Should Glen Sather be fired from the GM position of the NY Rangers? Why or why not?

Question

If so, do you think Mark Messier (who is interested in the job) would be a better GM?

Answer 1

Sather should not be fired as GM of the New York Rangers because he has built the team into a winner. He currently has put himself back into the envy of other general managers and has made the Rangers a legitimate Cup contender. Very few people thought that the Rangers would make a huge splash in the free agent market.....but they did. One of the big winners in the early July free agent sweepstakes.

As for Messier.....it is hard to believe that he would be a better GM than Sather.............at any point in his career. I'm actual quite skeptical about how Messier would fare as an NHL GM. As has been pointed out many many times, not too mane all-star players become successful GMs in any sport. I think Messier would be better off as a coach than as a GM. I think he has the tenacity in him that the coaching spot needs as opposed to a GM. If he really wants to be GM....start out in the Canadian junior ranks, and see what type of team you can develop with a 4 yr revolving roster. If he can succeeed there...then give him a shot. It's one thing to captain a team to a Cup, and another to GM a contender. I think being a captain lends itself to more to being a successful coach.

Personally, Sather is having too much fun again. He knows he's close to another Cup...and he wants it.

As for those people who will cry...Yzerman has this, etc.......Knowing both of them quite well, I would rather have Yzerman running things than Messier. Yzerman could be a successful GM, but he is not the coaching type. Messier is more of the coaching type.....than a GM type. Personally, I think a 2010 Olympic Team Canada would benefit a great deal having both men aboard!

Answer 2

Huh? If he was going to be fired, it would have happened 5 years ago when the team was in a freefall and every signing was a bust.

The Rangers have been a very competitive squad since the lockout ended and are considered a legitimate cup contender this season.

Regardless, Mark Messier has no business being the GM of an NHL club. If he even dreams of having Sather's job, he should apologize when he wakes up. There are literally dozens of more qualified candidates out there.

I'd get on my knees and beg Scotty Bowman or Craig Patrick to come out of retirement before handing over the reigns to Messier. I'd hold a ticker tape parade if Neil Smith agreed to come back, just so Messier would not be given the opportunity to destroy the organization for a decade. In fact, the only people I would hire Messier ahead of would be Bobby Clarke, Garth Snow and Mike Keenan.

In all seriousness, the ideal candidate to succeed Sather would have been Don Maloney. He spent YEARS working for the job, learning the job and earning the job. That's why he is now an NHL GM in Phoenix. Did he bolt because he feared Messier would scoop him if he had stuck around for Slats to retire?

Answer 3

Let's see. Messier's experience is nil. Sather has turned the Rangers into one of the most competitive teams in the league the past few years after years of futility. Brought in Gomez and Drury to upgrade their centers exponentially, although he did pay a little too much for them. On the whole, though, I'd say he's done as good a job as anyone in the league aside of Brian Burke. So no. I wouldn't fire him. And if I did, no. I would not hire Messier. Look what happened to the Islanders when they just randomly made a player their GM. They've lost most of their good players and signed a mediocre goalie for a decade. That's crazy.

Answer 4

There is no way that Sather would get fired. He's done a great job building that team and they have great draft picks from past years that have barely shown there colours at the NHL level yet. And then he goes out and gets Drury and Gomez to boot. He's a great GM. If Mess wants a job there, he should become an assistant GM or something, learn the ranks of Sather and work from there. I would not give up Sather's job just to put Mess in the front office.

Answer 5

How is Messier in any way qualified to be a GM? Sather already has a dynasty to his credit, why should he be fired? He has the Rangers in great shape, they look like they will be able to contend for years to come. This isn't even an issue.

Answer 6

The only GOOD reason I can think of keeping Glen around is to keep Mark out of the job. They both are bad, but Glen is better than Mark would be.

Their payroll is constantly in the top 4 of the league, yet it's been awhile since they made the final 4. Any GM could go in and spend a lot of money and get no results.

Answer 7

No he shouldnt be fired,

Even if he was fired and Messier were to replace him as the GM of the rangers, it would probably end up like Gretzky and the Coyotes LOL.

Answer 8

First, Slats is one of the best brains in hockey and if he was fired he'd be signed by another big club in days if not hours. Second he hasn't done anything wrong that I can see. He's playing hardball with Avery because Avery has an over-exaggerated sense of self-worth.
Messier has no experience that I can see so why would you think he could do a better job? You might as well replace Slats with me, we have the same experience in the job.

Answer 9

i don't understand why everyone is in this big outcry over avery, i'm a life long rangers fan and i love sean avery and what he brings, but he is not worth 2.6 like he asked and if he wouldn't take what he was being offered i have no problem with arbitartion its playing by the rules. i'm glad he rangers are building instead of buying, i want avery on my team but i also look ahead and know that if we give avery to much it will be a mistake, i think something could have been done before arbitartion but sometimes it happens and if avery's personality causes issues with team chemistry like his comments about wanting to kill bufflao players than i really don't want that kind of thing going around my team it happens way to often in other sports so for it to happen in the nhl it then becoms at outcry it rediculous

Answer 10

The team made the playoffs last year, signed Gomez and others. He seems to be doing a great job. Why should he be fired?