295 replies to this topic

[Jerrydevil]

why in the world would jacques come back for that? lemaire has been a head coach in the nhl for 15+ seasons.

Why would he come back at all for half a season?

[coldply123]

+1


He's also the Devils' all-time leading goal scorer and the guy who put the Devils into the playoffs for the first time in history.


Sadly, you might be right.

I don't care. You wear a Rangers uniform and you are nothing to me, ever. I predicted MacLean would fail, and he did.

Why would he come back at all for half a season?

Lou probably told Jacques he was right about last season and that it wasnt his fault and then waxed poetic about the old Canadiens teams over some Canadian Club on the rocks with a promise to trade Langenbrunner and a few others as soon as possible.

[#21]

I just listened to the press conference, felt like I was listening to a funeral.

[Triumph]

Why would he come back at all for half a season?

probably because lou asked him to.

this is going to be a big stretch for the team. the GM doesn't need to be distracted by also being a coach.

Edited by Triumph, 23 December 2010 - 11:21 AM.

[Jerrydevil]

If you believe his promise to Brodeur, he has one more year to go as long as Brodeur is here (perhaps another reason to consider moving Brodeur). But I heard from somebody that there is some legitimate disconnect between Lou and ownership and that it wouldnt be surprising to see Lou leave. Ownership isn't happy with how Lou has exploded the team's payroll and limited it's flexibility, and this goes back the past few years, not just this year.

The person speculated the only reason Lou may be sticking is to try and ensure his son, Chris maintains a high-level position in some capacity in the front office. For the record, I do not want either Chris Lamoriello or Conte as GM when Lou leaves. Devils should go outside the organization for a new GM. I hate to use this analogy, but Lou reminds me of George Young with the Giants. Eventually George Young for all his greatness in the 80s got to a point in the early-mid 90s where he just got old as a GM and lost the touch that made him great. The game and the business changed and he couldnt adapt and it seemed moves that typically bore the hallmark of success floundered again and again.

Interesting. Good post.

Even though he may have "lost the touch" as a GM, I wonder if he'll want to continue being a GM. He doesn't seem like the retiring type.

[halfsharkalligatorhalfman]

Well, let's see what happens now.

[coldply123]

probably because lou asked him to.

this is going to be a big stretch for the team. the GM doesn't need to be distracted by also being a coach.

+1.

There's a lot of off-ice analysis and evaluation that needs to be done and some work in making moves and reloading towards next year.

I'd really really love to be inside Jamie Langenbrunner's brain when he heard this news.

[Jerrydevil]

This is going to be a big stretch for the team. the GM doesn't need to be distracted by also being a coach.

Good point on the task that lies ahead (unloading assets).

[RowdyFan42]

Interesting. Good post.

Even though he may have "lost the touch" as a GM, I wonder if he'll want to continue being a GM. He doesn't seem like the retiring type.

I wouldn't mind having Lou stay on as president and/or CEO, but it's time to let someone else handle the player decisions.

[Jerrydevil]

I wouldn't mind having Lou stay on as president and/or CEO, but it's time to let someone else handle the player decisions.

I'm wondering if he would like to be a GM somewhere else.

[95Crash]

I don't care. You wear a Rangers uniform and you are nothing to me, ever. I predicted MacLean would fail, and he did.

I hate the Rangers as much as the next guy, but I dunno, it wasn't like he went directly from NJ to NY. Plus he was only there for two seasons. He's spent approximately 22 years with the Devils as either a player or coach.

I do like your Lou-George Young comparison however.

[mac760]

Jacques? I was hoping the next great marketing plan was going to be to randomly select fans during warmups to coach the team.

Give us a reason to show up early. Or at all for that matter.

Edited by mac760, 23 December 2010 - 11:35 AM.

[pattyelias]

Like it really matters at this point. You could put Scotty Bowman in his prime behind the bench, and it would be a lost cause.

You'd get the same results with this behind the bench.

That would be awesome.

[Hi, I'm VALUE!]

Devils Head Coach = More turnover than the Defense Against the Dark Arts post.

Thank you, I was looking for a new sig line.

[coldply123]

So, let's start a betting line on when Langenbrunner gets traded. I say no later than mid-January, if not by Jan. 6th.

[Quinn01]

So, let's start a betting line on when Langenbrunner gets traded. I say no later than mid-January, if not by Jan. 6th.

Thats the first thing that came to my mind. Langs will be gone in the next 2 weeks.


Whatever. Mac is gone and Jacques is in. Hopefully he can turn this train wreck all around in time.

[losdiablos103]

Peace, Jaime.


I would have liked Robinson to take over, but oh well, a change is a change..

[NJDevs4978]

MacLean just wasnt a good coach. Not sure why some people can't wrap their heads around it.

No, he wasn't. But when do we start firing the players?!?! If even just Langenbrunner had been traded a week ago I would have been perfectly fine with ****canning Mac, but my god, how many coaches does this rotten core get to go through?! And if you were gonna fire Mac before half a season then he should have been fired after the Long Island debacle last month. Now it isn't going to do anything other than maybe start a futile run in the second half.

And bringing back Lemaire is laughable, typical Lou. So the same guy that the entire team tuned out the last couple months last year is gonna coach this same group now? Maybe it's a perverse way to punish the players but I don't see what Lemaire has to gain out of this. He won a division title in his last year, what does he need with coaching more than half a season in a hopeless cause?

[Maddog]

Is it sad that now I'm actually looking forward to seeing them play tonight?

[puckrock]

I hope Lou's meeting with the players is going something like "the only reason I'm firing the coach is because I tried to get rid of you sacks of sh!t and nobody wanted you".

I wouldn't be surprised if he actually did say something along those lines.

***

Just a random thought... I'm not the best when it comes to stats -- and someone/anyone please correct me if I'm wrong -- but I think the last time the Devils hit last overall in the NHL standings was in the shortened 1995 season. We all know how that one turned around. Not saying to expect it again but it's worth a little hope.