Ferguson Fired, plus Unposted Article: GM's on the Hot Seat

After weeks of speculation, the Toronto Maple Leafs have finally fired GM John Ferguson Jr. After having failed to get the Maple Leafs to the playoffs and eating up the cap with deals their respective players cannot live up to (McCabe, Kubina, Blake), and a poor season at the half way mark, Maple Leafs management had enough.

I cant say I'm really surprised at this, nor anyone else for that matter. Ferguson was given one more year reluctantly by management but did nothing that actually helped the team. It is still full of over priced veterans with little in the prospect system coming up to help. While I would say to watch for a fire sale, that wont be the case as McCabe, Kaberle and Kubina all have no movement or trade clauses in their deals. There is little a new GM can actually do to revamp the team within the next few years until some of the deals expire.

Also, I am taking this time to post an article I had thought I posted a few months back, but obviously didn't. It is about GM's who are on the hot seat, with Ferguson included. Sorry for getting this so late.


As forever is the case in sports, there is talk about which team’s GM will be fired by the end of the season for lack of a winning product. This past year three teams: The Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators (in an odd set of circumstances though) all have new men at the helm and Dallas has already relieved Doug Armstrong of his duties. Let’s take a look at what NHL GM’s are on the hot seat, and some who should be even though they aren’t.

(Note: it doesn’t seem like a lot, but since the lockout Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Columbus, New York Islanders, Phoenix, Ottawa, Florida, Los Angeles and Colorado all hired new GM’s)


On The Hot Seat

Don Waddell, Atlanta Thrashers
Waddell took almost ten years to bring the Thrashers to the playoffs, and once they got there they almost wished they didn’t. They put on an embarrassing display after he paid heavy priced for deadline rental Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik. He failed to address the defense in the off season (a constant weakness under his reign), and the team continues to lack forward depth. He’s fired Bob Hartley, but the coach can only do so much with what he is given, and that was very little. If the Thrashers don’t make the playoffs, expect him to be looking for a new job. (Note to US Hockey: get rid of this guy and choose from the NHL GM’s whoa re helping him)


John Ferguson Jr., Toronto Maple Leafs
Granted every year the Leafs don’t do good the GM is technically on the hot seat, but JFJ is really there. He paid heavy prices for over rated defensemen Bryan McCabe and Pavel Kubina for multiple years, tying up his cap situation. They have the most expensive defense in the entire league and it is only average. He needs to resist the constant media and fan pressure to trade for immediate help in exchange for his young talent. Regardless, if the Leafs aren’t in the post season, he will be let go.




Should Be On the Hot Seat

Kevin Lowe
Lowe was so enamored with his Stanley Cap runner up roster he signed most players to large extensions. Sadly most cant live up to those contracts (though he gets a mulligan for last year since he cant control injuries). He had to overpay to land Souray, and was forced to throw offer sheets at RFA’s because he couldn’t attract UFA’s. While I think Burke’s description of “running his team into the sewer” is harsh, I don’t think Lowe should have gotten the contract extension that will keep him in Edmonton at least a few more years.


Jay Feaster
I’ve never been one to hide my dislike of the Tampa GM. He gave in to the Big Three’s demands and eating up most his cap in the process. I don’t fault him for the Denis deal, but he continues to not address the lack of defensive and scoring depth on the team (Michel Ouellet doesn’t count, sorry). Plus Tampa continues to have one of the worst prospect pools in the league. He’s living off his cup run and I don’t see things getting any better under his reign. New co-owner Doug MacLean has stated he likes what Feaster is doing, but then again MacLean was fired for doing nothing with his roster, so I think that only helps my argument.


Larry Pleau, St. Louis Blues
I really don’t know how this man still has a job. Through the late 90’s and early 2000’s he gutted his up and coming talent for top priced, but not elite veterans like Doug Weight and Keith Tkachuk (Ladislav Nagy and Mikal Handzus, Jeff Taffe and a 1st for just him) who while they had some good years, aren’t in the same categories of Jaromir Jagr or at the time Rob Blake, other superstars who changed hands at the same time. He got a lot of value for vets at last years deadline, but for some strange reason dealt back for Tkachuk when they were most likely going to sign him in the off season again anyways. I don’t think the Blues can win under his management with his constant brain dead deals.





On the Bubble

Dale Talon, Chicago Blackhawks
Ok, I admit he is not totally to fault for the situation. Bill Wirtz made Chicago an undesirable location and Talon had to overpay to get people to go there. But still, the contracts he gave out, and more so the people he gave them to our questionable. He has done this since the lockout ended and still the Hawks remain at the bottom of the west. Plus add in a different controlling owner and you never know what will happen.


Peter Chiaralli, Boston Bruins
He’s only on the second year of his job but I don’t think things are shaping up well. He handed big contracts out to Savard and Chara, plus dealt for Fernandez, add in Glenn Murray and Patrice Bergeron and most his cap is gone. Yet the Bruins still could not pull it together. His dealings of young players such as Boyes and Toivanen after having sub par years is idiotic. And let’s not forget he hired Dave Lewis and after one season told him his job was safe only to fire him a month later. It may be early to put him here, but from what I have seen so far I don’t have much faith in him to turn the Bruins back into a contender.



-Jordan