It's difficult to compare without knowing the exact situation he was in. One mistake fans often make is that they assume GMs for every team have the exact same roles. It's true that the GM has to "ok" which players are drafted, but not all GMs are explicitly picking those players. The success of these GMs hinges on the people they have on their staff and how much stock they put into them. Feaster seems like this type of GM. It's often been mentioned that Button, Weisbrod and even Conroy are the guys coming up with the selections.
We don't know if Tampa was structured like this or even he was able to hand pick the people he wanted (and the fact Tod Button is still around makes me think he doesn't have 100% control here either, but on the other hand, Tod Button has survived like 4 GMs now, so maybe he deserves it).
On some teams though, the GM exercises 100% control. Sutter was probably more along those lines (at least in the early rounds).
I know you like Feaster and defend him at almost every opportunity, but "we don't really know the exact situation he was in" is not a universal defense. It's like if I refused to credit Feaster because for all we know he is just a figurehead and it's really King making all the decisions. Either way, unless there is evidence to suggest otherwise, why would you assume Feaster didn't have the job responsibilities commonly associated with the GM position (and I'm not talking about trading the face of the franchise here)?
Strong evidence suggest that Feaster had ample control over his scouting staff to make a difference, both in Tampa and here. In Tampa, one of the first things he did was slash the scouting budget in half and fire half of his scouts. He kept the team's long-time headscout. Furthermore, Feaster made his share of wheeling and dealing at the draft. He moved the #4 overall pick in his very first draft. There's absolutely no way Feaster could have done that if he was somehow restricted in his power to run the draft table. Here in Calgary, Feaster hired Weisbrod and Conroy. Weisbrod, in particular, has claimed responsibilities for setting the direction for the team's amateur scouts. The fact that Weisbrod is so involved in the draft process and along with Contry are coming up with selections like you suggested instead of just Button and the other pro scouts is evidence of Feaster's power to change the way the Flames do things as far as amateur scouting and the draft.
But you are right in that Feaster isn't the one coming up with the selections. He lacks the ability to judge amateur talent because he's not a hockey guy. He pretty much admitted that he does zero scouting. He has guys doing that for him. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be held responsible for his team's poor drafting record because he is the one who chose which guys to delegate this important responsibiilty to.
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I know you like Feaster and defend him at almost every opportunity,.
Huh? No I don't. You must very selective reading because I criticize him all the time. I criticized him after the Richards offer as well as the ROR offer even before the whole waivers fiasco; as well as many other occasions.
Pointing out that he we don't know what his situation was in Tampa is just a simple fact and isn't the same as defending him.
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Last edited by FlamesAddiction; 04-13-2013 at 11:05 PM.
Huh? No I don't. You must very selective reading because I criticize him all the time. I criticized him after the Richards offer as well as the ROR offer even before the whole waivers fiasco; as well as many other occasions.
Fair enough. I must have confused you with someone else who kept making a similar argument. For that I appologize.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
Pointing out that he we don't know what his situation was in Tampa is just a simple fact and isn't the same as defending him.
Well what's the point of pointing it out? Regardless, I feel I have rebutted your point that Feaster may not have had 100% control over the team's amateur scouting and the draft both here and in Tampa. Do you agree or disagree with my points there?
“He’s an old school guy for a young school kid. He plays like an old guy from the ‘70s and ‘80s. There’s dirt underneath his finger nails and the other hand he’s got a glove on and it’s real nice. And in the next two shifts he’s just a dog again. He’s chewing the other guy’s rear end off in between shifts. He’s just a throwback – a real good throwback.”
Man that sounds awesome...
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And Wotherspoon and Gaudreau and Sven... The organization has more prospects to be excited by after 2 Feaster drafts than the entirety of Darryl's tenure.
I would argue the only area in which he has appeared truly competent since he was hired is the draft.
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And Wotherspoon and Gaudreau and Sven... The organization has more prospects to be excited by after 2 Feaster drafts than the entirety of Darryl's tenure.
I would argue the only area in which he has appeared truly competent since he was hired is the draft.
You mean guys like Max Reinhart, TJ Brodie and Mikael Backlund?
__________________
"With a coach and a player, sometimes there's just so much respect there that it's boils over"
-Taylor Hall
And Wotherspoon and Gaudreau and Sven... The organization has more prospects to be excited by after 2 Feaster drafts than the entirety of Darryl's tenure.
I would argue the only area in which he has appeared truly competent since he was hired is the draft.
And Darryl was the one that laid the foundation for the better drafting (and development).
I like how the Flames have been drafting under Feaster. However, I like how the Flames were drafting under Darryl as well in the last couple of years. "High Hockey IQ" was not a Feaster nor a Weisbrod introduction. This appears to be an organizational drafting philosophy instituted while Darryl was here.
Darryl made some terrible moves in his time as a GM, but he has done some fantastic things - including helping to build the development system and revamping the entire drafting system.
Really knew little about Cundari but i hope he plays soon with the Flames i want to see this fire plug battle. Sounds like an exciting no take prisoners kind of D man.
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You mean guys like Max Reinhart, TJ Brodie and Mikael Backlund?
Love all those guys. Took seven drafts to get those three players. How many prospects in those seven drafts were seen as potential key contributors?
The point is, Feaster and his front office have done an excellent job the last two drafts. And compared to their big league work, their drafts sparkle.
__________________ ”All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”
Love all those guys. Took seven drafts to get those three players. How many prospects in those seven drafts were seen as potential key contributors?
The point is, Feaster and his front office have done an excellent job the last two drafts. And compared to their big league work, their drafts sparkle.
What have they done so great, that the previous haven't? Not saying the draft has been bad, but it sounds ridiculous to say how things were so bad before (2008 - Brodie and Bouma, 2009 - Erixon, 2010 - Reinhart and Ramage) but then gloat how much things are so much better. They could be better, but sparkle? C'mon. There were times when John Negrin was looking as great at Tyler Wotherspoon, et al.
The other 7 drafts, FYI has also yielded Dion Phaneuf, Prustm, Erixon... and a few guys who did play in the NHL for a while in Boyd, Pardy, Brett Sutter, Keith Aulie, Adam Cracknall..
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"With a coach and a player, sometimes there's just so much respect there that it's boils over"
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Last edited by Phanuthier; 04-15-2013 at 02:50 PM.
And Wotherspoon and Gaudreau and Sven... The organization has more prospects to be excited by after 2 Feaster drafts than the entirety of Darryl's tenure.
I would argue the only area in which he has appeared truly competent since he was hired is the draft.
I don't know - in the 2-3 years after they are drafted, prospects often look good, but the reality is that very few make it...
As an example, see this thread about goaltending and center prospects from 2006:
Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop
Holy smokes, two years ago Hockey's Future had 20 --- TWENTY --Oilers prospects rated as legitimate NHLers. A whole freakin' team waiting in the wings!! A stable of thoroughbreds that made Pimlico look like a glue factory!
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