rottenrefs Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 Interesting https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/bill-guerin-named-general-manager-082119/c-308588060 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonkkis Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 Nice. Liked Guerin as a player a lot and from what I've read, he's a great personality. Hope he can steer this ship back onto a proper path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 Hopefully Leipold learned that a bromance isn’t the best way to decide on a GM... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Wild Hire Bill Guerin as GM, some thoughts... I share my thoughts on the hire. Hopefully the bromance isn't the Modano / Guerin version this time around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Check Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Interesting article! Guerin is in an unusually powerful position for a first time NHL GM. Leipold must be smart enough to realize that he can't possibly risk angering or thwarting virtually any Guerin decision short of a long term player buyout. A second GM fiasco within a short time frame would likely ruin the brand (arguably already teetering a bit). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynxrattle Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Well. Now we just hope Guerin is the right personality for the job and that Leipold makes it clear that it is Guerin who calls the shots from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenrefs Posted August 22, 2019 Author Share Posted August 22, 2019 I'm sure Leipold will teach him a thing or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 I'm cautiously optimistic for Guerin...but the last time the Wild hired someone from the Pittsburgh organization it was Mike Yeo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynxrattle Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 https://www.tsn.ca/new-wild-gm-guerin-facing-uphill-battle-in-minnesota-1.1354423 A Sportsnet article for those who missed it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 My favorite quote from Russo's article was: "This is why Guerin has said one of his first missions will be to talk in that locker room and do his best to convey to the players that it’s critical they all pull on the same rope, that they put the team in front of himself. " I can't wait to see how that plays out... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnarkill Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 I like this hire better than the other names that were floating around out there.. hopefully he can convey that message and if certain players don't listen they're shipped out or benched no matter what their price tag is. The locker room has needed someone to come in and clear out the cancerous players for a long while now and it needs to happen no matter if it sets the team back a few years or not. I'd rather be patient and see a proper rebuild that takes a handful of years than sit through more of this mediocre crap with tweaks and wishful thinking. This team needs to stop the "win now" mentality that isn't working and start building for the future a few years down the road with the hopes Kaprizov will come over and be one of those young pieces to build around. I have no problem watching a basement dwelling team for a couple years if there is a clear path they are taking to clear the books and improve in the long run. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blocker Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Will he be called "Wild Bill"? 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 @Gnarkill I agree 100% with your thinking. The big big problem with the Wild is they have an owner who is stomping around like Veruca Salt say “I want to win NOW!” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynxrattle Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Wild Bill Guerin and the shootdown at OK Retirement Home... I like that! Let's hope Leipold looks the other way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 8 hours ago, lynxrattle said: https://www.tsn.ca/new-wild-gm-guerin-facing-uphill-battle-in-minnesota-1.1354423 A Sportsnet article for those who missed it... Thanks for this. Interesting read. I thought the author was a bit overblown on some things (Guerin facing an uphill battle on player contracts? Nah, not so much...more like the uphill battle is convincing Leipold that some players may need to go...or for the owner to understand not to meddle in GM or coaching business), but other points he made regarding minutes reallocation and getting younger (still possible....but again, new GM will have to convince Leipold that moving out certain players is good for the team in the long run), make all the sense in the world. If Bruce Boudreau still really has his heart in coaching, and Guerin believes in him, then he should absolutely try to get the coach what he wants so he can ice a competitive team...even if building on the fly is being done in the short term. And the author points out the aging vets, and at the point those vets no longer are NHL viable, THEN hopefully, Guerin gets the freedom to do what a GM is supposed to do: go full rebuild. Pittsburgh has been famous for retooling on the fly so if Guerin has learned anything over there working under such business practices, then things don't necessarily have to hit rock bottom for this team to see improvement. But the "uphill battle" is, again, convincing the owner. I really am hoping Guerin's personality combined with his former player union rep persona, mixed in with his asst GM/GM experience can talk Leipold "down from the ledge"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starofthenorth Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Leipold is an absolute turd of an owner, has no plan, and doesn't give a shiite about the fans as long as they continue to fill the seats. Joked Leipold "Is it a rebuild? Is it a tweak? Is it a twerk? I don’t know." Well you should know Leopold you fuucking clown shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey-78 Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Another rookie GM but can't be worse than Big Egoton. I always feel it's better to have a former player as GM or a HC with years of playing experience, as a top pro. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandron Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Hockey-78 said: Another rookie GM but can't be worse than Big Egoton. I always feel it's better to have a former player as GM or a HC with years of playing experience, as a top pro. Agree with you. Kind of some optimism combined with some pessimism so far. Personal winning mentality of a professional successful player combined with a no real GM experience. Sincerely, I do not want to see out of him something extremely unusual/unpredictable like we have seen out of Paul Fenton. Of course, time will tell us based on what we will see through his first steps. Last year the first Fenton's step was drafting a not 1st round level player. Anyway, let's give to Bill Guerin a chance as we did for Fenton. Maybe that choice will be more effective than the previous one? So far no one knows. Too fresh, too greeny GM for our kind of oldish team. Maybe it is time to write something like that - Fan of the Wild? Think better Bill than Paul did . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 On 8/21/2019 at 7:49 PM, 4Check said: Interesting article! Guerin is in an unusually powerful position for a first time NHL GM. Leipold must be smart enough to realize that he can't possibly risk angering or thwarting virtually any Guerin decision short of a long term player buyout. A second GM fiasco within a short time frame would likely ruin the brand (arguably already teetering a bit). I agree...at the very least shaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 Paul Fenton was a former NHL'er though. He wasn't a star player, but I don't think that matters as much these days. Can you work with people, manage contracts and the salary cap, and can you instill a culture of accountability, respect and responsiveness from the front office on down? Fenton couldn't and that's why he got the axe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 Just saw this on Tom Chorske's Twitter feed. Enjoy the perspective. KSTP Interview on former teammates talking about Bill Guerin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynxrattle Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 Thanks for the link! From what I've heard, seen and read, I'm confident Guerin is the right kind of person for the job. In time we'll see if he's skilled enough, and if he's given the power needed to succeed. For the first time in a couple of years I'm quite hopeful about the Wild's future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey-78 Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 12 hours ago, CreaseAndAssist said: Paul Fenton was a former NHL'er though. He wasn't a star player, but I don't think that matters as much these days. Can you work with people, manage contracts and the salary cap, and can you instill a culture of accountability, respect and responsiveness from the front office on down? Fenton couldn't and that's why he got the axe. I was thinking more along the lines Guerin has been a part of well functioning groups, winning teams. He knows the state of mind in those situations and as a star player he was in a position where the expectations were high and which he had to meet. Fenton was a marginal player in crappy teams and then a staff member for 20 years in two expansion teams... if you want to win something I'd suppose it would be best to acquire someone who's won something before and not some sideshow act. I think being part of the elite in your trade gives you more perspective. Now, does the current Wild squad have a lot of players who've been part of a winning team in a key position? Apart from Koivu, captain of the WC team 8 years ago... yay. I'm sure Guerin has a lot to learn as a GM but instilling some winning culture mentality from top down makes sense to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 4 hours ago, Hockey-78 said: I’m sure Guerin has a lot to learn as a GM but instilling some winning culture mentality from top down makes sense to me. And that’s the thing. No one on the Wild has ever won anything (except the Masterton). I think it will be very interesting to see who wins in this Tug of War: the GM or the C and the A’s... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 (cough) We had Jennings Trophy winners once @IllaZilla, but yea...nothing else to write home about unless you want to toss in Jacques Lemaire's Jack Adams' Award too. Either way, I don't think we'll see miracles from Guerin, not this season at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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