Coach get fired on (enter date here)

[oobga]

I agree. According to what we've seen last season and during this one game:

- PP absolutely terrible, even worse so when you consider the pieces he's got
- PK sucks
- doesn't believe in linematching, which could actually be used to cover for some holes in the lineup
- doesn't play players to their strengths (Puljujarvi an utmost example)
- has his clear favourites and lets veterans earn their chances more easily
- doesn't seem to have the grasp of the team at all times (remember the amazing 0-5 loss period)
- some strange choices for the OT lineups
- changes lines constantly, removes players from lines when they click
- strange reasons for not using players (no PP time for Pulju because of his English)
- seems outdated with his hockey view
- seems as stubborn as they get, one example is from last year when the team pulled the goalie and they had at least two players (incl. Lucic) who hadn't scored for months

I actually wanted him to succeed, but now he just doesn't deserve it. I tried to think of what he's done well during this time and it's honestly tough. As mentioned earlier he can sound quite convincing when he speaks, though he's also got some bad interviews after games, which don't make it look like he can turn the ship. Of course at its best the team has played well enough so you don't need search for weaknesses, but all in all it doesn't look too good to me.

100%. Everything about this coach screams stubborn egotistical old man. He lost me early on when he tried to sell himself as a father figure to players, and Letestu was pushing the same narrative constantly. Know-it-all angry dad that you need to be afraid to disappoint coaching doesn't work in this league anymore.

 

[GameChanger]

Know-it-all angry dad that you need to be afraid to disappoint coaching doesn't work in this league anymore.

I could be analyzing this too far, but could it be that players are afraid of him, which also affects the way the defenders play? I mean it seems to me the winning trend is an active style where the defenders support the forwards and where all the players pressure the opponents. If the defenders are scared of mistakes they drop down too easily, which leaves unnecessary room in the center.

Now I'll take this a step further. Last season we were wondering why the team had sometimes pretty long good periods and also long terrible ones. Could it be that when the team is having a difficult time players start to get scared of McLellan, which then makes it even harder to turn the ship. On the other hand when the team is doing better McLellan is more relaxed, which makes the players (especially defenders) braver with supporting the offense.

I think that'd be quite natural and may be a part of the picture, but there's other things too. After the playoff train was gone the team played some good hockey, so maybe the pressure-free situation affected their performances. Then again, that would show that McLellan didn't do a good job with the mental side of the team when it mattered. I

 

[t0nedeff]

I don't know if anyone has or would say they have full faith in McLellan. But the roster isn't there. Sure it might be easier to replace a coach than a GM. But the long term damage Chia can do (and has done) to this organization is far greater than any risk we have with McLellan.

Want to fire McLellan? Fine. But it should be a new GM who is doing it and a new GM who is getting to chose his guy for the replacement coach. Chiarelli has no right to another kick at the can. He's crippled this organization enough with his disastrous moves.

The guy is Eakinsing JP at this point 3 years in a row how is that not severe damage to the team?

 

[A91]

Todd Nelson or Darryl Sutter plz

 

[space321]

No coach can turn around this one line team tbh, any success from changing coaches will be short lived.

 

[McFlash97]

Gulutzan is running the powerplay. Glen Gulutzan....... The more things change .. the more they stay the same. Viveiros has more PP knowledge in his pinky then Gulutzan will gain in his entire coaching career.

 

[Messier11]

I am going to put $1000 down on this bet...lol.

 

[poolparty98]

Katz is obviously a smart guy. And by all accounts a huge hockey fan. Wonder if when he watches games, he like all of us.

“I wonder why Coach doesn’t give JP a spot with Leon and Lucic

Or why does he have 5 left shot on same pp.

He must think like all of us, no??

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

The 5 left-shot PP doesn't work but I have a feeling Todd is too stubborn to switch it

now demoting Puljujarvi makes little sense

 

[gordonhught]

Well the question is if your firing TMac who are you replacing him with thats a solid upgrade?

Todd Nelson?

 

[McShogun99]

The 5 left-shot PP doesn't work but I have a feeling Todd is too stubborn to switch it

now demoting Puljujarvi makes little sense

Every PP unit should have 2 left and 2 right shots. 5 left shots mean the goalie can always cheat to his left since his right side has zero good shooting options.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Todd Nelson?

We've been burned by Todds before. I dont trust todds.

 

[McFlash97]

We've been burned by Todds before. I dont trust todds.

Todd Nelson would have this PP and PK humming along at top 10 level, winning games just on special teams despite having crap defenseman

 

[McIce Whole]

We've been burned by Todds before. I dont trust todds.

Actuslly Nelson was a pretty good coach and I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes one of the better coaches in the league once he gets a legit shot and not dealt a terrible roster.

Biggest thing with Nelson was that he wasn’t stubborn or played favorites. He constantly preached the first thing he wants to do with any of his teams is build a good relationship with the players and build that trust level.

He’s got a smart hockey mind but he also knows how to deal with players and is the kind of coach players like to play for. It’s too bad we won’t see him here but whichever team gets him to be their head coach will be getting one hell of a coach, IMO.

 

[A91]

Katz is obviously a smart guy. And by all accounts a huge hockey fan. Wonder if when he watches games, he like all of us.

“I wonder why Coach doesn’t give JP a spot with Leon and Lucic

Or why does he have 5 left shot on same pp.

He must think like all of us, no??

Katz is too rich to give a flying f*** about this team.
We literally went through 10 years of no playoffs, worst in NHL history and the guys who were in charge are still employed here.

 

[PulYou]

HockeyBuzz.com - Sean Maloughney - McLellan Listed As The Most Likely First Coach To Go (And Rightly So)

 

[Soundwave]

Katz is too rich to give a flying **** about this team.
We literally went through 10 years of no playoffs, worst in NHL history and the guys who were in charge are still employed here.

If Katz does not get the next GM hire correct (and said GM will probably have his choice of coach), then Katz can probably kiss his shiny no.97 toy good bye in a couple of years.

IMO Katz might be willing to put up with this, but McDavid won't.

The next GM hire is the most important hire in the history of this organization, I don't think I'm understating it by saying that.

 

[GameChanger]

Actuslly Nelson was a pretty good coach and I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes one of the better coaches in the league once he gets a legit shot and not dealt a terrible roster.

I don't know much about Nelson and his skills, but I have to say that according to what I've read during the last years I get a feeling he might be a good option for this particular team with many potential young(ish) players. The recent AHL championship is also a good sign.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Hall had his worst season as an Oiler under Todd as did RNH and Eberle. Todd couldn't be bothered to try and salvage Schultz either. IMO Todd has been handling Puljujarvi poorly from the word go and last seasons special teams were a special kind of suck. Regardless of someone's feelings about Chia, I have no idea how they could have full faith in Todd. At worst it should be said that both suck at their jobs. A change of coach would just tell everyone either how badly Chia has done his job or how badly Todd has done his. Rightly or wrongly it is easier to fire a coach than a manager. IMO you can Todd and if the team rebounds Chia can stay for a bit, if the team still sucks then Chia gets the axe not long after Todd gets his. Enter the MacT era 3.0 fml.

Faith in Chia ended years ago. He should certainly have been the first one gone, Hell, he should never have been here. Rue the day he was hired and I'm consistent with that. But I didn't want McLellan either, right on both counts. .

 

[rboomercat90]

If Katz does not get the next GM hire correct (and said GM will probably have his choice of coach), then Katz can probably kiss his shiny no.97 toy good bye in a couple of years.

IMO Katz might be willing to put up with this, but McDavid won't.

The next GM hire is the most important hire in the history of this organization, I don't think I'm understating it by saying that.

The list of candidates are:

Keith Gretzky
Scott Howson
Mark Messier
Craig Mactavish
Wayne Gretzky

Am I forgetting any realistic choices?

 

[Cypress]

If it's true that Chiarelli's job hinges on the performance of the team this season, then I think we'll see a coaching change early if the team isnt meeting the standard. Though I doubt Chiarelli's job hinges on making the playoffs this season. Just look at that list of names above.

That being said I want to see TMac gone if this team continues to look like the Oilers of last year. No excuse to have such poor special teams with the players we have. And the breakout from our own zone last year was abysmal. All three forwards floating at center ice while the other team forechecks the 2 defenceman down low 3 on 2, creating on odd man turn over IN OUR OWN D-ZONE.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Faith in Chia ended years ago. He should certainly have been the first one gone, Hell, he should never have been here. Rue the day he was hired and I'm consistent with that. But I didn't want McLellan either, right on both counts. .

So who do you want as replacements for both GM and coach?

 

[Drivesaitl]

So who do you want as replacements for both GM and coach?

This is always a difficult question because I never would have gone this way. It would be Todd Nelson as coach, which you remember. Not sure on GM but Chia was an obvious non hire given his Seguin, Wheeler, Kessel, related propensities. I would never have let someone like that near the team.

Thing is, that's what I was saying in realtime, when these hires were occurring.

Both of these hires proved tragic.

 

[A91]

This is always a difficult question because I never would have gone this way. It would be Todd Nelson as coach, which you remember. Not sure on GM but Chia was an obvious non hire given his Seguin, Wheeler, Kessel, related propensities. I would never have let someone like that near the team.

Thing is, that's what I was saying in realtime, when these hires were occurring.

Both of these hires proved tragic.

Not sure Kessel should be included in there. At the time it wasnt great but in hindsight it was a huge win.

 

[Del Preston]

Not sure Kessel should be included in there. At the time it wasnt great but in hindsight it was a huge win.

Kessel also turned down two contract offers from the Bruins and didn't want to stay in Boston.