Proposal: Doug Wilson as Oiler GM

[Fixed to Ruin]

I think his point is that IF, for some strange reason, Lowe and MacTavish were let go, Doug Wilson shouldn't automatically be the guy you sign immediately.

Take some time and interview as many guys as you can. Wilson would no doubt deserve an interview, but so would Shero, Fenton, Brisebois, etc.

This is a foreign concept to the Oilers.... interviewing candidates for coaching or management positions.

 

[rboomercat90]

Good questions. I've been a fan of the Oilers for decades. I fondly remember the cup runs in the 80s. This is a different era now and a troublesome one at that. I follow the team very closely.

I agree with you that moving Lowe is much more difficult than in it would be in any other organization. He would've been fired years ago if he was the GM and then President of any other NHL team. No doubt about that.

I can't say I know what is going through Katz's mind. I can only speculate as to the possible ways a Lowe and MacT move would look. To my mind it would have to be a lateral move to another area of the Katz group. I don't see either of them being fired outright.

If such a move was made and the GM chair became vacant there are some very talented and qualified names we should look at. Not Mark Messier. Not Wayne. I think everyone who has posted on this thread would agree we need a clean slate to have any hope of moving forward.

The entire situation is a huge mess and that's an understatement. Even if it is a lateral move its going to have to be done at some point. These guys have had enough time to prove a turn around isn't coming under their watch. If Katz seriously wants to see this team become successful at some point he's going to have to bite the bullet and do it. The longer he waits the larger the group of fans that wonder if he even cares about the team or is only interested in making money is going to grow. At some point that will affect his bottom line.

The good news for him is that fans will likely be more patient with a new management group than they will with the guys he has now. Most fans see how big of a mess this is. That right there should be enough incentive to do it. The issue for me since 2010 has always been why trust the same guys that broke it so badly to finally figure out how to get it right? I could never get on board with that strategy. I agree though that it has to be people outside the organization. People with solid experience. Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky would be more roll my eyes hirings for me. I'm not sure if Katz has reached this point yet. I supect it will take a couple years of non sell outs in the new arena for that to happen.

 

[rboomercat90]

I think his point is that IF, for some strange reason, Lowe and MacTavish were let go, Doug Wilson shouldn't automatically be the guy you sign immediately.

Take some time and interview as many guys as you can. Wilson would no doubt deserve an interview, but so would Shero, Fenton, Brisebois, etc.

Okay that makes sense. I agree with an interview process. I took his post as just a straight up knocking of what Wilson has done in San Jose. Hard for me to knock anybody that's had his team in the playoffs for a decade after I've watched what we've been seeing here over the same time frame.

 

[Soundwave]

A big no to Doug Wilson. He has the same arrogance as the old boys club with roughly the same results. The Sharkies have really accomplished nothing, despite being a pretty respectable team for the last 10 years.

I see Brad Treliving in Calgary as a smart, humble guy. That's who the Oilers need. Just a guy who, you know, does his job.

Paul Fenton, Jason Botterill, Julien Brisbois, and Michael Futa are a few names to look at.

What really has Treliving done in Calgary again? That's Feaster's team, Treliving sold low on Baertschi and had Glencross walk out on him. Lets wait and see if he is actually a good GM.

Wilson has built very respectable teams in San Jose and kept the franchise solid for many years.

At some point too IMO it's on the players to go out and get the job done. Aside from maybe not giving them quite enough in net, Wilson has given the Sharks players everything they need to win a Cup. It's on the Sharks players to get the job done, Wilson has done more than enough as GM to lead them there.

The deals for Thornton and Burns (for Heatley) were highway robbery in hindsight, he's a very astute GM for sure.

I would love to have Wilson here but he's not best buds with Katzy so it's not going to happen. If Katz is doing this for friends, please just hire Gretzky as POHO who's more like a franchise ambassador/advisor and then have a guy like Wilson as the main GM. That would be a dream come true.

 

[Mr Positive]

I like Shero for that job

 

[rosemount289]

I am not.................???

Okay that makes sense. I agree with an interview process. I took his post as just a straight up knocking of what Wilson has done in San Jose. Hard for me to knock anybody that's had his team in the playoffs for a decade after I've watched what we've been seeing here over the same time frame.

I am not knocking Doug Wilson for what he has done...........what I am saying is that since that big trade for (JT) he has done literally nothing to get his team over the hump!

To me, he's lived on that trade the last few years and now his team is getting old and this year SJ is not making the playoffs.

San Jose is on the down slopes and the coach and GM are on the hot seat.

 

[TFHockey]

I am not knocking Doug Wilson for what he has done...........what I am saying is that since that big trade for (JT) he has done literally nothing to get his team over the hump!

To me, he's lived on that trade the last few years and now his team is getting old and this year SJ is not making the playoffs.

San Jose is on the down slopes and the coach and GM are on the hot seat.

That's the point of the post. If you're not a fan of Doug Wilson that's cool. What other names would you consider?

 

[Seedling]

Fenton, Shero, Wilson...they are all vast improvements. It's moot though because Katz is more interested in hanging with his Oilers heroes.

I just pray that Messier is smart enough to stay away from this mess. I don't want to hate another one of my childhood hockey heroes.

 

[Seedling]

I think his point is that IF, for some strange reason, Lowe and MacTavish were let go, Doug Wilson shouldn't automatically be the guy you sign immediately.

Take some time and interview as many guys as you can. Wilson would no doubt deserve an interview, but so would Shero, Fenton, Brisebois, etc.

I don't understand. Teams do that?

 

[TFHockey]

Well I was wrong about Wilson but I was right about Lowe being shuffled to another area of the Katz group:

Mark Spector ‏@SportsnetSpec · 2h2 hours ago
BREAKING: Former POHO Kevin Lowe moves out of hockey dep't in EDM, retains role on business side of Oilers Entertainment Group.

 

[TFHockey]

It is happening. It is ACTUALLY happening.

I think that hiring someone from the outside who is a former GM would stop that sort of thing from happening. Someone who isn't a friend of Lowe would bristle at the suggestion he defer player and coaching decisions. Hiring Bob Nicholson was a step in the right direction. Making him the President of Hockey operations and transitioning Lowe to the arena sport's and entertainment side of things would allow a break from the old Oiler guard. Then Bob could hire the best GM based on credentials, not nepotism. The coaching staff would follow.

Everyone saves face. Lowe and MacT get very lucrative paying jobs in the Katz group and the Oilers can begin to right its own ship. I can't see this happening any other way quite frankly.