Back to the drawing board Chia.

[Studz]

Sekera in no way is a Petry replacement. Petry was actually occasionally physical and able to win puck battles.

As for Sekera or nothing else Chia had all off season in which to come up with some other option to burn big money for. He selected Sekera. This is not to say that you know that no other option was ever possible.

Gordon scored 14 goals for us. He did his share and was a good player here. Better than Letestu in every measure.

Just a question BBO. Why did Nicholson allow the Petry trade? Seemed odd when it was readily apparent MacT was just placeholding. Why allow him to pull the deal on a trade?

Chai didn't lose Petry, Mac T did. Your the type of know it all who would be criticizing the GM for not signing Sekera if he signed with another team.

If he made a move and traded Hall or RNH and either of them was succeeding elsewhere you'd be calling him out on that.

It's easy to criticize and be a couch GM.

Chia landed the goalie and defender a lot of teams were in on and wanting.

You can't blame Chia for Sekera starting slow, a lot of teams wanted Sekera and he came here.

He moves out Marincin and replaced him with Gryba which is an improvement.

Letetsu has looked worse then he is due to our amount of injuries and him having to often okay higher in the lineup.

He isn't a world beater but he does is job well.

When healthy Korpi is a great 4th liner and an average 3rd liner. Sucks he got a concussion early.

Talbot has been worse then we thought he would be but you can't blame Chia for it. Lots of teams wanted him to.

What Chia did I don't have a problem with, the biggest problem I see is we still don't have good middle 6 vets or good top 4 vets.

That also being said, who in their mind could of predicted that Lander, Fayne, Eberle and RNH would have an oddly bad year? I don't think any of us really could of.

I'll have a problem with Chia if he doesn't do anything in the next year to fix the glaring holes.

Good post, let the guy assess his players under their current coach and system to see who excels and who should be moved.

Derek Roy at least helped provide some offensive run support for this club and produced well and helped Yak to produce well. He showed leadership on and off the ice in speaking with yak and helping him focus on his game.

Another of Chias brainfart decisions was to have Lander be a starting Center on this club instead of a veteran. You know, 1 point Lander that has killed any offensive production he has been associated with and has been terrible all over the ice.

Lander could in someway be considered as one of of Chias personnel decisions here. He chose this player and Letestu over retaining either of Roy or Gordon.

Letestu is the one vet Center on this club. He's horrible.

Don't you love the power of hindsight, you should be in the Captain Obvious commercials. If you remember Lander finished the year pretty well.

 

[McDoused]

who do you think would've been a better alternative to Chiarelli of the candidates that were or still are available

do you also think that perhaps, given his resume, he may have learned from past experiences and will continue to learn/adapt

do you think he's intelligent and if his intelligence can translate into competent management at any point during his tenure

what did you think he could've should've done this past offseason

Nope, hiring the GM and coach with the best records/experience is always a bad idea.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

Korpikoski. Don't like what we gave up in Gordon but he is a fast hard forechecking forward that works well in our bottom 6

The Bad?
Talbot. Talbot has been worse then anyone thought and you can't really blame Chia for that when his other goalie is performing with the same lineup in front of him.

Letetsu. I feel like he has looked worse then advertised basically due to his forcing up the lineup due to injuries. Yes he made a few bad plays but 4th liners do that, its why they are 4th liners.

I don't think a 4th line checking winger making $2.5 million ever belongs in the good category. Korpikoski is a good forechecker, is fast, and is servicable on the PK, but he does next to nothing to drive possession numbers; you need to be able to make plays and actually help in sustaining offensive zone pressure once you have the puck, the modern NHL doesn't have much room for players of his type anymore unless you are absolutely elite on the forecheck and penalty kill. Gordon was the superior player he actually put up decent analytics numbers given the uphill battle and extreme defensive zone starts he seen every night and he was a stronger asset to have on the PK.

Talbot has been bad and Letestu underwhelming, but I expect them to be better in the last 3/4 of the season based on past viewings of them.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

I'm ready to tip the **** out of my cap for not trading nurse and a 1st for hamilton and talbot. That would look pretty awful right now.

instead we traded a bunch of picks for talbot and reinhart

 

[Replacement*]

Chai didn't lose Petry, Mac T did. Your the type of know it all who would be criticizing the GM for not signing Sekera if he signed with another team.

If he made a move and traded Hall or RNH and either of them was succeeding elsewhere you'd be calling him out on that.

It's easy to criticize and be a couch GM.

Perhaps you missed my comments about why in the Hell Nicholson, was in charge at the time, allowed the Petry trade to transpire when the incumbent GM (MacT) was obviously dead man walking. Nicholson gets so much credit here but he allowed that monumental cluster**** trade to occur. I called it out at the time, no hindsight involved. Speaking of no it alls you have the gall to assume erroneous things about me and you're new to the board. If the shoe fits..I sure the **** wouldn't want Sekera anywhere near my team and critiqued the acquisition from the outset.

Good post, let the guy assess his players under their current coach and system to see who excels and who should be moved.

yeah whats the rush? Maybe another 5 year rebuild plan. Whats to worry?

Don't you love the power of hindsight, you should be in the Captain Obvious commercials. If you remember Lander finished the year pretty well.

Look up outlier. Lander has been a valid NHL player never, outside of that very brief stint when we were once again also rans and teams didn't even care enough to play well against us and didn't have to to get the 2 pts. You really shouldn't take those type of production results as meaningful.

Chia in his infinite wisdom felt Lander was ready to be an NHL D and even banked on it because no vet alternate C was signed or retained. As mentioned often Roy would at least help some bottomsix production right now and would come cheap.

Chia deciding that Lander and Letestu were capable bottomsix players here was obviously misguided. Gordon, who he despatched for Korpikoski(awful player) was better than either Center and a better fit.

 

[Replacement*]

who do you think would've been a better alternative to Chiarelli of the candidates that were or still are available

do you also think that perhaps, given his resume, he may have learned from past experiences and will continue to learn/adapt

do you think he's intelligent and if his intelligence can translate into competent management at any point during his tenure

what did you think he could've should've done this past offseason

Should be obvious. if you read my posts at all you know that at this point if I was running things Krueger would've been promoted to General Manager here by now and would be a fine manager. A very intelligent guy that has since gone on to manage Premiership clubs with 10 times the payroll involved in the most lucrative league in the world. yeah that guy, that this ****tard org gave the bums rush to.

So at this point if I'm running things Krueger would've been coach here for 2- 3 years, would never have been fired. Nelson would be promoted to head coach last year, and Krueger would've been promoted to manager last season.

We'd be a lot better club on ice. The drawback is probably not getting McDavid.

 

[Narnia]

Perhaps you missed my comments about why in the Hell Nicholson, was in charge at the time, allowed the Petry trade to transpire when the incumbent GM (MacT) was obviously dead man walking. Nicholson gets so much credit here but he allowed that monumental cluster**** trade to occur. I called it out at the time, no hindsight involved. *snip*

On April 24, 2015, Bob was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of OEG overseeing all aspects of the company’s operation including expansion of the group’s sports and entertainment offerings, delivering outstanding fan experiences, securing major new sponsorships and events, and operating Rogers Place. Currently under construction, Rogers Place will be North America’s leading sports and entertainment venue when it opens its doors in September 2016.

http://oilers.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=100848

 

[Replacement*]

On April 24, 2015, Bob was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of OEG overseeing all aspects of the company’s operation including expansion of the group’s sports and entertainment offerings, delivering outstanding fan experiences, securing major new sponsorships and events, and operating Rogers Place. Currently under construction, Rogers Place will be North America’s leading sports and entertainment venue when it opens its doors in September 2016.

http://oilers.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=100848

Nicholson has been employed with the org since June 2014 and was overseeing the running of the team as well at least informally as was widely speculated at the time. The announcement you quote above is only the official, not operational date that he assumed such duty. Again theres no reason that a dead man walking GM was allowed to pull the cord on the Petry trade under the watch of higher management. That was like a sabotage deal. Made by the soon to be demoted manager.

 

[PBandJ]

LMAO Kruger was barely a competent coach, let alone any chance of being a competent GM.

 

[Replacement*]

​

LMAO Kruger was barely a competent coach, let alone any chance of being a competent GM.

You can't be serious. Krueger since departing here is a highly touted manager and chairman in the English Premiership club. He's also an ongoing advisor and speaker to the World Economic Forum. Quite easily the most intelligent person that has ever had anything to do with the Edmonton oilers org.

You couldn't be more out to lunch on this one.

 

[Narnia]

​

You can't be serious. Krueger since departing here is a highly touted manager and chairman in the English Premiership club. He's also an ongoing advisor and speaker to the World Economic Forum. Quite easily the most intelligent person that has ever had anything to do with the Edmonton oilers org.

You couldn't be more out to lunch on this one.

You can't be serious. He had no experience as a GM. Soccer is not hockey. People complained constantly hiring inexperienced GMs and you wanted an inexperienced GM. Good grief.

 

[Replacement*]

You can't be serious. He had no experience as a GM. Soccer is not hockey. People complained constantly hiring inexperienced GMs and you wanted an inexperienced GM. Good grief.

He's turned Southampton, a team in tatters when he took over, and in danger of folding or being sold and turned it into one of the top of the table success stories in the English Premiership. He's considered one of the brightest managers in the sporting world in Europe right about now.

he did this with Soccer, his 2nd sport. His understanding of hockey greatly exceeds his talents in Soccer.

Of course if he could turn a team around in the most competitive sporting league on the planet he could turn a club around in the NHL. In hockey.

Not sure how you disagree. Nobody in Southampton would, they're very glad to have him. Unlike Bruins fans who hate Chiarelli with a passion.

 

[McShogun99]

He's turned Southampton, a team in tatters when he took over, and in danger of folding or being sold and turned it into one of the top of the table success stories in the English Premiership. He's considered one of the brightest managers in the sporting world in Europe right about now.

he did this with Soccer, his 2nd sport. His understanding of hockey greatly exceeds his talents in Soccer.

Of course if he could turn a team around in the most competitive sporting league on the planet he could turn a club around in the NHL. In hockey.

Not sure how you disagree. Nobody in Southampton would, they're very glad to have him. Unlike Bruins fans who hate Chiarelli with a passion.

Not to mention what he did with the Swiss national team. He took a team of virtually no NHLers and had them place top 3 in numerous International tournaments. Anyone trying to discredit Kruger is really only speaking out of 10 years of Oiler fueled rage.

 

[Replacement*]

Not to mention what he did with the Swiss national team. He took a team of virtually no NHLers and had them place top 3 in numerous International tournaments. Anyone trying to discredit Kruger is really only speaking out of 10 years of Oiler fueled rage.

Thanks, not sure what some people have against the man. He's extremely confident and adept, a brilliant learner, and assimilates information like crazy. This guy has excelled at everything he's ever done. He's very intelligent, motivated, and communicates a positive teamwork attitude in any capacity. He's a natural manager. people love working with the guy. Except perhaps people in the McLowe realm who feel threatened by excellence.

 

[Replacement*]

Nope, hiring the GM and coach with the best records/experience is always a bad idea.

No, firing the most intelligent person that's ever worked for this org and replacing him with Eakins, lmfao, was a "bad idea".

Krueger is one of the most successful GM's on the planet. We were extremely fortunate as Oiler fans to have him. unfortunately the usual idiots got in the way and thought they had better ideas..

 

[Senor Catface]

Hey guys, I'm really good at web work.

Web and Oilers both have the letter E, therefore I think I would be qualified to work for the Oilers.

That has about much logic and sense as you guys talking about Ralph being a good HOCKEY GM since he's doing well at soccer.

 

[PBandJ]

He's turned Southampton, a team in tatters when he took over, and in danger of folding or being sold and turned it into one of the top of the table success stories in the English Premiership. He's considered one of the brightest managers in the sporting world in Europe right about now.

he did this with Soccer, his 2nd sport. His understanding of hockey greatly exceeds his talents in Soccer.

Of course if he could turn a team around in the most competitive sporting league on the planet he could turn a club around in the NHL. In hockey.

Not sure how you disagree. Nobody in Southampton would, they're very glad to have him. Unlike Bruins fans who hate Chiarelli with a passion.

Ignoring that soccer is not hockey.

We needed someone who has won at the NHL level, not another newbie.

 

[Narnia]

Ignoring that soccer is not hockey.

We needed someone who has won at the NHL level, not another newbie.

Agreed. In case anyone knows, Chia is the first GM the Oilers hired with NHL experience.

 

[PBandJ]

Ignoring that soccer is not hockey.

We needed someone who has won at the NHL level, not another newbie.

Who also did nothing as a head coach.

 

[harpoon]

Maybe this is the wrong thread, but Letestu has been horrible in every game that I've watched. I don't know the advanced stats, but he looks AHL-caliber in both ends of the ice.

No, you have the right thread. And yes, Letestu has been every bit as bad as Belanger was for this club and only slightly better than Smithson was.
The only thing saving Letestu from being crucified on this site is that Anton Lander has been so poor as well. Kinda spreads the hate around a bit

If you go back to the Letestu signing thread I'm willing to bet there are heaps pf people talking up the move, and Replacement and a few others saying "ummm, this guy is crap". Followed by many references to "debbie downer" and snappy little pics of old men shaking their fists at clouds.

Personally I think Korpikoski has been borderline useless as well. Klinkhammer I thought had his useful moments, and at least he brings something (physicality, and the ability to do as he's told re the gameplan and his role in it) the team has very little of.

This thread is accurate.
Letestu and Talbot have been poor - bad.

Korpikoski and Klinkhammer (allowing for injuries on those two guys) have been adequate - poor.

Sekera has been adequate, but not nearly $5 million for five years adequate. I defy anyone to explain to me again why he is any better than Petry. Honestly, I'd rather have Jeff. At least he was willing/able to skate the puck out of his own end. Sekera is a roster downgrade, brought to us by Chiarelli.

Gryba has been adequate - decent. I expected very little and Gryba has delivered. Bottom pairing filler on a good team. Forgive me if I don't dance a jig.

I'm not even going to comment on Reinhart and Nilsson. Neither of them have an NHL track record and if Chiarelli was counting on one of them to greatly assist the team this season then he made an error. Looks like Nilsson might make the scouts look good, but that is still way too early to call imo.

Chiarelli should be taken to task for the crappy vets he brought us. Everyone in the whole damn league knows that the Oilers lack defense and good veteran players. Chiarelli has been in the league long enough to know what a good veteran player looks like. Or at least he should know what they look like. In that context, its pretty amazing that he thought Letestu was a good veteran add.

I also hear a lot of slogans from this management group. Like the whole poker thing (don't fold your hand, play the hand you've got etc) and the "heavy" adjective that gets sickeningly overused in today's hockey world. Eakins and MacT had snappy slogans too. What we need is a GM who is willing to go out and make the team better by astute additions. The list of players in the OP are not astute additions. And really, they aren't much of an improvement over what we've seen in past years from other GMs.

I believe this was an evaluation to date by the OP rather than some final word on the ability of the man to handle the job (although the pics from the Bruins site were maybe a bit over the top). Chiarelli gets a C at best if he's getting evaluated on his first quarter.

 

[PBandJ]

I love people talking **** and then offering no solutions and saying "not my job" when called out.

 

[harpoon]

You could say the same thing about just about every GM in the league.

And you can probably count the number of real "hockey trades" made in the last five years on one hand.

But sure, keep wishin' and hopin'.

Irons isn't wrong though. These cheap additions aren't cutting it.
I'm in favor of making a trade that involves good players patching holes on both teams' rosters.
As you point out, the cap pretty much destroyed the trade landscape, and these kinds of deals rarely happen anymore.
However, teams also rarely have four first overall picks on their roster at any one time.
If any team is capable of making the kind of trade Irons is talking about then it should be the Oilers.

Everyone predicted that Korps would be horrible, his career has been on a decline.

Not true. Go read the thread. Plenty of people were raving about his speed. Debbie downer, old man gifs etc.

 

[McGhostbuster]

Who also did nothing as a head coach.

Outside of having the best improvement season in the last 10 years. Then he got canned for Eakins.

 

[harpoon]

I love people talking **** and then offering no solutions and saying "not my job" when called out.

This is an old and circular argument.

Years ago several posters used to slam me all the time because I hated Tamby from day one and rightfully mocked his moves on this site and elsewhere. This while most of the board was calling Stu "the magnificent *******", penciling in MPS as our future on one wing and Pitlick on the other - behind the Wunderkids of course, and lapping up the latest episodes of Oil Change.

"Oh yeah, well what are your great solutions", was their masterful comeback to my criticism. My answer to that is, if I was being paid a half million? a million? more? to run a hockey team I wouldn't choose Korpikoski and Letestu as the guys who were going to help me set the tone for my first season at a new team. How do I know this? Because even as a fan who doesn't spend all morning looking at the waiver wires, and all afternoon reading scouting reports, and evenings shmoozing scouts and other hockey people, I wouldn't choose those guys.

Ask yourself, in what way are either of these guys any better than say Lennart Petrell? Or Gryba (decent as he's been with his limited skill set) better than other assorted fodder we've seen on the blueline. Answer, they aren't.

Nobody's saying fire Chiarelli. But in typical hfoil fashion we built this guy up to be a savior. Just like we do with every new guy whether he's in management or behind the bench or on the ice. Its worth noting that his first quarter has not exceeded anyone's expectations, and in fact fallen short in several areas.

Its a message board. Posters get to point that out without having to do the unpaid leg work that would be required to provide you with a better alternative.

Tl/dr Unfair comment.

Also, I believe that its unforgivable that Chiarelli went into this season with such a limited defense corps.

Problem one - Ference was done. Anybody could see it. They even knew it because they stripped him of the C. Yet they still chose to have him on the roster and no replacement body.

Problem two - Apparently Nikitin was done too. I thought this guy could still play a bit and looked decent in some games last season. But they put him in the AHL. So where was the replacement body for that guy? Gryba?

Problem three - all of Klefbom, Nurse and Reinhart were unproven to some degree at the start of the season. Probably two of them should be in the AHL. You simply cannot count on all three of those guys to play pretty regular minutes as an NHL GM. How can you do that? I mean thank God Klefbom has so far proven to be worthy of some of the lofty praise he was getting on this site after he got drafted. But ask yourself what NHL GM plans on having Klefbom playing first pairing minutes this season?

I mean yeah, we got unlucky when Schultz went down. But no way this defense was well planned out. Not enough NHL capable bodies. One doesn't need to offer an alternative. Its just obvious.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Should be obvious. if you read my posts at all you know that at this point if I was running things Krueger would've been promoted to General Manager here by now and would be a fine manager. A very intelligent guy that has since gone on to manage Premiership clubs with 10 times the payroll involved in the most lucrative league in the world. yeah that guy, that this ****tard org gave the bums rush to.

So at this point if I'm running things Krueger would've been coach here for 2- 3 years, would never have been fired. Nelson would be promoted to head coach last year, and Krueger would've been promoted to manager last season.

We'd be a lot better club on ice. The drawback is probably not getting McDavid.

Not sure if I'm misreading you here but no way in hell Southampton has 10 times the payroll of an NHL club.

They're probably about even.