......and as soon as Rutherford is hired, Dan Bylsma is fired. He's been twisting in the wind for 3+ weeks while other coaching jobs are filled. Did the team really think any new GM would be keeping him on?
Jim Rutherford is going to be announced as the new GM of the Penguins. I guess this means the decision to move him out of the GM office and "upstairs" at CAR wasn't made by him. Pierre McGuire loses out again, but I stopped and thought about that for a moment and realized he's never been a GM or an AGM but an assistant coach and (briefly) a head coach. Other than that, he's been a broadcaster. If I were a team owner / president, I'd be leery of hiring someone without any experience too.
Just please, oh please, let him get the job. Pierre is a great sink of information on players, but I don't think he can build a successful hockey team.
The talk these days is that Pierre McGuire is in the running to replace Shero. Whoever gets the job....do they do a major house-cleaning?
I wouldn't be surprised, as their post-season record hasn't exactly been amazing for a team with that much talent.
2008-2009: Stanley Cup Champions
2009-2010: lost in 2nd round
2010-2011: lost in 1st round
2011-2012: lost in 1st round
2012-2013: lost in 3rd round
2013-2014: lost in 2nd round
Chicago has won twice, LA is back in the finals for the 2nd time in 2 years, and I don't think you can argue they have *more* pure talent than PIT.
That's what it smacks of to me too. I got in an argument in the bar that night with a guy that said it was a good idea. You never fire the GM and saddle yourself with a lame duck head coach while the other good candidates are scooped up by rival teams.
Rumors have it that Cindy also has a bunch of input on who the team should target in FA and trades. No wonder that team is so dysfunctional.
Firing Shero and not firing Bylsma......that's just odd to me. I'm wondering if it has something to do with "Cindy likes this coach so we'll keep him but build a different team around him". After all, what Cindy wants, Cindy gets.
The Letang contract is a terrible one and decisions like that hurt. I think not retaining Iginla for what they have up was another strike, and no way should this team only have one cup when Chicago has 2 and possibly a 3rd this year. Malkin had a bad year (because I picked him in my pool, of course)
Has Fleury been worse off since Talbot left? They were close.
Penguins fall to the Rangers, and social media / MSM are going crazy with speculation on what the changes might be. Bylsma out? Fleury gone? Malkin traded? Blow it up up up?
It couldn't happen to a better fanbase, as Leafers are already being tortured by the players and managment at MLSE.
