Panthers Q&A: GM Jacques Martin addresses offseason issues

Ok, seriously. How could you not reach through the phone and punch this dude in the mouth after an interview like that. I had a sausage & peppers sandwich for lunch that would have done a better job answering those questions. I mean, is it a language barrier? Is it that he just doesn't know anything? Is he just dumb as a bagel? I understand there is a certain respect in hockey that you don't go airing your dirty laundry through the press but can he please make it SEEM like he has a clue? Give up something JM, anything, a strait answer would be great.

JM, everybody in Hockey knows you aren't going to keep both of your goalies next year, everyone also know you have ZERO chance at signing Bou. Why not just take the chips you have and get to work. Even if by some miracle you did sign Andy and Bou you'd have no money left to sign your real needs. Its really easy for him to say nothing because thats what he knows and thats what he does. NOTHING.

Drew could not have said it better. If there is a problem with this team, and I think we all agree there is, JM is a HUGE part of it. He was poison in the locker room and on the bench, and he's poison in the GM's chair as well.

Let's see if we can get a pee wee league GM in trade for JM. FIRE MARTIN NOW!

If BS were electricity,
Jacques Martin would be FP&L..

What a way to not answer anything... I love it "we didn't make the playoffs, we move on". Why is he still here?

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We have this guy & that guy coming up.

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"I think I've indicated what our intentions are."

"That's a unique situation. I can't answer that."

"We like what he brings. I don't think I can answer that."

"I don't want to discuss with you whether we're trading players or not."

"There's no update. I said we're going to take some time."

"I think I answered that before. It's the same."

What a worthless interview. I would have slammed the phone down on this clown after wasting my time with crappy answers like that. There is absolutely NOTHING that came out of that interview that no one knew beforehand. Moreover, these nebulous answers speak volumes of where Martin is at in the planning process...(ie. he has done nothing).

I'm so sick of this guy already. He is a total waste of space. Every time this team has missed the playoffs he has had a direct hand in causing it. Yet he still comes off like some pompous jerk brushing off a local reporter with legitimate questions and concerns. No one is expecting him to spill the beans about what he plans to do, but at least give fans a hint where he is headed. Instead he stonewalls the interview and then gets annoyed when very fair and legit questions are asked. This guy should have been fired a LONG time ago. Instead he is still sitting in the GM chair figuring out his job along with new and creative ways to make this team suck for seasons to come. Without a doubt, Martin has got to be the worst GM in the league. Even the Islanders are doing better under Snow. At least they've got Tavares to look forward to.

What do we have to look forward to Martin? Another season of garbage? An overpaid Booth as our top scorer? Ballard as our top defensemen? Vokoun our top netminder? These guys would be 2nd and 3rd stringers on other teams. This team blows and so does the GM. We don't even have a franchise player fans can get behind and vote in for the All-star game. This guy should be working the phones with agents. Instead he's going to the World Championships to hob nob with all his buddies in think up more flippant answers to give to the media when they want to know what this clown will actually do to improve the team.

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Sounds like he's Cohen's boy! Blah blah....when's the rodeo start??

Martin has definitely mastered the art of Coach-GM speak. He did not answer any of your questions. Why even print something like this.....what a waste of space!

JM is a clown. Cohen's Clown. What an a**wipe. He is the most useless GM in the history of sports. Wait a minute. Milbury. Close second for JM. What a weezel. This teams sucks from Cohen on down. More garbage BS. Go the the World Juniors and fall down a hole somewhere. I'll be the first at the funeral along with everyone else.

The most troubling aspects of the interview is that Martin seems so disconnected with reality. His comment about signing Booth seems to indicate that he isn't concerned about what might happen if they go past July 1st. "He's an individual we want to have back, but he's not an unrestricted free agent. It's a process that's going to take some time." I don't know why Steve (and I assume it was Steve who did the interview) didn't follow up by asking if Jacques was concerned with the fact that as a RFA, another team can easily tender an offer sheet if Booth's unsigned by July 1st.

His comment about goaltending and his comparison to Anaheim in particular is bizarre. Is he not aware that Hiller is now Anaheim's #1? Is he not aware that Anaheim has cap issues and that Giguire might be on the trading block when the season is over?

In response to being asked if Anderson is ready to be a #1, Jacques gave an even more mysterious answer: "We like what he brings. I don't think I can answer that."

Gosh, if I am Anderson, I am running to the exit door as fast as possible. Gee Jacques, at least say that you think so and that it would be great to have two #1 guys on your team. Does Jacques really think this kind of posturing will help him to negotiate with Anderson? Geez, it's no wonder that Luongo was scared about staying with the Panthers and wanted some publicly stated guarantees.

Then there is that last weird comment about Booth. He's asked: "But what about as far as how good he'll be?"

Instead of saying, hey he's turning into a key player and we expect really big things from him because he works so hard at improving his game, Jacques goes the other way and says: "That's dictated by the amount of work. Year to year you expect your players to keep improving."

Really big vote of confidence there, Jacques! If I am Booth or his agent, I am thinking about waiting until after July 1st and seeing what teams want me and how much they believe in me and how bright they think my future will be.

Very scary stuff.

I remember back when journalism was a profession and reporters were not afraid to ask tough questions -- and press for answers until they were given. Too bad the SS doesn't understand that concept.

All JM did was resuse to answer, like a poliician who speaks out of both sides of his mouth.

This is why I won't continue on with my season tickets. JM has to go.

The gay community is keeping a close watch on the tight ends being drafted.

Beezer wrote:

I remember back when journalism was a profession and reporters were not afraid to ask tough questions -- and press for answers until they were given. Too bad the SS doesn't understand that concept.
All JM did was resuse to answer, like a poliician who speaks out of both sides of his mouth.
This is why I won't continue on with my season tickets. JM has to go.

I don't see this a failure of the Sun Sentinel, but rather a PR nightmare for the Panthers.(It's curious that Gorten's name wasn't attached to the article, which makes you wonder if they had just another staff writer cover the interview.)

For the Panthers it is a PR disaster if only because it doesn't help their marketing of the team one bit. At the very least he should have been schooled on better answers to the expected set of questions - and it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going to be asked. But as I pointed out in a prior post, Martin comes off as being totally disconnected with reality.

But this is the essential knock on Jacques Martin - he is a terrible communicator. It was one of his biggest weaknesses as a coach, both up in Ottawa and down here in Florida.

A nauseating man, a horrible communicator, a below-average general manager. I would like to see a successful (or at least a smart) GM replace this frustrating buffoon. There would be no way he would survive as GM in a traditional hockey market, because the fans would demand his ouster.
I have already spoken with my wallet. Last year, I cancelled my season tickets... instead, I only purchased tickets thast were very deeply discounted (or free). I saved $3000. Not even Saveology could have saved me that much money.

Anybody know if Rae Carruth is running pass patterns out in the yard ?

Not a big JM fan as coach or GM,but think about this: If the interview was with Bill Parcells you would have gotten the same terse non answers and no one would say boo..Folks you dont give away your plans so other teams know them. Of course he d like to keep JB,Vokun and Anderson but can he?
Lets see what developes in the next month or so and then judge. I will say his performance thus far in 4 yrs has been very poor.

hockey puck wrote:

Not a big JM fan as coach or GM,but think about this: If the interview was with Bill Parcells you would have gotten the same terse non answers and no one would say boo..Folks you dont give away your plans so other teams know them. Of course he d like to keep JB,Vokun and Anderson but can he?
Lets see what developes in the next month or so and then judge. I will say his performance thus far in 4 yrs has been very poor.

First, Parcells probably wouldn't have even done the interview. Second, Parcells has proven himself as someone who knows how to build a roster and turnaround a franchise. Third, the Dolphins improvement last season stands on it's own merit. The Dolphins are also selling tickets far better than the Panthers. They don't need additional PR help from Parcells.

In contrast, Martin doesn't have that track record with the Panthers. And the Panthers sorely need a PR boost from their GM. No, he didn't have to go into exact specifics. But to not even give rousing vote of confidence about the kid who was one of their most valuable players and a clear keeper, is just plain foolish. It's not like he'd be letting the cat out of the bag.

You make some Good points. I was not suggesting Martin is even in the same universe as Parcells,but Parcells would give the same non answers if he agreed to the interview. But,as you state,he has the track record to behave that way and does not have to do PR work.

it just shows how many hockey "experts" we have. what i read in thei s useless interview was a reporter who wasted his and our time asking the same question tryining to get the answer he wanted to hear instead of getting the answer and moving on to another question that JM could actually answer. Bo has said time after time when asked will he re-sign with the Panthers "we'll see after I think and talk it over with my agent". How is JM supposed to know what will happen?. He said that there is enough cap room to keep both goaltenders, the question is does Anderson still want to be a back-up goaltender.If someone offers a no 1 spot to him will he take it? And just to remind the Drew fans out there JM has a long and successful hockey resume. he is one of the most respected people in the NHL and his knowledge of how to build a great hockey organization is without question,so I would suggest that you critics research before you make anymore stupid comments and learn about the subject before you write anymore stupid articles.