from hockeybuzz

 

On the heels of the wholesale change in Washington on the weekend, the Carolina Hurricanes have scheduled a noon press conference Monday to announce that Jim Rutherford will be stepping down and that current VP of Hockey Operations Ron Francis will take over as general manager.

Rutherford has been with the club since 1994, has a minority ownership stake in the Hurricanes and a long time association with owner Peter Karmanos, which makes it likely that he will remain as Team President.

Carolina is a club that could be at the center of sweeping changes this summer and Francis could be the agent of that change.

Current coach Kirk Muller’s job may be in peril after not making the playoffs the last two seasons, the big trade for Jordan Staal with Pittsburgh did not have the desired effect of improving the team's depth up front and franchise fixtures Cam Ward and Eric Staal, who were centerpieces of the club’s championship in 2006, have grown stagnant in Raleigh and may be on the market at the upcoming NHL Draft.

TSN's Bob McKenzie is reporting that Flames President Brian Burke has completed his long search for a replacement for Jay Feaster and will hire Coyotes Asst GM Brad Treliving as Calgary's new GM.

***I had heard many good things said about Brad Treliving over the past few years.  At one point, there were rumours that his dad Jim Treliving (of Dragon's Den fame) was involved in a potential ownership group in Glendale.  Im sure Brad is thrilled to get his dream job in Alberta.  Im sure Boston Pizza and Mr Lube will be happy to become game-day sponsors and if current Flames ownership wants added investors, might Papa Jim be interested?

In the seen this coming a mile away category, John Torterella was fired by the Canucks today.

You can see why Gillis isn't around anymore in Vancouver. Messed up the goaltending, the hiring of Torts & bad drafting as the cupboard is bare prospects wise for the Canucks. All on Gillis. 

Torts is rumoured to be an owner hire moreso than Gillis, but yeah Gillis was a moron of a GM and with all the bridges he burned being a hardass agent it's no wonder he didn't get good value in his trades.

It wont surprise me when Tortz gets hired to Head Coach another NHL team but I will still shake my head and the stupidity of it.  Its like when people kept hiring Mike Keenan.  Why?  As an aside, Keenan just coach to the KHL championship.  Russia can keep him.

I dont care about torts one way or another but... it does seem like he was set up to fail. It seems the canucks are having a hard time admitting this isnt 2011 any more. They seem to not want to admit that there time has passed, there window has closed. They seem to refuse to admit its time to rebuild. 

 

You can blame  gillis, you can blame torts but this downfall started the minute the canucks became complacent and refused to accept that they just arent very good any more.

 

Canucks seem to have this problem, i recall them holding on to naslund and those guys too long too, refusing to admit they were past their prime. Its happening again.

 

The owner is also an issue as it seems he likes to run the team a little too much.

 

When the owners get involved too much, this is what happens. 

Clearly the way they handled the goalies was the downfall...

Boston Pizza sucks.

The Canucks remind me of the Calgary Flames of 3 or 4 years ago.  In almost total  denial... I think they're finding out just how bad things are now. Like Calgary did. In Vancouver, it was all about their aging core. Same with the Flames. Looks like Vancouver is finally starting to figure things out.

They have enough talent where they can reload rather than rebuild. But certainly they cut their own throats with their goalies. Trading Schneider was a mistake. But if they want to trade lack I'd consider giving them Pavs.

Carolina has fired kirk muller and his assitants outside of rod brind'amour. 

They have enough talent where they can reload rather than rebuild. But certainly they cut their own throats with their goalies. Trading Schneider was a mistake. But if they want to trade lack I'd consider giving them Pavs.

are we really sure they have enough talent? Kesler is unhappy and wants out never mind that he's on a downward slope from his peak a few years ago, the Sedins are still there sure but they're getting old and aren't exactly the core guys anyway. Other than that they don't have a real deep roster. Oh sure lots of serviceable players but they really are a one line team. 

 

They have enough talent where they can reload rather than rebuild. But certainly they cut their own throats with their goalies. Trading Schneider was a mistake. But if they want to trade lack I'd consider giving them Pavs.

are we really sure they have enough talent? Kesler is unhappy and wants out never mind that he's on a downward slope from his peak a few years ago, the Sedins are still there sure but they're getting old and aren't exactly the core guys anyway. Other than that they don't have a real deep roster. Oh sure lots of serviceable players but they really are a one line team. 

 

and no prospects really outside of horvat and shinkaruk. 

and neither of those prospects are really surefire guys. Horvat might top out at a middle 6 guy and nothing more. 

I think i pitched an idea of Kane for Horvat and Kessler and got boo'ed out of here.  I think i'd make that deal if I was Vancouver.

I think i pitched an idea of Kane for Horvat and Kessler and got boo'ed out of here.  I think i'd make that deal if I was Vancouver.

 

No, I don't believe they'd touch that one.

Kesler alone, is worth more than that.

Kessler has value.  Not moreso than a player of Kane's talent, age, contract.

Plus Kessler and his NMC wouldn't waive to go to another Canadian city. He wants to play in the states. And yes I do think Kesler has more value than Kane simply because a selke winning centre is more valuable to teams than a scoring winger. 

Kesler probably does have higher value than Kane, just because Kesler has been consistently very good .Even this year, for as bad as the canucks were and even with the rumors of him wanting out, 25 goals i believe? Pretty decent.

 

I do think Kesler wouldn't waive his NMC to come to another Canadian City, if anywhere tho, it could be here as he does have some ties to chipman and heisinger. He did play for the Moose here one season, I just dont think a trade for Kesler is well, it doesn't fit in to what the plans here seem to be. He doesn't fit in to that age category.

 

Honestly tho, If im vancouver, and i move kesler, Its to an eastern based team, I could see NYR being a fit or a team Like Philly even. Philly for Maybe Scott Lauhgton,a pick and a guy like Matt  Read works. Van gets younger and picks up a good prospect in laughton and a solid winger in read.

 

Also if i'm the Jets, and i'm moving Kane, I'm moving him East. Im not moving him to a team in my same conference that's for sure.

 

Long off season.

 

Laviolette named coach of Nashville today also.