Speculation: Dallas Eakins future in Anaheim
- Thread starter Leonardo87
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Anaheim4ever
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- Jun 15, 2017
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There is only one reason i didn't want Eakins fired during this season, he's accomplished his goal and now he can be fired. Do not want him coaching Bedard/Fantili/Carlsson.
Dr Johnny Fever
Eggplant and Teal
Can you imagine having a legacy of leaving teams with McDavid and Bedard (he was the coach prior to Oilers getting McDavid I think)? He'll get a 1 year contract every time there's a truly elite #1 overall pick. NHL needs to give him to us just for the story lines... McTavish is his friend, Eakins getting both, Z being Bedard's hype man
Dr Johnny Fever
Eggplant and Teal
Guess that would have to be Sweden. Are those final decisions? Can’t really see a team needing any more time to have the top 3 sorted out by now.
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
Ducks just finished dead last in the standings for 1st time in franchise history with Eakins as coach
Ducks hold the record for most shots allowed in a season with Eakins as coach
Ducks hold the record for the worst power play ever in a season with Eakins as coach
I want Eakins gone want him far away from the Ducks franchise.
You cannot make lemonade with lemons and not much else. Verbeek reset the rebuild and didn't replace Lindholm and Manson talents. It didn't help that Drysdale was lost for the season after only eight games. Verbeek's forward acquisitions have been abhorrent defensively too. Remember, Verbeek picked up waiver wire forwards like Leason and Megna, but didn't try to pick up scoring talent Tolvanen.
Point 1. Finishing dead last.
Roster talent matters.
| Ducks | 2022-23 | Splits | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | OTL | Pts | Pts Pct | GF | GA | GD | GD/Game | ||
| Total | 82 | 23 | 47 | 12 | 58 | 35.4% | 209 | 338 | -129 | -1.57 | |
| 1 to 25 | 25 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 30.0% | 63 | 105 | -42 | -1.68 | |
| 26 to 49 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 20 | 41.7% | 60 | 99 | -39 | -1.63 | |
| 50 to 62 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 50.0% | 35 | 51 | -16 | -1.23 | |
| 63 to 82 | 20 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 25.0% | | 51 | 83 | -32 | -1.60 |
We were already talentless before the TDL. At the TDL, Anaheim lost two of its top-4D in Kulikov and Klingberg. They were also missing Rico since before the TDL, who was our third highest scorer on the team before injury.
If Verbeek didn't trade away Kulikov and Klingberg, then it's possible we earn 10 more points. That would give us 68 points, possibly beat Arizona in regulation time, which would mean we would have the 6th worst record. There's a possibility we could move down to 7th and miss out on the top-6 forwards in this draft.
Point 2. Most Shots Allowed.
Verbeek didn't replace Lindholm or Manson. Then he didn't have a proper replacement when Drysdale went down.
Did I forget to mention his forward replacements weren't good defensively either? Strome -30, Vatrano -29, Leason -21, Megna -19.
Point 3. Worst PP in Ducks history.
How many times do I have to correct the PP and PK responsibilities belong to the assistant coaches? Did you know Eakins assistant coaches were holdovers from Carlyle's tenure that landed us with the worst PP? Did you also know that Eakins stripped the assistant coach of the PP unit? That's what prompted GM Murray to look for new assistant coaches for the PP unit... and PK unit.
When we got two new assistant coaches for 2021-22 season in Geoff Ward and Newell Brown, we had a top-8 PP before the TDL.
This season, we finished with the 3rd worst PP% unit. Why did that drop when we had more offensive power? Simple, Ward left the org during the summer. Verbeek hired Craig Johnson.
Conclusion
With an abysmal roster that lacked defense and physicality, the team was doomed before the season started. I predicted this before the season started.
I'm indifferent if Eakins stays or goes, but your points all fall upon the GM's, Murray and Verbeek. I get the defense was bad this year, but we don't have the talents to run it b/c 2021-22 happened. I also don't know if Eakins could do even better for 2021-22.
What Eakins does well are his players never quit and the talented players do produce. The youths are leading the way in scoring with Terry, Zegras, and McTavish. The vets Rico and Fowler are steadfast, with Fowler hitting a career high in scoring for the second season in a row. New comer Vatrano hit a career high in points this year.
2019-29: Finished 5th. Year 1 of rebuild, Murray.
2020-21: Finished 2nd. Year 2 of rebuild, Murray.
2021-22: Finished 10th, including the TDL jettisoning of Lindholm, Manson, Des, and Rakell. Verbeek new GM at all-star break. Ducks were 3rd in the Pacific.
2022-23: Finished 1st. Year 1 of rebuild, Verbeek.
Again, that 2021-22 season stands out positively for Eakins. Yet, so many dismiss it happened.
But what's the point of keeping him? Is there truly no other coach capable of doing what Eakins can do but possibly better? The Ducks are the last place team in hockey. A new coach has the easiest hurtle to clear: be better than last place.
It just makes not sense to keep him. There are plenty of very capable coaches. It's time to move on.
Masch78
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- Oct 5, 2017
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I said it several times in the past, the fanbase can not handle a rebuild or lets say a trash year in that process.Ducks just finished dead last in the standings for 1st time in franchise history with Eakins as coach
Ducks hold the record for most shots allowed in a season with Eakins as coach
Ducks hold the record for the worst power play ever in a season with Eakins as coach
I want Eakins gone want him far away from the Ducks franchise.
If you want a top 3 pick you need to finish that way.
If you want to have a better D than you need to keep your top defender.
PP is based on the players you have.
And I tell you what, all you mentioned doesn't matter. This (and I fully expect next year as well) are all about progress, not about winning a few more games. If the progress results in more wins, fine. If not, it does not matter that much, as long as you make steps forward. And there are for sure positive things.
If we suck less, we would finish around somewhere between the 8th or 12th spot. Quite a difference in the player you get.
If we get the #1 overall we get a franchise forward and basically another 1st rounder when you pick 33rd overall. That is quite a difference to lets say 10th and 43th overall. Both, COL and BOS 2nd rounders we hold are then in the end of the 2nd round.
Eakins is a good guy, how good of a coach he is I can not judge because with that roster you either play a trap like at the beginning of the Mighty Ducks or you expose yourself a lot to get overrun. Plus a lot has to do with the assistants you have. But he is so well liked by players that I think he needs to stay, even if his time as a coach is gone.
MMC
Global Moderator
Going to once again caution everyone against getting exciting about him potentially being gone, he could easily be back next season
Smirnov2Chistov
EEK!
for what reason? most on here say he’s developed our top end prospects well. This is just reaching
dracom
Registered User
There’s no justifiable way you keep him. He coached a historically bad team. No team can keep a coach around after a season like this and be able to justify it to fans and season ticket holders.
The Midnight Burrito
True Fan
I think it'd be fine. This season has shown that fans can rationalize plenty. Anyway if you fire the coach after a season like that just because of the standings and the poor defensive results you have to look in the mirror, and invite others to look at the team you built, and I'm not sure PV wants that just yet.
I think the team's internal expectations were low so there's no obvious reason these results alone would justify firing Eakins. They said it was a building year. The questions to answer are 1) did we build? 2) are there better builders out there?
I would be ok keeping Eakins if they get him a PP coach and better depth. I’m talking like adding a #4 shutdown D, and a Top 6 forward.
Then maybe we can see a season like we did last year in the beginning.
Look at our kids. They put up some very good numbers, and on a very bad constructed team, that is on Verbeek.
I’ve moved back to the indifferent opinion. I want them to fix the roster before moving on from the head coach. What’s the point of throwing a new head coach into this mess? Let’s take the next two years to construct a better roster, let the kids develop, add more support, hopefully land another Vatrano but on the D side of things.
Then in 2 years when our roster is ready to start making the push, bring in someone who can turn that corner. By then we may attract some head coaches. Now? Who the hell wants to coach this team who are seasoned coaches and with a ton of experience.
The Midnight Burrito
True Fan
Don't think the optics would be all that bad, and I don't think they matter that much anyway in a small, disengaged market like Anaheim. Message board optics =/= real life optics.
Quack Shot
Registered User
If he was under contract sure there’s a possibility we’d keep him. PV doesn’t even have to fire him, just not re-sign.
Hamilton Bulldogs
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dracom
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The Midnight Burrito
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