Kraken fire Dave Hakstol

[Big Daddy Cane]

 

[goeb]

Seems like a ludicrous hire for an inaugural coach. Hakstoll goes on to shit all the doubters up by vastly exceeding expectations last year. He coached a 2nd year expansion team that eliminated the defending cup champs and took the Stars to game 7.

Now he gets the boot because the team came back down to reality? I don't get Francis or some of these GMs. You practically get punished for overachieving. Happened with Gallant in Vegas too. He even got further than Keefe did during his 3 years (which is insanity!).

If you can lead that team to taking out the Avs in the playoffs last year, you have bought yourself at least another few years imo...but maybe that is why I am not managing an NHL team

 

[Blueline Bomber]

And he left the team with an absolute quagmire of a roster, and the new management was able to fix it much more quickly. And apart from Semin (and you could argue both the Staals, but he didn't fix Jordan's and he just waited out Eric's contract), he didn't inherit any true albatross contracts, everyone else was pretty reasonable. The best defense was that Karmanos had basically no liquid assets and refused to spend on the team, making otherwise 'whatever' contracts seem more burdensome than they actually were, but the way Francis 'fixed' those was also just waiting. And when Dundon came in and wanted to spend and asked Francis to be more aggressive, Francis simply refused.

 

[joestevens29]

That's true, Daccord was better than expected and probably an underrated budget buy. I am still concerned about Grubauer long-term but if they leverage Daccord's performance and Driedger's unpredictable availability to manage Grubauer's starts, that's probably the best course of action if they don't want to spend more money on the position.

I mean regular season this was kind of Grubauer's best performance stats wise in Seattle. Even his playoff numbers weren't great last year, so I don't know that you can really bank on him for much of anything going forward. Problem is his contract of 5.9mil can somewhat handcuff you as a GM. Francis essentially needs Daccord to have another stellar year. Maybe he can and odds are Francis is probably running that duo again next year so he better hope Daccord can keep it up.

The larger problem on paper is up front with all those 5milish guys that you aren't getting 5mil worth of play out of.

 

[Scomerica]

That's true, Daccord was better than expected and probably an underrated budget buy. I am still concerned about Grubauer long-term but if they leverage Daccord's performance and Driedger's unpredictable availability to manage Grubauer's starts, that's probably the best course of action if they don't want to spend more money on the position.

I'm not sure Driedger will be there next year. I think his contract is done.

 

[joestevens29]

Seems like a ludicrous hire for an inaugural coach. Hakstoll goes on to shit all the doubters up by vastly exceeding expectations last year. He coached a 2nd year expansion team that eliminated the defending cup champs and took the Stars to game 7.

Now he gets the boot because the team came back down to reality? I don't get Francis or some of these GMs. You practically get punished for overachieving. Happened with Gallant in Vegas too. He even got further than Keefe did during his 3 years (which is insanity!).

If you can lead that team to taking out the Avs in the playoffs last year, you have bought yourself at least another few years imo...but maybe that is why I am not managing an NHL team

Kind of the name of the game when you are a coach.

What is there 4 guys that have been around for 5 seasons with their club? 2 more that have been there at least 3 seasons.

Too easy to just fire a coach

 

[Timeless Winter]

He'll probably coach the leafs next year.

 

[Draiskull]

Hakstol Jim Duggan.
TML should sign him to 2x4

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Now only Knoblauch has that hair.

 

[Terry Yake]

i don't think coaching was the issue with that team. GM/FO are more to blame for their down season along with guys like beniers underachieving

but hey, someone's got to be the scapegoat. i'm going to predict they go with gallant or berube

 

[La Bamba]

I'm surprised he got fired. I think he did a good job with the roster he had over 3 years

 

[Scomerica]

So far i've heard linked: Dean Evason who is supposed to be close to Francis, Rod Brind'Amour, Dan Bylsma (seems the obvious one but would he want the hassle of going back to the nhl stress), Karl Taylor- Milwaukee Admirals coach if we don't want to do the coaching merry go round.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Crazy how expansion coaches get no rope nowadays

Regardless what people think about Hakstol, this is the part that I find so puzzling.

It’s an expansion team, you hire that first coach with the intention of establishing some stability and a culture. Hakstol is a “culture” kind of coach, he had success working with college kids, he had success working with expansion draft castoffs. Nobody thought he was the guy to take a team to that next level… he was there to lay the groundwork for someone else to build on.

So he comes roaring out of the gate with an Adams-worthy job of getting that team shockingly close to a Conference Final in its second year, loses talent compared to the second-year roster (which is supposed to be a stage of building talent), then gets axed when they tie for 23rd the following year? It just doesn’t feel strategic. Either he was the wrong hire in the first place, or firing him this fast is a knee-jerk move. Either way, it doesn’t look good on Francis, who has seemed like he’s been in over his head with this GM role.

 

[Irie]

The whole Shane Wright thing was kind of a mess, so it could very well be the coach and GM not seeing eye to eye on how to use the younger players.

Although at the end of the day that could all be on Francis. Should've been pretty clear from day 1 what expectations were of your coach. You want him to win or develop players?

It wasn't wright at all. Wright has been nothing but a compliant good soldier with all the decisions the team has made for him.

All the negative comments have come from the younger guys that have exited the organization, Bastion, Geekie, Appleton, Lauzon, Fleury etc.

 

[Super Hans]

Seattle's problem is that they got every team's 6th best player and didn't parlay that into bringing in picks and stars like Vegas did. They stuck with a team full of 6th best players but nobody I would call the face of the franchise. They left a lot of talent unpicked at the expansion draft that could have really helped them.

I dunno, maybe GMs smartened up after Vegas and wouldn't deal with Francis like they did with Vegas. Hopefully there's a documentary one day about the Seattle draft with interviews about how they screwed it up so bad.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

i don't think coaching was the issue with that team. GM/FO are more to blame for their down season along with guys like beniers underachieving

but hey, someone's got to be the scapegoat. i'm going to predict they go with gallant or berube

Oh please don't say Berube he's just a Goon-Brickhead who thinks he can coach...and please don't bring up he won a Stanley Cup...the players won the Cup he won a jock strap

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Seattle's problem is that they got every team's 6th best player and didn't parlay that into bringing in picks and stars like Vegas did. They stuck with a team full of 6th best players but nobody I would call the face of the franchise. They left a lot of talent unpicked at the expansion draft that could have really helped them.

I dunno, maybe GMs smartened up after Vegas and wouldn't deal with Francis like they did with Vegas. Hopefully there's a documentary one day about the Seattle draft with interviews about how they screwed it up so bad.

I think the Kraken got some good players...injuries killed them in year 3 like year 1...at least they have some young players in the System and more coming...Vegas has what money they Print downstairs in the "Casino Royal" The NHL has to put an End to the farce that has become Vegas Golden Turds

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

I'm surprised he got fired. I think he did a good job with the roster he had over 3 years

Hakstol did a pretty good job...toward the end wasn't quite sure what to make of all the games Gru was playing? Perhaps some NHL play-off/Stanley Cup contender was sniffing around

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Seattle's problem is that they got every team's 6th best player and didn't parlay that into bringing in picks and stars like Vegas did. They stuck with a team full of 6th best players but nobody I would call the face of the franchise. They left a lot of talent unpicked at the expansion draft that could have really helped them.

I dunno, maybe GMs smartened up after Vegas and wouldn't deal with Francis like they did with Vegas. Hopefully there's a documentary one day about the Seattle draft with interviews about how they screwed it up so bad.

I think its a combination of GM's smartening up after Vegas AND Francis not being an aggressive type of GM.

His approach seems to work fine for a rebuilding team or a team not looking to compete right now but I feel he lacks the aggressive mentality to go for it. He has drafted well for us so far but it seems like management wants to win sooner than later so will be interesting to see how he does from this point on.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Seems like a ludicrous hire for an inaugural coach. Hakstoll goes on to shit all the doubters up by vastly exceeding expectations last year. He coached a 2nd year expansion team that eliminated the defending cup champs and took the Stars to game 7.

Now he gets the boot because the team came back down to reality? I don't get Francis or some of these GMs. You practically get punished for overachieving. Happened with Gallant in Vegas too. He even got further than Keefe did during his 3 years (which is insanity!).

If you can lead that team to taking out the Avs in the playoffs last year, you have bought yourself at least another few years imo...but maybe that is why I am not managing an NHL team

Gallant is fantastic his first year. After that, steep downhill.

 

[Three On Zero]

Hire Quenneville you cowards.

 

[Sad People]

Rod Brind'Amour would be my dream scenario. Give that man the bag.

 

[sigma six]

Regardless what people think about Hakstol, this is the part that I find so puzzling.

It’s an expansion team, you hire that first coach with the intention of establishing some stability and a culture. Hakstol is a “culture” kind of coach, he had success working with college kids, he had success working with expansion draft castoffs. Nobody thought he was the guy to take a team to that next level… he was there to lay the groundwork for someone else to build on.

So he comes roaring out of the gate with an Adams-worthy job of getting that team shockingly close to a Conference Final in its second year, loses talent compared to the second-year roster (which is supposed to be a stage of building talent), then gets axed when they tie for 23rd the following year? It just doesn’t feel strategic. Either he was the wrong hire in the first place, or firing him this fast is a knee-jerk move. Either way, it doesn’t look good on Francis, who has seemed like he’s been in over his head with this GM role.

Think you mostly nailed it; probably correct about Franicis, too. What may be strategic about the firing is that the next phase of Kraken team makeup is going to include a shitload of kids they've drafted, which they've done a really good job at so far.

Over the next two seasons I'm imagining quite an influx of them, but despite being a college coach before I wouldn't want Hakstol developing them, or in charge of their TOI.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Rod Brind'Amour would be my dream scenario. Give that man the bag.

I am pretty sure the Kraken would throw $$ at him if Carolina cannot get it done.

 

[chuckt]

Oh please don't say Berube he's just a Goon-Brickhead who thinks he can coach...and please don't bring up he won a Stanley Cup...the players won the Cup he won a jock strap

I don't think most Blues fans would agree with this. That Blues cup team dealt with some strong adversity across those four rounds, and Berube's composure after the Sharks OT handpass win was one of the defining moments of the playoffs in my mind. He set a tone by not complaining about the missed call. The Blues players on the ice were livid, Schenn slammed his stick on the glass and they were yelling at the refs. Cut to Berube's after game presser and he said they needed to move on.

I compare that to every single coach they played against in the post season, and it was night and day. Each of them was complaining relentlessly about missed calls and the Blues' physicality. Maurice in particular was unbearable after each game.