DOH 302 – Whimper
April 12th, 2015, 5:42 pm
(Fixed) The Sharks end the season with a whimper, losing the last home game and the last game of the season, dropping to the third worst record in the Western Conference. Mike and Doug talk about what could happen next, and dissect Drew Remenda’s comments on the radio shows this past week. But this is still a great time of year for hockey, and the Dudes make their first-round predictions.
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Tags: San Jose Sharks
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Goddamnit if Todd Mclellan is fired and then wins a cup with his next team, I will lose it
Dudes,
what a podcast. Seriously good stuff.
Doug, I think you nailed it on two points yesterday. One, I think if Tmac returns they absolutely need to extend him. I did not think of that, but you’re 100% right IMO. If they just allowed him to return he’d be even more of a “lame duck” coach. Great call.
Secondly, I am starting to agree with you Doug that Tmac may just simply quit. Remember there was rumors last week from Toronto that Tmac had an out in his contract if DW was fired, which was rebuffed by K. Kurz. But most rumors have some truth to them. He very could well have an out no matter what on the last year of his contract.
And given this report: http://www.chatsports.com/san-jose-sharks/a/Sharks-Wilson-to-address-McLellans-status-on-Wednesday-0-11333926 … something is up.
I remember that about 75-80% into this season Tmac looked completely exasperated. He looked and sounded like a coach that had nothing left in the tank emotionally and was just simply out of ideas. IF HE LEAVES, and isn’t fired… Could there be anything more damning to the players and the dressing room that your own coach full on quitting?
The longer this goes on I am more and more convinced this is a dressing room problem. If Tmac flat-out quits, I think there would be little to debate at that point.
——
Another point, While I wont get into it fully here… I still think DW is the best guy to be our GM. I’ll just say this, while I won’t argue that DW has made mistakes, every Gm has. I will say that his GREATEST asset as GM is his drafting and his trading abilities. That in mind, DW is exactly the guy I want in charge of a NHL rebuild.
Hertl, Neito, Goldobin, Jevpalovs, Chartier, Karlsson… look at all the great draft picks and FA pickups DW has done. I understand the frustration with acquisitions like Brown and Scott (even though I think overblown)… But I think his aptitude acquiring youth more than makes up for his faults.
If DW is fired, I’d bet money that any team actually going through a full rebuild would love to have him.
Just my 2 cents.
I’m not sure I agree with you on the DW thing here, but I have to say, this perspective is refreshing. I’m frankly tired of all the sudden and virulent DW hate. I understand people want to blame somebody, and maybe DW is the best target currently. But he didn’t turn into a drooling moron in June of 2014.
I agree with you, Tom, that DW would be great for a full rebuild. I don’t think that is what we are getting, unfortunately.
With TMac, how is he not considered a playoff bust? He has had better teams than Sutter or Wilson yet has profoundly underachieved. Prior to TMac, you could argue the team underachieved. Now? Blowing a 3-0 lead? Loss against the Ducks in 1st round after having the best record? Complete implosions.
I should say, I don’t think he is the goat here, but this team, with a similar core, was far less disappointing prior to his hire. I do not doubt he works very hard and is a good coach, but I disagree he is the great tactician he is made out to be (at least not yet), and the EPIX series only confirmed that for me.
Smart comments here. My two cents: trading Thornton solves a lot. First, it ends the DW – Thornton feud which is really just a one-way street. Second, it sends a message to the players that no one is above the team, and that coaches and management are in charge. We have heard that Thornton is one of those players not listening to TMac. He has said publicly he’s not willing to change the way he plays, even something as simple as shooting more frequently. Third, it settles the captaincy issue. Pavs becomes the captain, and the old one isn’t lingering around. No 65-point player is worth all that, even a future HOF.
I am guessing that McLellan and the Sharks will “mutually part ways” tomorrow, probably through a deal that keeps McLellan’s contract off the Sharks books. My vote is go nuclear: new GM / coach on the same page and push Joe out the door (agree with Taylor’s post.) Mike is right that the GM hate is a little over the top on DW, but I can’t say I have liked any of his moves going back to the McGinn deal. Especially the 3-year NTC deals to Joe / Patty before the season is over.
I could get behind the nuclear option… IF… Platter gave the OK for a full rebuild AND the green light to get rid of #19 and #12.
Full Scorched earth policy could be what the doctor ordered.
I’m not sure what you mean. Plattner can give the green light to get rid of Marleau and Thornton all he wants, but until and unless they agree to it (highly unlikely IMHO), they’re here to stay. Or are you just talking about after their contracts are up?
Understand I’m talking about a hypothetical here… That said, I am talking about doing everything from asking them to waive their NTC’s to “playing hardball with them”, to buying them out, to sending #19 to the AHL (As crazy as that idea is)
There are options, none are good.
But remember too DW has said publically that he HAS NOT not and more importantly, WILL NOT ask them to waive. Even though #12 said that we would reconsider staying in SJ if he wasn’t wanted.
My hypothetical, that we all know isn’t happening BC frankly DW isn’t going anywhere, is that a new GM and coach might change the situation enough where making a good faith attempt to trade those players might be much more possible.
You called it on TMac.
I dont know if its all true but Elliot Friedman’s 30 thoughts column said DW is suggesting he become presideny of hockey operations and a new GM…
Doesn’t make sense to me. Who would want to be “GM” when they’re not actually GM? Does that position just become the guy who travels with the team instead Doug Wilson?
I agree with you on that thought James. My only thought is DW wants to promote either Joe Will or Wayne Thomas to gm… Basically no real change in team philosiphy because they share the same vision. We need an outside person to come in. Maybe a Sean Burke or a Mike Futa in my opinion. Get some fresh air and vision in to the organization.
I’d also inquire about Rob Blake as well as well as the names you mentioned.
I have started to think about this a lot lately to get things to make sense.
Then I though what if something like this has happened (All of it is my own speculations):
Hasso Plattner says that he wants some change and not just a standstill.
DW starts to think about a rebuild and talks to Plattner getting rid of some of the super stars on the team.
Plattner is not super happy about the plans since he still wants people to come to the games and says: “You can get rid of one of those 3 players, resign the rest whatever it takes”
DW resigns the 2 youngest, but they wont agree to a deal without no move, so he signs them.
Sharks lose to the kings in a quite bad way and DW who wants to do a full rebuild gets a good argument to do so. He gets “OK” from Plattner and comes out in the media saying that a rebuild is on the way.
DW realizes that he will not be able to move marleau / Thornthon due to both plattner and also that he needs to reach cap floor during the rebuild.
However he fills the roster with young players and “filler players” that will be easy to get rid of (like Scott). This to try and give the young players some experience while at the same time lose as much as possible.
DW talks to TMac and gives him the plan. The plan is to take it easy and give most of the ice time to young players to give them experience at the cost of winning the games. Here is where the problem starts…. TMac says who wants a good coaching record and that doesnt want to destroy his reputation says: “Ehm I am here as a coach to win and will use the best players I have every single night. I am not up for tanking. I will not mess with how you do your job, so please dont mess with how I do mine. If you want someone to tank, I am the wrong guy”
DW realizes that he cant do much about that, but trades away as many players that he can that he feel does not fit in to the future. He does not care to much about the return, as long as he can free up space for the young players to actually play.
TMac plays niemi and the old guys most of the time as normal and in the end the team ends up at that bad spot where its not top pick and not a playoff spot.
DW tells TMac that if he wants to keep his job the next season, he will have to do it in the way that DW wants. TMac realizes that he has to get out of there, but moving is hard for the family and he has to take that in to account. He says that he will get back to DW with an answer soon. However he gets taken out to the world cup, and feels that before leaving he wants to improve his leverage and says “I will have to tink about this until after the WC.
These are my own thoughts about what might be going on and I may be totally wrong. But my general feeling is that DW wanted to get a good pick this year and did not get all the way there.
I think that things will change a lot this summer no matter if its showing or not. I think that DW will finally get to the direction he wants to take this team.
I don’t have a link, but I heard Mark Purdy this morning on KNBR say that he really does believe that Tmac leaving was very mutual and nothing like the 49ers situation.
He said he thought Tmac was given a tough assignment trying to make the PO’s with this team BUT ALSO he thought Tmac was “at the end of his rope” with this group of players.
I agree 100%.
Thanks for this. Makes sense. p.s. I really hope the next coach is not Bylsma.
I wpuld have tp agree as well. Hopefully there are some more changes coming during the rest of the offseason.
Dudes! When’s the next podcast?! So much has happened the past week. Gotta hear your thoughts on it all!
I hope the dudes are alright. This length of time between podcasts is unusual.