Friday, June 29, 2012
The Peter Principle Alive and Well in the NHL
(To the 4 people who might read this: Yes, I decided to do a blog post. I'm not 'unretired' so much as I just had a need to write *something*. It's rusty, and not particularly intelligent, but at least I've gotten it out of my system)
If you haven’t heard the term before, the Peter Principle
is a belief that in an organization where promotion is based on achievement,
success, and merit, that organization's members will eventually be promoted
beyond their level of ability.
If you believe *snicker* that NHL front office jobs are
placed based on merit, then this principle makes a lot of sense.
I realize running a large hockey organization is a lot more
involved than the Sim Leagues I used to be in. That said, the recent behavior of 3 particular NHL GM’s just
proves that random internet bloggers, or Michelle Bachmann, could do a far
better job running a hockey team than some of the idiots that get hired.
The GMs in question? Charles Wang’s puppet (Garth Snow),
Scott Howson, and Jay Feaster.
Wang Dang Doodle
It’s old news now, but the Isles did, in fact, offer their
entire 2012 draft to the Dinner Jackets for the chance to pick 2nd
overall. (Source: CBC)
The Isles had the 4th pick, so they basically
wanted to gut their future farm system to move up two whole spots! Woo!
Now, if this was the chance to pick a Sidney Crosby, this
would make some damn sense. Hell, ending up with a Chris Pronger in exchange
for a bunch of role players and never-made-its would also make sense.
Ryan Murray? He hardly looks like a build-a-franchise-around
me defenseman that you’d trade your farm for. He *might* pan out that way, but
I *might* also have Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis offer to reenact their love
scene from The Black Swan in my living room.
Chances are long, I suspect.
(any excuse to post this picture...)
Besides the obvious fact that gutting your entire future to
move up from #4 to #2 is folly, especially for a club in constant need of
prospects and assets, the optics of this deal are even more of a killer for the
Isles.
Think about it? Haven’t Snow/Wang been doing a pretty solid
job the last couple of years? They locked up Tavares, Moulson, and Nielsen, and
were keeping on a steady path to respectability.
This move, unfortunately, clearly reminds the rest of the
league, especially free agents, that the Isles are run by a couple of
batshit-crazy loons.
“Oh yeah, this is the team that gave Rick DiPietro
15 years to play 30 games! I really wanna sign there!”
(Isles GM Garth Snow, pictured)
Howson Misses His Chance
Scott Howson, only the second GM in the illustrious history of the Columbus Dinner
Jackets, has done a great job of ruining running the club as well
as Doug MacLean did before him. Not many GM’s would trade a mint for the worst
regular defenseman in the NHL (Jack Johnson) and still be employed.
Howson had a golden opportunity to stack his club for many years
to come, and chose to play it safe, as it were. Keeping the #2 pick was
definitely ‘safe’, since being involved with such an insane trade would only
look ‘weird’, for lack of a better term.
How can a team as piss-poor as the Jackets turn down this
many picks? With that many picks, and that many lottery tickets, you are sure
to hit a few gems and get some decent players. Moving down to #4 was hardly
that much of a difference in this draft, and the BJs would have basically
doubled their chance to produce some decent players in a few seasons.
Howson, alas, a fellow who would have trouble graduating from the
University of Phoenix, showed just how in over his head he really is.
Feast(er) Your Eyes on Duh
While the mess in Calgary is not all Jay Feaster’s fault,
the son of the Pillsbury Dough Boy and Susan Boyle is doing his best to ensure
the Flames will wallow just out of the playoffs for the foreseeable future.
Sure, Canucks fans are elated, but it’s sad to see, nonetheless.
"Poop's coming out!"
Even before the July
1st UFA kick-off, the Flames are already home to the 3rd highest projected cap hit for next season!
That’s right, the team that hasn’t made the playoffs in three
seasons has a higher payroll than the Vancouver Canucks! This even takes into account the subtraction of
Olli Jokinen, one of their better offensive forwards (Hard to believe,
but he was fairly good last season), who is going on the UFA market.
What great moves has Feaster made?
1. Signing Dennis Wideman to a 5-year deal giving him $5.25/mil
per season! Not content with one offensive-minded marshmallow (Jay Bouwmeester,
who left his scoring touch in Florida), the Flames vastly overpaid for a guy
who is easier to beat than Rihanna.
Sure, some other team would have likely overpaid for flashy
offensive stats, but that doesn’t mean the Flames should have. Oh, and let’s
not forget the no-trade clause given for the full term of the contract. Way to
handcuff the club, Jay!
2. Re-signing Lee Stempniak for a 2-year deal giving him
$2.5/mil per season.
As any Blues or Coyotes fan can tell you, Lee is great for a
scoring burst for about 2-3 weeks a year, and then goes back into hibernation
for the rest of the winter. Lee doesn’t add much value other than his
goal-scoring touch, and the Flames vastly overpaid for an empty player.
3. Re-signing Cory Sarich for a 2-year deal giving him $2/mil
per season.
Even in his Tampa days, Sarich wasn’t worth $2mil/season,
and now that he’s old enough to remember how to work a VCR, he’s an expensive
pylon.
The Flames already appear to have 5-6 other defensemen on
one-way contracts, so the Flames have basically given a good salary to a 3rd-line
pylon and will have to cut a contract somewhere else. Who the hell else would
have given Sarich $2mil? Ugh.
If you count Wideman vs. Jokinen for wash (being generous),
the Flames have basically spent a hefty fortune for a team that has a very slim
shot at the playoffs.
You know Jay Feaster reminds me of? The idiot who actually pays for porn
on the Internet.
…and I’m spent…
Labels: blue jackets, Charles Wang, Flames, Garth Snow, idiots, Islanders, Jay Feaster, Scott Howson
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Prospect Steven Legein Retires .. at 19
by Jes
A 19-year old man retiring from professional/amateur hockey is not that unusual. Many prospects that have no real shot of doing much in the pro hockey world do it all the time, opting for University or a career in the 'real' world. Why ride buses for days on end to make $30,000 a year when you can make double that with far less travel?
When it is a promising 2nd round prospect with no history of major injury? That IS unusual.
Via FanHouse: Stefan Legein, a 2007 second round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets who is just 19, has retired from professional hockey. I'm sure BJs fans are quite stunned rightaboutnow.
The reason: He just didn't want to play anymore. It's that simple.
Legein seemed to be on the path to a potential NHL career, and, if you go through the FanHouse post, you see that Legein certainly didn't appear unhappy. The BJ's certainly had big plans for the kid, and you know that the team desperately needs some of its prospects to pan out.
My first instinct, naturally, was to think "What a waste!". I can understand being in a funk, but why waste so many years of training and development when the potential for big $$ exists. Of course, that is merely me projecting my own interests and attitudes on someone I have never had any contact with.
I know that some BJ's fans are probably pissed at the kid for quitting so soon, especially given the team's need for actual talent. It's been a hard few years for fans of the club, and the last thing they need is one of their top prospects bailing on them.
As Adam Proteau of The Hockey News notes, we ought not to vilify the kid for his decision.
Exactly! I know I changed career paths and desires at 20, opting out of a potentially lucrative career as a software designer. I hated (and still do) computer programming and computer science, and I never imagined how utterly dull it would be when I signed up for a program.
I left after a year, and found myself choosing Accounting and Finance. Yes, the money isn't as good, but I'm much happier with myself.
Now, I can imagine that this young man had the same kind of "voila!" moment that caused him to say, "I really don't enjoy all of this hard physical training and I don't enjoy playing highly competitive hockey enough to continue on". Yes, playing hockey is fun, but when it is your job? Maybe not so much.
Oh, and score one for bloggers (Bethany's Hockey Rants, a title she kinda *cough*stole*cough* from us) for breaking the story!
A 19-year old man retiring from professional/amateur hockey is not that unusual. Many prospects that have no real shot of doing much in the pro hockey world do it all the time, opting for University or a career in the 'real' world. Why ride buses for days on end to make $30,000 a year when you can make double that with far less travel?
When it is a promising 2nd round prospect with no history of major injury? That IS unusual.
Via FanHouse: Stefan Legein, a 2007 second round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets who is just 19, has retired from professional hockey. I'm sure BJs fans are quite stunned rightaboutnow.
The reason: He just didn't want to play anymore. It's that simple.
Legein seemed to be on the path to a potential NHL career, and, if you go through the FanHouse post, you see that Legein certainly didn't appear unhappy. The BJ's certainly had big plans for the kid, and you know that the team desperately needs some of its prospects to pan out.
My first instinct, naturally, was to think "What a waste!". I can understand being in a funk, but why waste so many years of training and development when the potential for big $$ exists. Of course, that is merely me projecting my own interests and attitudes on someone I have never had any contact with.
I know that some BJ's fans are probably pissed at the kid for quitting so soon, especially given the team's need for actual talent. It's been a hard few years for fans of the club, and the last thing they need is one of their top prospects bailing on them.
As Adam Proteau of The Hockey News notes, we ought not to vilify the kid for his decision.
I hope the young man isn’t vilified for his decision. Who among us hasn’t had doubts in our late teens (or for that matter, well beyond that age) about our direction in life? Legein’s biggest problem is he has been in a line of work that receives so much publicity and adulation most casual observers assume he should be down on his hands and knees in gratitude for the opportunities he’s been afforded.
Exactly! I know I changed career paths and desires at 20, opting out of a potentially lucrative career as a software designer. I hated (and still do) computer programming and computer science, and I never imagined how utterly dull it would be when I signed up for a program.
I left after a year, and found myself choosing Accounting and Finance. Yes, the money isn't as good, but I'm much happier with myself.
Now, I can imagine that this young man had the same kind of "voila!" moment that caused him to say, "I really don't enjoy all of this hard physical training and I don't enjoy playing highly competitive hockey enough to continue on". Yes, playing hockey is fun, but when it is your job? Maybe not so much.
Oh, and score one for bloggers (Bethany's Hockey Rants, a title she kinda *cough*stole*cough* from us) for breaking the story!
Labels: blue jackets, prospects, Retirement, Steven Legein
Thursday, September 20, 2007
An Off-Season Look at ... The Columbus Blue Jackets
by Jes
The Columbus Blue Jackets finally got it right and canned Doug MacLean like Campbell's soup this summer. Thanks to MacLean's lack of direction, and buy-high, sell-low philosophy, the Blue Jackets were hamstrung with a bunch of expensive veterans and short on actual talent.
Unfortunately, it will take a year or two for Dougie's mistakes to be off of the books for the BJs, and the dearth of prospects in the organization makes this team's future less than bright.
Here is the BJs roster as of today ... lots of expensive, old crap.
Amazingly, the BJs have lots of room under the cap, and will shed the contracts of Fedorov, and Foote after this season.
The BJs could be better, but they are beset by organization-wide underachieving.
Nik Zherdev - Signs a lucrative deal, and then sleepwalks through the season with 32 points. The BJ's are thinking of trying him at center, and it seems he'll pout if that happens. What a baby!
Rick Nash - 27 goals at that salary? Yeesh...
Sergei Fedorov - Perhaps he should play back at defence, because 42 points in 73 games is just awful.
Really, there isn't anyone on the roster, save for the surprising Norrena and hard-working Chimera, that really give you good bang for their buck, and play to their full potential. Even with the coaching change, Columbus still sucked eggs last season.
This season? It'll be more of the same. The BJs have one of the worst defence corps in the league, and shaky goaltending.
The forward corps LOOKS to be fairly decent and balanced, and will need to play up to its potential for the BJs to have a sniff of success.
In the end, this club will be fighting with the Hawks and Oilers for dead last in the conference.
The Columbus Blue Jackets finally got it right and canned Doug MacLean like Campbell's soup this summer. Thanks to MacLean's lack of direction, and buy-high, sell-low philosophy, the Blue Jackets were hamstrung with a bunch of expensive veterans and short on actual talent.
Unfortunately, it will take a year or two for Dougie's mistakes to be off of the books for the BJs, and the dearth of prospects in the organization makes this team's future less than bright.
Here is the BJs roster as of today ... lots of expensive, old crap.
Amazingly, the BJs have lots of room under the cap, and will shed the contracts of Fedorov, and Foote after this season.
The BJs could be better, but they are beset by organization-wide underachieving.
Nik Zherdev - Signs a lucrative deal, and then sleepwalks through the season with 32 points. The BJ's are thinking of trying him at center, and it seems he'll pout if that happens. What a baby!
Rick Nash - 27 goals at that salary? Yeesh...
Sergei Fedorov - Perhaps he should play back at defence, because 42 points in 73 games is just awful.
Really, there isn't anyone on the roster, save for the surprising Norrena and hard-working Chimera, that really give you good bang for their buck, and play to their full potential. Even with the coaching change, Columbus still sucked eggs last season.
This season? It'll be more of the same. The BJs have one of the worst defence corps in the league, and shaky goaltending.
The forward corps LOOKS to be fairly decent and balanced, and will need to play up to its potential for the BJs to have a sniff of success.
In the end, this club will be fighting with the Hawks and Oilers for dead last in the conference.
Labels: blue jackets, Norrena, Off-Season Analysis, Rick Nash
Thursday, July 05, 2007
The Oilers Lose Another Big Name
by Jes
This off-season just continues to get worse for the Oilers.
---
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Jan Hejda to a two-year contract, club General Manager Scott Howson announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.
Hejda, 29, tallied one goal and eight assists for nine points, 20 penalty minutes and averaged 20:23 of ice time in 39 games with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2006-07 season, which was his first in North America. He also appeared in five games with Hamilton of the American Hockey League, collecting 0-3-3 and 21 penalty minutes.
---
Remember, that ONE goal was a big one.
This off-season just continues to get worse for the Oilers.
---
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Jan Hejda to a two-year contract, club General Manager Scott Howson announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.
Hejda, 29, tallied one goal and eight assists for nine points, 20 penalty minutes and averaged 20:23 of ice time in 39 games with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2006-07 season, which was his first in North America. He also appeared in five games with Hamilton of the American Hockey League, collecting 0-3-3 and 21 penalty minutes.
---
Remember, that ONE goal was a big one.
Labels: blue jackets, Hejda, oilers
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Just Call Him "Mac The Knifed"
by Jes
The Blue Jackets, about 3 years too late, fired President/GM Doug MacLean and have made the first step to not sucking. I just hope they don't hire away Steve Tambellini from the Canucks.
As always, you can find more details and analysis over at The Fanhouse.
While I'll always hold a special place in my heart for MacLean, who coached the Florida Panthers (my old favourite non-Canucks team), he is, without a doube, one of the worst executives in NHL history.
I guess the only ones who are sad at this news, outside of the MacLean family, are the NHL agents, who managed to soak the Jackets out of millions for their overpaid clients. Was there an easier rube than MacLean, other than Neil Smith during his tenure at GM of the Rangers?
The Blue Jackets, about 3 years too late, fired President/GM Doug MacLean and have made the first step to not sucking. I just hope they don't hire away Steve Tambellini from the Canucks.
As always, you can find more details and analysis over at The Fanhouse.
While I'll always hold a special place in my heart for MacLean, who coached the Florida Panthers (my old favourite non-Canucks team), he is, without a doube, one of the worst executives in NHL history.
I guess the only ones who are sad at this news, outside of the MacLean family, are the NHL agents, who managed to soak the Jackets out of millions for their overpaid clients. Was there an easier rube than MacLean, other than Neil Smith during his tenure at GM of the Rangers?
Labels: blue jackets, Doug MacLean, GM firing
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Norrena Norrena
By Greg
The High Priest of Balastik is still sitting shiva for Jaro, so the uninspired, cranky Avs fan is checking in here in his stead.
There's actually been one Avs' loss in the one-up/one-down play of late that I don't feel so bad about. I'm a sucker for Cinderella stories, and Fredrik Norrena's hot run (five straight at this point, though I fully realize I'm dooming the guy to going down in flames against Phoenix tonight) qualifies.
Like, I presume, most hockey fans (don't lie), I greeted Norrena's sign-and-trade with the BJs with a resounding "eh." Because first of all, it's the Jackets, a team that's incurred the wrath of both Jes and myself (bring Tomas Kloucek up! NOW!) and has seemed content to hover on the edge of irrelevance, and second of all, guys who wait until late in their career to come over to the NHL rarely excite anyone.
In the midst of all the far-more-hyped stories around the league, it's fun to see this little burst from someone totally unexpected. He may end up becoming the next Blaine Lacher or Jim Carey, sure, but in the meantime he's helped create some interest around a team that wasn't overflowing with fascinating-ness before.
Best part of it? Dude's 33 years old. I STILL HAVE HOPE!
The High Priest of Balastik is still sitting shiva for Jaro, so the uninspired, cranky Avs fan is checking in here in his stead.
There's actually been one Avs' loss in the one-up/one-down play of late that I don't feel so bad about. I'm a sucker for Cinderella stories, and Fredrik Norrena's hot run (five straight at this point, though I fully realize I'm dooming the guy to going down in flames against Phoenix tonight) qualifies.
Like, I presume, most hockey fans (don't lie), I greeted Norrena's sign-and-trade with the BJs with a resounding "eh." Because first of all, it's the Jackets, a team that's incurred the wrath of both Jes and myself (bring Tomas Kloucek up! NOW!) and has seemed content to hover on the edge of irrelevance, and second of all, guys who wait until late in their career to come over to the NHL rarely excite anyone.
In the midst of all the far-more-hyped stories around the league, it's fun to see this little burst from someone totally unexpected. He may end up becoming the next Blaine Lacher or Jim Carey, sure, but in the meantime he's helped create some interest around a team that wasn't overflowing with fascinating-ness before.
Best part of it? Dude's 33 years old. I STILL HAVE HOPE!
Labels: Balastik, blue jackets, kloucek, Norrena
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Farewell, Jaroslav Balaštík :(
Those goddamn Blow Jackets. Not only do they drive Jaroslav Balastik out of the NHL, but they drive him into the arms of the evil Swedes.
Český hokejista Jaroslav Balaštík (na snímku) se ze zámořské NHL vrací do Evropy a do konce sezony by měl hájit barvy vedoucího týmu švédské ligy HV 71. Sedmadvacetiletý útočník tak vyřešil svou nejistou pozici v Columbusu Blue Jackets, kde v této sezoně nedostával mnoho příležitostí.Basically, Czech hockey player Jaroslav Jaroslav Balaštík will finish the season with Swedish team HV 71. You can imagine how thrilled I am at this news.
You know Jaroslav probably ain't coming back to the NHL, and never given a second (real) chance. Jaroslav is a goal scorer, yet the Dinner Jackets saw it fit to give him 10 minutes a night playing with the likes of Jody Shelley and other scrubs who couldn't make an accurate pass the puck if their lives depended on it.
His final NHL totals:
Year GP G A Pts +/- PIM PPG PPA SHG SHA GW SOG Pct
05-06 66 12 10 22 -1 26 7 1 0 0 2 158 .076
06-07 8 1 1 2 -3 4 1 0 0 0 0 6 .167
Career74 13 11 24 -4 30 8 1 0 0 2 164 .079
Now, excuse me while I get Wayne Brady on Doug MacLean's ass.
Labels: Balastik, blue jackets, farewell
