If he's one of the best 9 guys in camp, I'd rather see him at LW with Couturier & Read(assuming Berube keeps his defined pairs intact) than playing 8-10 minutes with Zac Attack.

Now, if the 4th line is Bellemare, Laughton & Raffl, great, play him at 4th line
- Jsaquella

The third line LW option is intriguing.
Agree completely about the 4th line.

No the point that was trying to be made, and rather poorly. Was that teams should stop hiring ex players, for team management positions. But the author didn't offer anything to back that premise up. Other then Players are rarely encouraged to freelance and think creatively. Obviously that is really a poor generalization. Just as a CEO doesn't have to have a background in the product to be the company's CEO. Having a background in the product doesn't preclude a CEO from becoming the CEO. Or a good one for that matter.

I think the real point of the article was missed. And that is to surround yourself with people from different perspectives. And not that teams should stop hiring ex players for management positions.
- MJL

At least in engineering, it's in the best interests of the CEO to have a background and understanding of the company's products. That way, they actually know what their company is selling, and can therefore help to facilitate growth based on an ever-changing market landscape.

I remember in interviews before the season started that Vinny said he was interested in playing RW on Girouxs line. It was one of the reasons he signed here.
- MBFlyerfan

Yep, I recall that, as well...at least now that you mentioned it

Even Bellemare-Laughton-Hall would be fine with me.
- BiggE

Yep, I'm all in favor of Adam Hall returning, either as the 4th C or as the 13th forward

If you are given guidelines for conduct and clear objectives from ownership, then are rewarded or held accountable for your successes and failures, then it doesn't matter where a manager comes from, as long as they have the requisite intelligence to grasp the concepts of the position they hold.

Every single skill a human has is acquired and refined over time, and you need multiple skills to succeed at anything in life. A guy from Harvard will not necessarily be a better general manager on Day 1 than a guy from Flin Flon, Manitoba, because the guy from Harvard won't have every single skill required, either.

You just have to be smart enough to master those skills you don't have as quickly as possible -- and, again, more likely than not, you will be held accountable for your failures and rewarded for your successes, as defined by ownership.
- AllInForFlyers

Great points. But I really think the best situation is for the guy from Flin Flon to have a guy from Harvard on his staff. So that there is diversity. That's the real point, rather then just incorrectly stating that teams hiring ex players needs to stop.

The guy quoted in the article saying that he wants fresh voices and different perspectives surrounding him, is an ex player. So what happened to the players not thinking creatively?

If there is no defense it is not a sport. That is my criteria.

Golf is a game. Track is a competition. etc etc etc.

:cue all the indignant responses:

(of course this doesn't imply that golf or track or anything else I don't consider a sport is in any way not difficult or requires less athletic skill.)

- MBFlyerfan

Golf has a defense. It's called alcohol.

Praying we don't see anything like that, anymore.
- AllInForFlyers

Me too, brother...me too

Ballmer was with Microsoft almost since the beginning of the company.

So, while he was not a technology guy, I really don't think he had to be by the time he became CEO almost 20 years after Ballmer joined the firm.

Besides: If you're a CEO and you're making day to day technology decisions for a bazillion dollar company, you're doing it wrong.

/removes nerd hat with the propeller on top
- johndewar

At least in engineering, it's in the best interests of the CEO to have a background and understanding of the company's products. That way, they actually know what their company is selling, and can therefore help to facilitate growth based on an ever-changing market landscape.
- jmatchett383

It would certainly help. But we see it all the time. Executives coming from a different company that was involved in a completely different market, to become a CEO of another company.

At least in engineering, it's in the best interests of the CEO to have a background and understanding of the company's products. That way, they actually know what their company is selling, and can therefore help to facilitate growth based on an ever-changing market landscape.
- jmatchett383

There you go again, giving cogent, intelligent comments!

Golf has a defense. It's called alcohol.
- jmatchett383

It would certainly help. But we see it all the time. Executives coming from a different company that was involved in a completely different market, to become a CEO of another company.
- MJL

Yes, but as you said, "It would certainly help." So, given the choice of a CEO who understands the company's products (or at least has a general knowledge of those types of products) versus a CEO with no working knowledge, you always go with the first one.

Again, may be specific to fields like engineering, but it's all I know well.

I don't think he meant you avoid players, just that the pool of candidates needs to be expanded beyond ex-players/sons of ex-players for the best results.
- Tomahawk

Yes, that was the real point. But not sure why you added above the quoted article that teams hiring ex players has to stop. That's false in my opinion.

I think eventually he would have ended up as the RW with Giroux and Hartnell under Laviolette.
- Jsaquella

So then why the big deal made by us, media, whomever about him moving to wing?
I don't know. I think I am trying to look for logic in all of this and forgetting that it's the flyers and logic doesn't exactly rule the day.

If there is no defense it is not a sport. That is my criteria.

Golf is a game. Track is a competition. etc etc etc.

:cue all the indignant responses:

(of course this doesn't imply that golf or track or anything else I don't consider a sport is in any way not difficult or requires less athletic skill.)

- MBFlyerfan

For me, a sport requires an objective metric for victory accomplished by physical/athletic competition. So golf and track qualify, but things like figure skating and diving are better described as athletic competitions (due to their subjective nature). NASCAR, naturally, doesn't qualify as a sport at all.

That's just me, though.

Great points. But I really think the best situation is for the guy from Flin Flon to have a guy from Harvard on his staff.
- MJL

I guess I'd rather have the guy from Harvard at the top w/ the guy from Flin Flon, the other Prairie Boys, the lawyer, the capologist, and the scouting dept all reporting to him.

Yes, but as you said, "It would certainly help." So, given the choice of a CEO who understands the company's products (or at least has a general knowledge of those types of products) versus a CEO with no working knowledge, you always go with the first one.

Again, may be specific to fields like engineering, but it's all I know well.
- jmatchett383

I would go with who I felt was the best CEO. Just like I wouldn't choose an ex player to become my team's GM, over a non ex player who I thought was the better candidate, just because the other guy was an ex player.

So then why the big deal made by us, media, whomever about him moving to wing?
I don't know. I think I am trying to look for logic in all of this and forgetting that it's the flyers and logic doesn't exactly rule the day.
- nails

The big deal was that he was played at left wing and performed horribly. Now, with Hartnell gone, it seems to be the best idea to remove the player that Giroux had chemistry with to force VL into a spot he's never played and have a big "?" on the left side.

Golf has a defense. It's called alcohol.
- jmatchett383

Hazards are the D of golf.
but I also don't see it necessarily as a sport

It would certainly help. But we see it all the time. Executives coming from a different company that was involved in a completely different market, to become a CEO of another company.
- MJL

Apple CEO Tim Cook has an undergraduate degree in IE, which might serve him well in figuring out which sweatshop in which to manufacture his products, but probably leaves him in the dark a bit in figuring out which features to include in a product or which programming language serves the platform best. He probably hires well paid lackeys for that sort of thing.

I would go with who I felt was the best CEO. Just like I wouldn't choose an ex player to become my team's GM, over a non ex player who I thought was the better candidate, just because the other guy was an ex player.
- MJL

Didn't you say that a guy with a working knowledge of the company's products would be helpful compared to no knowledge (all things equal)?

For me, a sport requires an objective metric for victory accomplished by physical/athletic competition. So golf and track qualify, but things like figure skating and diving are better described as athletic competitions (due to their subjective nature). NASCAR, naturally, doesn't qualify as a sport at all.

That's just me, though.
- BulliesPhan87

With you there, driving in circles is not a sport. Now if they had to turn around and start going the other way at the mid point of the race, I might start watching. The accidents would be spectacular!

I guess I'd rather have the guy from Harvard at the top w/ the guy from Flin Flon, the other Prairie Boys, the lawyer, the capologist, and the scouting dept all reporting to him.
- Tomahawk

Regardless. It could be vice versa. Wasn't really the point in which type of guy to put at the top. The point is really to have some diversity, and have different kinds of strengths all blended together to have the best group.

Warning: Not Hockey Related

Planning a wedding blows. Being a bride expected to plan a wedding blows even more.
That is all...
Carry on.

For me, a sport requires an objective metric for victory accomplished by physical/athletic competition. So golf and track qualify, but things like figure skating and diving are better described as athletic competitions (due to their subjective nature). NASCAR, naturally, doesn't qualify as a sport at all.

That's just me, though.
- BulliesPhan87

FWIW, there is more "physical/athletic competition" involved in figure skating (where you are trying to achieve victory) than things like golf or baseball.