The other issue is, if Berube is retained, he's going to have the mindset that he's coaching for his life. That can lead to short term decisions that hurt long term situations.

Whether he was great or bad, the GM basically hanging him out in limbo isn't a good place to be in.
- Jsaquella

Its definitely not an ideal situation and I think it was pretty evident that Hexy felt bad about that part - leaving Chief in limbo. But like he said, he's not going to rush a decision just to appease either the media/fanbase or the coach.

It seems to me that its a wait and see because there's not a complete picture of available candidates yet. I could be wrong, but I don't think it will matter that much if a few more weeks or even a month go by without replacing him, if that's his ultimate decision.

Agreed. If a decision is made in a week or 2, no big deal. However if he waits til late May or June or worse yet, brings him back as a lame duck, I just can't see how that helps the team whatsoever.
- BiggE

So you're moving off of your stance of it's poop or get off the pot time from earlier?

it really doesn't matter who becomes available. if you have decided berube isn't your guy then you dismiss him asap. You don't keep him because you didn't get coach x.

if you want to replace him and it is clear they do then he should be gone already. otherwise you say he will be back. then you go talk to coach x and if you get him you just say options changed. Hextall is making this a circus and it shouldn't be.

Probably but Berube just kept rolling the same the gold there.
The guy has to not be afraid to make adjustments and try new things!
- 3flyerkids

Berube made countless changes to the lineup, and the lines, repeatedly throughout the season. If Berube had made some of the changes that have been suggested, it's a guarantee that he would've been criticized for that.

Bottom line when the lost Timonen and for large parts of the season due to injury, with the injury to Matt Read that limited his effectiveness. Umberger didn't play well. Lecavalier wasn't a fit anywhere. No legitimate top defensive pairing. All leads to a tough season.

Probably but Berube just kept rolling the same the gold there.
The guy has to not be afraid to make adjustments and try new things!
- 3flyerkids

Exactly
They had a skilled dman on the roster in MDZ and a skilled forward in Akeson, plus a guy that could work down low in Raffl. Why not try:

1st unit 2nd unit
Giroux Akeson
Streit MDZ
Voracek Couturier
Schenn Raffl
Simmonds Simmonds

No, that is not a misprint above. Simmonds should have been doubleshifted on the pp in the same way they used to do with Tim Kerr. He doesn't kill penalties so ice time is not a big issue, and he could have just hung back around the blue line if the puck came out of the zone to conserve his energy.

You can't defend Berube's handling of the 2nd pp unit, it is indefensible.

So you're moving off of your stance of it's poop or get off the pot time from earlier?
- MJL

I think we're all leaving out the crucial step of wiping before he gets off the pot. As in wipe up this mess of a season and flush it down the toilet.

it really doesn't matter who becomes available. if you have decided berube isn't your guy then you dismiss him asap. You don't keep him because you didn't get coach x.

if you want to replace him and it is clear they do then he should be gone already. otherwise you say he will be back. then you go talk to coach x and if you get him you just say options changed. Hextall is making this a circus and it shouldn't be.
- rinaldo

Exactly, thank you.

Exactly
They had a skilled dman on the roster in MDZ and a skilled forward in Akeson, plus a guy that could work down low in Raffl. Why not try:

1st unit 2nd unit
Giroux Akeson
Streit MDZ
Voracek Couturier
Schenn Raffl
Simmonds Simmonds

No, that is not a misprint above. Simmonds should have been doubleshifted on the pp in the same way they used to do with Tim Kerr. He doesn't kill penalties so ice time is not a big issue, and he could have just hung back around the blue line if the puck came out of the zone to conserve his energy.

You can't defend Berube's handling of the 2nd pp unit, it is indefensible.
- BiggE

I don't know why they never tried anything like that.

I think we're all leaving out the crucial step of wiping before he gets off the pot. As in wipe up this mess of a season and flush it down the toilet.
- kellyblaise7

Agreed. If a decision is made in a week or 2, no big deal. However if he waits til late May or June or worse yet, brings him back as a lame duck, I just can't see how that helps the team whatsoever.
- BiggE

To Hextall's credit he did say he wants to make the decision soon, out of respect for Berube.

I just don't see wht other data is needed to process the decision.

I think they roll with him for one more year

You didn't turf him by today, have no way of knowing if McLellan even wants to come or has other options he prefers, looks like Tippett's staying in Arizona and you know everybody's going to offer Babcock as much cash as you and probably the control he wants

Plus, you don't even know if the roster is good enough to win with another coach -- there are reasons to believe they got exactly what they deserved, within five or so points

To Hextall's credit he did say he wants to make the decision soon, out of respect for Berube.

I just don't see wht other data is needed to process the decision.
- Jsaquella

Just as I thought would happen... I have to admit to losing a bit of confidence in Hexy after today.

Its definitely not an ideal situation and I think it was pretty evident that Hexy felt bad about that part - leaving Chief in limbo. But like he said, he's not going to rush a decision just to appease either the media/fanbase or the coach.

It seems to me that its a wait and see because there's not a complete picture of available candidates yet. I could be wrong, but I don't think it will matter that much if a few more weeks or even a month go by without replacing him, if that's his ultimate decision.
- kellyblaise7

I guess that part bugs me because I see no other occurrence that changes the data on the decision. The season is done, there's no more gems to evaluate, no more evidence coming in good or bad for Berube.

And if he is waiting to see who is out there, he's sending the message that Berube is his second choice and that's potentially asking for trouble down the rod.

Exactly, thank you.
- BiggE

Well that's taking the stance that anyone is better than what you have, right? If that's the case, then I don't agree with that. I don't think you fire someone who's laid a decent foundation, which is how Bill described what he believed to be the front office's opinion of Chief's job. Not without a recovery plan anyway.

But I still think they will land what they deem to be an upgrade in the coming weeks or month. I understand everyone's frustration too. It's exciting when changes are made because it brings an element of hope that things will get better soon, which is what we all want.

I don't know why they never tried anything like that.
- benjichronic

Because Akeson didn't work hard enough to appease the coach so he was buried.

Funny, Edmonton won a cup in 1990 with Petr Klima on the roster. Klima was a highly skilled but often lazy player. However, Edmonton recognized that there were times when you just need skill in the lineup and you need to look past the players faults in other areas.

Players don't all fit the same mold. Akeson is never going to give you what White or Bellemare give you. OTOH, neither White nor Bellemare is going to make a creative play with the puck on the pp.

It's the little things like this that separate the average coaches from the good ones. The average coach gets his players, for the most part to play well, but fails to think outside the box. The good coach gets his players to play to their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. Guys like Akeson and VLC are round pegs in square holes on a grinding/energy line. They need to play with other skilled players to succeed.

To Hextall's credit he did say he wants to make the decision soon, out of respect for Berube.

I just don't see wht other data is needed to process the decision.
- Jsaquella

Me neither

Well that's taking the stance that anyone is better than what you have, right? If that's the case, then I don't agree with that. I don't think you fire someone who's laid a decent foundation, which is how Bill described what he believed to be the front office's opinion of Chief's job. Not without a recovery plan anyway.

But I still think they will land what they deem to be an upgrade in the coming weeks or month. I understand everyone's frustration too. It's exciting when changes are made because it brings an element of hope that things will get better soon, which is what we all want.
- kellyblaise7

No its taking the stance that there are better options than Craig Berube already coaching in the AHL and even perhaps Junior that would already be available to move up to the big league. And lets face it, after the 1st round of the playoffs even more coaches will likely become available. Unless Hextall is truly undecided, the move needed to be made today.

And, if he is undecided, well then, a decision needs to be made asap.

To Hextall's credit he did say he wants to make the decision soon, out of respect for Berube.

I just don't see wht other data is needed to process the decision.
- Jsaquella

Consider that he was actually politely lying about not waiting for another candidate to come available.

Also, consider that the whole "lame duck coach" thing is an invention of agents who represent coaches. They are coming to this conclusion in football (link: http://www.sportsonearth....-joe-philbin-chuck-pagano) and it's probably also true of other sports as well.

Exactly
They had a skilled dman on the roster in MDZ and a skilled forward in Akeson, plus a guy that could work down low in Raffl. Why not try:

1st unit 2nd unit
Giroux Akeson
Streit MDZ
Voracek Couturier
Schenn Raffl
Simmonds Simmonds

No, that is not a misprint above. Simmonds should have been doubleshifted on the pp in the same way they used to do with Tim Kerr. He doesn't kill penalties so ice time is not a big issue, and he could have just hung back around the blue line if the puck came out of the zone to conserve his energy.

You can't defend Berube's handling of the 2nd pp unit, it is indefensible.
- BiggE

Akeson at this point is nothing more then a minor league player, that may never be a regular NHL player at this point. It's up in the air whether he can be an NHL player at any level, let along come in and change the fortunes of the 2nd PP unit. That is what is indefensible.
Again, if the puck is established and set up, if they don't create chances and get the puck to the net, playing Simmonds on the second unit wouldn't change a lot. The 2nd unit needs a Giroux, Voracek, or Streit, not a Simmonds.

I guess that part bugs me because I see no other occurrence that changes the data on the decision. The season is done, there's no more gems to evaluate, no more evidence coming in good or bad for Berube.

And if he is waiting to see who is out there, he's sending the message that Berube is his second choice and that's potentially asking for trouble down the rod.
- Jsaquella

So to your first point, I think we can take it as what Bill heard was accurate and the front office believes he laid a good foundation with a weak roster.

Your second is a good point too, like a double lame duck, so to speak. I guess the only way that becomes public is if they try to contact a potential replacement, but don't land the guy and he goes somewhere else. That'd be a bad scenario for sure.

I guess that part bugs me because I see no other occurrence that changes the data on the decision. The season is done, there's no more gems to evaluate, no more evidence coming in good or bad for Berube.

And if he is waiting to see who is out there, he's sending the message that Berube is his second choice and that's potentially asking for trouble down the rod.
- Jsaquella

There isn't any more data to collect, that is absolutely true. And I really don't think he's waiting for another coach to get the gate -- you already know there's going to one champion and everybody else is going to lose. You don't know who's gonna the gate, but you know who is already coaching and who is more likely than not to walk or get a shiv

What you're evaluating is what you think the roster will be for next year, if you truly think you can give the current coach more of a chance or not and if he deserves that chance

I really don't think it has anything to do with the outside. I think Hextall is honestly assessing what he will be able to do and if that will be enough for Chief to be successful

As far as the data on the decision, some of Berube's critics refuse to consider that the majority of the problems with this team are player related and not coaching related. Some just want to nitpick every move, and if the moves they suggest didn't work either, it just would've been more fodder for them to criticize.

No its taking the stance that there are better options than Craig Berube already coaching in the AHL and even perhaps Junior that would already be available to move up to the big league. And lets face it, after the 1st round of the playoffs even more coaches will likely become available. Unless Hextall is truly undecided, the move needed to be made today.

And, if he is undecided, well then, a decision needs to be made asap.
- BiggE

Ok, so now I do think that he is undecided then. Your points combined with the way he sounded, feeling bad about leaving Chief in limbo leads me to believe he is undecided.

That said, I still have a feeling he will be replaced because I think good coaches with NHL playoff experience, who Hexy thinks are upgrades are going to become available. Just my guess.

There isn't any more data to collect, that is absolutely true. And I really don't think he's waiting for another coach to get the gate -- you already know there's going to one champion and everybody else is going to lose. You don't know who's gonna the gate, but you know who is already coaching and who is more likely than not to walk or get a shiv

What you're evaluating is what you think the roster will be for next year, if you truly think you can give the current coach more of a chance or not and if he deserves that chance

I really don't think it has anything to do with the outside. I think Hextall is honestly assessing what he will be able to do and if that will be enough for Chief to be successful
- AllInForFlyers

I agree with this, I just think that Berube is not the coach to take this team into the future and would rather see the change occur sooner rather than later.

The worst thing that could happen would be to keep Berube and then get off to a bad start next year. Then what? Hextall would pretty much have to fire him and we could very well end up with a caretaker coach to finish out the season. Why even risk that scenario? If Ron Hextall truly thinks Berube is the guy to take this team to the next level, then sign him to a 1 year extension. If he has any doubts, than all I can say is that Berube is not the guy he wants coaching his team and he needs to put his personal respect for the man aside and fire him.

It's really not complicated.

I agree with this, I just think that Berube is not the coach to take this team into the future and would rather see the change occur sooner rather than later.

The worst thing that could happen would be to keep Berube and then get off to a bad start next year. Then what? Hextall would pretty much have to fire him and we could very well end up with a caretaker coach to finish out the season. Why even risk that scenario? If Ron Hextall truly thinks Berube is the guy to take this team to the next level, then sign him to a 1 year extension. If he has any doubts, than all I can say is that Berube is not the guy he wants coaching his team and he needs to put his personal respect for the man aside and fire him.

It's really not complicated.
- BiggE

If they get off to another bad start, with the coach and the system being in place for two seasons, I'm sorry, that's on the players.

These guys need to win hockey games in October, no matter who the coach is -- they poop the bed under Stevens, under Laviolette and under Chief. Not every guy under every coach, but they always wound up in the same place.

What Hextall can't do is keep giving this roster a pass every time -- you can't do that. It's been four years since Richards and Carter got purged. They have given this new core every opportunity to grow and improve, and it sure sounded like they're giving Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier another year.

These players need to understand that you don't always get three, four, five seasons to get your poop in order -- they need to win hockey games in (frank)ing October and not worry about who the coach is