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Monday, March 10, 2008
Keeping Waddell makes no sense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
At the end of this Thrashers season, Don Waddell likely will be subjected to some sort of performance review.
We can’t know if owners will conduct separate reviews for each of Waddell’s jobs: executive vice president, general manager, temp coach. But given that he hasn’t helped create a significant hockey market in Atlanta, nor has excelled in player development, nor will coach his handpicked players to the playoffs this season, one failing grade should cover all three areas.
Most amazing is that we actually have to ask the question: Will he be back?
Logic says no. But logic seldom carries the vote in this organization. Logic shows up only on grainy black-and-white photographs, sort of like Sasquatch.
Last month, Waddell and owners shot down a report that he had been given a three-year extension. Yet, in a recent spin-mail to Thrashers fans following the Marian Hossa trade, owners spread sunshine about the team’s future, gave no hint of replacing Waddell as GM and punctuated the letter with: “Our summer agenda will also include solidifying a head coach who will take us to the next level.”
Now, I don’t know if Waddell has done much prepping for his review. But he didn’t act the part Monday. When asked how he would respond if owners asked him to justify being brought back, he said: “I don’t think I need to justify anything to them. They’re smart people.”
Sorry. Those thoughts don’t intersect.
Only eight NHL general managers have held their position since the 1999-2000 season. Only Waddell hasn’t won a playoff game. Three of the other seven have won Stanley Cups (New Jersey’s Lou Lamoriello, Detroit’s Ken Holland, Carolina’s Jim Rutherford). Another has reached the Cup finals (Buffalo’s Darcy Regier). Another is bidding for his fourth straight playoff season (Nashville’s David Poile).
Nashville and Minnesota, two other recent expansion teams, have had more success and stability than Atlanta. Columbus, the other recent newbie, floundered. So it fired GM Doug MacLean. Go figure.
When asked why he didn’t feel he needed to justify his job to owners, Waddell said: “They know our situation here.”
Which is?
“You’ve seen it.”
Tell me.
“There’s lots of things. We didn’t have the start we wanted to have.”
And?
“That’s it. There’s lots of things. But I’m not going to sit here and talk about that with you. What I talk to them about, I’m not going to share with you.”
But beyond the 0-6 start, what else …
“There’s lots of things. But nothing I can share with you.”
Michael Gearon, the most grounded of the Atlanta Spirit owners, did not return phone messages Monday.
Just as well. It’s better that Gearon rest now before asking Waddell why an organization that has drafted near the top for so many years recently had its group of prospects ranked 23rd by a Web site, HockeysFuture.com.
Better that he rest now before asking Waddell why Hossa, despite loving Atlanta, didn’t feel good about the team’s future and wouldn’t re-sign.
Better that he rest now before asking Waddell what’s to stop Ilya Kovalchuk from leaving as a free agent in two years.
Waddell always has been an optimist. But there’s a line between optimism and believing in the Easter Bunny. When asked Monday about how he viewed his sliding team’s reaction to the trade deadline, he said, “Well, we’ve gotten points in five out of six games.”
It sounds better than saying, “We’ve won one out of six games.”
This team, which Waddell believed was train-wrecked by Bob Hartley and superior to last year’s, has won only 7 of 22 games since mid-January and 19 of 49 since mid-November.
Justify that.
As coach, he has lapsed into expansion clichés. He actually said, “We’re still a young franchise,” the other day. Players are “working hard.” Also, and let me make sure I get this right: “We’re taking it one game at a time.”
A little math. The Thrashers have 68 points with 12 games left. They would need to go 12-0 to finish with 92 and pass first-place Carolina if the Hurricanes merely go 6-5 and finish with 91. It’s so over. But is he so over?
“Nothing’s ever been said to expect anything different,” he said.
Still waiting for justification.
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