Updated Todd McLellan OUT of the Running Sabres HC Position

[dudacek]

23 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I don't care if Sobotka had ROR level of faceoff skills, when the rest of your game is such trash this doesn't make up for it. 

Analytics say Scandella has been on a decline starting with his last year in Minnesota and continuing into now. 

Recency bias ?

(Eye test says Scandella was good in Minnesota, pretty good his first year in Buffalo and not so good this year too.)

Edited April 9, 2019 by dudacek

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Regency bias ?

(Eye test says Scandella was good in Minnesota, pretty good his first year in Buffalo and not so good this year too.)

I said started to decline. His best year was the year before he left Minnesota. Since then he has declined. The stats show that very thing. This year, maybe he declined enough to be truly bad. 

[SDS]

34 minutes ago, SwampD said:

So you saw it naturally and the coach needed stats to see it.

Soooo, stats are used to show stupid people how the game works?

I would say my time constant for observing certain aspects of play was much shorter than his. I could see trends in 30 days that would take him 6 months, if at all. However, that doesn't mean I don't have my own set of biases that he could call me out on. 

So, I would say how much information can we ask one person to consume visually, process over time, and what is their lag before their opinion moves? 

The best we could ever hope for is for a coach's observational capacity to approach what the numbers tell you day by day, minute by minute. I don;'t think there is a scenario where the numbers catch up to the coach's observation.

[Brawndo]

FWIW McLellan was on a commercial flight from Vancouver to Toronto last evening. 

[LTS]

3 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

FWIW McLellan was on a commercial flight from Vancouver to Toronto last evening. 

Well, he's going to Buffalo anyway right?  So that was to be expected.  His kid is playing this weekend right?

[Brawndo]

Just now, LTS said:

Well, he's going to Buffalo anyway right?  So that was to be expected.  His kid is playing this weekend right?

Yes, but there was some speculation out of LA that he might be making his decision last night or today. This appears to lean against that. 

[#freejame]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

It's okay, @JJFIVEOH, I got your back.

While I disagree with JJ on this particular issue, I’m all for the display of unity. 

[dejeanerret]

Bottom line it's difficult to gauge a players performance based on how Housley used him.

Sobotka even came out stating his scoring took a hit based on the role Housley assigned him.  Once a new coach comes in that may change.

I'm reserving judgement

[Claude_Verret]

It's a free country, root for whatever team you want.....

But the friggin Canes coached by Brind'amour no less. Really?  No memory of 2006? Maybe the Bruins can hire Brad Park as coach next year and I can adopt them as my "second team." 

 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Claude_Verret

[eman]

Eric Duhatschek for TSN reporting that McLellan is close to being the guy to replace Housley. Implying this is almost a done deal as the announcement may come later tonight or tomorrow. Has JBot sand McLellan even met in person yet? (or was this an over the phone thing?) Duhatschek may be wrong but he's put it out there if you go to TSN.ca and read the article on McLellan and the Sabres.

[LGR4GM]

23 hours ago, Brawndo said:

 

 

16 minutes ago, eman said:

Eric Duhatschek for TSN reporting that McLellan is close to being the guy to replace Housley. Implying this is almost a done deal as the announcement may come later tonight or tomorrow. Has JBot sand McLellan even met in person yet? (or was this an over the phone thing?) Duhatschek may be wrong but he's put it out there if you go to TSN.ca and read the article on McLellan and the Sabres.

Yup. Duhatschek tweeted this info yesterday. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by LGR4GM

[Derrico]

So this isn't new developments then?  Not being snarky, just making sure.   I think I've talked myself into AV so I hope not.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Derrico said:

So this isn't new developments then?  Not being snarky, just making sure.   I think I've talked myself into AV so I hope not.

no, there is not new info. The TSN article is this from yesterday: https://www.tsn.ca/mclellan-leading-candidate-for-sabres-vacancy-1.1287171

[eman]

20 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

Yup. Duhatschek tweeted this info yesterday. 

They must be meeting shortly then if things sound close. Maybe Jbots had him in mind for a bit and much was done by phone? This one is moving fast as it seems the Kings are sliding out of McLellans picture.

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, eman said:

They must be meeting shortly then if things sound close. Maybe Jbots had him in mind for a bit and much was done by phone? This one is moving fast as it seems the Kings are sliding out of McLellans picture.

I don't that is the case at all. I think he was mulling over the LA offer and Buffalo came in. Now he is meeting with Buffalo when he comes for the Frozen Four. Probably he was called Monday about Buffalo's job and that info got leaked and someone ran with it. 

[IKnowPhysics]

I think the timeline breaks down like this (times EST, rounded to nearest half hour)):

• November 4 2018: Kings fire Stevens, name Desjardin as interim.
• November 20 2018: Oilers fire McLellan, name Hitchcock as replacement.
• Sunday April 7
  • 1pm: Sabres twtter announces firing Housley.
  • 2pm: Kings twitter announces Desjardin will not return.
  • 4:30pm: LeBrun reports Kings asked permission from Oilers to talk to McLellan.
• Monday April 8
  • 11am: Bernstein reports Kings offer of long term contract to McLellan; updates at 12pm to be a five year contract.
  • 1:30pm: Duhatschek reports "McLellan closing in on an agreement" with Sabres.
  • 2pm: Pagnotta reports that Kings got permission from Oilers to speak McLellan much eariler; presented five year contract a while ago. Kings plan to speak with McLellan again as early as Monday afternoon.  McKenzie believes that no contract exists yet between McLellan and Buffalo and that LA/BUF are both in the mix; confirms that McLellan was going to Buffalo anyways to watch his son play in the Frozen Four and will meet with "Buffalo hierarchy" on this trip.  By this point, several pundits believe McLellan is the #1 choice for both Kings and Sabres.
  • 7pm: McLellan spotted by @MaloneTML waiting for a flight from VAN to TOR; McLellan was thought to be at his summer home in Penticton (close-ish to VAN; no direct flights from Kelowna to TOR or VAN to BUF).
• Tuesday April 9
  • 2:30pm Todd's son Tyson McLellan takes the ice in DU's first practice; practices are open to the public.  DU plays Mass at 8:30 on Thursday.

[LTS]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Yes, but there was some speculation out of LA that he might be making his decision last night or today. This appears to lean against that. 

True.  One would have to think that at this point you wait until after tonight to make your decision.  

Why wouldn't you want to see where your new employer will be drafting?  It might not have a huge sway, but if the Kings move to 1 and the Sabres fall to 7 it could create a potential difference.

That said, as I think about it... aren't all the GM's in Toronto tonight anyway and they are probably tied up with this whole process.  Guess he'll be in town to chat with the GMs anyway. ?

[Rasmus_]

25 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

I think the timeline breaks down like this (times EST, rounded to nearest half hour)):

• November 4 2018: Kings fire Stevens, name Desjardin as interim.
• November 20 2018: Oilers fire McLellan, name Hitchcock as replacement.
• Sunday April 7
  • 1pm: Sabres twtter announces firing Housley.
  • 2pm: Kings twitter announces Desjardin will not return.
  • 4:30pm: LeBrun reports Kings asked permission from Oilers to talk to McLellan.
• Monday April 8
  •  11am: Bernstein reports Kings offer of long term contract to McLellan; updates at 12pm to be a five year contract.
  • 1:30pm: Duhatschek reports "McLellan closing in on an agreement" with Sabres.
  • 2pm: Pagnotta reports that Kings got permission from Oilers to speak McLellan much eariler; presented five year contract a while ago. Kings plan to speak with McLellan again as early as Monday afternoon.  McKenzie believes that no contract exists yet between McLellan and Buffalo and that LA/BUF are both in the mix; confirms that McLellan was going to Buffalo anyways to watch his son play in the Frozen Four and will meet with "Buffalo hierarchy" on this trip.  By this point, several pundits believe McLellan is the #1 choice for both Kings and Sabres.
  •  7pm: McLellan spotted by @MaloneTML waiting for a flight from VAN to TOR; McLellan was thought to be at his summer home in Penticton (close-ish to VAN; no direct flights from Kelowna to TOR or VAN to BUF).
• Tuesday April 9
  • 2:30pm Todd's son Tyson McLellan takes the ice in DU's first practice; practices are open to the public.  DU plays Mass at 8:30 on Thursday.

 

Such a concise well put together post!  Nice points that I wasn't aware of!

[PASabreFan]

3 hours ago, Claude_Verret said:

It's a free country, root for whatever team you want.....

But the friggin Canes coached by Brind'amour no less. Really?  No memory of 2006? Maybe the Bruins can hire Brad Park as coach next year and I can adopt them as my "second team." 

 

@New Scotland (NS)

29 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

I think the timeline breaks down like this (times EST, rounded to nearest half hour)):

• November 4 2018: Kings fire Stevens, name Desjardin as interim.
• November 20 2018: Oilers fire McLellan, name Hitchcock as replacement.
• Sunday April 7
  • 1pm: Sabres twtter announces firing Housley.
  • 2pm: Kings twitter announces Desjardin will not return.
  • 4:30pm: LeBrun reports Kings asked permission from Oilers to talk to McLellan.
• Monday April 8
  • 11am: Bernstein reports Kings offer of long term contract to McLellan; updates at 12pm to be a five year contract.
  • 1:30pm: Duhatschek reports "McLellan closing in on an agreement" with Sabres.
  • 2pm: Pagnotta reports that Kings got permission from Oilers to speak McLellan much eariler; presented five year contract a while ago. Kings plan to speak with McLellan again as early as Monday afternoon.  McKenzie believes that no contract exists yet between McLellan and Buffalo and that LA/BUF are both in the mix; confirms that McLellan was going to Buffalo anyways to watch his son play in the Frozen Four and will meet with "Buffalo hierarchy" on this trip.  By this point, several pundits believe McLellan is the #1 choice for both Kings and Sabres.
  • 7pm: McLellan spotted by @MaloneTML waiting for a flight from VAN to TOR; McLellan was thought to be at his summer home in Penticton (close-ish to VAN; no direct flights from Kelowna to TOR or VAN to BUF).
• Tuesday April 9
  • 2:30pm Todd's son Tyson McLellan takes the ice in DU's first practice; practices are open to the public.  DU plays Mass at 8:30 on Thursday.

Outstanding.

[Brawndo]

48 minutes ago, LTS said:

True.  One would have to think that at this point you wait until after tonight to make your decision.  

Why wouldn't you want to see where your new employer will be drafting?  It might not have a huge sway, but if the Kings move to 1 and the Sabres fall to 7 it could create a potential difference.

That said, as I think about it... aren't all the GM's in Toronto tonight anyway and they are probably tied up with this whole process.  Guess he'll be in town to chat with the GMs anyway. ?

Considering he the last team he coached is a case study in “Why Winning the Draft Lottery Doesn’t Translate to Winning On The Ice” this probably is a smaller factor then we think. 

He does face an interesting choice though Lisa Dilman from the Athletic wrote an article on why he is a fit for LA 

The right coach at the right time for the Kings is someone who can survey the wreckage of a lost season, take the good that is still left and meld it with the next generation of players.

At this particular stage of their development, the Kings need someone with that skill set. Already they’ve gone on record saying they aren’t going into full rebuild and won’t be ripping it apart by trading everyone.

Which is why Todd McLellan, who most recently coached in Edmonton, is the best man for the job now that the Kings have moved on from interim coach Willie Desjardins. The Kings recently received permission from the Oilers to talk with him, a source told The Athletic.

(The Ducks, while having some degree of interest in McLellan, are more likely to go with a younger coach.)

The Kings’ situation isn’t like the last-place Ottawa Senators, who will need to find a coach they can build and grow with after basically tearing it down. The Senators have different needs and priorities.

Los Angeles is not that team.

The Kings have money and term committed to the likes of captain Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty, for starters, and it would be the wrong time to blow it up.

The beauty of having two first-round draft picks in June, especially one in the top five that could be close to NHL-ready, is you might not have to take a massive number of steps back. What they need is someone who can be a steward over a team in transition.

That is the hardest thing to do in the NHL.

A lot of times you hope you still have a couple of championship pushes left, but often you don’t. The Kings owe it to their fan base and core to at least try.

Before Edmonton, McLellan was an assistant under Mike Babcock with the Red Wings and coached for seven seasons in San Jose. Kings general manager Rob Blake played for McLellan at the end of Blake’s Hall of Fame career, from 2008 to 2010.

“He’s coached junior hockey and he’s had experiences in developing and being a coach in an environment where you’ve got to develop young players,” said Red Wings GM Ken Holland, who hired McLellan in 2005 at the behest of Babcock.

“At the same time, he’s coached Joe Thornton, coached (Joe) Pavelski, (Brent) Burns, veteran players.”

What Holland was talking about is a good steward who has worked well with younger players and older players. That’s what Gerard Gallant, for instance, has been able to do so successfully with the Vegas Golden Knights and before that, the Florida Panthers.

 

 

Would he rather coach a team with veteran leadership that getting past its prime or one with younger leadership? 

I agree that he should take his time and explore his options. Or at the very least he should enjoy the Frozen Four with this family.

1 hour ago, IKnowPhysics said:

I think the timeline breaks down like this (times EST, rounded to nearest half hour)):

• November 4 2018: Kings fire Stevens, name Desjardin as interim.
• November 20 2018: Oilers fire McLellan, name Hitchcock as replacement.
• Sunday April 7
  • 1pm: Sabres twtter announces firing Housley.
  • 2pm: Kings twitter announces Desjardin will not return.
  • 4:30pm: LeBrun reports Kings asked permission from Oilers to talk to McLellan.
• Monday April 8
  • 11am: Bernstein reports Kings offer of long term contract to McLellan; updates at 12pm to be a five year contract.
  • 1:30pm: Duhatschek reports "McLellan closing in on an agreement" with Sabres.
  • 2pm: Pagnotta reports that Kings got permission from Oilers to speak McLellan much eariler; presented five year contract a while ago. Kings plan to speak with McLellan again as early as Monday afternoon.  McKenzie believes that no contract exists yet between McLellan and Buffalo and that LA/BUF are both in the mix; confirms that McLellan was going to Buffalo anyways to watch his son play in the Frozen Four and will meet with "Buffalo hierarchy" on this trip.  By this point, several pundits believe McLellan is the #1 choice for both Kings and Sabres.
  • 7pm: McLellan spotted by @MaloneTML waiting for a flight from VAN to TOR; McLellan was thought to be at his summer home in Penticton (close-ish to VAN; no direct flights from Kelowna to TOR or VAN to BUF).
• Tuesday April 9
  • 2:30pm Todd's son Tyson McLellan takes the ice in DU's first practice; practices are open to the public.  DU plays Mass at 8:30 on Thursday.

If this Physics Gig doesn’t work out, the FBI has a Position for you 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

@PASabreFan

(insert power puke thingie right here ...)

[WildCard]

The Oilers fans' comments are terrifying 

 

[calti]

its so sad what has become of this proud franchise in the past 7yrs

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

The Oilers fans' comments are terrifying 

 

Constantly changes lines? Barf. Watched Phil Horsley change working lines enough. I'll pass on a coach like that. 

[calti]

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

The Oilers fans' comments are terrifying 

 

this couldnt possibly be true..could it??