Phoenix Coyotes clean out front office

[edicius 3,269]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=203743&hubname=nhl

Wayne's lucky he has part ownership of that team.

[Zeta Power 40 1]

Go Wayne! Go Wayne!

[Guest GodofHockeyStevieY19]

Give the great one some time. I think he'll be just fine behind the bench. I mean hell, its not like the yotes were any good when he first stepped behind the bench. Next year should be a different story.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Barnett was an agent? I didn't know that. That makes a lot of sense though: agents make awful GMs. You can't just switch from one side of the bargaining table to the other and expect it to work.

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Do you think Wayne went crazy and sacked everybody so he can run the whole franchise by himself?

[edicius 3,269]

Do you think Wayne went crazy and sacked everybody so he can run the whole franchise by himself?

How Lou Lamoriello-ish of him.

[auxlepli 17]

I hope the Yotes turn it around. Probably the only southwestern team I like.

I hate Sharks, Kings, Ducks and especially the Stars.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Lou , Is that you ?

Well , wayne can put a decent team canada roster together , maybe he wont ruin the yotes

[TheLegend19 1]

Give the great one some time. I think he'll be just fine behind the bench. I mean hell, its not like the yotes were any good when he first stepped behind the bench. Next year should be a different story.

Honestly, I disagree. In general, great players do not always make great (or even good) coaches. Decent players, who sometimes have their playing career cut short, usually make the best coaches (Bowman).

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Give the great one some time. I think he'll be just fine behind the bench. I mean hell, its not like the yotes were any good when he first stepped behind the bench. Next year should be a different story.

Heck, look what the Penguins have done. They only made the playoffs this year with the addition of Malkin and Staal but Crosby had 1 year in. Fleury's been around here and there for a bit. Whitney's been there a couple seasons. Orpik as well. It takes time to build a crappy team from the draft. The Pens have been doing it for a number of years now. Specifically, the Pens have been building their current core since 1999 with Ryan Malone. Orpik and Oulette were 2000. Armstrong and Welch 2001. Whitney and Talbot 2002. Fleury 2003. etc....

Here's what Phoenix has been doing the past few drafts:

2004

Enver Lisin RW

Blake Wheeler RW

2005

Martin Hanzal C

Peter Mueller C

Suffice to say, they haven't had the most success picking instant winners in the draft. However, if some of these guys pan out and Lisin shows what he can do full time next year, they should be better. Couple that with another high pick this season and potentially another after next season and they might get into the playoffs in 2008-2009 or 2009-2010.

Plus, I like Doan, Michalek, Jovanovki, Ballard, Kapanen, Boynton, Brendan Bell. They've got a decent group to build around. But when Steven Reinprecht is 3rd on your team with 33 points, saying there's a lot of work to do would be an understatement.

Fun (albeit frightening facts) Yotes had no 30 goal scorer. Only 1 20 goal scorer and no player with 30 assists. I guess they did lose some people at the deadline though. Nagy, Saprykin and Perrault. I think those guys had better numbers although none of them did spit after the trade deadline.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Wayne's lucky he has part ownership of that team.

Not really. It seems like his own arrogance is blinding him to the fact that he might not even realise that he's not the best coach. BUT the more the team suffers the more his own financial investment is impacted.

I just don't get how the 'yottes haven't had some good drafting outcomes for their mediocrity.

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Not really. It seems like his own arrogance is blinding him to the fact that he might not even realise that he's not the best coach. BUT the more the team suffers the more his own financial investment is impacted.

:clap:I don't think he realises that he IS the problem.

[Guest GodofHockeyStevieY19]

Honestly, I disagree. In general, great players do not always make great (or even good) coaches. Decent players, who sometimes have their playing career cut short, usually make the best coaches (Bowman).

Generally I totally agree with you. But in this case. I just have a feeling hes gonna be ok behind the bench. Wayne actually has added some good talent. And on paper they are actually a decent squad. Maybe Gretz will fail, maybe not. But Im thinking we should give him atleast another season before saying he's a bad coach. Im actually kinda rootin for him.

[Guest Crymson]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=203743&hubname=nhl

Wayne's lucky he has part ownership of that team.

Yeah; if he didn't, he'd be out of a job with only his tens of millions of dollars for comfort.

[Flip-check 6]

Yeah; if he didn't, he'd be out of a job with only his tens of millions of dollars for comfort.

It's a tough economy out there for sure.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Barnett, while somewhat of a questionable GM, was not the problem. Whine Gretzky is the problem, which everybody already knows. The Coyotes will never be successful with him behind the bench. And really, ever since Wayne has been part owner of that team, they've only made the playoffs once. There's your sign right there.

[evilmrt 636]

Barnett, while somewhat of a questionable GM, was not the problem. Whine Gretzky is the problem, which everybody already knows. The Coyotes will never be successful with him behind the bench. And really, ever since Wayne has been part owner of that team, they've only made the playoffs once. There's your sign right there.

And to follow this up, all I have to say is.....

They waived Briere.

What else needs to be said?

Good luck to Barry Smith, I'm glad he got out before the whole ship sank. This team won't last in Phoenix for many more seasons.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Barnett, while somewhat of a questionable GM, was not the problem. Whine Gretzky is the problem, which everybody already knows. The Coyotes will never be successful with him behind the bench. And really, ever since Wayne has been part owner of that team, they've only made the playoffs once. There's your sign right there.

In Wayne's defense, that management team is really the only one he's ever hired. And now he and the rest of the ownership has made the decision that's not working. Mike Barnett was Gretzky's agent - that says it all right there. Hopefully for this next round of hires, Wayne-o will learn not to just hire his friends, and he'll go out and hire an actual GM with actual experience. If he doesn't learn that lesson and his next management team is another quasi-nepotist hiring that keeps Phoenix on the mediocrity track, then we can truly say the problem is Gretzky.

[motorcitykid 42]

Honestly, I disagree. In general, great players do not always make great (or even good) coaches.

Same as hockey analysts, usually the best ones are goalies.

Wayne sucks as a head coach and he's had time there to prove otherwise. A s***ty team? Tell that to coaches who have done more with less with other teams.

He only got his foot in the door because his old agent is Mike Barnett. Resign, bring in someone fresh and step up to GM or similar like he does with Hockey Canada. I can't stand these huge ego guys who you can't get rid of once they grab a position.

[Kp-Wings 3]

In Wayne's defense, that management team is really the only one he's ever hired. And now he and the rest of the ownership has made the decision that's not working. Mike Barnett was Gretzky's agent - that says it all right there. Hopefully for this next round of hires, Wayne-o will learn not to just hire his friends, and he'll go out and hire an actual GM with actual experience. If he doesn't learn that lesson and his next management team is another quasi-nepotist hiring that keeps Phoenix on the mediocrity track, then we can truly say the problem is Gretzky.

Yeah, you're right in that sense. Barnett had no GM expeirence at all, and probably was in there just because he was Waynes friend.

With the new managment team approaching, he'll probably be given about 2-3 seasons for improvement. If no improvment is made by then, with the Coyotes are still finishing last in the division and being the only NHL team to actually be losing money, then a change should seriously be considered. And that change will involve removing Gretzky as coach.