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Who would be your top choice in Montreal for our GM?


REV-G

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Over the years I think enough has been said regarding MB as our GM, both good and bad. Let's not go there in this thread or debate what MB has done or not done.

 

Instead, just to have an interesting discussion and bring a little hope and some positive thinking, let's look into what Geoff Molson might be doing right now, especially those of you who follow the league closer, and see who would be our top choices as our next GM, not including MB. 

 

What do you think.  

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Madden looks like a good choice.

 

To take a realistic shot at answering the question, I would need a list of bilingual NHL executives or bilingual hockey people with executive experience. (Despite Serge Savard's success, I am dubious that someone with no prior executive experience can do the job).

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I think the only way to clean house in Montreal is some (non-victim) related scandal. I can't pretend to know any french speaking executive with experience other than the folks I've heard of here, Madden, Darche, Roy. I think Madden is waiting in the wings behind Murray in Anaheim. I'm just not educated enough in this area to even fathom a guess.

 

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1 hour ago, Habsfan89 said:

I think Martin Brodeur would be a good choice. But who ever it is i hope they don't keep anyone from this staff including Timmins. Just clean house and start fresh. 

 

I could see Brodeur as a President Hockey Operations ... for some reason not as GM

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I have no idea who the best candidates are out there, but it would be nice not to limit ourselves to French-speaking candidates with at least one of our next GM or coach.  The coach speaks to the media more often so let it be the GM.  Get Serge Savard or Brodeur as the president who can deal with public relations and a modern-thinking GM who will make us a top-class organization with a coherent developmental philosophy from the ground up.  I don't have much hope for this, unfortunately, as we are a backwards-facing organization with unrealistic standards based on our glorious history, and knee-capped by our singular language politics.

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29 minutes ago, Neech said:

I have no idea who the best candidates are out there, but it would be nice not to limit ourselves to French-speaking candidates with at least one of our next GM or coach.  The coach speaks to the media more often so let it be the GM.  Get Serge Savard or Brodeur as the president who can deal with public relations and a modern-thinking GM who will make us a top-class organization with a coherent developmental philosophy from the ground up.  I don't have much hope for this, unfortunately, as we are a backwards-facing organization with unrealistic standards based on our glorious history, and knee-capped by our singular language politics.

 

I agree that the Habs' GM chair should not be an affirmative action program for francophones; having one key managerial role (head coach) reserved for all time for bilingual candidates is already a sufficient narrowing of the talent pool. I also agree that having a French-speaking "associate GM" handle French media relations would probably work OK - but I will fall down on the floor in amazement if Molson has the vision and rigour to make such a decision and stick to it. He has all the spine of a wet noodle. So, a bilingual (and probably francophone) GM it is.

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 I think Molson needs to appoint a President first, a good hockey man, then find the best GM regardless of whether he speaks french or not. I would choose Damphouse as President but not GM, because of lack of experience.

 

While I am not knowledgeable of every other sport I don't know if there is any country or team that would not accept someone as long as they speak the native language, or languages, of the country they are in. Molson needs to break ground here and bring in the best GM. Not the best french speaking GM.

 

Experience has to be a priority. We've seen what happens when you bring in a former player who has no GM or management experience. 

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1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

... I also agree that having a French-speaking "associate GM" handle French media relations would probably work OK ...

I think it would likely have to be a French-speaking President of Hockey Operations, not A/GM, in order to satisfy the portion of the French media/fanbase that consider it to be a significant issue ... many/most of the French media/fanbase would prefer that the GM be Francophone or French-speaking, but I don't think that anywhere near a majority would make a BIG issue of it as long as the GM was legit and produced results.

 

1 hour ago, REV-G said:

 ... Experience has to be a priority. We've seen what happens when you bring in a former player who has no GM or management experience. 

I don't think that actual GM experience is a necessity (although it certainly would be nice) ... but the person definitely has have the necessary background and experience in the elements of being a GM ... not many really good experienced GMs are ever on the market ... as a result, the assistant GM / Player Personnel pool is where the best talent is too be found.

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Madden probably isn't going to be made available.  Bob Murray is 66 and has been speculated as a candidate to be fired for a while.  Guess who his successor is probably going to be?  The young executive that was promoted to AGM not that long ago as he continues to work his way up the ladder.  That's Madden.  If the Habs offered him the job, the Ducks would probably just promote Murray to team president/advisor and Madden would become the GM.

 

An off-the-board name would be Claude Loiselle and I think he speaks French (not 100% sure though).  He worked for the NHL for several years as the Associate Director of Hockey Operations after retiring and has AGM experience with Tampa Bay and Toronto.  However, he also hasn't been in the league the last few years in any sort of capacity and at 58, he's a bit old for a rookie GM.

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4 hours ago, Habsfan89 said:

I think Martin Brodeur would be a good choice. But who ever it is i hope they don't keep anyone from this staff including Timmins. Just clean house and start fresh. 

You think that there are zero capable people working for the Habs? Really? That's 60+ people you would like to arbitrarily throw on the street and start a hiring process for all the positions from scratch?

 

Uh huh.

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37 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

I

 

I don't think that actual GM experience is a necessity (although it certainly would be nice) ... but the person definitely has have the necessary background and experience in the elements of being a GM ... not many really good experienced GMs are ever on the market ... as a result, the assistant GM / Player Personnel pool is where the best talent is too be found.

 

Definitely doesn't need to be a recycled GM. In fact I am inclined to be skeptical of that. I have a completely unsubstantiated feeling that GMs on their second go-around often don't do nearly as well as they did the first time. Or maybe the Gainey experience has jaundiced my eye a bit. But it needs to be someone with solid front office experience IMHO.

 

Love the idea of a francophone team president. I think a buffer between GM and Molson isn't a bad idea in principle.

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2 hours ago, DON said:

Not a clue.

 

I don't have a clue either.  It's a big job with a lot of pressure, I want a GM who is willing to ignore fans who want to win right away. I want a patient, intelligent GM who wants to build through the draft and spends money wisely. . 

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7 hours ago, dlbalr said:

Madden probably isn't going to be made available.  Bob Murray is 66 and has been speculated as a candidate to be fired for a while.  Guess who his successor is probably going to be?  The young executive that was promoted to AGM not that long ago as he continues to work his way up the ladder.  That's Madden.  If the Habs offered him the job, the Ducks would probably just promote Murray to team president/advisor and Madden would become the GM.

 

 

Can't we double the Ducks' salary? Though GMing in Anaheim is a plum gig.

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6 hours ago, Neech said:

Can't we double the Ducks' salary? Though GMing in Anaheim is a plum gig.

They could certainly try to make an offer he can't refuse ... maybe even hire Michael Corleone to do the "negotiations" 

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23 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

They could certainly try to make an offer he can't refuse ... maybe even hire Michael Corleone to do the "negotiations" 

 

Let’s hope Madden owns a really impressive horse and is a heavy sleeper.

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On 11/5/2021 at 7:44 PM, dlbalr said:

Madden probably isn't going to be made available.  Bob Murray is 66 and has been speculated as a candidate to be fired for a while.  Guess who his successor is probably going to be?  The young executive that was promoted to AGM not that long ago as he continues to work his way up the ladder.  That's Madden.  If the Habs offered him the job, the Ducks would probably just promote Murray to team president/advisor and Madden would become the GM.

Interesting that with General Manager Bob Murray on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation related to professional conduct, Vice President of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager Jeff Solomon will assume the role of Interim General Manager ... that may be because he is more likely the replacement for Murray as Executive Vice President and would then lead the GM search, in which madden would be a (the leading?) candidate ... that assuming Murray is actually done.

 

EDIT: ***Might*** Bergevin be a candidate? 

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23 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Interesting that with General Manager Bob Murray on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation related to professional conduct, Vice President of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager Jeff Solomon will assume the role of Interim General Manager ... that may be because he is more likely the replacement for Murray as Executive Vice President and would then lead the GM search, in which madden would be a (the leading?) candidate ... that assuming Murray is actually done.

 

EDIT: ***Might*** Bergevin be a candidate? 

Or else he is the interim GM because he will get the permanent job if/when Murray is gone.

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2 hours ago, tomh009 said:

Or else he is the interim GM because he will get the permanent job if/when Murray is gone.

Entirely possible ... I did say ***may*** ... and was building on an earlier post suggesting that Madden was the likely next GM ... read somewhere that Solomon's executive experience is largely in contract negotiations, cap management and other administrative functions, but little if any on trades/drafting ... but, as when any vacancy opens up, the rumour mill is leaping into action:
 

 

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