When does McLellan get fired?

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Fair enough, though I'd argue their roles are minor enough that you can do that internally. Who do you think would have made good replacements of the players who were signed or traded in the offseason?

I don't know. Vanek? Only the GM knows who was available.

They are minor players but they all add up.

 

[Oilhawks]

I don't know. Vanek? Only the GM knows who was available.

They are minor players but they all add up.

Vanek was who I was hoping for. Do you really think that Vanek and a backup goalie make this team a playoff lock though? I'd give it slightly better odds than the roster we have. The biggest difference is coaching. Any player can be coached to PK. This roster has the makeup for at least a middle pack PP, and we're not seeing it.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Vanek was who I was hoping for. Do you really think that Vanek and a backup goalie make this team a playoff lock though? I'd give it slightly better odds than the roster we have. The biggest difference is coaching. Any player can be coached to PK. This roster has the makeup for at least a middle pack PP, and we're not seeing it.

Not every player is a PKer nor should they be. McDavid and Draisatl should not be called upon to kill penalties.

Regression from some players was to be expected and nothing was done to soften the blow of that.

 

[belair]

But it's really not. Pouliot, Eberle, Hendricks, Pitlick, Lander all out. Jokinen and Strome in.

Jokinen, Strome, Khaira, Slepyshev, Pakarinen in to be precise. It was a case of too many bodies in regards to our PK forwards.

 

[Todd from Leduc]

I don't see Todd getting the boot, Chia is not a knee jerk kind of GM. He a methodical and calculated strategist.

 

[I am the Liquor]

You dont understand hockey then. Show me a defence and I'll tell which teams win consistently.

Like Pittsburgh?

Pffft.

 

[GameChanger]

Todd shouldn't get fired. This season is on Chia, he made it dramatically worse over the off season. Woodcroft can go also. My main beef with coaching is the special teams which Woodcroft controls.

I still don't understand how TM can watch the PP (and PK) and just accept it as it's been a huge joke for already several months. It's hard to imagine any other head coach doing the same in a similar position. I think the only possibility is that he and Woodcroft share the same view and still believe they're handling it very well. The numbers just lie.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Fire a Mc and temporally replace him with a Mac then hire Sutter. It's about time we've employed a Sutter.

 

[joestevens29]

I'm saying some point next year if it's going to happen.

As bad as he has been, PC needs to be making some personnel changes. I don't want to take the blame away from TM, but when your PK is that bad the GM should be trying to get you some sort of help there. Again our PK should be better, but if the coaches can't figure it out the GM should be trying to acquire that piece. Especially considering a PK specialist isn't exactly that costly of a piece.

 

[joestevens29]

Fire a Mc and temporally replace him with a Mac then hire Sutter. It's about time we've employed a Sutter.

I thought we had one as a scout

 

[joestevens29]

I still don't understand how TM can watch the PP (and PK) and just accept it as it's been a huge joke for already several months. It's hard to imagine any other head coach doing the same in a similar position. I think the only possibility is that he and Woodcroft share the same view and still believe they're handling it very well. The numbers just lie.

Maybe they pull an Ottawa and switch the coaches on special teams.

 

[redgrant]

Chia f***ing sucks no arguments there but you can't blame the awful special teams on not having Matthew barzal out there blocking shots.

The same Edmonton oilers team with Derek Roy and Sam gagner was able to kill penalties and score on the pp better than this team with Connor McDavid and leon Draisaitl.

That is 100% on the coaches.

 

[CupofOil]

When you dont look at the defence, then I have to question your hockey knowledge. Defence is by far the most important position. Its like a point guard in basketball. Without a good defenceman, like a point guard, you wont have a transition game.

My point is the 103 point team last season had virtually the same defense. Point being that they can win with this defense, although some upgrades are definitely needed if they want to be a Cup contender.

Also, I don't understand how Chia had a "shockingly" bad offseason. They downgraded from Eberle to Strome and Puljujarvi as well if we are being technical and lost some depth players that every team loses every year. It wasn't a good offseason by any means but shockingly bad seems a bit hyperbolic IMO. Bergevin, now that's a shockingly bad offseason.

 

[joestevens29]

My point is the 103 point team last season had virtually the same defense. Point being that they can win with this defense, although some upgrades are definitely needed if they want to be a Cup contender.

Also, I don't understand how Chia had a "shockingly" bad offseason. They downgraded from Eberle to Strome and lost some depth players that every team loses every year. It wasn't a good offseason by any means but shockingly bad seems a bit hyperbolic IMO. Bergevin, now that's a shockingly bad offseason.

I agree on the defense. Russell and Nurse really stepped up as well, so at least once Sekera gets healthy there is the potential the defense is better than last year.

I'm wondering how much Hendricks is hurting this team by not being here. I know he wasn't playing much and I know he isn't playing a lot in WPG, but he was one of the most vocal guys on the bench. I'd imagine he's just as vocal in the dressing room as well. Maybe Hendricks time was indeed over, but maybe we should've looked a lot harder at a guy like Doan or some other vocal leader to play in the bottom 6.

 

[CupofOil]

I agree on the defense. Russell and Nurse really stepped up as well, so at least once Sekera gets healthy there is the potential the defense is better than last year.

I'm wondering how much Hendricks is hurting this team by not being here. I know he wasn't playing much and I know he isn't playing a lot in WPG, but he was one of the most vocal guys on the bench. I'd imagine he's just as vocal in the dressing room as well. Maybe Hendricks time was indeed over, but maybe we should've looked a lot harder at a guy like Doan or some other vocal leader to play in the bottom 6.

I'm sure that vocal leadership has some value but he wasn't going to get much play here with Khaira knocking on the door. Also, wasn't everybody complaining that Mclellan was playing him too much last season and that he was done? (me being one of them).

I still maintain that the difference between this season and last is that the best players quite simply haven't been as good. McDavid despite the point totals, Drai (on the PP), Larsson and Klefbom have been awful and Talbot inconsistent. I'd also add Letestu bringing nothing to the PP this season. These are the biggest reasons for team regression, not the moves that Chia did or didn't make in the offseason although that didn't help either.

 

[joestevens29]

I'm sure that vocal leadership has some value but he wasn't going to get much play here with Khaira knocking on the door. Also, wasn't everybody complaining that Mclellan was playing him too much last season and that he was done? (me being one of them).

I still maintain that the difference between this season and last is that the best players quite simply haven't been as good. McDavid despite the point totals, Drai (on the PP), Larsson and Klefbom have been awful and Talbot inconsistent. I'd also add Letestu bringing nothing to the PP this season. These are the biggest reasons for team regression, not the moves that Chia did or didn't make in the offseason although that didn't help either.

That's why I kinda said to look at someone who could replace him.

I've said for years I don't care about kids knocking on the door. If we could've brought a vet in that deserved to play over Khaira and brought some of those intangibles I would've been quite happy.

 

[duul]

Hopefully later today, replaced with Darryl Sutter either now or to start next season. I'd be fine with any temporary replacement to close out the season.

This team needs Sutter.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Hopefully later today, replaced with Darryl Sutter either now or to start next season. I'd be fine with any temporary replacement to close out the season.

This team needs Sutter.

Sutter would teach this team to play good consistent hockey.

Sutter with the fire power of McDavid would be fine. Sutter teams scored on the cycle and counter attack. Draisaitl is Kopitar lite and McDavid is terrifying on the counter. Don't know if it's the perfect choice but God damn it's better than what we have

 

[AVE MAN]

Heard Ryan Rishaug on 1260 saying Johnson may have to go, due to the short-handed mess. IMO Head coach is ultimately responsible for the team and all special team play. If Johnson has to go, so does the head coach.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Heard Ryan Rishaug on 1260 saying Johnson may have to go, due to the short-handed mess. IMO Head coach is ultimately responsible for the team and all special team play. If Johnson has to go, so does the head coach.

I don't disagree but at bare minimum Johnson should go. He also runs the defensive systems which seem to be a mess as well right now.

 

[Faelko]

Chia let Hendricks, one of our main PK'ers walk. He bought out Pouliot another very good PK'er. He also traded one of our best goalscorers for junk. He knew Sekera would be out half the season and his big move was to sign Russell to a horrible deal. He's been Mike Milbury bad, like I can't remember the last time Ive seen a GM so bad at his job.

Matt Hendricks played 42 games last year

 

[redgrant]

I don't see Todd getting the boot, Chia is not a knee jerk kind of GM. He a methodical and calculated strategist.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic. Chia is the same calculated strategist that panicked and traded hall Seguin and wheeler.

Real tactician we got there.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic. Chia is the same calculated strategist that panicked and traded hall Seguin and wheeler.

Real tactician we got there.

those weren't panic trades

 

[stoff]

those weren't panic trades

Don't know enough about the Wheeler and Seguin trades, but the Hall one definitely was. He lost out on Hamilton and got scared so he overpaid for Larsson. Definitely a panic trade.

 

[Mr Positive]

Heard Ryan Rishaug on 1260 saying Johnson may have to go, due to the short-handed mess. IMO Head coach is ultimately responsible for the team and all special team play. If Johnson has to go, so does the head coach.

coaching carousels are hell, and I'd bet that Tmac would be quickly rehired by someone in the league, and it might end up like how Florida fired Gallant after one bad half of a season.

It's too knee-jerk to fire Tmac imo. I know that we went the route of switching assistants with Eakins, and it would have been better to just fire Eakins rather than drag that out, but Tmac isn't Eakins. He is a high profile veteran coach. I can't think of who we would hire in his place right now. Maybe Nelson, but we'd have to pay another pick to get him from Detroit.