Canes on the brink of front-office dysfunction?

[sureLoss]

Interesting

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...233585707.html

The general manager and team president doesn’t have a contract and interviewed for another job. Two assistant general managers and several scouts left and were not replaced. The goalie coach was allowed to leave, and a new one hasn’t been hired with a month to go until training camp.

Over the course of a summer where the Carolina Hurricanes have done solid business to upgrade their roster, their front office has already seen a considerable exodus. If Don Waddell departs the Hurricanes — the out-of-contract president and GM interviewed for the Minnesota Wild vacancy on Monday — it would not only be unprecedented, but also it would leave the Hurricanes rudderless at a moment when they desperately need to capitalize on the momentum of last spring’s playoff run.

This summer, after Waddell’s contract expired in June, Dundon has so far declined to give him a new one, and Waddell at the time seemed agreeable to continue on an at-will basis. Two months later, Waddell clearly has happy feet and the spectacle of a sitting general manager interviewing for another team’s opening has little precedent in NHL history.

“I’m not going to pay what other guys pay GMs, so me having a contract with a GM doesn’t really help me,” Dundon said. “Don in essence has a contract. I already told Don, ‘I’m not going to fire you. If I did, I’d tell you a year in advance.’ My life’s pretty good. I want people to do what’s best for their life. If this is what’s best for Don, the Hurricanes will be fine.”

In any case, the whole debate has a surreal aspect to it, because whether it’s Waddell or someone else, NHL bylaws require the team to have a general manager under contract by the end of the month.

[SuperMatt18]

Dundon has money...but man he seems like a headcase.

[Oling_Roachinen]

That's terrible logic and reasoning from Dundon. I'd hate that work environment. If Waddell is really "employed for life" giving him a simple contract shouldn't be a problem...

[Scorch]

I don’t get why the canes owners are letting this happen

[rain_e]

Does the 'On Ice Celebration Coordinator' still have a job?

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by Scorch

I don’t get why the canes owners are letting this happen

Considering Dundon is the majority owner.. He is the one doing this, Karmanos is a minority owner and would have no say in how things are done and is basically just a bank account for the team.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Scorch

I don’t get why the canes owners are letting this happen

What do you mean letting? Dundon is the majority owner. Just a weird circumstance where the GM is both on an interim (at will contract) and for ever (employee for life -or at least will be told a year before he is fired) but I'm not sure why Waddell would put up with that.

But this is a prime example of why salary matters as much as cap (usually more depending on circumstances). Carolina won't offer their GM comparable salaries, so much so that they won't even give Waddell a contract. Teams clearly care about actual budgets.

[Jacks]

Makes the Sens look like a well oiled machine.

[Reggie Dunlop]

They need a steady hand at the helm. I suggest Peter Chiarelli.

[Mass_nerder]

Maybe Dundon is considering trying to run the team on his own?
Owner/GM?
Maybe I'm misremembering, but I thought he was pretty involved in the day-to-day with the team.

[Erick Estrada]

He’s really fortunate last season worked out for the organization because he’s otherwise doing a terrible job as owner. How did this guy get rich with the mentality of not paying going rates for upper management? Maybe as mentioned above his fantasy is to become the Al Davis or Jerry Jones of the NHL as he doesn’t seem to be taking the NHL GM position very seriously.

[TheScorpion]

They have a competitive roster locked up with term, at the very least. But this isn't a good look.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Makes the Sens look like a well oiled machine.

Absolutely not. No way.

[Freeway]

Karmanos has a very small stake in the team. Very small.


At the draft, Dundon wore a freakin' track suit.

[PugnaciousIntern]

This thread title is misleading. They have been marinating in front office dysfunction for a while!

[N-E-B]

That organization is a laughing stock. Dundon is a nut.

[agulati]

It is crazy how that organization is being run. After their appearance in the Eastern conference finals, I would have thought Waddell deserved some job security. Justin Williams is still looking for an NHL contract as well.

[Heavy Jack]

Might explain why he hasn’t inked a contract with them as of yet... I still think Williams would be a solid, solid add.

[Sylvanfan]

Bunch O Jerks...

Does Dundon have an adult son with a bowl cut by chance?

[mikeecho]

I'm intrigued by the way Dundon has challenged the way hockey operations has been run by organizations.

Virtually every move he's made has eschewed the group think and stagnant conventional wisdom that is the world of hockey ops.

Those moves have been universally panned by the hockey elite, and yet his organization has taken positive and significant strides forward since he's been the owner.

Maybe he's on to something.