The Players' Tribune: "Beta" by Adam Oates

[mban]

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/adam-oates-nhl-wayne-gretzky-skill-in-hockey/

Click to read more...

 

[hockeykicker]

Let’s think about this: Chicago has no problem scoring. Dallas has no problem scoring. Washington has no problem scoring. Why is that? It’s because they’re letting their skill players do what they do best instead of forcing them into a system.

and yet he didnt do that in washington

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

and yet he didnt do that in washington

I have to admit there is something to his quote. In their rebuild, Edmonton looked best under Krueger and Nelson, two guys that let them play to their strengths. Yakupov looked like a solid top 6 with both.

 

[theMajor]

As an outsider now, I’m not trying to alienate coaches, but I think we have to figure out a balance between letting the skill players play, and fitting everyone into a system. There’s a lot of players who aren’t 6-foot-3 monsters who can be great if given some freedom.That’s one of my quests right now, to educate coaches to let players’ talents come out.

Mike Yeo is shaking his head somewhere.

 

[Rawg]

I have to admit there is something to his quote. In their rebuild, Edmonton looked best under Krueger and Nelson, two guys that let them play to their strengths. Yakupov looked like a solid top 6 with both.

Nail Yakupov under Krurger had a 0.2 goals per game pace for 3 months, until april where he rose to 1.0 goal per game pace, No NHL player has scored at that pace since Gretzky and Lemeiux, He got hot for 8-9 games and he didn't have a great rookie season.(hes scored at the almost exact same 0.2 goals per game pace throughout his whole career)

Under Nelson he finished at -35, While I understand letting offensive players be offensive if he can only produce when getting destroyed defensively I don't think its a good thing

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

This is why I am a Bob Hartley fan knowing full well that his systems don't produce the best "shot suppression" or such. His number one thing is teaching players to be responsible without being defensive/uncreative.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

This is why I am a Bob Hartley fan knowing full well that his systems don't produce the best "shot suppression" or such. His number one thing is teaching players to be responsible without being defensive/uncreative.

I think you're the only Bob Hartley fan left in Calgary. A few buddies I have that are Flames fans would happily tar and feather him if it got them a new coach.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

and yet he didnt do that in washington

Still a good point. How many fans on here have ever ripped their hair out because their coach isn't properly utilizing their skill players? How many fans are frustrated because their top prospects can't break into the lineup or are struggling to fit into the "system"?

 

[RedHot]

This is why I am a Bob Hartley fan knowing full well that his systems don't produce the best "shot suppression" or such. His number one thing is teaching players to be responsible without being defensive/uncreative.

Hartley is a brutal coach. Although it makes for entertaining hockey.

 

[Dertell]

This is why I am a Bob Hartley fan knowing full well that his systems don't produce the best "shot suppression" or such. His number one thing is teaching players to be responsible without being defensive/uncreative.

Hence why Gaudreau is the only one with the green flag to carry the puck.

Bob Hartley's number one thing is not about being offensive, defensive or even creative. It's about... hmm... being a trainwreck?

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Hence why Gaudreau is the only one with the green flag to carry the puck.

Ferland? Backlund? Monahan? Brodie? Hamilton? Jooris? Bennett? Nakladal? Colborne?

 

[Dertell]

Ferland? Backlund? Monahan? Brodie? Hamilton? Jooris? Bennett? Nakladal? Colborne?

I rarely see the three defensemen and two centres you mentioned attempt it. I'll concede that Colborne and Ferland attempt it often (although the latter less so as the year went by) but even then it's pretty rare they do it relative to the other clubs.

 

[Acallabeth]

It's actually a great article I fully agree with, but man Adam!

Washington has no problem scoring. Why is that? It’s because they’re letting their skill players do what they do best instead of forcing them into a system.

Not moving their best players into wrong position because their coaches' OCD, a former forward not teaching goalie how to goaltend and not changing everyone's curve for some reason is a good start Adam.

 

[Passchendaele]

The bit about Gretzky is very interesting. You could say Oates learned from him, as one of the best playmakers of all-time.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

It's actually a great article I fully agree with, but man Adam!

Not moving their best players into wrong position because their coaches' OCD, a former forward not teaching goalie how to goaltend and not changing everyone's curve for some reason is a good start Adam.

You stole the words from my mouth. Oates forced one of the best LWs of all time to play RW because he's right handed.

The best article to show how much of a fraud Oates was as a head coach.

http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/04/26/the-micromanager-adam-oatess-downfall/

I’m a head coach of a team: My job is to know every position,†Oates said recently. “I never played D but I know D, so I know goaltending.

That's the hockey master mind Adam Oates. The guy almost ruined Holtby, turned Ovechkin into a joke with the whole -35 fiasco, he got a goalie coach fired. He is the genius that came up with the worst top line the NHL has seen in years.

For a few games, the Capitals top line was Crabb-Beagle-Ovechkin.

 

[Get To Our Game]

I was going to link the same RMNB article. Thought that some of what Oates says in this makes no sense compared to how he coached in Washington.

Nobody bats an eye when Tom Brady has a QB coach, a nutritionist and a separate skills trainer. Why shouldn’t Sidney Crosby — or for that matter, a third line NHL player — have the same type of specialized team helping him get better?

Right now, most NHL teams have a goalie coach, a strength coach and three assistants, and that’s it. Yes, it’s a long and tough season, so you can’t always work on skills, but with so many position-specific players, it makes sense to specialize training.

He lobbies for more specialized coaches when he's not currently hired as a head coach of course. When he was?

Dave Prior, who had worked with the Capitals either as a goaltending coach, scout or adviser since 1997 and helped draft Varlamov, Neuvirth, Holtby and Grubauer, was fired in August 2013 when he refused to endorse and implement changes to the style of play Oates wanted.

“Adam did not agree with how I coach, both in my methods and the content of what I coached,†Prior said from his home in Ontario. “My inflexibility was perceived as ignorance or stubbornness, but I perceive it as a much deeper knowledge of the position. . . . I have no regrets. I would do the same thing again because I stand up for what I believe in. I would gladly defend a goaltender and what I believe is the toughest way to play goal and lose my job over it than to pour gas on them or give them what I believe is bad advice.â€

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html

I understand where he's coming from, but it comes off a little hollow.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I was going to link the same RMNB article. Thought that some of what Oates says in this makes no sense compared to how he coached in Washington.



He lobbies for more specialized coaches when he's not currently hired as a head coach of course. When he was?



https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html

I understand where he's coming from, but it comes off a little hollow.

You know what's the best part about this? Since he was fired from his coaching job with the Caps, he is now a so-called "specialized skill coach". He's lobbying for himself.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

He makes an interesting point about position specific coaches.

 

[Thai jet*]

Scheifele

You know what's the best part about this? Since he was fired from his coaching job with the Caps, he is now a so-called "specialized skill coach". He's lobbying for himself.

He has worked for Mark Scheifele this year. The kid has really improved on the offensive side. Since ASB posting 3rd best pts behind only Sid and Joe T. 36pts in 32 games. The Jets need to hire him as an assist to fix their terrible PP, PK & FO%.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

After Hitch is gone, we should be looking to Adam Oates for coach. He and Brad Shaw would be dynamite together.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

After Hitch is gone, we should be looking to Adam Oates for coach. He and Brad Shaw would be dynamite together.

Get ready to see Tarasenko moved to LW and Oates messing around with the stick curve of every player. You'll have a good PP, but your team will be **** at ES.

He has worked for Mark Scheifele this year. The kid has really improved on the offensive side. Since ASB posting 3rd best pts behind only Sid and Joe T. 36pts in 32 games. The Jets need to hire him as an assist to fix their terrible PP, PK & FO%.

So long as you don't hire him to be a head coach, he can coach your PP or be a skill coach.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Oates is a narcissist. He was the worst head coach I've ever seen. He may be a solid independent contractor or consultant or whatever he is, but he was unbearable as a head coach.

 

[Klargplutte]

You know what....

 

[Nithoniniel]

Well if a lot of what he says here goes against what he did in Washington, it's possible that he has just learned from his mistakes. People evolve. Sometimes.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

After Hitch is gone, we should be looking to Adam Oates for coach. He and Brad Shaw would be dynamite together.

No, you shouldn't. Oates doesn't come remotely close to being an improvement over Hitch.