News Article: Eakins cold-called Dallas Cowboys' HC, sits in on Cowboys' TC

[T-Funk]

I'm referring more to the comments about the slow paced practices and not being able to keep up when they went to other teams.

Yeah but even that seems to be a player-centric issue that has been mentioned no matter who has coached after MacT.

Not that Eakins isn't a complete boob 50%of the time though....

 

[Red Deer Rebel]

It's really not surprising that a rookie was surprised. Unless you left out important information from that quote I didn't see, he didn't say he didn't have enough time, just stating that it is a lot. And just because he showed up with a week to go, does that mean he wasn't planning, preparing, meeting with other staff, etc etc? No. Just means he got to Edmonton before work started. Doesn't say a thing about his state of preparedness.

According to Craig MacTavish, the coaching room was "absolute chaos" at the beginning of the year:

“This (coaching) staff really started to function well at the end of the year. I mean, it was chaos early. Absolute chaos.”

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/04/15/craig-mactavish-of-the-oilers-id-like-to-add-a-very-high-end-defenceman/

This certainly speaks to the lack of professionalism, competence, and preparedness of Eakins going into the season - and this "absolute chaos" assessment is coming from his biggest defender in Craig MacTavish.

It is worth reminding ourselves that Eakins spent a couple of days of training camp last year on such important issues as veggie platters for the media, and the interior decorations in the dressing room - of course making sure to generate a good deal of publicity for himself in the process. Dallas Eakins is first and foremost a self-promoter, and spends an inordinate amount of time and effort developing his celebrity and public persona.

When he chooses to publicly tweet about his triathlons and personal level of fitness, he is the one making it a public issue. He could simply compete in these things and stay quiet about it. Why does he choose the public route?

Keep your private life private.

Since Eakins failed to prepare adequately last summer, and hurt the team in the process, Replacement has every right to raise this as an issue.

Thank you, Replacement.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Replacement is owning this. If you had a newsletter, I would subscribe.

 

[Beerfish]

Gee a bunch of losers dislike the first coach that tries to push them from their comfort zones as opposed to ignoring weaknesses.

Last ten games under Kreuger is what happens when you baby players.

LOL, yeah we were in 8th place for the 1st time in a jillion years for a day or so before he went all soft on them. Luckily the new regime got tough and produced real results!

 

[rboomercat90]

According to Craig MacTavish, the coaching room was "absolute chaos" at the beginning of the year:



http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/04/15/craig-mactavish-of-the-oilers-id-like-to-add-a-very-high-end-defenceman/

This certainly speaks to the lack of professionalism, competence, and preparedness of Eakins going into the season - and this "absolute chaos" assessment is coming from his biggest defender in Craig MacTavish.

It is worth reminding ourselves that Eakins spent a couple of days of training camp last year on such important issues as veggie platters for the media, and the interior decorations in the dressing room - of course making sure to generate a good deal of publicity for himself in the process. Dallas Eakins is first and foremost a self-promoter, and spends an inordinate amount of time and effort developing his celebrity and public persona.

When he chooses to publicly tweet about his triathlons and personal level of fitness, he is the one making it a public issue. He could simply compete in these things and stay quiet about it. Why does he choose the public route?

Keep your private life private.

Since Eakins failed to prepare adequately last summer, and hurt the team in the process, Replacement has every right to raise this as an issue.

Thank you, Replacement.

I remember reading this article when it came out so it isn't new to me. Rereading it though, I have to shake my head and wonder why Mactavish would endorse the assistant coaching staff before he talked to Eakins about how he felt about their futures and then go on to say their return will be up to his head coach. Why say anything at all about them until he knows what Eakins is thinking?

 

[the pen is mightier]

Gee a bunch of losers dislike the first coach that tries to push them from their comfort zones as opposed to ignoring weaknesses.

Last ten games under Kreuger is what happens when you baby players.

I don't get where all the Kreuger love is coming from, I could swear that all through his season, there were calls to get rid of "wreck-it Ralph".

 

[guymez]

I don't get where all the Kreuger love is coming from, I could swear that all through his season, there were calls to get rid of "wreck-it Ralph".

Get with the new program.

This is a circle jerk of hate for anything and everything Eakins does.

Its actually pretty entertaining to sit on the sidelines and read these hyperbolic narratives and opinions spun as fact.

 

[Dorian2]

Get with the new program.

This is a circle jerk of hate for anything and everything Eakins does.

Its actually pretty entertaining to sit on the sidelines and read these hyperbolic narratives and opinions spun as fact.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

Gee a bunch of losers dislike the first coach that tries to push them from their comfort zones as opposed to ignoring weaknesses.

Last ten games under Kreuger is what happens when you baby players.

And all of last season is what happens when you hire a useless coach.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Get with the new program.

This is a circle jerk of hate for anything and everything Eakins does.

Its actually pretty entertaining to sit on the sidelines and read these hyperbolic narratives and opinions spun as fact.

Uh oh Guymez. You said the CJ word. The hive mind won't like that one bit

 

[McBooya42]

Get with the new program.

This is a circle jerk of hate for anything and everything Eakins does.

Its actually pretty entertaining to sit on the sidelines and read these hyperbolic narratives and opinions spun as fact.

Ding ding!

 

[McBooya42]

And all of last season is what happens when you hire a useless coach.

So what was your excuse before Eakins? Oh yeah...Ralph. What about before him? Oh yeah Tom. What about before him? Oh yeah Pat.

 

[guymez]

Perfect!

 

[guymez]

Uh oh Guymez. You said the CJ word. The hive mind won't like that one bit

Must resist assimilation. Must not become a drone of the Eakins hate collective.

Ding ding!

I have literally LOL'ed at some of the posts.

This thread has become a bouquet of bombasticness ...a whole lot of hyperbole!
Reason and critical thinking has left the building and in its place is a desperate need for predictive validation....with the usual suspects in tow.

Good lord.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

So what was your excuse before Eakins? Oh yeah...Ralph. What about before him? Oh yeah Tom. What about before him? Oh yeah Pat.

Look at all those rosters up to Eakins then get back to me. oh yeah he finished a point ahead of pat and that roster maybe has 5 players left in the NHL. Renney Krueger did more with less.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Must resist assimilation. Must not become a drone of the Eakins hate collective.



I have literally LOL'ed at some of the posts.

This thread has become a bouquet of bombasticness ...a whole lot of hyperbole!
Reason and critical thinking has left the building and in its place is a desperate need for predictive validation....with the usual suspects in tow.

Good lord.

Sadly it's been like this for years. But I'm glad you too can see it too

 

[guymez]

Sadly it's been like this for years. But I'm glad you too can see it too

Seriously though negative perspectives have been warranted for a lot of years. I posted on that side of the equation myself because I didnt see any tangible evidence from which to draw a different perspective.
The team was lost in the desert from 2008 to 2013 and the criticism was warranted IMO.

Thats changed for me this season...not because I now want to be blindly positive but because I see some evidence of a change in direction. I like the player acquisitions and I like the coaching additions and I understand them.

So I am cautiously optimistic now only because I see some semblance of a plan in place. More arrows are pointed in a positive direction at this point in time than any time since 2006.

Now it must be executed.
Eakins must prove he has learned and grow as a coach and communicator with the young players like Nail. His coaching staff must succeed to the point where there is clear improvement on the ice.

The players must show more awareness defensively (Justin Schultz and Nail Yakopov to name 2 obvious players) and buy into the system.
I dont care if they like Eakins...just show enough professionalism to buy into the systems being put in place.

So for me its all about this season and what happens on the ice.

Whether or not I like Eakins as a person is irrelevant.
What he does with his spare time is also irrelevant IMO.

What happens on the ice will completely determine how I spend some of my time this winter. I think there are some positive preliminary indications.

Aside from the centre question mark this is the best lineup I have seen on paper in a long time. Maybe I am dead wrong about Draisaitl not being ready and he is lights out in his first year.

That question and many others will be answered this season.

I am looking forward to seeing how all this plays out.

 

[ManofSteel55]

And all of last season is what happens when you hire a useless coach.

He was a rookie, and he made a ton of mistakes. I don't see anyone calling Yakupov useless for last year. We're stuck with him for at least part of next year, why not at least try to be positive and see that Eakins is at least trying to think outside the box to right things. We've gotten so used to failure that we are jumping down Eakins' throat before even giving him the chance that he has been given. Oh well, negativity as usual I suppose.

We were bad long before Eakins, firing him and replacing him with yet another coach isn't the answer, the players need to be held accountable.

 

[McBooya42]

Seriously though negative perspectives have been warranted for a lot of years. I posted on that side of the equation myself because I didnt see any tangible evidence from which to draw a different perspective.
The team was lost in the desert from 2008 to 2013 and the criticism was warranted IMO.

Thats changed for me this season...not because I now want to be blindly positive but because I see some evidence of a change in direction. I like the player acquisitions and I like the coaching additions and I understand them.

So I am cautiously optimistic now only because I see some semblance of a plan in place. More arrows are pointed in a positive direction at this point in time than any time since 2006.

Now it must be executed.
Eakins must prove he has learned and grow as a coach and communicator with the young players like Nail. His coaching staff must succeed to the point where there is clear improvement on the ice.

The players must show more awareness defensively (Justin Schultz and Nail Yakopov to name 2 obvious players) and buy into the system.
I dont care if they like Eakins...just show enough professionalism to buy into the systems being put in place.

So for me its all about this season and what happens on the ice.

Whether or not I like Eakins as a person is irrelevant.
What he does with his spare time is also irrelevant IMO.

What happens on the ice will completely determine how I spend some of my time this winter. I think there are some positive preliminary indications.

Aside from the centre question mark this is the best lineup I have seen on paper in a long time. Maybe I am dead wrong about Draisaitl not being ready and he is lights out in his first year.

That question and many others will be answered this season.

I am looking forward to seeing how all this plays out.

What a refreshing and excellent post...well thought out and realistic. I couldn't agree more with your assessment and cautious optimism.

 

[Frank the Tank]

I am too lazy to read this entire thread but, are people really complaining that our head coach is spending his summer trying to improve himself?

Would people prefer that he spend his summer excersing and competing or would they prefer he go to the lake and drink beer?

I can't imagine the quality of a coach who would spend all summer relaxing with family, farming, and perhaps even drinking a few beers. On a completely unrelated note, anyone know who's day with the Stanley Cup it is?

 

[backhandsauce]

I had no problems with RK. I wish they would have given him a full 82 games.

 

[Beatle17]

I can't imagine the quality of a coach who would spend all summer relaxing with family, farming, and perhaps even drinking a few beers. On a completely unrelated note, anyone know who's day with the Stanley Cup it is?

Good post. But if you remember Sutter's interview on the ice at the Stanley Cup when Scott Oake asked him about coming back, Sutter commented that the coaching staff had already been planning for next season and what changes needed to be made. If Edmonton's coaches did the same then Eakins should have a good jump on training camp for this year, if not then it is possible you will see the same results.

 

[Replacement*]

Good post. But if you remember Sutter's interview on the ice at the Stanley Cup when Scott Oake asked him about coming back, Sutter commented that the coaching staff had already been planning for next season and what changes needed to be made. If Edmonton's coaches did the same then Eakins should have a good jump on training camp for this year, if not then it is possible you will see the same results.

Comparing Sutter, one of the best hockey minds in the business and a tireless worker when he is at work with Eakins a raw rookie NHL coach without a clue is a tad misleading no?

Additionally the LA Kings have a club that can sleep walk through the regular season and get to the playoffs. Its a team that cares about the playoffs. So in that sense as well completely different.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Comparing Sutter, one of the best hockey minds in the business and a tireless worker when he is at work with Eakins a raw rookie NHL coach without a clue is a tad misleading no?

Additionally the LA Kings have a club that can sleep walk through the regular season and get to the playoffs. Its a team that cares about the playoffs. So in that sense as well completely different.

A comparison between the two coaches was not intended. More of a comment that a 100% focus on hockey may not required every waking moment and breaks from work to pursue one's hobbies/life pursuits may aid a coaches ability to focus when needed. However, if one expects coaches to be prepping for game time 24/7, then visiting an NFL training camp may be exactly the environment one wants Eakins exposed to.

 

[Replacement*]

A comparison between the two coaches was not intended. More of a comment that a 100% focus on hockey may not required every waking moment and breaks from work to pursue one's hobbies/life pursuits may aid a coaches ability to focus when needed. However, if one expects coaches to be prepping for game time 24/7, then visiting an NFL training camp may be exactly the environment one wants Eakins exposed to.

Its interesting in the exchange that Eakins for weeks visiting NFL/NCAA camps, taking part in extreme events is considered "breaks from work" (assuming he's working a lot on NHL headcoaching) and hey, he has 5mths "break" while the mere observation that Eakins is out of town chasing rainbows, and not in town, just like last year, is rendered null and void analysis.

Neither of us know what is actually occurring.

However, nobody should be arguing that a rookie head coach coming into town last season a week in advance was a good idea. So its obvious that people are going to want to track his movements this year. He's earned that scrutiny entirely.

As stated it is my hope that Eakins has recognized this mistake. Its my hope I find out he's in Edmonton hitting up the prep today. Which maybe happens, maybe it doesn't.

In anycase the proof will be in the pudding. We'll know soon enough if Eakins preparations were adequate.