Not going to look for a article or anything, but I read on ESPN's bottom line that Melrose is fired 16 games into the season.
It's unfortunate, Melrose and his team came in with high expectations this season and some expected them to contend for the top of the East. He was hyped up a lot coming into the season, and when the team lost games, he would often get blamed. I think he should have gotten a better chance instead of 16 games and a good-bye.
Just a suggestion: I think these types of stories should be in the NHL general forum. Focus attention on developing a solid discussion base before branching out topics in the team forums. I know they exist, but at this juncture it's unrealistic to expect discussion in these forums. Since there are no Tampe Bay fans, all you're doing is making it more difficult for the NHL general fans to have a discussion. Consolidate the NHL posters you do have, and hopefully one day there will be enough discussion to justify team forums. Until then I'd just pretend they don't exist. I hope that wasn't too critical, I like the concept of this forum and I just want to see it grow as efficiently as possible. As for the Melrose firing.... I've disagreed with practically everything the new Tampa management group has done except for firing Melrose. Signing Malone and Vrbata to big money contracts was a mistake. Trading young defensemen like a game of musical chairs is also a mistake and shows their lack of patience. Matt Carle and Shane O'Brien are young defensemen with a lot of potential. Of course they're going to struggle if they're forced into top minutes. But HIRING Melrose in the first place was their biggest blunder. He hadn't been involved in the NHL game in over a decade and judging by Tampa complete lack of compete and offensive output I'd say he's done a lousy job. He also hasn't given Stamkos a chance, and has inexcusably reduced Lecavalier and St Louis' ice time. In my opinion they finally did something right... albeit to correct something they initially did wrong.
With the team they had, they should have just kept John Tortorella. Like Bab said, signing half those players was a mistake because there was a reason you finished dead last in the league.
