wprager wrote:Yeah, as much as I would like to agree that Hartsburg is in over his head, I don't think it would help much. Last year when Murray took over we were all, like "Finally, now we can get somewhere!" Sadly, the team continued playing as badly as under Paddock. At first we said, "Wait, it will take some time to undo 3/4 of a season's worth of no-system, indecisive coaching" but that wasn't it, was it?
I wasn't happy with the Paddock assignment last year because *every* analyst said that promoting assistants (almost) never works. I was quite unhappy with the Harstburg signing this year, because he lacked experience at this level. We needed someone who could come in right away and know what to do. Hartsburg was completely unprepared for a bunch of unmotivated, underachieving "pros". He's said that much himself -- he's never coached a team that didn't work hard. In the minors, everyone is working for peanuts and will do anything to get noticed so they can get a slice of that $475K-minimum pie. It's completely different here, and the Sens have that problem in spades.
Lots of new, shiny contracts and players aren't trying hard. There is a connection.
Huh, I think I just convinced myself that a coaching change is what we need. Maybe a player-coach, someone who can play some D and move the puck.
In the real world when employees start to slack, they get warnings first and then get sacked. Unfortunately the NHLPA is so strong that it enables the type of behavior we are seeing on our team. There's no recourse to "fire" or "suspend" your players. The fact that Hartsberg has not sat anyone yet shows he's in over his head. Wrong type of personality for this lot. I agree Torts is the guy to straighten it up.
It's funny how the guy that didn't get the job (deBoer) is burning it up in Florida.
At this point, I put some of the blame on Alfie. Yes Alfie. As the Captain, it's his duty to lead by example by not slacking off as well. He's had his off nights too and can't afford to encourage this behavior. Pull a Dallas, strip him of his Captain for a while - give it to Smith. Logic tells me the super turnaround in Philly was partially due to his leadership. He's got this "let me straighten these f@gs up" look on his face all the time - lol.
The whole year will fall on Murray unfortunately.
Part of me would like to think that this may all be planned. ie. Melnyk may have told Murray he wants the #1 pick. They're just singing just the right songs to make it look legit.
But where you dig down, boil to the trace elements, we just plain suck, when we shouldn't according to books.
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