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Ron Francis

Seattle Kraken Will Wait To Name Head Coach

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Although the Seattle Kraken are set to take the ice as the NHL’s 32nd franchise in less than a year, the team is in no rush to name their inaugural head coach. The team did not hesitate to get a jump on hiring a GM, landing Ron Francis in July of 2019, but now Francis tells The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that the team is willing to wait on their next major personnel decision.

We don’t know yet the kind of team we may be able to draft, so we’re comfortable kind of sitting back and waiting right now and watching what happens here. There’s still, hopefully, a 2020-21 season getting up and running and playing. Are there guys that end up losing their jobs or looking for other things elsewhere? I just think we have time on this. We’re not in a race to make that decision at this point.

The sentiment makes sense and actually should not come as much of a surprise; the Vegas Golden Knights did not name Gerard Gallant (who is currently available) as their head coach until April of 2017, just two months ahead of the 2017 Expansion Draft. With the high likelihood of another NHL season that could run later into the calendar year than usual, given the delayed start, Seattle would still have many months left before making a coaching decision in order to keep to Vegas’ timeline.

However, Francis does mention that Seattle can begin making roster transactions prior to the Expansion Draft, stating that they will officially become a member of the league with player movement abilities once their final expansion payment in made to the league early next year. That of course raises a chicken-and-egg debate: do they hire a coach and base their early signings and trades on his style or do they make moves and then find a coach who might best fit those players and their 2021 Expansion Draft targets?

With that in mind, LeBrun asks Francis whether he has interviewed any candidates yet for head coach. Francis refused to answer, so make of that what you will. He did hint that the team is starting to get a better idea of who might be available in the expansion draft next off-season and how that could drive the team’s philosophy and whether that pairs with any available head coaches, so a coaching move could be on the horizon.

I think we’re getting closer to having an idea now that we’ve gotten through a little bit of the free agency. There could still be moves before the NHL hopefully gets up and running. Things become a little bit clearer as far as what you think may or may not be available, and then you start having those discussions with teams and try to get an indication on what may or may not be available. So I think once you get more into that process a little bit more, we’ll have a better indication (of their roster approach/philosophy). You always want to win now, but we’ll have to judge the landscape and see where things are and make the decisions that are right both short term and long term.

Seattle Hires Dave Baseggio, Adds To Scouting Department

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The Seattle Kraken have made a large addition to their scouting department, hiring Dave Baseggio as the team’s first director of pro scouting. Baseggio comes over from the Anaheim Ducks where he spent more than a decade holding different job titles. Kraken GM Ron Francis released a statement explaining why Baseggio is the right choice:

Dave played at Yale, he was an economics major and captained the hockey team as a senior. He played professionally beyond that. He’s been around the game a long time. He’s bright and a good person who will fit into the culture we are building with the Kraken. He will generate a lot of ideas and earn the respect of our pro scouting staff.

The team also hired Andrew Allen, Lorne Henning and William White as pro scouts, while extending the contracts of five other scouts—Cammi Granato, Ulf Samuelsson, Stu Barnes, Dave Hunter and John Goodwin—through the end of 2019-20 “with the intention” of re-signing them for the 2020-21 season as well.

The group will have to use video to scout players in the 24-team 2020 playoffs as they work to prepare for the expansion draft.

Snapshots: Seattle, Jones, Oilers

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The NHL season may be paused, but that doesn’t stop front offices from getting work done. Some of that work for the Seattle expansion franchise revolves around its still-unannounced team name, though the group is getting closer to a reveal. That’s what Seattle GM Ron Francis recently explained to reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com, indicating that though the organization will wait for an appropriate time to announce, it should be sooner rather than later:

We’re still going through that process with the League, working hard on the trademark and the legal process. Trust me when I say it, our people are really working hard, and as soon as we’ve completed it, we’ll look at how our community is doing and when is the right time to announce that name.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) followed up on the Seattle situation today, reporting that though construction on the new rink was shut down for several days, it is now resumed and both the NHL and Seattle organization do not believe that there will be a delay in their original timeline.

  • If the regular season or playoffs do resume at some point, the Columbus Blue Jackets could be getting back their most impactful player. Seth Jones took to Twitter to let his fans know that he has returned to the ice finally as he continues to rehab his surgically repaired ankle. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet jumped into the replies to clear up some confusion, reporting that injured players like Jones have been allowed to use team facilities in their rehab programs. The team originally announced an 8-10 week timeline for Jones following surgery, which he had on February 11.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have two draft picks that will see their exclusive draft rights expire on June 1st if they are not signed, but GM Ken Holland told 630 CHED today that negotiations continue with both of them. Filip Bergland, 22, was picked 91st overall in 2016 and has played the last four full seasons in the SHL, while the 21-year old Markus Niemelainen was the 63rd overall pick that year and has played in Finland for the last three seasons. Both players would become unrestricted free agents if not signed by the deadline.

Seattle Notes: Coach, Practice Facility, Expansion Draft

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While the Seattle expansion team will not take the ice for another 20 months, it is never too early to start planning ahead. Initially, the team was expected to pursue the franchise’s first head coach between January and June of 2021. However, the 2019-20 season has forced a number of major names onto the open market and now TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the hiring timeline has moved up. With the likes of Peter Laviolette, Bruce Boudreau, Mike Babcock, and perhaps most notably Gerard Gallant, the man who guided the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, among the available coaches right now, LeBrun believes that the team is likely to make a decision at head coach this summer. While the move would come with more than a year to spare, the team is unlikely to have this same selection if they wait too much longer, especially with the Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils among teams who will be looking for a replacement this summer. LeBrun notes that GM Ron Francis has cleared it with ownership to get out in front of the rush and hire a head coach sooner rather than later.

  • While the ownership group and front office is already hard at work preparing to build their team, hard work is also being put in at building the actual facilities that the Seattle team will use. With the arena still under construction, Seattle President and CEO Tod Lewieke announced that they also broke ground today on the team’s practice facility. Located just a few miles from the arena and at Seattle Center, the practice facility will house three rinks – the only other rinks inside of Seattle city limits. The 180,000-square foot facility will also have seating for spectators and will be open to other hockey events.
  • While the 2021 NHL Expansion draft is more than a year away, the passing of the NHL Trade Deadline does provide some clarity when looking ahead to possible protection schemes for each team. While the off-season free agent and trade markets will surely shift a number of rosters yet again, it is fair to assume that many teams will have a similar composition at this time next year as they do now. Of course, in a year’s time, the passing of the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline will essentially cement rosters ahead of the expansion draft.

Seattle Hires Team Of Pro Scouts

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The Seattle expansion franchise has hired a group of five professional scouts, adding more names to their growing front office. Stu Barnes, Ulf Samuelsson, Dave Hunter, John Goodwin and perhaps most notably Cammi Granato have all joined the team.

Granato becomes the first female pro scout in the NHL years after becoming one of the most decorated hockey players in USA Hockey history. The former forward captained team USA for many years and took home two Olympic and nine World Championship medals over her career. Granato is married to NHL analyst and former star forward Ray Ferraro and is the sister of Don and Tony Granato, both coaches after their own professional playing careers. The family is hockey royalty in the United States, and Cammi was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.

The rest of the group includes several other familiar names, including Samuelsson who played his early career with the Hartford Whalers alongside Seattle GM Ron Francis. He also served as Charlotte Checkers head coach for a time while Francis was running the Hurricanes, and was last employed under Joel Quenneville with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Seattle Hires Ricky Olczyk As Assistant GM

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The Seattle expansion team now has a third member of their hockey operations department. The club has hired Ricky Olczyk as an assistant general manager, serving under GM Ron Francis. Olczyk spent last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but has previous experience as an assistant GM alongside Francis with the Carolina Hurricanes and served for several years in the same capacity with the Edmonton Oilers. He’ll join Francis and director of hockey administration Alexandra Mandrycky in the expansion team’s front office for the time being.

Bringing in Francis with so much runway before their inaugural season in 2021-22 gave the Seattle group the ability to slowly watch the market and pounce on front office candidates that may come available, but the first hire is one that comes with plenty of familiarity. Olczyk (who is the brother of former NHL player Ed Olczyk) spent four years beside Francis with the Hurricanes, slowly building the foundation for the team that broke out last season and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Carolina minor league and development system was extremely strong during that time, though much of that credit has to go to former Charlotte Checkers coach and GM Mike Vellucci, who is now with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

Even including that run with the Hurricanes however, Olczyk’s time as an NHL assistant GM hasn’t been very successful. Hired by the Oilers in 2007, Olcyzk was part of an organization that had continual turnover and that failed to reach the postseason in any of his six years with the team. In fact, given that the Hurricanes only made the playoffs after he left the organization, Olczyk’s career as an AGM still doesn’t have a single postseason appearance in it. The blame for both team’s failures obviously can’t be placed on Olcyzk alone, but he’ll have to hope that a fresh start in Seattle will bring more success.

Ron Francis Officially Named GM Of Seattle Expansion Team

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The Seattle expansion team has officially announced the hiring of their first ever general manager. Ron Francis, legendary NHL player and former Carolina Hurricanes GM has been hired for the job. The team released an exhaustive history of Francis’ hockey career, explaining exactly why they chose him and including several quotes from other executives around the league. One from Mike Vellucci, who was an assistant GM during Francis’ tenure in Carolina, explains how he’ll build the Seattle team:

Ron is an intelligent manager who knows the kind of players he wants. He will draft and acquire players with a high-hockey IQ who understand how to play together, think a couple plays ahead and know the right way to play the game. He looks for players with high-level skills, such as skating, puck protection and stick-handling.

Though he left the Hurricanes before they experienced so much success last season, his fingerprints are still all over the roster. Most notably perhaps was his selection of Sebastian Aho in the second round of the 2015 draft, a player that currently sits fifth in scoring among that draft class behind only Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen.

Francis will need to find some steals like that if he wants the Seattle team to be competitive quickly. Though they will have the same rules for the expansion draft that Vegas took advantage of, teams will likely be much more prepared this time around. An advantage he will have however is the almost two full years of preparation he now has, as the Seattle front office including CEO Tod Leiweke have committed to a GM earlier than any other expansion team. Francis will have a say in the training facilities for both the NHL team and the proposed AHL affiliate in Palm Springs, building the entire player development department from the ground up.

Still, it will be a tough task for Seattle to follow in the incredible footsteps of the Golden Knights and GM George McPhee. Reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season should not be an expectation, and likely isn’t even a goal of this group. Francis’ plan in Carolina included a slow build through the draft given the team’s limited resources, and even with an increase in those it seems as though he’ll follow a similar path.

The Seattle team—which still does not have a name as of now—will begin play in the 2021-22 season.

Seattle Expected To Name Ron Francis As GM

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9:00pm: The Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker relays word from multiple sources that Francis will be hired and an announcement is expected this week. Baker adds that Francis will be given a multi-year contract “described as midrange in terms of other NHL GMs.” He also believes that Francis will be given full say on the hiring of the coaching staff and front office staff and may even have input on the team’s naming decision.

8:30pm: Many expected the Seattle expansion group to name their general manager this summer, with less than two years to go before the 2021 Expansion Draft. A large assortment of names have been in consideration for the position over the past year or so. In fact, the job seemed destined to go to now-Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett at one point. The new leading candidate? Former Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that Seattle is closing in on selecting Francis as their inaugural GM and feels that an announcement could becoming within days. The team has not confirmed the rumor at this time.

Francis, of course, was a Hall of Fame player who won two Stanley Cups and was a four-time All-Star in 23 NHL seasons with the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. Francis, an elite defensive forward and skilled play-maker, averaged better than a point-per-game on average over a whopping 1731 career games, including three 100+ point seasons. After retiring in 2004, Francis transitioned into a front office role with the Hurricanes in 2006 and eventually worked his way up to GM in 2014, a role he served in until he was fired last summer.

During his tenure in Carolina, Francis was criticized for making too few impact trades, bringing in hardly any impact players due to what many perceived to be a an over-hesitation to take a risk. Francis also showed similar hesitation on the free agent market and failed to improve his team externally, as the Hurricanes did not make the playoffs during his time as GM. However, the team is now reaping the benefits of his ability to draft and develop, as evidenced by a largely young and homegrown group making a run to the Eastern Conference Final this season. If the Seattle group is focused on Francis, it is likely that they value his ability to find value in the draft and to build a strong pipeline, a key factor for any upstart expansion franchise. Francis may also fare differently in adding talent, via expansion draft, trade, or free agency, with a clean slate, comfortable funding, and substantial leverage over his competitors, many of whom will look to swing deals to protect their assets in the expansion draft process.

Francis’ understanding of the game from his stellar playing career and his experience in the GM role make him a strong candidate for the Seattle position. How it all works out though, should he be the final selection, will be determined by how he handles the tricky situation of the expansion draft, and relevant trades, and his first entry draft and free agency in 2021.

Eastern Notes: Francis, Payne, Johansson, Reimer, Lehner, Mastrosimone

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One name that hasn’t gotten quite a bit of attention the last year has been that of former Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis. The former GM has spent the last few months on a management team that put together the roster for Canada at the recent World Championships. Sportsnet’s John Shannon points out that today is the last day that he is under contract with Carolina and could be free to sign with an other NHL team. According to Shannon, His work with Hockey Canada has increased his desire to return to the NHL.

Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland adds that Francis name has come up for a while as a strong candidate for the general manager position in Seattle. Francis help build the Hurricanes roster that eventually eliminated the former Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals last year and reached the conference finals.

  • Ottawa Senators new head coach D.J. Smith will add another key assistant to his staff. After bringing in Jack Capuano to be his associate head coach, the Senators announced today that they have also added former St. Louis Blues head coach Davis Payne as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 season. The 48-year-old Payne spent the past two years in Ottawa’s division as the associate coach for the Buffalo Sabres and Phil Housley. Before that he spent five years as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings and helped lead the team to the 2014 Stanley Cup Championship. As head coach in St. Louis, he spent parts of three seasons there between 2009 and 2011, finishing with a 67-55-15 record.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger writes that unrestricted free agent forward Marcus Johansson is talking to a number of teams today, but he is no longer talking to the Boston Bruins. The 28-year-old was acquired by Boston at the trade deadline for their playoff run, but reports indicate that his price tag is more than Boston wants to pay. Dreger adds that Boston is totally out of the picture now.
  • News & Observer’s Luke DeCock reports that while the Carolina Hurricanes acquired goaltender James Reimer earlier today, his stay in Carolina could be short. The scribe writes that Carolina isn’t necessarily planning on keeping the goaltender as the team continues to look to make more deals ahead of the opening of free agency on Monday. If they can find a taker, the team may try to flip him to another team.
  • The Athletic’s Arthur Staple adds that the Reimer trade suggests that the Florida Panthers are the leading candidates to sign Sergei Bobrovsky, which means the Islanders could find themselves without a top goalie. He points out there is plenty of time to re-connect with Robin Lehner. The two sides weren’t close in negotiations, but the Islanders may have no choice to change their stance in discussions.
  • The Detroit Red Wings got some bad news Saturday when they learned that recent draft prospect Robert Mastrosimone, the team’s second-round pick this year, suffered broken right ankle during development camp last week, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The injury will require four to six weeks of rehab. Mastrosimone scored 31 goals for the USHL Chicago Steel last season.

Snapshots: Francis, Maple Leafs, Pavelski

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If you’re looking for someone to credit for the success that the Carolina Hurricanes are having right now, it’s easy to name head coach Rod Brind’Amour, GM Don Waddell or even new owner Tom Dundon. One person who may be deserving of a good chunk of that credit though is former GM Ron Francis, who was let go before this season even started.

No, Francis wasn’t the man to pull the trigger on the Dougie Hamilton or Nino Niederreiter trades, but his fingerprints are still all over the roster. He was the GM who signed captain Justin Williams to a two-year, $9MM contract despite the forward being over 35. He orchestrated contract extensions for Brett Pesce ($4.025MM AAV) and Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM) that look like absolute steals right now, and he was the one who selected Sebastian Aho with the 35th pick in 2015. On Sportsnet radio today Francis admitted that he is interested in returning to management, and John Shannon notes that his contract expires on June 30th. It will be interesting to see where Francis lands, and in what role.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs are expecting to add a Russian on Wednesday according to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star, though it is not exactly clear who that would be. McGran suggests it is likely either Yegor Korshkov, a draft pick of the Maple Leafs who is expected to sign his entry-level contract this summer, or Ilya Mikheyev, who has been linked to the team in recent weeks. With the KHL season officially ending today and contracts expiring, many names will be signing over the next several days.
  • The San Jose Sharks will still be without captain Joe Pavelski when they take on the Colorado Avalanche today, as he did not travel with the team to Denver. The Sharks haven’t listed exactly what Pavelski is dealing with, but he hasn’t played since suffering the scary head injury against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. Gustav Nyquist, who flew home for the birth of his child, is expected to play for the Sharks.

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