[News] Penguins call presser 9:30 AM MT. Shero fired. Bylsma TBD.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Shero got caught with the pressure to win and trading too much of the future for the 'win now'. He hasn't drafted well enough to fill up enough holes in the meantime. If you don't at least hit a few finals by doing this, you end up fired. In retrospect, looking back at Shero's time you can easily say the Pens are a worse team now than when he too over - but his star players also make more money and make it more difficult to build around them. Darryl was canned for exactly the same issue, but at least when he left the team, it was in much better shape organizationally than when he first took over.

Some people still really love Bylsma, but a lot of Pens fans are so desperate to see him gone. They feel he has been out-coached often. Seems when another coach figures out his system, he can't adapt properly. Is unable to come up with any answers at those times.

I am surprised they didn't fire Bylsma today. Thought Bylsma was going to be let go for sure, with Shero MAYBE being included.

I wonder if this is a record setting season for turnover in the GM and Coaching jobs.

[Daradon]

Yeah, I used to be a big Bylsma fan, but now I'm not so sure.

I'd be worried if I was him though, seems like the writing is on the wall. I'd feel like the axe is above my head all year. We all know GM's often want to do their own hire.

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by Super Nintendo Chalmers

It's lame when used in some broad overview. Earlier in the season, I read a breakdown of the 6-2 Canucks win over the Bruins in Dec. It showed how Torts used the last change and quick shifts to repeatedly trick Julien to anticipate a Sedin line shift and send out Chara. Chara wound up spending most of his icetime playing against the 3rd and 4th lines. This doesn't happen all the time and it certainly didn't happen enough for the Canucks.

You're referring to this article: http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2013/12...at-the-sedins/

And ya, it's a pretty cool read. In that situation Tortorella absolutely out-coached Julien.

[Scoreface]

How long is Bylsma's contract? I think he is mostly a product of some excellent star power and will get another coaching gig soon, as he seems overrated IMO. He should have gone as well. Seems a bit wishy washy from Lemieux and Co. there.

Can't add much to what has been said, but after Sid, it seemed like Shero was handed the keys to the city and then Malkin comes along and the 'casino days' of the team being propped up by that are long gone. Ownership is stabilized now because of those two and what's left is a coach hanging in the balance, where on most teams he would have been fired a while ago.

There is no way in my estimation that a GM who made a skeleton of his team's support players (Talbot, Cooke, Staal gone), with little more than Brandon Sutter to replace them, should have been retained. I think most blame should lie there.

Said as well, but Bylsma letting Iginla languish on the third line hurt his team and was a slap in the face to their 'prized' acquisition and first ballot HOF'er. Probably wasn't a great fit, and if so, it's on Shero for that, but also on the coach to play Iginla to his strengths and do all he can to help him and the team succeed.

Hope they languish as an early round exit for years. Screw them.

[FireGilbert]

I actually kind of liked Shero's strategy of trading picks for upcoming UFA wingers to play with Crosby and Malkin. His big mistakes were Fleury and Bylsma though.

He should have bit the bullet and found a way to get rid of Fleury years ago and Bylsma should have been fired after last year for putting Iginla on the third line.

[sureLoss]

Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
PIT interested in player agent Pat Brisson as new GM but Brisson will have to decide if he's interested in leaving a lucrative agent biz.

Brisson=Crosby's agent

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
PIT interested in player agent Pat Brisson as new GM but Brisson will have to decide if he's interested in leaving a lucrative agent biz.

Brisson=Crosby's agent

Oh my god, please let this happen. I want a 2014 Canucks level soap opera in Pittsburgh every time Crosby goes cold for a game or two. Or comes up for contract renewal.

Let's face it, we're gonna hear about Crosby every time he sneezes anyways, so I'm just hoping to see these reports filtered through the "his former agent is GM of the team!"

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
PIT interested in player agent Pat Brisson as new GM but Brisson will have to decide if he's interested in leaving a lucrative agent biz.

Brisson=Crosby's agent

I wonder about the dressing room optics of Crosby's agent running the team. I also wonder about his qualifications. We saw with Gillis that there was a small handful of good moves but a lot of really poor moves that turned what was an elite team into a mess. He was unable to build on the talent that he inherited and botched the goaltending and Hodgson situations which tells me too much of his former agent ego got the best of him.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
PIT interested in player agent Pat Brisson as new GM but Brisson will have to decide if he's interested in leaving a lucrative agent biz.

Brisson=Crosby's agent

haha, I saw this earlier on TSN and couldn't believe it. What a disaster that would be.

[browna]

Top agents are more powerful behind the scenes in shaping opinions and pulling strings then arguably most GM's are. Most of the "inside info" that the talking media heads get are from agents, among other things.

The fact that the Pens are considering him is coming likely from the amount of times that Brisson has dealt with the ownership and Lemieux regarding Crosby over the years. Brisson's salesmanship in general, and opinions with trying to build a team around his client Crosby, he has likely been asked his opinion on other players around the league to kickstart Crosby.

It seems that only when an agent gets bored, or, has his larger than life ego get in the way, does he think that/want to take that jump into a GM spot and be in the spotlight.

Plus, like Gillis probably could, said agent could move back into the shadows and pick up right where he left off when he gets fired and figures that role isn't for him in a few years.

But with Crosby not seeming to be the next Gretzky, that TSN and CBC so desperately wish he could be as far as that star power and leadership and taking teams on his back, having his power agent being the boss, just seems like an all around bad idea for the Pens to put all those eggs in that basket.

But, Brisson's name didn't come out of the blue, and am sure this is crafted by his camp, and if not Pittsburgh's job, his name is now out there and maybe he's angling for another position down the road.

[sureLoss]

Brisson turned down the Penguins.

However, there are now reports that Pierre McGuire will receive consideration for Pens GM.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Brisson turned down the Penguins.

However, there are now reports that Pierre McGuire will receive consideration for Pens GM.

Yikes

[KootenayFlamesFan]

First Brisson and now Pierre?

What odd candidates. Not sure I'd be over the moon about those rumours if I was a Pens fan.

[nik-]

Pierre in charge of the Penguins and MacLean in charge of the Caps?

HBO 24/7: Road to the Collapsing Franchise

[Enoch Root]

Treliving just keeps looking better and better

[T@T]

Mario and Pierre are good friends,golf together..etc. not sure why he would want him to GM his team though.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by T@T

Mario and Pierre are good friends,golf together..etc. not sure why he would want him to GM his team though.

that might be the reason right there.

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by nik-

Pierre in charge of the Penguins and MacLean in charge of the Caps?

HBO 24/7: Road to the Collapsing Franchise

Who's next Craig Button? Actually to be fair, Flames was Button's first gig as a GM. Problem was he screwed up with one decision that will haunt him forever... keeping Greg Gilbert as a HC and practically give away and trading Marc Savard instead.

Isn't McGuire used to work for the Penguins as an assistant coach? As i remember correctly, he replaced Paul Holmgren as the GM for Hartford Whalers.

[Fire It Up]

Just cause some might not like him as a broadcaster says nothing about his ability and hockey knowledge. This guy is absolutely passionate about hockey and I am sure could run a hockey franchise better then any of us.

That being said, maybe he would flourish better in a President/GM system like ours.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

First Brisson and now Pierre?

What odd candidates. Not sure I'd be over the moon about those rumours if I was a Pens fan.

McGuire is actually regarded on hockey circles as one of the brightest hockey minds according to some people on HNiC radio and Greg Wyshinski