in the season because he was COMING OFF KNEE SURGERY. He's one of our top PK'ers now that he's getting healthier.

 

Our PP2 doesn't get a lot of ice time or points in general FYI. And still on a ~.5PPG pace despite that, coming off the knee surgery, a "down" season, playing with Suter and the ghost of Kuz for large stretches.

 

Happily, our management isn't as clueless, short sighted or myopic as our fan base, and he won't be going anywhere.

 

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4 hours ago, Bob Long said:

 

Jarmo has been terrible. I'm amazed he lasted this long.

 

Eleven years, almost to the day, and a dismal record to show for it. Columbus has missed the playoffs five (soon to be six) years, lost in the first round four times and in the second round once. They made the playoffs four consecutive years under Tortorella, but mostly it's been a clown show. Johnny Hockey put up 115 points in his last year in Calgary, then a 41 point drop last year to 74 points, and this year is on pace for 55-58 points. 

 

Kekalainen drafted quite well, selecting Alexander Wennberg, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Elvis Merzlikins, Vladisalv Gavrikov, Keegan Kolesar, Markus Nutivaara, Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Peeke, Emil Bemstrom, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov, Yegor Chinakov, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk and Adam Fantilli. Building a team has proven too big a challenge for Jarmo.

 

I'd really like to see Mike Gillis get a shot. He certainly couldn't be worse.

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1 minute ago, Curmudgeon said:

I'd really like to see Mike Gillis get a shot. He certainly couldn't be worse.

You don't think one of the worst GMs in the history of the sport who proved himself to be completely unqualified for any position in hockey ops couldn't be worse?   I'd love to see what kind of damage that idiot would do to a team stupid enough to hire him.

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7 minutes ago, King Heffy said:

You don't think one of the worst GMs in the history of the sport who proved himself to be completely unqualified for any position in hockey ops couldn't be worse?   I'd love to see what kind of damage that idiot would do to a team stupid enough to hire him.

 

Well, that didn't take long. You know, Heff, when you hate someone you certainly go all in. While I am sure many agree with your withering assessment of Gillis, there are others who appreciate the innovations that he made and the success his teams had. But you don't like Gillis, or Benning or Rutherford. Do you think you might have problems with people in positions of authority?

Edited by Curmudgeon
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Just now, Curmudgeon said:

 

Well, that didn't take long. You know, Heff, when you hate someone you certainly go all in. While I am sure many agree with your withering assessment of Gillis, there are others who appreciate the innovations that he made and the success his teams had. But you don't like Gillis, or Benning or Rutherford. Do you think you night have problems with people in positions of authority?

I didn't mind Benning overall and think the team made significant improvements to scouting during his tenure.  I also had no problem with Quinn, Burke, and Nonis.  Have you considered the fact that I have a problem with the way Gillis destroyed the team with his gross incompetence, and e character issues displayed by Rutherford?

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17 minutes ago, King Heffy said:

Have you considered the fact that I have a problem with the way Gillis destroyed the team with his gross incompetence, and e character issues displayed by Rutherford?

 

I just don't agree that Gillis destroyed the team and I have no idea what you think Rutherford's awful character issues are. You are certainly entitled to your own opinions, just as I am entitled to mine. And let's just leave it there.

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39 minutes ago, Curmudgeon said:

 

Eleven years, almost to the day, and a dismal record to show for it. Columbus has missed the playoffs five (soon to be six) years, lost in the first round four times and in the second round once. They made the playoffs four consecutive years under Tortorella, but mostly it's been a clown show. Johnny Hockey put up 115 points in his last year in Calgary, then a 41 point drop last year to 74 points, and this year is on pace for 55-58 points. 

 

Kekalainen drafted quite well, selecting Alexander Wennberg, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Elvis Merzlikins, Vladisalv Gavrikov, Keegan Kolesar, Markus Nutivaara, Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Peeke, Emil Bemstrom, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov, Yegor Chinakov, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk and Adam Fantilli. Building a team has proven too big a challenge for Jarmo.

 

I'd really like to see Mike Gillis get a shot. He certainly couldn't be worse.

 

He did get a shot after 2011 though. He was good at taking over someone else's core, but not when he had to create his own. Under Gillis' watch, he couldn't draft or develop worth a damn, which ultimately bled the prospect pool dry. Fact is: he's not a good rebuilding GM, that's FOR SURE. If he emphasized on drafting and developing, he might have a shot, but he's been out of the game for a long time. I think Gillis ain't coming back.

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10 minutes ago, Curmudgeon said:

 

I just don't agree that Gillis destroyed the team and I have no idea what you think Rutherford's awful character issues are. You are certainly entitled to your own opinions, just as I am entitled to mine. And let's just leave it there.

 

Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if their opinions can't be challenged, what's the point of having an opinion? Gillis was both a good GM and a bad one. The failure to draft part is INCREDIBLY difficult to overlook. People can make all the excuses they want about him icing playoff teams which hindered his drafting success, yet he couldn't draft in the 2nd round (if he didn't trade those picks), nor did he succeed in the later rounds at all (exception: Hutton).

 

I don't understand the re-writing of the history of Gillis. Is he not allowed to be both a good GM and a bad one at the same time? I am grateful for the playoff runs which he surely had a key hand in. But the managing of the futures under his watch was atrocious. Four prospects of significance to the NHL were picked that come to mind: two were high first round draft picks (Horvat/Hodgson); one in the 3rd round who never played (Connauton who was traded away); and one was in the middle round (Hutton).

 

Gillis couldn't draft a Demko or a Hoglander (2nd round picks) to save his life throughout the five years he had been here. The amount of excuses for his failures is ridiculous.

 

You can be a good playoff team and be a decent drafter. By the time Gillis' reign came to an end, he had left behind: A declining Kesler (BURKE/NONIS! period); older Edler (also from the previous regime); and declining Twins (also from the previous regime). If Gillis drafted better, we'd have a better shot at doing a retool. Instead, we had nothing in the barns. That's on Gillis. I wouldn't want Gillis back on a rebuilding team. Maybe a team on the cusp of going to the playoffs. Maybe. But his drafting would have to be closely watched.

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11 minutes ago, PureQuickness said:

I don't understand the re-writing of the history of Gillis.

 

Who is rewriting the history? Not me. I said I'd like to see him get another shot at being an NHL GM and that (Opinion Alert) I don't believe he destroyed the Canucks. Which history have I rewritten?

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1 hour ago, aGENT said:

 

They weren't playing him on the PK at all early in the season because he was COMING OFF KNEE SURGERY. He's one of our top PK'ers now that he's getting healthier.

 

Our PP2 doesn't get a lot of ice time or points in general FYI. And still on a ~.5PPG pace despite that, coming off the knee surgery, a "down" season, playing with Suter and the ghost of Kuz for large stretches.

 

Happily, our management isn't as clueless, short sighted or myopic as our fan base, and he won't be going anywhere.

 

Oof... if we followed your advice from a year ago, wonder where we'd be now... as I recall you were a huge proponent of trading Miller, even AFTER Horvat was traded.  Chasing those magic beans gets you nowhere.

 

A group that included Kuz, Mik, Chytil, Beau, and OEL was what you envisioned??  Talk about WAY off the mark and clueless lmao.

 

I'm pretty sure we'll get to look back on this post where you were completely wrong about the Mikheyev vs Garland debate too 😂  Why don't you tell us the next steps oh wise one....

 

 

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1 hour ago, Curmudgeon said:

 

Eleven years, almost to the day, and a dismal record to show for it. Columbus has missed the playoffs five (soon to be six) years, lost in the first round four times and in the second round once. They made the playoffs four consecutive years under Tortorella, but mostly it's been a clown show. Johnny Hockey put up 115 points in his last year in Calgary, then a 41 point drop last year to 74 points, and this year is on pace for 55-58 points. 

 

Kekalainen drafted quite well, selecting Alexander Wennberg, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Elvis Merzlikins, Vladisalv Gavrikov, Keegan Kolesar, Markus Nutivaara, Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Peeke, Emil Bemstrom, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov, Yegor Chinakov, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk and Adam Fantilli. Building a team has proven too big a challenge for Jarmo.

 

I'd really like to see Mike Gillis get a shot. He certainly couldn't be worse.

 

Mike would be an interesting choice for sure. 

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OK...how was this for a freaky prediction I made in another thread (I was only half-joking...who knew Davidson reads our posts):

 

"This is kinda what I was thinking is going on as well. They paid quite a bit for Lindholm for 1/2 a season of hockey. I think they already know Petey will be dealt in the off-season so it makes it more comfortable to re-sign Lindholm for around 7mil rather than Petey for 11-12mil. Petey will return ALOT...more than Tkachuk in my opinion. I'm thinking Top6 forward, prospect and a decent 1st pick (front half of the draft). So, who will have that to offer?

 

WEST

Chicago: Only forward I'd want is Bedard. Only prospect would be Dach. So this would be a no-starter for them/me. They ain't giving up Bedard and they ain't giving up their first.

 

San Jose: Eklund would be the T6F, Bystedt the prospect and their first. This one is doable by us...not sure if SJS would part with their first...maybe after the lottery and they're sitting 3/4/5/6 OA they might consider it, but probably not a top 2.

 

Ducks: TZ is the forward, I'd be OK with either Luneau or Zellweger...and their first. That would do.

 

Yotes: Keller, obviously, Geekie or Lamoureux...and we may as well take their first, they'd just waste in on a player that they'll never be able to develop anyways.

 

EAST

CBJ: Johnson, Jiricek and probably a next year 1st (once they are FINNISH-ed with their GM, the temp guy probably won't be allowed to trade this year's first...no probs, get next year's "unprotected" first).

 

Sens: Batherson, Thomson, Formenton (just kidding...too soon?)...and their 1st this year AND a 2nd next year (their player package is nowhere near as strong as the other teams mentioned...so I want the extra pick).

 

Sabres: This is an outside shot, but I'd want Cozens AND Benson, and their 2nd this year. Way outside chance on this one but if they gave us Benson, I'd let them keep their first this year just to be sporting and all.

 

And lastly and probably most likely...the PENS: Guentzel (duh), Pickering and I want their 2nd this year since we'll have to do all the legwork to get Jake re-signed.

 

That's my take on it...back to you Howard."

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8 hours ago, Curmudgeon said:

 

Who is rewriting the history? Not me. I said I'd like to see him get another shot at being an NHL GM and that (Opinion Alert) I don't believe he destroyed the Canucks. Which history have I rewritten?

 

I do believe he did with the lack of drafting/development.

 

When we actually break down the things he did/left behind:

 

Tanev

Markstrom

AHL affiliates

 

What else?

 

No replacement for Kesler

No replacement for Twins (or even ANY top six forward for that matter).

No replacement for Edler

 

No depth forwards

No depth defenseman

No exciting prospects (I really liked Shinkaruk who was a Gillis pick, but injuries did him in. Coulda been a Boeser)

 

When you have a GM that spends more than he is taking in, he destroyed the farm. I can appreciate all the things he did to help the Canucks with the run, but when it came down to starting from scratch, he screwed the pooch.

 

This was caused by years of trading away 1st or 2nd round picks, but absolutely missing on mid to late round picks. When your best depth defenseman is Hutton in all your five years of GMing, that is terrible.

 

 

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14 hours ago, Fanuck said:

He was there for 11 years.  For better or worse he built that team so there's really no one else to blame for that.  No one in the NHL is going to be looking at him as a sought after commodity is my guess. 

 

Also his failure to retain his star players is something of note too. You need a GM that can keep its best players at team friendly deals 

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