I get the idea of removing the front office - but like coaches; who do we replace them with? Ovie's already been labeled a coach-killer; what management team better than what we already have be tempted to come here? I know player and systems - not GM's I'm afraid.
And why do you trade Ovie? First off, how pissed off do you think Ovie is right now? Russia finally won gold in men's hockey and he wasn't there. And while Russians love winning the Cup, to them the biggest award is the gold medal and he will probably never get one .... though his buddies Datsyuk and Kovalchuck did. We better keep a close eye on him b/c of the possibility of him just heading home.
Secondly, his contract. It is a team killer. Is his 50-or-so goals worth it via the market, yes. But if you can get more in the way of quality players, then I would go that route. How many playoffs do we have to watch where the other team double-teams, or whatever, Ovie and our goal productions goes down the pisser. I'm not in hockey, but even I can think that one up. I'd just rather have two 60-70 pointers that will show up ever shift and play D than just Ovie.
Third - I kind of just touched on it. His attitude. In no way should he be the captain. How often do we see him not show up. How often does the term glide-by be used in reference to his idea of team-D. And while all of this bullshit is going on, you are barking at the likes of Wilson and Eller to keep them skating at 110%. Sooner or later that starts to kill the locker room - which a couple of ex-Caps have already hinted at.
Well, let me check on Monster for GMs . . . heh i jest.
I really don't care about the name, but if it where my choice it'd be first, someone from outside the organization . . .other than that, ta new Pres and his GM would need to have an immense and detailed knowledge of the team, division and conference, with an grand strategy of how to beat everyone in it . . . and mostly, which goes with both of them do what ever it takes.
As far as Ovie,when you said it 5 years ago it was quite brilliant. We could of gotten a mint for him. But the realty is, he's over 30, and his faults, and contract that you accurately brought up are known through out the league more than we know it. If he does that for a typically high seed playoff team that has built the organization around him, . . .what we he do if he was traded somewhere else, like say Phoenix? Or how could another contending team fir his contract under there Cap with out sending in back to us. . .
About the only realistic destination to increase his effort, give us a worth while return and rejuvenate him is Vegas. . .but that that is still unlikely.
So that trading him now, and getting fair return and cap space from it (ire not being like Jagr when we said "please anyone take him", the choice is pretty clear. He's said all the "right things" a Captain and star will say, like hell with the individual stats, the Cup is most imprortant, yada yada yadda, . . call him out on it.
And support this by scrapping a system that is solely based on giving him a one timer from the slot. Demand and force him to be a complete player, play him both sides, make him kill penalties, have him screen the net on the Power Plays, . . .and most importantly, make him hit again!!
A significant part of his issues HAS to be the result, even if subconscious of this organization making everything about him. If the fascination of one way forwards, puck moving Dman, and video game systems this organization is not significantly for Ovie, and his 700 (along with the income), then Patrick and his staff have no business running a Home Depot let alone a NHL team.
So, take that away. Hell get his goal regardless, but either he becomes a complete player. . .or we use him a decoy til he goes to the KHL.
Its a pretty shitty situation in terms of getting a Cup winning team. . . . but the 700+ marketing campaign is doing great
