tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post7707102645854031789..comments2023-10-23T15:54:13.715-04:00Comments on The Dark Blue Jacket: Howson 4.0Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563836029433927521noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-63427898533372278302012-02-16T12:34:36.919-05:002012-02-16T12:34:36.919-05:00So, uhh, are we gonna get around to "highly e...So, uhh, are we gonna get around to "highly effective people" habits 2-7? Just curious how the rest applies.SirChadlyOChttp://www.twittter.com/SirChadlyOCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-20796941173044263992012-02-16T12:22:41.299-05:002012-02-16T12:22:41.299-05:00Excellent piece. I particularly agree with the fir...Excellent piece. I particularly agree with the first of 7 habits. BUT I do feel that it must be recognized that the so called team identity [style] is not a constant vision. The play of players may not be quite as expected and the availability to obtain players that exactly fit an image is not always going to happen. What happens when a young goalie comes on the scene and surprises everyone with his performance, you zig from a plan due to the performance/timing etc. <br />If a player has a hot year, you must alter style and perhaps call ups and fine tweeks to maximize the team on the ice for that year. BUT BUT you then must go back to your original plan, perhaps with a slightly different zag but again towards the plan. <br />To me, the most sensible model of team building is Nashville. #1 goalies, #2 defense, #3 scoring. I suspect $ have been somewhat of an obstacle in their plan, but it is a sensible planAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-70467631236356306972012-02-16T10:12:47.617-05:002012-02-16T10:12:47.617-05:00Howson flipped Adamn Foote for a pick that got us ...Howson flipped Adamn Foote for a pick that got us RJ Umberger. Howson flipped Pascal Leclaire for Antoine Vermette - both great moves, that landed us solid players, who he rewarded with new contracts. Then, upon receiving those contracts, those players fell off a cliff. I don't blame Howson for that. <br /><br />He dealt Zherdev for Tyutin, then rewarded Tyutin with a new contract and he too as been awful since signing it.<br /><br />He didn't reach on the Filatov pick - Filatov was a consensus top prospect in the world. Shame that he didn't work out, but this isn't Maclean with first round bust and first round bust. Howson also drafted Atkinson and Calvert late in that same draft, who look to be steals where we got them and could be impact players next year.<br /><br />Currently, we have a #1 defenseman developing right in front of our eyes in John Moore and a top line forward developing Ryan Johansen. Both Howson first rounders that look to be hits. They are currently TEENAGERS. Give them another year or two and Howson may be getting a ton of praise for these guys.<br /><br />To surround Nash with other talent in their prime, he moved for a 30-40 point goal scorer and the best offensive defenseman on the market. Obviously, injuries and suspensions and Carter's attitude sabotaged those moves and they haven't worked out. Howson does bear the responsibility of that, but they were still the right moves. Can't say we'd have won more games if Voracek was here instead of Carter.<br /><br />Biggest complaint about Howson was not signing a better goalie then Mason, but it turns out he did sign one in Sanford. If only Sanford had been healthy to start the year.<br /><br />This Nash trade - This is not Howson's idea. This is clearly coming from ownership and Craig Patrick. They have $100 million invested in two players longer term (Nash and Carter) and don't want to pay it after this disaster of a season, and really, who can blame them. Young talent and rebuild also means a lot of entry level contracts.<br /><br />Howson hired a horrible coach, and not all of his moves have panned out. But I still like and respect him as a GM. He's an easy target, but when he took over, there were literally NO good prospects in the system and almost no good young talent on the roster. It can take 3 or more years for a draft pick just to make in the NHL and even more before they hit their potential.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-28175938402510909472012-02-16T10:02:51.327-05:002012-02-16T10:02:51.327-05:00I would be very interested in what "vision&qu...I would be very interested in what "vision" GMSH sold Rick Nash that influenced him to sign a long-term contract at favorable discount. Was it anything other than "we want to become a winner."?Inquiring Mindsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-10703635011310021122012-02-15T21:20:27.372-05:002012-02-15T21:20:27.372-05:00Just because fans may agree with a GM's decisi...Just because fans may agree with a GM's decisions at the time does not mean that the GM is not accountable if those decisions don't work out in the end. Scott Howson ought to be judged by the team's performance, and the team's performance indicates that his personnel decisions and lack of vision have harmed the franchise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-73643288614418151092012-02-15T20:15:53.863-05:002012-02-15T20:15:53.863-05:00Great work here DBJ. Two things I guess I want to...Great work here DBJ. Two things I guess I want to mention. First, in terms of team identity, I would say that this is Rick Nash's team, a conclusion I came to after I heard Craig Patrick discuss 'Phil Esposito's Team'. When Nash assumed the Captaincy that is what it became, for good or for ill, especially after Hitch was fired. <br /><br />Secondly, Howson 4.0 has something that the other versions never had, which is the influence of Craig Patrick. One can only hope that instead of Howson 4.0 we are really seeing Hatrick 1.0. <br /><br />Bonus thought. Patrick values 'character' highly. Perhaps they are sending a message to the players that character counts, and to Nash in particular, that in spite of the fact that he is loyal, the face of the franchise, and loves it here, that character counts on the ice before anything else. And if that won't work, we CAN trade you out of here. Don't be too complacent with that contract. And no one is immune from it.Galloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151870407426712857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-87601312443934009232012-02-15T20:10:45.864-05:002012-02-15T20:10:45.864-05:00During Howson 1.0 the players quit,on the organiza...During Howson 1.0 the players quit,on the organization, Foote, Zherdev.<br />During Howson 2.0 the players quit on Hitch<br />During Howson 3.0 team had the best start in franchise history, and they forgot how to compete<br />During Howson 4.0 players sat on their contracts (Nash, RJ, Mason)<br /><br />I didn't hear any fans, or bloggers be critical of Howson until the past couple months. They all cheered when Zherdev, And Foote left. The cheered when Filitov was drafted, and again when eventually traded. They all cheered when Mason won the Calder, and then signed to a contract. The fans cheered for the Carter trade, and Wiz signing. In fact the least talked about acquisition this past Summer, was Vinny, and he turned out to be the most important. Fans need to realize they don't know what they are talking about.Dutchman1350https://www.blogger.com/profile/16105668262728392156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-80573614358034135292012-02-15T17:22:49.226-05:002012-02-15T17:22:49.226-05:00This was an excellent piece. I think it's also...This was an excellent piece. I think it's also noteworthy that while Scott Howson has gone through these iterations, he has also tried to lock down certain players to long deals somewhere between V2 and V3 (Nash, Umberger, Tyutin, and Wisniewski come to mind first). Certainly all of these players are reasonable, serviceable pieces, but their deals make reconstruction very difficult. Howson's sudden shift toward the "nuclear" path (signaled by making Nash available) is met with the problem of combating his previous work.<br /><br />As a fan, it's rough to read about the very real option of Nash moving. He is, after all, the greatest Blue Jacket. And despite all his shortcomings, he's the face of the franchise. Howson had better be extremely careful in trade negotiations. If this doesn't work out the right way, there's more in play here than just losing out on the franchise future - it risks alienating quite a few members an intelligent fanbase that understand what is at stake in moving such an integral part of the team.zekebudhttp://www.twitter.com/zekebudnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-2748184079383702922012-02-15T16:39:05.607-05:002012-02-15T16:39:05.607-05:00Very good piece. I've been with this team from...Very good piece. I've been with this team from the beginning and have never been so lost as I am today. If Howson is the one who trades Nash, I'm finished with this organization.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com