When Chris MacFarland bolted for Nashville, Colorado Avalanche fans were justifiably worried about the way things would work out for the organization.
The savviest thing Joe Sakic did was temporarily assume GM duties. The move intends to buy time as the organization figures out what to do. The solution could be either hiring someone from outside or promoting someone from within.
That’s something we’ve previously discussed here at Mile High Sticking. And it’s a conversation we’re likely to resume soon enough.
Now, if there was any concern about Joe Sakic being rusty when returning to the GM chair, well, this offseason has proven the contrary. For Sakic, being a GM is like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never really forget. But this goes beyond muscle memory. It’s about staying abreast of the happenings in the day-to-day operations of a hockey team.
One of the biggest criticisms of upper-level executives is that they don’t really involve themselves in the routine operations of the team. Typically, a President of Hockey Operations (POHO) serves as an interlocutor between the team and ownership. The GM and other staff work with the POHO to translate ownership’s vision for the team into actionable steps.
But beyond that, a POHO doesn’t normally sit in meetings and talk about prospects, lineup decisions, and routine roster moves. There are times when a POHO becomes involved in major dealings. For example, Jim Rutherford, POHO of the Vancouver Canucks, was the point man on the Quinn Hughes trade last season. But you could say that was an extraordinary situation that warranted special attention.
As for Sakic, he never really took his finger off the pulse when he left the GM role. It wasn’t that he breathed down MacFarland’s neck. But you could tell that the Colorado Avalanche have always been Sakic’s team. It's not that MacFarland was part of some sort of puppet regime. It’s that Sakic’s personality that has been imprinted all over the team. That’s why it wasn’t hard for him to just roll back into the acting GM role. Sakic had the skill set and the knowledge base to just get back on the horse and ride.
Thus far, the moves have been tangible. The former Avalanche captain made savvy signings in re-upping Brett Kulak and Brent Burns. He also made a solid, under-the-radar addition in Jaden Schwartz. Then, there’s the possibility that Fabian Lysell could be the best acquisition of all.
The way things are going, the Kroenke family might just ask Sakic to stay in the role permanently. Why not? With the way things are going, the organization could do much, much worse.
Add us as a preferred source on Google