The decision to remove Ron Francis as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes was as much about personality as it was performance. Given the differences in approach between Francis and new owner Thomas Dundon, this was probably inevitable once Dundon bought the team, barring a breakthrough second half.
That hasn't happened, of course. The Hurricanes have been unable to make up any ground in the wild-card race and the Francis-directed rebuild appears to have stalled at some interim point short of playoff-level competitiveness. Big changes are needed to put this team over the top, and Dundon felt more comfortable bringing in someone else to make them.