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Post by SteveUL on Jun 13, 2006 9:17:49 GMT -5
Our lineup for next year could have two looks ... with the same players. If we had Nolan/Flynn back then it could be a 0.500 team ... maybe even better (just a little better) ... we'd win our share of games by outworking our opponents. But take the same lineup and put a new guy in charge (lets call him Larue) and we might struggle to top 0.400 ... with some ugly nights in the Royale Coliseum.
The most critical thing we need for next year is a bonafied coaching staff ... and a decent GM. Signing up Danny Flynn to a long term deal would be the best move we could make.
Until that is done ... where this team might finish is very much up in the air.
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Post by gongshow on Jun 13, 2006 9:37:04 GMT -5
I think its either be a middle of the pack team this year(and next 3 be very mediocre)or start rebuilding this year be a bottom feeder and then build up for a couple of strong years. i prefer the second option.
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HockeyAngel
New Member
Keep your stick on the ice - Red Green
Posts: 95
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Post by HockeyAngel on Jun 13, 2006 11:17:05 GMT -5
You guys keep saying that we are looking for a new GM but arent we looking for a director of hockey operations? Or has it been confirmed that Schurman wont be back?
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Post by Cristobal Huet on Jun 13, 2006 11:18:47 GMT -5
Our lineup for next year could have two looks ... with the same players. If we had Nolan/Flynn back then it could be a 0.500 team ... maybe even better (just a little better) ... we'd win our share of games by outworking our opponents. But take the same lineup and put a new guy in charge (lets call him Larue) and we might struggle to top 0.400 ... with some ugly nights in the Royale Coliseum. The most critical thing we need for next year is a bonafied coaching staff ... and a decent GM. Signing up Danny Flynn to a long term deal would be the best move we could make. Until that is done ... where this team might finish is very much up in the air. I don't think the 10-12 guys back from last year will suddenly forget how to play the game and do what they have to do to win. Even if the new coach had a completely different coaching philosophy than was in place last year it would take 20-30 games to implement it anyways. even if say Larue was back, how does he convince the boys that Nolan/Flynn's system is wrong and his is right? Next year's team will still be benefitting from the great coaching they got this past season.
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Post by Cristobal Huet on Jun 13, 2006 11:19:55 GMT -5
You guys keep saying that we are looking for a new GM but arent we looking for a director of hockey operations? Or has it been confirmed that Schurman wont be back? Schurman is the GM on the business side, he had nothing to do with hockey decisions. They need a new hockey GM/director of player personnel.
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Post by SteveUL on Jun 13, 2006 11:36:39 GMT -5
Our lineup for next year could have two looks ... with the same players. If we had Nolan/Flynn back then it could be a 0.500 team ... maybe even better (just a little better) ... we'd win our share of games by outworking our opponents. But take the same lineup and put a new guy in charge (lets call him Larue) and we might struggle to top 0.400 ... with some ugly nights in the Royale Coliseum. The most critical thing we need for next year is a bonafied coaching staff ... and a decent GM. Signing up Danny Flynn to a long term deal would be the best move we could make. Until that is done ... where this team might finish is very much up in the air. I don't think the 10-12 guys back from last year will suddenly forget how to play the game and do what they have to do to win. Even if the new coach had a completely different coaching philosophy than was in place last year it would take 20-30 games to implement it anyways. even if say Larue was back, how does he convince the boys that Nolan/Flynn's system is wrong and his is right? Next year's team will still be benefitting from the great coaching they got this past season. Its all about motivation and being able to make the right adjustments ... Larue was unable to figure out how to do either ... will the next coach be able to get the same effort out of these guys that Nolan could ... will the next Coach be as good as Flynn in making adjustments and/or creating systems that work .... will the new coach be able to get all of the new faces onto the same page that the returning faces are on ... and how will he do that if he was never on that page to start ? I'd be very excited to get Flynn back into the fold ... but I'm not so excited about guys like Pete Belliveau and Steve Ludzik ... not really excited about Claude Julien either.
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Post by catnut on Jun 13, 2006 11:50:33 GMT -5
You guys keep saying that we are looking for a new GM but arent we looking for a director of hockey operations? Or has it been confirmed that Schurman wont be back? For most (if not all) other teams the GM = Director of hockey operations. In other organisations, Bill Schurman would have the title of business manager. When people on here talk about the GM job, they are talking about the hockey side of things.
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Post by Cristobal Huet on Jun 13, 2006 11:51:28 GMT -5
I don't think the 10-12 guys back from last year will suddenly forget how to play the game and do what they have to do to win. Even if the new coach had a completely different coaching philosophy than was in place last year it would take 20-30 games to implement it anyways. even if say Larue was back, how does he convince the boys that Nolan/Flynn's system is wrong and his is right? Next year's team will still be benefitting from the great coaching they got this past season. Its all about motivation and being able to make the right adjustments ... Larue was unable to figure out how to do either ... will the next coach be able to get the same effort out of these guys that Nolan could ... will the next Coach be as good as Flynn in making adjustments and/or creating systems that work .... will the new coach be able to get all of the new faces onto the same page that the returning faces are on ... and how will he do that if he was never on that page to start ? I'd be very excited to get Flynn back into the fold ... but I'm not so excited about guys like Pete Belliveau and Steve Ludzik ... not really excited about Claude Julien either. Just look at 2000-2001 for an exmaple, Coolen wasn't the best coach technically, actually he was downright terrible in that aspect and like 06-07 the Cats only had a shell of their former team and were close to 1st in a weak division until Ettinger and Oduya were traded. I think in the first half of next year they can do relatively well(35-38pts) soely based on what they learned last year and having a solid core of veterans plus a few kids that can chip in...06-07 looks so much like 00-01 it's amazing. 06-07 may even have a few more vets and less FA's.
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Post by jimmy on Jun 13, 2006 12:40:00 GMT -5
I don't think the 10-12 guys back from last year will suddenly forget how to play the game and do what they have to do to win. Even if the new coach had a completely different coaching philosophy than was in place last year it would take 20-30 games to implement it anyways. even if say Larue was back, how does he convince the boys that Nolan/Flynn's system is wrong and his is right? Next year's team will still be benefitting from the great coaching they got this past season. Its all about motivation and being able to make the right adjustments ... Larue was unable to figure out how to do either ... will the next coach be able to get the same effort out of these guys that Nolan could ... will the next Coach be as good as Flynn in making adjustments and/or creating systems that work .... will the new coach be able to get all of the new faces onto the same page that the returning faces are on ... and how will he do that if he was never on that page to start ? I'd be very excited to get Flynn back into the fold ... but I'm not so excited about guys like Pete Belliveau and Steve Ludzik ... not really excited about Claude Julien either. Whoever the new coach is in for a rough ride IMO... clearly, we won't have the results we had last year, so when we start to struggle, the fans will no doubt be quick to criticize - "That isn't how Nolan did it..". It could very well spread to the players as well - if the new guy coaches breakouts or PK a certain way, and we struggle in that area (likely due to overall talent level of the team), how long will it take the veterans to start grumbling about how the new system is crap and they should just stick with what worked under Nolan and Flynn. Ted Nolan set the bar so high, I doubt that there is a coach out there who can come in and fill his shoes and keep the fans happy. Of all the names mentioned so far, only Claude Julien excites me - he has had some success in the NHL, and was very successful in junior. But it sounds like he probably isn't available. All the other guys mentioned (Belliveau, Ludzik, Chouinard, Durocher, Francoeur) just don't measure up... maybe they should just hire Hepditch!
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Post by Cristobal Huet on Jun 13, 2006 12:56:57 GMT -5
Its all about motivation and being able to make the right adjustments ... Larue was unable to figure out how to do either ... will the next coach be able to get the same effort out of these guys that Nolan could ... will the next Coach be as good as Flynn in making adjustments and/or creating systems that work .... will the new coach be able to get all of the new faces onto the same page that the returning faces are on ... and how will he do that if he was never on that page to start ? I'd be very excited to get Flynn back into the fold ... but I'm not so excited about guys like Pete Belliveau and Steve Ludzik ... not really excited about Claude Julien either. Whoever the new coach is in for a rough ride IMO... clearly, we won't have the results we had last year, so when we start to struggle, the fans will no doubt be quick to criticize - "That isn't how Nolan did it..". It could very well spread to the players as well - if the new guy coaches breakouts or PK a certain way, and we struggle in that area (likely due to overall talent level of the team), how long will it take the veterans to start grumbling about how the new system is crap and they should just stick with what worked under Nolan and Flynn. Ted Nolan set the bar so high, I doubt that there is a coach out there who can come in and fill his shoes and keep the fans happy. Of all the names mentioned so far, only Claude Julien excites me - he has had some success in the NHL, and was very successful in junior. But it sounds like he probably isn't available. All the other guys mentioned (Belliveau, Ludzik, Chouinard, Durocher, Francoeur) just don't measure up... maybe they should just hire Hepditch! Claude Julien is headed to Vancouver to be Vigneault's assistant. I think most fans expectations will be much lower next year, for the team and also for the new coach unless he is another "big name". The odd bandwagon fans might scratch their heads why the team is suddenly not as good as last year, but that's par for the course, just uneducated on how the league works.
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Post by KBT on Jun 13, 2006 13:08:40 GMT -5
I think I speak for all the uneducated bandwagon fans when I say that I'm looking forward to a mediocre to poor year and a lousy coach. It sure makes for a lively messageboard....and to be honest I think that's why a good many hang around. Not everyone cares if it's hockey, baseball or football.....they're just here for the fireworks.
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Post by catnut on Jun 13, 2006 13:14:17 GMT -5
Whoever the new coach is in for a rough ride IMO... clearly, we won't have the results we had last year, so when we start to struggle, the fans will no doubt be quick to criticize - "That isn't how Nolan did it..". It could very well spread to the players as well - if the new guy coaches breakouts or PK a certain way, and we struggle in that area (likely due to overall talent level of the team), how long will it take the veterans to start grumbling about how the new system is crap and they should just stick with what worked under Nolan and Flynn. Ted Nolan set the bar so high, I doubt that there is a coach out there who can come in and fill his shoes and keep the fans happy. Of all the names mentioned so far, only Claude Julien excites me - he has had some success in the NHL, and was very successful in junior. But it sounds like he probably isn't available. All the other guys mentioned (Belliveau, Ludzik, Chouinard, Durocher, Francoeur) just don't measure up... maybe they should just hire Hepditch! Claude Julien is headed to Vancouver to be Vigneault's assistant. Wrong answer. Julien was just named head coach of the NJ Devils.
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Post by jimmy on Jun 13, 2006 13:53:51 GMT -5
Whoever the new coach is in for a rough ride IMO... clearly, we won't have the results we had last year, so when we start to struggle, the fans will no doubt be quick to criticize - "That isn't how Nolan did it..". It could very well spread to the players as well - if the new guy coaches breakouts or PK a certain way, and we struggle in that area (likely due to overall talent level of the team), how long will it take the veterans to start grumbling about how the new system is crap and they should just stick with what worked under Nolan and Flynn. Ted Nolan set the bar so high, I doubt that there is a coach out there who can come in and fill his shoes and keep the fans happy. Of all the names mentioned so far, only Claude Julien excites me - he has had some success in the NHL, and was very successful in junior. But it sounds like he probably isn't available. All the other guys mentioned (Belliveau, Ludzik, Chouinard, Durocher, Francoeur) just don't measure up... maybe they should just hire Hepditch! Claude Julien is headed to Vancouver to be Vigneault's assistant. I think most fans expectations will be much lower next year, for the team and also for the new coach unless he is another "big name". The odd bandwagon fans might scratch their heads why the team is suddenly not as good as last year, but that's par for the course, just uneducated on how the league works. Are expectations lower - definitely... will there be a grace period - definitely... will young players be forgiven if they get out-muscled, or have the odd brain cramp - definitely... But I will guarantee that if the PP is poor, the PK is full of holes, lines are getting juggled each shift, passing and breakouts are poor, etc... by Xmas time there will be a good portion of fans (and possibly even players and others around the team) second guessing the new coach and comparing him unfavourably to Nolan and company...
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Post by SteveUL on Jun 13, 2006 14:28:44 GMT -5
I wonder how many of those 20 FA's that we have lined up will now change their minds and not bother coming since Ted Nolan is not here ? I'm sure some were coming for a chance to play for a great coach.
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Post by Ace on Jun 13, 2006 15:42:03 GMT -5
I am sure Nolan had a lot to do with them agreeing to come here but also maybe with Nolans comments about the Moncton organization they may come out to see what the deal is about. We do have one of the best owners in the CHL and that should play a factor in some of their decisions. (I would hope at least.)
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