Jacques Martin's Stay of Execution

So is the new trend in the NHL using season-ticket holder meetings to break huge news? First Ted Leonsis unveils Ovechkin's elephantine contract to the loyal customers; now, Florida Panthers owner Alan Cohen reveals there will not be a dual GM/coach next season, and later explained that he meant Jacques Martin's days behind the bench are numbered but that he will remain the team's general manager.

A change had to be made, because Martin had been an ineffective coach for the Panthers and was alienating their star player. Yes, it's rather silly that a guy who couldn't coach a winner in Florida will be tasked with selecting a coach that will turn the Panthers into winners. But Cohen said, "Jacques has done a good job as GM. That's the bottom line." And I don't think he's necessarily wrong. In the last two years, Martin-as-general-manager has:

• Traded Todd Bertuzzi to Detroit for impressive young center Shawn Matthias.
• Radek Dvorak, Brett McLean and Richard Zednik as free agents last off-season; while Dvorak was an offensive flop, McLean and Zednik contributed until the latter's grizzly injury.
• Traded three picks for Tomas Vokoun, who helped solidify the Panthers' crease for the first time since Luongo was traded.
• Flipped Ruslan Salei for Karlis Skrastins at the deadline, getting a pro and saving some coin; didn't pull the trigger on what would have been a regrettable Olli Jokinen deal.

Besides a coach, Martin's first priority should be a puck-moving defenseman -- and UFA John-Michael Liles played with Skrastins in Colorado. Looking at a franchise that's made the postseason once since 1998, it might make sense to just clean house, hit reset and send Martin packing to whatever franchise recycles him next. But his record warrants him at least another off-season in the front office. As a coach, Jacques Martin is a pretty decent general manager.