Fire Hynes

[NJDevs4978]

4 minutes ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

Either that or he has decided "fvck it, there is nothing I can do here to improve this sh!t show". 

Then I’d expect a coaching change any minute, but that ain’t happening. Shero wanted to do the bare minimum to make people think the staff was on notice but it never really was.

[HellOnICE]

So yeah - now that Hynes is still here, he's here. This was an opportunity going into a busy month to make the change, and 20+ games in - the time would be now. There's no point going further down the hole and then doing it. If they waited 10 more games, and then did it, I would say - what did you learn in game 30 that you didn't know in game 20? 

I'm disappointed in this decision. It tells me they don't believe the team is good enough to be better than this.

[mfitz804]

The whole thing is kind of ponderous if it doesn’t result in a firing. I was thinking more that Fitz was observing and getting himself ready in case Hynes was kicked out and Fitz was interim. 

Guess not. 

[lazer]

[NJDfan1711]

2 hours ago, HellOnICE said:

So yeah - now that Hynes is still here, he's here. This was an opportunity going into a busy month to make the change, and 20+ games in - the time would be now. There's no point going further down the hole and then doing it. If they waited 10 more games, and then did it, I would say - what did you learn in game 30 that you didn't know in game 20? 

I'm disappointed in this decision. It tells me they don't believe the team is good enough to be better than this.

Agreed.  If they do it two weeks from now it'll be pretty pointless.  I think about a week or two ago was really the point of no return.  We're a quarter of the way into the season now... who knows what they're going to do next year, but it appears from the looks of things that they're sticking with Hynes for the remainder of this season.  

1 hour ago, mfitz804 said:

The whole thing is kind of ponderous if it doesn’t result in a firing. I was thinking more that Fitz was observing and getting himself ready in case Hynes was kicked out and Fitz was interim. 

Guess not. 

I was sort of thinking that too, but then my immediate first thought was "Can I picture either guy, Shero or Fitz, doing what Lou did and actually standing behind the bench, not only observing, but actually instructing and leading, for as many games as it takes before they hire a replacement?  My answer to that slowly became a more emphatic "No", and I think that's why nothing has been done yet.  A combination of the fact that they still believe in Hynes, and also nothing better out on the market at the moment.

[MadDog2020]

1 hour ago, mfitz804 said:

The whole thing is kind of ponderous if it doesn’t result in a firing. I was thinking more that Fitz was observing and getting himself ready in case Hynes was kicked out and Fitz was interim. 

Guess not. 

All it was was something to make it look like they were doing something. fvcking joke this franchise has become.....

[Nicomo]

3 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

All it was was something to make it look like they were doing something. fvcking joke this franchise has become.....

I’m not so sure about that. Do you think the average Devils fan even knows who Fitzgerald is? Let alone that he went behind the bench for a couple weeks. I’d guess there was more to it than putting on a show for appearances. 

[Daniel]

1 hour ago, Nicomo said:

I’m not so sure about that. Do you think the average Devils fan even knows who Fitzgerald is? Let alone that he went behind the bench for a couple weeks. I’d guess there was more to it than putting on a show for appearances. 

The average season ticket holder absolutely knows who he is and about his "special mission." 

Anyway, yet more evidence that Ray Shero: (1) does not believe coaching matters and, if anything, exists to do exactly what he says irrespective of whether the team actually wins or loses; and (2) believes in tanking it until you make it.  As Gore Vidal said, the sweetest words in the English language are "I told you so."

Congratulations Johhny Boy.  So long as you beat the two or three teams in the league that are worse than you than you get a job forever.  And even that's optional.

[Nicomo]

Just now, Daniel said:

The average season ticket holder absolutely knows who he is and about his "special mission." 

Anyway, yet more evidence that Ray Shero: (1) does not believe coaching matters and, if anything, exists to do exactly what he says irrespective of whether the team actually wins or loses; and (2) believes in tanking it until you make it.  As Gore Vidal said, the sweetest words in the English language are "I told you so."

Congratulations Johhny Boy.  So long as you beat the two or three teams in the league that are worse than you than you get a job forever.  And even that's optional.

Who’s talking about STH? I’m asking about casual fans that will go to a handful of games a year. Again, I’d guess most don’t know who our assistant GM is, and probably never noticed another guy behind the bench. 

[DevsMan84]

8 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Who’s talking about STH? I’m asking about casual fans that will go to a handful of games a year. Again, I’d guess most don’t know who our assistant GM is, and probably never noticed another guy behind the bench. 

I don't think it really matters if casual fans know him or not.  Him going to the bench was written about plenty by those who cover the team as well as other outlets, so it's not like it was some secret.

If the team continues on it's current path of being a lottery-bound team with Hynes behind the bench, then this move is even more inexplicable.  It's like Shero is making an empty threat of "you guys get better or else!" and then else never comes.  It's all posturing with little actual action.

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, Nicomo said:

Who’s talking about STH? I’m asking about casual fans that will go to a handful of games a year. Again, I’d guess most don’t know who our assistant GM is, and probably never noticed another guy behind the bench. 

The point is that your average team's revenues (including the Devils) are driven by season ticket holders, so if a GM is doing something for pubic consumption, he's really doing it for the season ticket holder who knows what's going on with the team. 

So yeah, it wouldn't shock me if the whole Fitzgerald thing was really a gambit to placate fans who spend a lot of money following the team (season ticket holders).

[DevsMan84]

3 minutes ago, Daniel said:

The point is that your average team's revenues (including the Devils) are driven by season ticket holders, so if a GM is doing something for pubic consumption, he's really doing it for the season ticket holder who knows what's going on with the team. 

So yeah, it wouldn't shock me if the whole Fitzgerald thing was really a gambit to placate fans who spend a lot of money following the team (season ticket holders).

I agree in thining it is all a façade to placate fans, which is par for the course with the Devils this season.

First the fake goal song contest, then the Devils blaring about these great deals they are offering but only if you sign up on a special list, and now this.

[mfitz804]

15 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Who’s talking about STH? I’m asking about casual fans that will go to a handful of games a year. Again, I’d guess most don’t know who our assistant GM is, and probably never noticed another guy behind the bench. 

STH always think “real fans” are STH. Meanwhile, half of them go to the games just to talk to each other, and barely even pay attention. I would assume that excludes those who are big enough fans to hang out on this message board.

[Daniel]

5 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I agree in thining it is all a façade to placate fans, which is par for the course with the Devils this season.

First the fake goal song contest, then the Devils blaring about these great deals they are offering but only if you sign up on a special list, and now this.

One of the downsides of having billionaire owners as opposed to a seat of you pants type like Vanderbeek.  Guys like Harris, Dan Snyder or the Johnson brothers are wealthy enough that they don't give a crap if anyone shows up to the games. 

[DevsMan84]

1 minute ago, Daniel said:

One of the downsides of having billionaire owners as opposed to a seat of you pants type like Vanderbeek.  Guys like Harris, Dan Snyder or the Johnson brothers are wealthy enough that they don't give a crap if anyone shows up to the games. 

I don't think it is really the owners themselves more than the corporate types like Scott O'Neill / Jake Reynolds who are driving this.  I would still take these guys over JVB any day as we are no longer a threat to move and these guys are not auctioning off crap they find in the far reaches of their storage rooms (remember those in the 11-12 season?).

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, DevsMan84 said:

I don't think it is really the owners themselves more than the corporate types like Scott O'Neill / Jake Reynolds who are driving this.  I would still take these guys over JVB any day as we are no longer a threat to move and these guys are not auctioning off crap they Afind in the far reaches of their storage rooms (remember those in the 11-12 season?).

There won't be the humiliation of having the team relocate.  But forever being a zombie franchise that is a consistent loser because ownership doesn't really care about wins and losses and is enthralled with a GM who after almost two decades of being a GM has shown that he has no idea how to build a team that is a consistent winner isn't great either. 

[DevsMan84]

Just now, Daniel said:

There won't be the humiliation of having the team relocate.  But forever being a zombie franchise that is a consistent loser because ownership doesn't really care about wins and losses and is enthralled with a GM who after almost two decades of being a GM has shown that he has no idea how to build a team that is a consistent winner isn't great either. 

I am not quite ready to say the owners won't ever fire Shero.  I mean I don't care what the official line was but I certainly believe they were the driving force at kicking Lou upstairs out of the GM seat before he quit 2 months later.

[titans04]

Mickey Mouse?? 

[NJDevs4978]

37 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Who’s talking about STH? I’m asking about casual fans that will go to a handful of games a year. Again, I’d guess most don’t know who our assistant GM is, and probably never noticed another guy behind the bench. 

The majority of people who go to games (especially this year) are STH's though, or at least hardcore enough to give a **** about the day-in day-out workings of the team.

Edited November 25, 2019 by NJDevs4978

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, DevsMan84 said:

I am not quite ready to say the owners won't ever fire Shero.  I mean I don't care what the official line was but I certainly believe they were the driving force at kicking Lou upstairs out of the GM seat before he quit 2 months later.

The owners only fired Sam Hinkie because there were enough voices telling them to given that the 76ers have a much bigger following than the Devils.  And even then, what he was doing was not particularly difficult and his work was almost done at that point.  

When it comes to the Devils, Ray Shero's name will be mentioned on local sports talk radio less than five times a year, and there are grand total of two local beat writers who have less information about the team than guys who are based in Toronto and who otherwise write what the team tells them to write.  So from all indications, Harris and Blitzer will do what they want and feel they have no pressure from anyone to have the team win, which isn't necessarily untrue.  And it sure seems to me that they absolutely love Shero and believe he can do no wrong.

[JohnnyP.]

These owners have totally bought into Shero's plan of the "rebuild" which is fine but they seem naive of any time frame it should be completed within 

Aren't the 76ers where the term Trust the Process began, started by their former GM

 

 

[SterioDesign]

34 minutes ago, JohnnyP. said:

These owners have totally bought into Shero's plan of the "rebuild" which is fine but they seem naive of any time frame it should be completed within 

Aren't the 76ers where the term Trust the Process began, started by their former GM

 

 

That's cause it's foolish to believe that it should 100% be completed within a specific time frame.

There's never any guarantee, you draft and trade for players you think will help the team but what they actually do is then out of your control as a GM, all you can do is look for progress and move towards your goal.

Obviously if its been 10 years and no improvement its a failure but this is not the case.

It also cannot be stated enough how in terrible shape the team was when Shero took over, we may not be getting the results we'd like on the ice right now but the roster and our prospect pipeline is undeniably miles ahead of what it was. We made big progress. 

Edited November 26, 2019 by SterioDesign

[Nicomo]

35 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

That's cause it's foolish to believe that it should 100% be completed within a specific time frame.

There's never any guarantee, you draft and trade for players you think will help the team but what they actually do is then out of your control as a GM, all you can do is look for progress and move towards your goal.

Obviously if its been 10 years and no improvement its a failure but this is not the case.

It also cannot be stated enough how in terrible shape the team was when Shero took over, we may not be getting the results we'd like on the ice right now but the roster and our prospect pipeline is undeniably miles ahead of what it was. We made big progress. 

That excuse only has a slightly longer shelf life than “Zacha is only xx years old.” Once Schneider and Zajac are gone this will pretty much be a team Shero himself built. And as others have pointed out his more recent trades haven’t been working out, and besides the Hughes, Nico’s, and Bratt’s, his drafting hasn’t exactly been much to speak of either..

*and for the record I like Shero a lot, and am not even remotely close to wanting him replaced. Just getting a little sick of hearing about how it’s still Lou’s fault all these years later. Lou’s team is actually good right now...

[mfitz804]

6 hours ago, Nicomo said:

That excuse only has a slightly longer shelf life than “Zacha is only xx years old.” Once Schneider and Zajac are gone this will pretty much be a team Shero himself built. 

Yes, but it will be a team he molded out of sh!t assets. That’s why the excuse is more valid. The trades that he has made have been made, save for Larsson, without giving up much of anything.   

[Nicomo]

9 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

Yes, but it will be a team he molded out of sh!t assets. That’s why the excuse is more valid. The trades that he has made have been made, save for Larsson, without giving up much of anything.   

Well, in his most recent trade I’m not sure I’d agree 9 million a season for a pretty mediocre defenseman is not giving up much of anything. That deal looks like yet another one that isn’t going to work out. But at least he didn’t send anything good back in return.