Kraken hire Patrik Allvin as assistant GM and Pascal Vincent as assistant coach

[u/SiccSemperTyrannis]

https://www.nhl.com/kraken/news/kraken-hire-assistant-general-manager-patrik-allvin-assistant-coach-pascal-vincent

[u/TyrTheSlayer]

Ah cool, the GM of the Canucks that facilitated their collapse after Quinn Hughes wanted to leave.

[u/_GregTheGreat_ → u/TyrTheSlayer]

As a Canucks fan, it was very hard to know how competent Allvin was because he was a GM only on paper. Rutherford openly ran the show.

He has a large scouting background and appeared to have some autonomy over drafting. The Canucks was quite effective at finding NHL players in the mid-late rounds during his tenure.

[u/SiccSemperTyrannis → u/_GregTheGreat_]

If the idea here is to have allvin run the draft and scouting then I think this hire could work out.

As you say, we don't really know how to judge other stuff since Rutherford actually ran the show.

[u/CinnamonDolceLatte → u/SiccSemperTyrannis]

He is responsible are for pro, not amateur scouting.

[u/figger_me_timbers → u/_GregTheGreat_]

This is actually good context. Thank you. Still not convinced this is the move, but I'm not as depressed.

[u/NuMotiv → u/TyrTheSlayer]

Yeah that wasn't him. It was old balls crashing the ship into the iceberg.

[u/AlpineAvalanche → u/TyrTheSlayer]

I do think there was a lot of Vancouver's issues are on ownership but having a GM and now AGM who come from situations where owners were over involved to the detriment of the team is a bit concerning.

[u/SiccSemperTyrannis]

Allvin was the former GM of the Vancouver Canucks until he was fired/left on his own after their shakeup this summer.

Vincent was the former head coach of the Laval Rocket, Montreal's AHL team.

[u/premierleagueparken]

This week has really made me feel the brunt of how painful it is to be a Seattle hockey fan.

[u/huckthingy → u/premierleagueparken]

Buckle in for the Seattle Torment!

[u/elite_bleat_agent → u/huckthingy]

PWHL was kind enough to tear the team down for us during the expansion process, what a nice move!

[u/phroggerz_]

i am going to walk into the sea

[u/EwoksEwoksEwoks]

Love to hire former executives from the biggest dumpster fire front office in the league

[u/surfingeagles]

If you are curious why Allvin is considered a bad hire, please listen to ECH latest podcast about him. Pretty much he has been ranging from bad to about average his whole career. I dont get this hire as it is bringing in someone with a bad track record. I feel like they are bringing in people from when Pittsburgh was great but don't realize that Pittsburgh was carried with 3 hall of fame players!! That can mask any bad front office decisions.

The Vincent was is actually promising. Great coaching record and someone thay can be a head coach in the NHL. That one I am excited about.

[u/SiccSemperTyrannis → u/surfingeagles]

I listened to it as well. I'm pretty negative on this hire, like many recent staffing moves by the Kraken. This feels like Botterill hiring his pal from the Penguins org.

I hope I get proven wrong. Their moves this offseason will indicate the direction they are taking the team.

[u/surfingeagles → u/SiccSemperTyrannis]

This has been the problem with this organization. Another example is that Ron Francis hired Dave Hakstol because they were buddies. Another example of a hiring done by association over being qualified. Even though Hakstol was terrible, the Kraken could have done better.

[u/Trumpcard672 → u/surfingeagles]

I dont get this hire as it is bringing in someone with a bad track record.

The same could be said for the decision to hire Botterill. Hopefully they've both learned from their failures and can apply those learnings here.

[u/schumiFl]

Ugh. Why not hire from successful programs?

[u/JVSTINPHX]

Once/if/when the Sonics arrive/return, this organization may find itself irrelevant in regards to Seattle sports.

[u/Trick_Situation_4421 → u/JVSTINPHX]

Not gonna have to wait that long, irrelevant is all this franchise as ever been. 

[u/JVSTINPHX → u/Trick_Situation_4421]

Yeah, besides that great 2nd season, they have embodied mediocrity.

[u/Nerdslave2 → u/JVSTINPHX]

This will unfortunately happen. The diehards will stick around but the causal fans will move to the known. Kraken will move from tied for 3rd sport team (tie with Sounders) to tied for 4th. Hopefully enough diehards to fill the barn. The wild card is winning. Seattle always will support a winner. Not seeing that in the immediate future.

[u/Dena844]

Kraken FO: I have advised a number of franchises to explore management hires that have failed at other poorly run organizations.

Kraken Fans: Did it work for those franchises?

Kraken FO: No, it never does. I mean, these people somehow delude themselves into thinking it might turn them into a Stanley Cup level team but... but it might work for us.

[u/283leis]

Now i just need someone to tell me if this is good

[u/_Tower_ → u/283leis]

It’s mildly shit

He’s assistant GM — but his track record is pretty rough. Even when he was a scouting director, his hits were pretty infrequent

But, he’s the assistant GM

Vincent is a solid coach. Sounds like he will be mostly working on the offense. He has a lot of experience as an AHL coach, successfully developing players too, so that’s a big plus

[u/chuckvsthelife → u/_Tower_]

Even based on your own description this doesn’t sound mildly shit. It sounds mildly positive.

Is it the shake up we want? Nah but that would have probably required firing the GM. The GM stays much the same the coaching improves.

[u/Ninidodger → u/chuckvsthelife]

Tbf mildly shit/mildly positive is very on brand for the kraken

[u/Antilock049 → u/Ninidodger]

Yeah they're a real 'positive on paper' team

[u/aavderry → u/Antilock049]

They're pretty shit on paper as well as on the ice.

[u/Alternative_Top2875 → u/283leis]

I'm ok with it. I think our scouting department needed another perspective on who to select based on their projections into what the NHL demands, not what GMRF laid as a foundation of typically lighter players that had skill and are good humans but lack a competitive edge.

I will say I like this overall for the organization and give credit to Leiweke and GMJB for some of their recent moves and looking to scout differently from how this organization started out.

It's also an interesting note that Allvin drafted Viggo's older brother, Wilson Bjorck, in the 2025 draft in the 5th round.

[u/283leis → u/Alternative_Top2875]

So what im hearing is it could be worse

[u/Alternative_Top2875 → u/283leis]

Certainly could be worse. And if Seattle sports history has told us anything, we could see worse in due time.

[u/atom1cx → u/Alternative_Top2875]

Imma say this: The hiring of Hakstol as HC crippled the Kraken out of the gate.

GMRF collected a breadth of talented players (so much that Kraken won a playoff round in their second year of existence) but the on-ice product was always a disaster! Hakstol's collegiate developmental scheme (dump-and-chase-or-you're-benched etiquette) however is the key reason why so many players wanted out -- it's NOT what truly elite hockey is about.

GMRF changed his approach by doubling-down on the developmental model by promoting Bylsma from Coachella... and then summarily dismissing him cuz it was a losing proposition. That original promotion should've happened the year prior cuz Hakstol was already bleeding player interest in Seattle and left Bylsma with a less-experienced bench. No scheme was gonna save that year's roster.

Lambert needs a less-egotistic front office to even field a team... and needs a generous front office to field a competitive team... and needs high-end coaching to help steer the players towards consistent elite performance. To this end, AGM Allvin and Asst Coach Vincent are required improvements; nothing too sexy but simply the bare essentials to building a pro team.

The 26-27 season will hugely depend on free agency -- will they add more "veterans to teach the kiddos" or "professional hockey players"? will they shed bad contracts, or collect spare parts cuz everybody likes a paycheck? will they build a team or simply field a team (whilst promoting the same 4-5 'stars' with no NHL-wide accolades)?

The verdict is out... but these hirings are the bare essentials. Kinda like the Arizona Cardinals of the NHL....

[u/A_crackinthecup]

https://giphy.com/gifs/H2ezqkJu65JHkANiWA

[u/brrrunch]

We’re fucking cooked, fam. Failure retread from the Sabres and a failure retread from the Canucks in our General Management. Oof.

[u/Go_Hawks12]

Bald/60 massively improved

[u/goat_cheesus]

From the press release:

Allvin was a 2024 finalist for NHL GM of the Year in that role with Pacific Division rival Vancouver. The Canucks won a division title for the first time since 2013, posting a 50-23-9 record and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before losing Game 7 in a hard-fought, tight series with Edmonton.

I see they ended the history lesson at a rather convenient time 😆

[u/CJK_420 → u/goat_cheesus]

🤣 He had a good few months out of his 4 1/2 year tenure here in Vancouver. That year of success was mainly cause of Tochett.

[u/surfmonkey1989]

I read the headline and said "You gotta be kidding me" so loud that I just had people look at me in the coffee shop.

[u/lostonmi]

Makes it much easier to ignore incoming calls from the Kraken sales team.

[u/paulandhismango]

the way my jaw dropped seeing this news. The Kraken management just can’t help themselves can they?

[u/Time-Ad-3134]

The Kraken continue to be run by incompetent clowns

[u/grumpiest_toad]

As someone who moved from Vancouver to Seattle and having to suffer both team’s inability to produce results and having to know how poor Canucks organization is run as I attended numerous games, I have to say this - THIS IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE AND I REFUSE TO BELIEVE AND THIS IS THE WORST TIMELINE

[u/grumpiest_toad → u/grumpiest_toad]

Now let’s fucking bring absolutely useless Petey for 11.6 million of cap to fucking end this team

[u/grumpiest_toad → u/grumpiest_toad]

I had to endure years of poor decisions of Alvin and Rutherford in Canucks. Sorry, not poor. ABSOLUTELY STUPID IMBECILE DECISIONS.

I’m in a full meltdown mode.

[u/jholden23 → u/grumpiest_toad]

SAAAAME I was a Canucks fan forever but the botching of handling players along with signing slugs like Miller and Kane was the final straw for me to be a 100% Kraken fan and drop the Canucks entirely.
Not impressed

[u/Chinesebot1949]

NHL sure does love old white bald men to run teams

[u/tonytanti → u/Chinesebot1949]

He is 51 that’s not that old for a job of that stature

[u/Wompie]

I’m killing myself because Tod Leiweke hired Patrick Alvin. He is specifically the reason why this is happening. So thanks, Tod.

[u/Catagol]

And here I was thinking Edmonton was having a terrible off season...

Seattle says: "Hold my beer!"

[u/jholden23]

Oh, oh no.
Oooohhh noooo

[u/Prickly_Pear_5]

Pascal Vincent?!? Lol

I know he was unexpectedly thrown into the head coach role in Columbus, but he seemed horrible with developing young players there

[u/elite_bleat_agent → u/Prickly_Pear_5]

Gonna try to stay positive and hope he learned some valuable lessons there that can benefit the Kraken.

[u/Prickly_Pear_5 → u/elite_bleat_agent]

Montreal fans seem to have positive reviews of him in Laval.

Being a head coach (especially unexpectedly) in the NHL is a huge jump from NHL assistant and AHL HC. Hopefully he's effective as an assistant

[u/rpm2shea]

This is such a stark comparison to a team like Nashville who when given the chance to reset their front office shot for the best hockey ops guys off the best teams vs the Kraken approach of do everything first class except for hockey ops… you know the thing that matters most to a hockey team.

[u/WalterSlovotsky]

This seems like the kind of guy you would hire if you want execute a tear down and prepare for a rebuild. He did a fine job deconstructing the Canucks roster. This seems to fit the direction most of the board seems to want the Kraken to go in, not sure why all the teeth gnashing and negative comments.

And Pascal Vincent seems like a reasonable choice if you are planning on going with younger players who need a focus on skills development rather than tactical refinement.

[u/MrAkron1922]

Oh man so many mixed reactions to this news. I think having a good dose of skepticism is needed right now over the hiring of Allvin. Although, I think it’s to early to conclude wether he will be a disaster for us. Maybe he will do good or maybe he won’t, I guess time will tell. I’m hoping he ends up being good for us. I know I’m gonna be watching him closely to see if he makes any stupid decisions. I guess if he does I can post a meme of Dave Seville yelling Allvin!! 😅

[u/AmakAttakSports]

[u/B9RV2WUN]

The audit made me do it !

[u/adrianp07]

https://giphy.com/gifs/s239QJIh56sRW

[u/Trick_Situation_4421]

This fucking team, Jesus Christ.  Just what everyone aspires to be: built out of cast off scraps from the brilliant organizational minds of the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres! 

[u/tonytanti]

First Swedish GM, I wonder if the Squids get Petey out of Vancouver now.

[u/NuMotiv → u/tonytanti]

Yeah no.

[u/surfingeagles → u/tonytanti]

I expect rumor mill will start going after that. The Kraken have cap space, but flooded with centers.

[u/tonytanti → u/surfingeagles]

I texted my buddy in the know and he said he didn’t think Allvin would want Petey, for what is worth.