Jump to content

OT: Bad GMs


IKnowPhysics

Recommended Posts

I won't break my own rule, so this isn't an official entry, but I just pieced together that Jay Feaster took the Tampa Bay Lightning from Cup winners in '04 down to dead last finishers three seasons later. No wonder he's bungling it up in Calgary.

 

I don't want to pick on the Blue Jackets, but there's a reason they're ###### bad, and it's not because they're an expansion team. My answer: Doug MacLean, Blue Jackets GM from February 1998 until June 2007.

- MacLean ###### things up for NINE YEARS while the Blue Jackets started their franchise and went 178-252-62 over seven seasons (0.425 points percentage! 0.425!)

- The Blue Jackets never had a winning season and they never made the playoffs in those seven seasons.

- He fired his head coach in January of 2003 (midseason!), and took over the role himself until January 2004 (midseason again!), when he promoted his assistant coach, whom he later fired in November of 2006 (midseason again!).

- His drafting especially atrocious, as he collected what might the biggest collection of busts and disappointingly marginal players with the highest possible picks. Klesla (4th overall), Leclaire (8th overall), Picard (8th overall), Brule (6th overall), Zherdev (4th overall), Brassard (6th overall). His only legitimate selection in the first round, Rick Nash, was a no-brainer pick at 1st overall, although he did engineer the trade to move up from the 3rd overall selection.

- His inevitable demise came after a season in which the Blue Jackets set a modern day NHL record: most times being shut out in a season at 16.

 

Under MacLean, the Blue Jackets were buried from day one and five years after MacLean's departure, they're still unburying themselves.

Great choice. If you ever listen to MacLean on FAN590 Hockey Central during hockey season, he loves to piss all over Howson despite himself being a joke of a GM for that same team prior to Howson taking over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I recall correctly, there is no other version of Scotty Bowman as GM. That is why he came to Buffalo. One could argue that it's a clear indication that, IMO, the greatest coach ever was a lousy GM ... he never got another chance, again, if I recall correctly.

Nope, he'd been GM in St. Louis as well as coaching there.

I won't break my own rule, so this isn't an official entry, but I just pieced together that Jay Feaster took the Tampa Bay Lightning from Cup winners in '04 down to dead last finishers three seasons later. No wonder he's bungling it up in Calgary.

 

I don't want to pick on the Blue Jackets, but there's a reason they're ###### bad, and it's not because they're an expansion team. My answer: Doug MacLean, Blue Jackets GM from February 1998 until June 2007.

- MacLean ###### things up for NINE YEARS while the Blue Jackets started their franchise and went 178-252-62 over seven seasons (0.425 points percentage! 0.425!)

- The Blue Jackets never had a winning season and they never made the playoffs in those seven seasons.

- He fired his head coach in January of 2003 (midseason!), and took over the role himself until January 2004 (midseason again!), when he promoted his assistant coach, whom he later fired in November of 2006 (midseason again!).

- His drafting especially atrocious, as he collected what might the biggest collection of busts and disappointingly marginal players with the highest possible picks. Klesla (4th overall), Leclaire (8th overall), Picard (8th overall), Brule (6th overall), Zherdev (4th overall), Brassard (6th overall). His only legitimate selection in the first round, Rick Nash, was a no-brainer pick at 1st overall, although he did engineer the trade to move up from the 3rd overall selection.

- His inevitable demise came after a season in which the Blue Jackets set a modern day NHL record: most times being shut out in a season at 16.

 

Under MacLean, the Blue Jackets were buried from day one and five years after MacLean's departure, they're still unburying themselves.

MacLean was bad. I'd give the nod to Don Waddell in relatively current times.

 

Irving Grundman yutzed up a pretty solid machine in Moe-ray-all, but not so bad that Savard couldn't rebuild it. My nod would probably go to Gerry McNamara of the Loafs. His squads were consistantly battling Detroit for 5th in the Snorris throughout the '80's. Sometimes they'd miss out on 5th and have to play a few playoff games, but they pulled it off several times.

 

Trader Phil Esposito gets an (dis)honorable mention.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...