TSN’s Insiders took part in their latest episode of Insider Trading last night, and TSN’s staff provided a partial transcript of the episode, including the following:
Potential big names avaiable for Seattle’s front office
Dreger: The next step [for Seattle’s expansion franchise] is to get final approval from the National Hockey League that accepts Seattle as a full-on expansion team and then beyond that, you look at Seattle ownership. Jumping forward in hockey operations, there are three names that seem to be out there – just out there loosely in the moment – first being Ken Holland. It seems unlikely he would leave the Detroit Red Wings, but he doesn’t have a contract, so Detroit is playing a dangerous game in leaving that situation in the position that it’s in. And another is Kelly McCrimmon of the Vegas Golden Knights – talk about a wealth of experience that he would bring to the expansion process. And how about power agent Pat Brisson? Again, a bit of a long shot, but those are some of the names that we might be discussing moving forward.
Something tells me that Red Wings fans have no problem with this “dangerous game.”
If Mr. Holland leaves, then im assuming some Red Wing staff will be cherry picked too.
Do we need a rebuild both on and off ice?
Might be healthy. Short term pain, long term gain. Maybe UFA’s would not automatically stay away, and take a longer look at new hope.
Good. Kenny can virtually take anyone he wants. Jiri Fischer would be nice to keep around. So would Hakan. The rest can be wiped out as far as I’m concerned. Management. Coaches. Scouts. Development. Take ’em all please.
I’m not so sure that KH would pick off the Wings’ staff. He’s had that happen to him when Jim Nill went to Dallas and when Yzerman went to Tampa Bay, and it really pissed him off.
I wonder if KH hasn’t signed a contract with the Wings bkz he’s waiting to see when Seattle will start building thier franchise’s front office, and any contract he signs in Detroit he’d like to have expire about that time. You can bet that whatever expansion draft rules Seattle gets will be at *least* as generous as what Vegas got, since they’re ponying up more in expansion fees. And seeing what McPhee got and had to work with, has to know that the prospects for success in Seatlle will be better than the quagmire of ablatross contracts he created in Detroit.
When Ken Holland was asked about the Seattle job on the Tatar trade conference call, he pointed out that Seattle doesn’t have a team yet, and he suggested that he’s not going anywhere. We’ll see what happens…Half of me wants him to leave, and half of me is resigned to the concept of him staying.
While I think Kenny is totally useless at his job…he might be smart enough to realize that staying here is the best bet for his legacy.
If he turns the Wings around then he’s annointed a hero. His legacy will be…he built a dynasty, watched it eventually fall apart – naturally, right, like its not his fault we didn’t have any high draft picks – and then he orchestrated a turnaround. That will be it. All of the mistakes will be overlooked. The downfall happened because our stars got old and we had no high picks.
If Kenny fails to turn this around and quietly walks away in 3-4 years, well his legacy will still be pretty solid. He built a dynasty, but all good things come to an end. The Wings suck now, but that’s natural. And the cupboards have some nice pieces. Solid work Kenny. Hall of Fame is waiting for you.
Either way he wins.
But if he goes to Seattle and totally fails at building an expansion roster (most likely he would fail), then his legacy is at risk! Hmm, maybe he’s not the genius we all thought he was. He was too passive watching the Wings fall to mediocrity. Now he goes to Seattle and is a total flop, especially compared to McPhee’s success in Vegas. Yeah maybe Kenny isn’t so special after all?
So to avoid that embarassment, just re-sign in Detroit, collect some more easy cash, and answer to nobody.
Let’s not forget, though all signs point to Seattle getting a franchise it hasn’t happened yet. If there is a new team there, they won’t be starting up next season so, would KH take a year or two off from hockey?