Ferraro on the Oilers: "Their model for building the team is clearly flawed."

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

So who gets the credit then? Again, Ferraro has been saying this about our team for a few years now. He has not been shy. To be fair, he was asked in this interview what he thought. It wasn't volunteered because he has already said it many times.

In your opinion, what would change things? I have never seen an NHL team be this bad while seeming to have so much to work with. What is the catalyst for meaningful change? Public embarrassment apparently got Lowe to offer Katz a resignation/sabbatical last year. This is much, much worse. Can you not see that?

Nobody really. It's easy to point out the problem but he didn't provide a solution (I.E. sweeping changes).

And I don't know what would change things. Lowe has survived the worst stretch by a team in NHL history, several fan protests, jerseys on the ice, etc. My only guess would be an empty building.

 

[Sheikyerbouti]

They might know it but nobody has been as direct and matter of fact about saying it. This is a big deal even if we all knew it. We, the fans have no voice. Lowe made that clear last year. The media always has a voice and always has the last word. They are starting to line up in unison about this team for the sake of us fans. I thank them for that but keep on complaining about whatever it is you complain about constantly.

Great post.

 

[Tarus]

Ferraro didn't exactly provide any solutions. It sounded like airing out dirty laundry rather than providing any analysis

Analysis is just the examination of something, Ferraro isn't paid to provide solutions for NHL hockey clubs, just to comment on what they are doing.

The only people who can provide solutions to the problems are the ones that are given the opportunity to run the franchise, or more specifically; Darryl Katz who seems quite comfortable with Lowe/Mact/Eakins tanking the on ice product of his team.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Analysis is just the examination of something, Ferraro isn't paid to provide solutions for NHL hockey clubs, just to comment on what they are doing.

The only people who can provide solutions to the problems are the ones that are given the opportunity to run the franchise, or more specifically; Darryl Katz who seems quite comfortable with Lowe/Mact/Eakins tanking the on ice product of his team.

But just saying it's "Flawed" doesn't really mean anything. Anyone with half a brain knows it's flawed. Ferraro should've gone on to say that the OBC needs to be cleaned out. Some people don't even consider that an option until they hear it.

 

[joestevens29]

I like Ferraro a lot but it's tough to give him credit for stating what everyone outside the organization knows.

Can I ask you what you'd want Ferraro to talk about? It's not like Ferraro is some guy that is off in his basement or stuck in the TSN studio that just writes articles to piss people off. Ferrrao is on local radio damn near daily and is always asked what he thinks about the Oilers.

It's not like Ray just posted a bunch of tweets on his own or posted an article on TSN blasting the Oil.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Can I ask you what you'd want Ferraro to talk about? It's not like Ferraro is some guy that is off in his basement or stuck in the TSN studio that just writes articles to piss people off. Ferrrao is on local radio damn near daily and is always asked what he thinks about the Oilers.

It's not like Ray just posted a bunch of tweets on his own or posted an article on TSN blasting the Oil.

How about "They need to sweep out the old boys club and bring in some new and fresh ideas."

 

[CornKicker]

There's one thing Ferraro said that has me scared the most. It's something a lot of people have touched on here in the past year or so.

It's something that has me scared to death.



This is a very real possiblity. Star players asking for a trade in this league is nothing new. The Oilers can't afford to screw around any longer or the only superstar this team has developed since Doug Weight is going to pack up his bags and head elsewhere.

It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when. And I mean that in all seriousness. Taylor Hall will not put up with this for much longer. And when that eventually happens imagine the all time lows that this organization will face.

this is 100% a real issue and if this year goes like last year did i can see hall asking to be traded. which would be heart breaking but you cant blame him. from his point of view he has only been a part of crap teams, he could even argue that he missed out on an olympic opportunity because of the junkness of the oilers. i could see eberle going his whole career and not caring as much but i feel like hall wont tollerate this any longer.

 

[Pressure]

The people ripping Ferraro for his comments are delusional. This man has credientials, clearly respected in the hockey hemisphere and has always been a sharp hockey mind. If you can't take the criticism then you've been ignorant or easily offended. This man speaks the truth, he even said so at the beginning, he doens't like talking about the Oilers because it's something he's been saying the same thing for the past few years.

 

[Moose Coleman]

this is 100% a real issue and if this year goes like last year did i can see hall asking to be traded. which would be heart breaking but you cant blame him. from his point of view he has only been a part of crap teams, he could even argue that he missed out on an olympic opportunity because of the junkness of the oilers. i could see eberle going his whole career and not caring as much but i feel like hall wont tollerate this any longer.

Here's the thing though: I love Hall, wonderful player. But would trading him be the worst thing in the world? He'd bring back a ton, even if his asking out would diminish his value somewhat. Plus, if things were so bad by this year TDL that he asked out, we'd almost certainly be in a position to draft McDavid and losing Hall would seal the deal, giving us RNH-McDavid-Draisatl up the middle. Based on that one could make the argument that trading Hall would be in the long term best interests of the franchise.

 

[KarmaPolice]

So let's take a look at what's happened in the last couple of years: After years of struggling under the leadership of Tambo, and at that point, badly needing a new direction--this was so clear to everyone, both fans and members of the media alike. It was obvious we needed a new direction. Someone who knew how to turn this ship around. So, who would Lowe hire to replace Tambo? Would it be someone who had lots of GM experience in the NHL? No. Would it be someone with at least SOME GM experience in the NHL? No. Would he hire some bright guy who's been an assistant GM of some winning team, or a team with a winning fabric like Boston or Detroit? No. Would he hire a bright mind out of the AHL who has been in charge of a team in that league and helping lead them to victorious seasons? No.

No, no, no. He hires his ****ing friend and past coach--a person with ZERO NHL GM experience, at a time when this team is hurting BADLY, bleeding out and dying on the wayside of the NHL like new roadkill, gasping its last. Would there be a miracle to breath no life into the franchise? No. There would absolutely be no brand new day of a new direction and hope for this franchise. Instead it's a day of recycling past waste and presenting it as something new. Cronyism thrown right at our faces, along with a childish rant: 'I know how to win! I have six Stanley Cup rings! How many do you have? Oh, none? How dare you question me! How dare you question the mighty Kevin Lowe.' How dare we question the fool--the head clown of the circus that call themselves the Edmonton Oilers.

You mean to tell me this is the wrong way to build a team? Geez, I would never have guessed. I still remember that day vividly. The day of that press conference. Many members of the press rightfully dazed and confused, not knowing if this was some kind of joke. Was this 'April Fools' day? Are they kidding? This can't be for real. Are they for real?

Oh they were for real all right. It helps to have friends in the right places. Just as long as they cover each other's *****. That's the most important thing. One-ice product is obviously secondary to these thugs and/or crooks. Even Howson is back. You can't make this stuff up. Reality truly is stranger than fiction in so many cases.

 

[Pressure]

Ferraro:

"The coach looked like he didn’t have any answers. Was first time I thought they might not be able to stay the course w the coach"


He's an idiot... it took him THIS LONG to think it's the "first time I thought they might not be able to stay the course".


I and many others have been calling for Eakins head since VERY early last season.

Ferraro is a cucumber in terms of intelligence and is literally only now stepping in the **** when we've all been neck deep in it here for years.

His rant is useless and Captain ****ing Obvious material.

if you actually read the article he was asked to comment on it. He even said he didn't want to because he's been saying the same thing.

It's hilarious reading all the BUTT HURT comments like, "thanks captain obvious". Wait, do you think he doesn't have anything better to do than to bash the Oilers? OBVIOUSLY he was asked to comment on them, and he's going to unleah his opinion he's had for years. Stop acting like he beat up your brother.

 

[CornKicker]

Here's the thing though: I love Hall, wonderful player. But would trading him be the worst thing in the world? He'd bring back a ton, even if his asking out would diminish his value somewhat. Plus, if things were so bad by this year TDL that he asked out, we'd almost certainly be in a position to draft McDavid and losing Hall would seal the deal, giving us RNH-McDavid-Draisatl up the middle. Based on that one could make the argument that trading Hall would be in the long term best interests of the franchise.

i agree with you, long term it could be better for the team depending on the return but i would rather use Eberle, Nuge, Yakupov, Nurse etc to improve our team before taylor hall. Hall is the player i want to see in the playoffs for the oilers. I think he is the one who can carry a team and win a cup. Aside from nurse and possibly yakupov i dont see that same competitive fire in anyone else.

 

[gwiz999]

For those who say the team needs to be gutted... The only remaining players from Tambo's time are Petry and the "core" of RNH, Hall, Eberle and Schultz. Yak has never really been included in the core group but as a #1 pick, he should be.

All the other players have been traded, let go or retired. Veterans have been brought in, swapped out and even chased out of Edmonton. Same with coaches. So... who are you going to get rid of now?

 

[Moose Coleman]

For those who say the team needs to be gutted... The only remaining players from Tambo's time are Petry and the "core" of RNH, Hall, Eberle and Schultz. Yak has never really been included in the core group but as a #1 pick, he should be.

All the other players have been traded, let go or retired. Veterans have been brought in, swapped out and even chased out of Edmonton. Same with coaches. So... who are you going to get rid of now?

Schultz and Eberle.

 

[Moose Coleman]

i agree with you, long term it could be better for the team depending on the return but i would rather use Eberle, Nuge, Yakupov, Nurse etc to improve our team before taylor hall. Hall is the player i want to see in the playoffs for the oilers. I think he is the one who can carry a team and win a cup. Aside from nurse and possibly yakupov i dont see that same competitive fire in anyone else.

Point of the scenario is Hall asks out. Also, Hall would bring in a lot more than any of those other players.

 

[Frank the Tank]

I've posted this before, but I feel Bill Simmons (speaking about Kevin Love floundering on the Minnesota Timberwolves) nails the problem with Edmonton Oilers assembling a bunch of top picks and expecting them to win:

It’s the nightmare scenario for any modern basketball star — jump to the NBA after one college season, land on a few lottery teams, never meet the right veteran teammate, never play for the right coach. We pay them like franchise players before they’re ready, and we expect them to magically evolve into leaders by watching a few dozen sports movies or getting advice from their buddies from home. Too many times, they end up like Kevin Love did: mired for six solid years in the wrong situation, learning all the wrong lessons on the wrong team. And then we wonder why they can’t lead a mediocre team to the playoffs. They can’t win, and they can’t win.

 

[mactforcoach]

For what it's worth Craig Simpson called out Eakins for not taking responsibility for the play of the team the other day on Stauffer's show. Stauffer didn't respond with anything just said thanks and moved on. Once the media (respected people like Simpson and Ferraro) start talking you know it's only a matter of time.

 

[joestevens29]

For what it's worth Craig Simpson called out Eakins for not taking responsibility for the play of the team the other day on Stauffer's show. Stauffer didn't respond with anything just said thanks and moved on. Once the media (respected people like Simpson and Ferraro) start talking you know it's only a matter of time.

Craig should've offered up the advice that saved his and the other coaches jobs in the cup run.

For those of you who don't remember or didn't know. The coaches ran a practices where all they did was shoot pucks as hard as they could at the players. It was technically a practice to teach them to block shots, but off the record it was a way for the coaches to take out their anger on the guys who were going to cost them their jobs.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Before we beat the Wings in 2006 we hadn't won a playoff series in 8 YEARS. Lowe was brought in the year we won a playoff series in like 98. He's been here 16 years and only had two years where the team had any playoff success, kinda hard to give him much credit for that first year if you ask me.

If it weren't for that wacky post lockout year where we brought Pronger in Lowe would have no success. He sure owes a lot to guys like Pronger and Gretzky.

Edmonton deserves better. Eakins can't coach in the NHL, Mact forgets we need centres two years straight and overpaid Gagner/nikitin/fayne, etc. Eakins gets hired before we even interview anyone else, same deal with Mact. The Oilers are run by total morons, it's amazing these dimwits snaked their way into such long term and gainful employment.

 

[McDrai]

I'd rather they just move this franchise to Seattle and we inherit a new franchise once the new arena is built. New logo, new name, new arena, no old boys club.

 

[Musashi]

Schultz and Eberle.

And here I remember you, just this last offseason, scoffing at the idea of using Eberle to try and acquire one of the flawed top pairing defenseman who could of been on the market this summer.

 

[Moose Coleman]

And here I remember you, just this last offseason, scoffing at the idea of using Eberle to try and acquire one of the flawed top pairing defenseman who could of been on the market this summer.

Link?

 

[CornKicker]

Point of the scenario is Hall asks out. Also, Hall would bring in a lot more than any of those other players.

fair point and agreed, i guess what i was trying to say is we should do everything we can to make sure that doesnt happen.

 

[Roof Daddy]

Before we beat the Wings in 2006 we hadn't won a playoff series in 8 YEARS. Lowe was brought in the year we won a playoff series in like 98. He's been here 16 years and only had two years where the team had any playoff success, kinda hard to give him much credit for that first year if you ask me.

If it weren't for that wacky post lockout year where we brought Pronger in Lowe would have no success. He sure owes a lot to guys like Pronger and Gretzky.

Edmonton deserves better. Eakins can't coach in the NHL, Mact forgets we need centres two years straight and overpaid Gagner/nikitin/fayne, etc. Eakins gets hired before we even interview anyone else, same deal with Mact. The Oilers are run by total morons, it's amazing these dimwits snaked their way into such long term and gainful employment.

He was brought in as an Assistant Coach for the 98-99 season. Promoted to Head Coach the next year. Promoted to GM the next year. Has any other organization ever promoted someone so quickly? I know guys like Yzerman and Sakic moved up the ladder quite quickly, but it seems they worked in conjunction with other people with strong hockey resumes. Lowe just took over, no interview, nothing. Should we be surprised we are where we are at this point?

 

[Jean Ralphio]

He was brought in as an Assistant Coach for the 98-99 season. Promoted to Head Coach the next year. Promoted to GM the next year. Has any other organization ever promoted someone so quickly? I know guys like Yzerman and Sakic moved up the ladder quite quickly, but it seems they worked in conjunction with other people with strong hockey resumes. Lowe just took over, no interview, nothing. Should we be surprised we are where we are at this point?

I may be wrong on this, but wasn't Lowe only promoted to GM because the Oilers were worried he was going to follow Sather and become coach of the Rangers?

This is the only article I could find: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/..._kevin-lowe-edmonton-oilers-coach-resignation