Andre Savard whining ..........

Forum Fan · Veteran Member

Andre Savard whining ..........

Jay1982 · Guru

uhhhh, I think Gainey has done a way better job than Savard has. And Garon isn't proving to be the best of 'tenders. Huet and bonk for Garon seems like a steal to me.

AB Habman · Guru

Savard doesn't deserve to be ridiculed because he's the one that knocked the dust off the stagnant Habs and with his great kockey knowledge got the Habs going in the right direction. The hand off to Gainey was a smooth one!

After all, Gainey is probably very stubborn and hard to deal with. I'm sure Savard had a different opinion at the draft table also. Kotitsyn and Price?????Those are certainly not Savard's gambles. Also if you look at Gainey's method, it seems to always be the opposite of what we or anyone thinks. When most thought we really needed a trade during our funk last season, he made none, rather he fired his coach. When most thought it's time to end the Theo saga, he stuck with him too long and very nearly cost us the season...Huet bailed him out. When most thought he would get a tough guy, he gets three and lets them rust on the farm. When most thought he would get a much needed top notch center, he gets Samy. When most thought he would dump or trade Ribs, he signed him. etc. etc.

I guess though, Gainey's stubborness and unique unpredictable way of managing is what he uses to earn respect.

Savard brings 20 years of experience of coaching, scouting and managing with him to the Pens. He will be a big influence on why the Pens will improve dramatically in the next few seasons. Personally I have nothing but respect for him!

barry33 · Guru

Ab hit the nail on the head..;Price was NOT Savards choice, nor was he the choice of alot of the scouts. Savard wanted to take Luc Bourdon, the big dman taken by Vancouver 10th overall, hi snext choice was Gilbert Brule. Gainey overruled him because he wanted the "best player available regardless of position". That was where the conflict began. Only time will tell wheteher Savard was right or not. I am still shaking my head over the Price pick, as was evryone on this board when it happened. Trading Theo changes nothing in my opinion to validate that pick. Price is several years away from playing an NHL game. Brule and Bourdon have excellant chances to play this year.

wright · Veteran Member

AB Habman wrote:

Savard doesn't deserve to be ridiculed because he's the one that knocked the dust off the stagnant Habs and with his great kockey knowledge got the Habs going in the right direction. The hand off to Gainey was a smooth one!

After all, Gainey is probably very stubborn and hard to deal with. I'm sure Savard had a different opinion at the draft table also. Kotitsyn and Price?????Those are certainly not Savard's gambles. Also if you look at Gainey's method, it seems to always be the opposite of what we or anyone thinks. When most thought we really needed a trade during our funk last season, he made none, rather he fired his coach. When most thought it's time to end the Theo saga, he stuck with him too long and very nearly cost us the season...Huet bailed him out. When most thought he would get a tough guy, he gets three and lets them rust on the farm. When most thought he would get a much needed top notch center, he gets Samy. When most thought he would dump or trade Ribs, he signed him. etc. etc.

I guess though, Gainey's stubborness and unique unpredictable way of managing is what he uses to earn respect.

Savard brings 20 years of experience of coaching, scouting and managing with him to the Pens. He will be a big influence on why the Pens will improve dramatically in the next few seasons. Personally I have nothing but respect for him!

I agree with you Ab when it comes to respecting Andre Savard"s hockey knowledge. He came into a Habs organziation at its lowest ebb since the pre Rocket era of the early '40's. He rebuilt the scouting organization after years of neglect and horrific drafting decisions.

Nonetheless, his record like all gm's was far from perfect. The signings and trades for Berezin,Czerkawski,Mckay,Traverse,Dackell were poor to say the least. Juneau and Perreault were patch job signings, and of course he badly overpaid for Brisbeois, with a long term deal at inflated numbers which constrained an already tight budget. The modest success the Habs had under Savard's tenure as gm was due in large part to Theodore's brilliance carrying a very marginally talented team.

Savard's greatest strength is identifying young talent like Higgins,Komisarek and Plekanec. It would have been great had he been head of scouting or player personnel for the team. As assitant gm it probably became inevitable that he would butt heads with Gainey.

NEWFIEHABSFAN · Senior Member

jes,i thought that savard was gone long ago and didn't think that he was part of the team! where did he go?

Nil d · Guru

NEWFIEHABSFAN wrote:

jes,i thought that savard was gone long ago and didn't think that he was part of the team! where did he go?

Are you perhaps getting Andre Savard mixed up with Serge Savard? Serge has been gone for years.

Mad Habber · Member

Actually I read just this morning (can't remember where) that Savard's choice was Staal. Which in hindsight may have been the best choice given how he performed at the WJC last winter. He was in my opinion the best defenseman of the tournament.

Usually, a new GM likes to bring in his own personnel anyways. It just seems to me that there was too much of a difference in philosophy between the two that got to the point where Gainey just stopped paying attention to Savars because of constant disagreement. Just an opinion.

barry33 · Guru

Mad Habber wrote:

Actually I read just this morning (can't remember where) that Savard's choice was Staal. Which in hindsight may have been the best choice given how he performed at the WJC last winter. He was in my opinion the best defenseman of the tournament.

Usually, a new GM likes to bring in his own personnel anyways. It just seems to me that there was too much of a difference in philosophy between the two that got to the point where Gainey just stopped paying attention to Savars because of constant disagreement. Just an opinion.

I agree. I think you see that pretty much everywhere. The GM likes to have his own coaches, scouting staff and sometimes, even equipment trainers in place. When a new GM comes into town they "try" to make it work with the personell they inherited, but you know it is only a matter of time before changes are made.

Mad Habber · Member

Unless of course, you're Garth Snow, in which case, you go with what the owner gives you.