At What Level Should The Axe Fall?

[s7ark]

By all means...show me the post where I proposed that.

Man you are frustrating to try to talk to. Where did I say you had? I was asking what do you propose as a solution?

It appears you answered that to Cupofoil though. So forget it. You want to trade all the "creampuffs" for some "greasy players" and give Eakins another shot.

I will leave it that I disagree with you and that I think Eakins is just as much, if not more, of a problem as the "creampuffs". He needs to be gone regardless of what changes are made to the roster.

 

[CupofOil]

Exactly. Agreed on all points.

I said this with Renney and Kruger so I feel Eakins deserves the same latitude.

Give them an improved roster and see what happens.

Enough of this mindset of expecting a coach to spin mediocrity into gold. Its doesn't work. It will never work.

It might be more successful if the lineup was ultra competitive and greasy.
Give me a team like that over a talented team of cream puffs any day. Just like the Oiler teams of the mid 90's...even if they lose they are much more fun to watch. I respected that they played with so much heart.

Other teams respect a team like that as well.

I don't know, i think Eakins needs to go. He has had 100 games to get something out of this roster and they're just not progressing in the win/loss column. I don't think he's cut out to be a head coach, at least not the head coach of an extremely flawed roster that doesn't know how to win.

What i'm saying is if they turf the coach, they need to make meaningful roster changes as well. Firing Eakins and keeping the roster intact really won't make much of a difference.

They should really purge the entire organization, a full cleansing and start fresh.
It would be nice if Nicholson spoke up and got in Katz's ear about meaningful change but that's wishful thinking.

 

[TheGuyInTheChair]

The roster sucks and Eakins has to go. Lowe and MacT have to go. Bring in management that knows what they're doing and the rest will fall into place.

 

[nitz]

Anything less than a full cleaning is a waste of time.

The organization is like a big toe with a big, disgusting ingrown toenail. The toenail (Lowe) itself needs to be ripped off and the gross looking fungus (Eakins) needs to be cleaned away as well. Apply bandages (Ramsay) until a suitable replacement is found.

That's all I've got. God, I'm so glad that these decisions aren't up to me.

 

[rboomercat90]

I am not going to argue this point any further. imo, Eakins is a brutal coach with a nonsensical system. The team has gotten much worse since he started.

If you want to put all the blame on players go nuts. I will just ignore your thoughts on the matter.

The problem here isn't just in one area. It's the entire organization. I agree with you that the coach isn't cutting it. I also understand where Guymez is coming from questioning the players. A lot of people have been questioning the make up of this team. That falls on management and ultimately ownership. Changing just the coach isn't going to solve the problem. We've tried that several times. Nothing changes until the entire group is flushed out.

Interesting today that Stauffer was going out of his way to say that this team is completely Mactavish and Howson's baby and that Lowe is in no way responsible for it. He still wouldn't acknowledge that Lowe is responsible for hiring those two guys but I guess we can save that for another day. It did make me start to wonder if there's a crack somewhere in that Old Boys Club these days and maybe Mac T really isn't as safe as I thought he was.

 

[rboomercat90]

I liked Krueger better and I'm sure MacT would gladly have taken a mulligan on that decision now in hindsight.

I doubt this completely. Eakins is still here isn't he? Mactavish can't conceive of ever being wrong about anything. He even said after last year, when it was obvious to everybody else that he was a disaster, that he was more confident in him now than he was the day he was hired.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

I guess you have to start with Lowe. But how are you going to get a franchise goalie and top defender, anyway?

Nothing changes that.

We have to luck into one or have the balls/skill to target the right bloomers...and can you solve those problems without creating more holes?
Not that it matters....I think even if we had a 1D and franchise goalie we would be Tampa...basically. Maybe better than Tampa. This translates to a contender for the ECF but a team that would probably not sniff the 2nd round in the West.

That said, the West should regress.....so is it really a good time to tear down?

To summarize, we should blow it up completely but that should have happened two years ago.

 

[MrM]

Anything less than a full cleaning is a waste of time.

The organization is like a big toe with a big, disgusting ingrown toenail. The toenail (Lowe) itself needs to be ripped off and the gross looking fungus (Eakins) needs to be cleaned away as well. Apply bandages (Ramsay) until a suitable replacement is found.

That's all I've got. God, I'm so glad that these decisions aren't up to me.

For some reason this had me howling.

 

[ManofSteel55]

I'm not sure if MacT should yet, but Lowe and Eakins, get out. Eakins, never come back. Lowe, only come back for celebrations of your time as a player.

The end.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I think we can all agree that the coaching staff and management have failed, but how are other teams able to get by with lesser players?

The Oilers system is flawed but so are the players. Watch any other NHL team (save Buffalo but they're not really an NHL team) and you'll see them throwing checks, digging in corners and often putting in the body of work that's necessary to win an NHL game.

Take last game for instance. The Coyotes have about a fraction of the talent up front that the Oilers have (although they more than make up for that on the blue line) yet time and time again over the past few years they've had our number and I can't remember the last time we beat them in regulation (I think they said 12-0-3 in their last 15 against us? Could be wrong).

The fact of the matter is that the Oilers simply don't work hard enough. They float through most of the games and only seem to win if goaltending bails them out or their opponent just flat out plays lousy (See Rangers game). Even the Sabres game they were pretty close to losing.

This team sucks from Darryl Katz down to Brad Hunt.

 

[WaitingForUser]

Eakins is a brutal coach but this bunch of players hasn't really shown us much either. How many nights in the past 5 years can we saw that the Oilers played 60 minutes?



An expansion team would be more exciting than this one. Hell I'd take the Florida Panthers.

How many players have been here in the last 5 years. The answer is 3. The problem is not the players. It can't be. It seems to run deeper than that. It's more than lack of accountability and more than coaching. It's almost like our team is cursed to fail no matter what we try. Idk what the problem is and I'm starting to think I'm not alone in that regard.
We lose the team were not getting one for a long long time. Took the Jets close to twenty years to return. As much as I hate watching this team lose I'm glad I have a team, to watch lose.

 

[Seedling]

Lowe, MacT, Eakins, all of scouting, pro and amateur. Bring up Nelson for the rest of the year.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Lowe, MacT, Eakins, all of scouting, pro and amateur. Bring up Nelson for the rest of the year.

You had it until this one.

Bring in a real NHL coach.

 

[Seedling]

Anything less than a full cleaning is a waste of time.

The organization is like a big toe with a big, disgusting ingrown toenail. The toenail (Lowe) itself needs to be ripped off and the gross looking fungus (Eakins) needs to be cleaned away as well. Apply bandages (Ramsay) until a suitable replacement is found.

That's all I've got. God, I'm so glad that these decisions aren't up to me.

So we need more jam then.

 

[BackhandToeyJoey]

Pretty cool what Taylor Hall said about Eakins being last in that ESPN poll. He loves playing for the guy, and obviously advanced statistics are saying we have been getting better. I say cut Eakins if it's another Top 7 pick.

 

[Seedling]

You had it until this one.

Bring in a real NHL coach.

So who would you hire? Bylsma? Crawford or Keenan?

Or do you try out Nelson and hope that Babcock is available, along with many others who will likely get fired, and hire a new coach in the spring, who would be the new GMs hire?

 

[40oz]

Other: Just the tip

 

[Titsuple]

who are we going to replace them with?

 

[Seedling]

who are we going to replace them with?

Keep Nicholson to usher in the new regime. Ramsey stays along with Nelson until the new GM can hire his own coach or decide if Nelson is a fit.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

So who would you hire? Bylsma? Crawford or Keenan?

Or do you try out Nelson and hope that Babcock is available, along with many others who will likely get fired, and hire a new coach in the spring, who would be the new GMs hire?

Bylsma. Babcock wouldn't come near this team and it's likely none of the fired coaches will either (if they're even worth looking at).

 

[Seedling]

Bylsma. Babcock wouldn't come near this team and it's likely none of the fired coaches will either (if they're even worth looking at).

You seem pretty certain of that. What makes Bylsma the idiot of the bunch that he comes here while others won't? If you have all of the guys gone I cited, it's clean slate time. I would bet that most coaches want that to happen before they even consider coming here. I don't think you can even argue against that.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

You seem pretty certain of that. What makes Bylsma the idiot of the bunch that he comes here while others won't? If you have all of the guys gone I cited, it's clean slate time. I would bet that most coaches want that to happen before they even consider coming here. I don't think you can even argue against that.

I don't, it's just what I want.

And you're probably right. I want the organization cleansed. But since it isn't going to happen the best we can hope for is Bylsma. I mean, Babcock is either staying in Detroit or pursuing a better job (I.E. one of the other 28 teams).

Taking Nelson and then hoping someone better comes along seems like a fool's bet. He should be the last option.

 

[Seedling]

I don't, it's just what I want.

And you're probably right. I want the organization cleansed. But since it isn't going to happen the best we can hope for is Bylsma. I mean, Babcock is either staying in Detroit or pursuing a better job (I.E. one of the other 28 teams).

Taking Nelson and then hoping someone better comes along seems like a fool's bet. He should be the last option.

Nelson is likely, IMO, going to end up somewhere else this summer. He's respected by the players and has worked with almost all of them. To me, it would make sense to let him take the reigns while a new GM is being searched for. I hate the situation where the coach is hired before the GM.

I like Bylsma, but wouldn't it be smarter to have the team work with a guy they know and trust and have done well for in the interim until the new GM can determine what style and coach he might want? Otherwise you either end up like Calgary (Hartley has done great) or you end up like Toronto or Buffalo where the guy in the coaches chair is the last guy's hire.

Bylsma very well may be the best guy for the job, but I would think that since the year is lost already, when you do this, you do it top down and do it right.

Does that make me foolish?

 

[CM4]

Scott Howson should be added to the list with the other three. Everyone was singing his praises after he got fired and Columbus was " turning the corner " with the team he built. Last time I checked there 2nd last in the league. Surprised know one has brought that up.

 

[Seedling]

Scott Howson should be added to the list with the other three. Everyone was singing his praises after he got fired and Columbus was " turning the corner " with the team he built. Last time I checked there 2nd last in the league. Surprised know one has brought that up.

Yeah, can his butt too. I honestly don't even think of him. He's essentially already gone to me.