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

[oilz89*]

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.

oh GOD. Having rookies and tanking on purpose doesn't fix anything anymore!!!! Keep Hall and draft better in other rounds. Make smarter signings and hire better coaching/management. Drafting top picks and throwing them to the wolves doesn't help anymore. How can you not see that?

 

[Moose Coleman]

oh GOD. Having rookies and tanking on purpose doesn't fix anything anymore!!!! Keep Hall and draft better in other rounds. Make smarter signings and hire better coaching/management. Drafting top picks and throwing them to the wolves doesn't help anymore. How can you not see that?

Again: the scenario was predicated on this season going to pieces and Hall demanding a trade. I was trying to show that such an outcome wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[rboomercat90]

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.

They did this here? Seriously? I've never heard this story before. Hilarious if it's true.

 

[Seedling]

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.

So basically you're complaining about Ferraro saying publicly what we all want to have directly in the spotlight, but as always, you have no real answers on what to do other than complain.

Great stuff.

 

[rboomercat90]

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

Lowe was promoted because the EIG had no plans whatsoever on what they were going to do after they parted ways with Glen Sather. It looked like they had no other hockey contacts at that time leaving Lowe as their best and maybe only choice.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

So basically you're complaining about Ferraro saying publicly what we all want to have directly in the spotlight, but as always, you have no real answers on what to do other than complain.

Great stuff.

I've said it several times: Fire the entire management and coaching staff and start anew. Anything less than that will not help the organization.

If Eakins gets fired, who hires his replacement? The same doof that hired Eakins in the first place. Do you trust MacT/Lowe to find a competent replacement or find the guy with the best haircut?

 

[McPuritania]

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.

I wonder if Hall has any interest in making an Olympic squad. 3 more years of zero playoff games might not help his case much. Can't read his mind, but I would have to think the guy still has a strong desire to win and make the most of his career. Guess the question is if the organization is still able to trick him into thinking it can happen here under Lowe's leadership.

If this team isn't competitive (playoffs) next year, I firmly believe Hall will demand a trade. I will be heartbroken, but I won't blame him one bit.

 

[Seedling]

I've said it several times: Fire the entire management and coaching staff and start anew. Anything less than that will not help the organization.

If Eakins gets fired, who hires his replacement? The same doof that hired Eakins in the first place. Do you trust MacT/Lowe to find a competent replacement or find the guy with the best haircut?

Thanks for taking a position. I didn't really see it so that's why I called you out. Point noted.

No I don't trust them but surely getting rid of Eakins is a good start. I agree it needs to be a full house cleaning.

The three leading candidates out there to replace Eakins, in my opinion:

Bylsma
Nelson
MacT

I think if we see a firing then MacT comes down for a bit. I think that's a good thing as it puts him fully in the spotlight. That has to reveal a lot more than hiring another guy immediately. Heck, firing the coach and the speculation of such has already got the media going on what a gong show it is here.

Once the media crosses that threshold, they are safe there and will keep on it. Changing the coach isn't going to take the focus off of the real problem.

We did hire Bob Nicholson this summer. Do you maybe think he has some thoughts on what's going on? Pretty quiet over there for now. I think he was brought in to evaluate what's going on. I have to think Katz has asked him for an assessment. What happens next will be interesting if Katz is using Nicholson properly wouldn't you agree?

This situation is beyond rinse and repeat. The emperor's clothes have been exposed. There is no going back for these guys.

 

[Oi'll say!]

Tell us something we don't know, Ray.

at least there's a guy high up in the media circles who's telling it like it is. I like it.

 

[oobga]

If this team isn't competitive (playoffs) next year, I firmly believe Hall will demand a trade. I will be heartbroken, but I won't blame him one bit.

It doesn't happen often that a top NHL talent wants out, but it also doesn't happen often that a team goes 8+ years without making the playoffs and does not once change the top non-owner leader of the organization. Actually has that ever happened in NHL history? 8+ years of no playoffs and the same top leader the entire time exlcuding the owner? Hall is joining the Oilers in uncharted territory of sucking with no management accountability. Really, he can do whatever he wants and I won't have a bad thing to say about him.

 

[CornKicker]

we can kiss taylor hall goodbye if this debacle prolongs anymore

 

[KCC]

Yeah. If Hall wants out I won't blame him one bit. I still don't know how he's remained so level headed. I'd have snapped already and wanted out. lol

 

[T-Funk]

Yeah. If Hall wants out I won't blame him one bit. I still don't know how he's remained so level headed. I'd have snapped already and wanted out. lol

Captain material.

 

[Up the Irons]

Yeah. If Hall wants out I won't blame him one bit. I still don't know how he's remained so level headed. I'd have snapped already and wanted out. lol

my neither. I want out, too. can 't wait for NBA to start, my new favourite winter sport to watch. If only more CHL games were on TV and the NHL would be buy-buy for me.

not sure if I will ever recover from this. It would take another SC run. I'll be like the current KC Royals fans; coming out of the woodwork for the first time in decades. I know its cheesy to be a fan like this, but, frankly, I don't give a damn. why suffer through what we are witnessing right now?

As Spock would say: 'it is illogical to search for pleasure in an activity that makes you angry'

 

[smackdaddy]

Captain material.

He can't even run marathons. He ain't no Eakins Material Captain

 

[Tekneek]

I've never been on the Fire Lowe train, but enough is enough. Tambo hiring was a joke that went on too long. Eakins has never been able to get his head above water. I wouldn't mind MacT hanging on a bit longer, but the rest should be considering their non-Oilers futures.

As far as Hall wanting out... He is sure as gone once free agency comes. Some guys have walked away from cap maximum offers because they could no longer stand to be with that team.

 

[Tyrolean]

I hope the fans thorugh media can put enough pressure on Katz to remove all the old management except for Nicholson. Let Nicholson take the reins and hire a whole new group of underlings next season.

Otherwise all we can hope for is sprurts of improvement amidst the same medicrity.

 

[Soundwave]

The model itself isn't flawed, the Oilers banked on doing this with the expectation of landing multiple superstars ala the Crosby-Malkin route, but they really only got one superstar caliber player (thus far) in Hall.

RNH and Yakupov look like projects.

That and our management group is obviously inept, but if they had Stamkos-Tavares-Hall ... for example, they'd probably have a pretty good team.

 

[Gone]

I've said it several times: Fire the entire management and coaching staff and start anew. Anything less than that will not help the organization.

If Eakins gets fired, who hires his replacement? The same doof that hired Eakins in the first place. Do you trust MacT/Lowe to find a competent replacement or find the guy with the best haircut?

This a thousand times.

 

[Gone]

The model itself isn't flawed, the Oilers banked on doing this with the expectation of landing multiple superstars ala the Crosby-Malkin route, but they really only got one superstar caliber player (thus far) in Hall.

RNH and Yakupov look like projects.

That and our management group is obviously inept, but if they had Stamkos-Tavares-Hall ... for example, they'd probably have a pretty good team.

Gee, maybe the scouting staff is a joke, I wonder who picked them.

Not exactly true, Sequin + Lands right now with Eberle on the right side would be an incredible first line.

Sequin + Lands > Hall + RNH

Just look at every player we've drafted over the last 7 years, and select the player taken immediately after the Oilers picked. Those players would compete.

 

[Soundwave]

Gee, maybe the scouting staff is a joke, I wonder who picked them.

Not exactly true, Sequin + Lands right now with Eberle on the right side would be an incredible first line.

Sequin + Lands > Hall + RNH

Just look at every player we've drafted over the last 7 years, and select the player taken immediately after the Oilers picked. Those players would compete.

Even in that case, Seguin and Landeskog are not Stamkos level players IMO.

That said, I always was critical of the Oilers for not being all over the Seguin situation when he was available.

Seguin would be a great piece to have in ADDITION to Hall, but I think he lacked the maturity to shoulder the face of a franchise in a Canadian market like Hall has had to, he would've crumbled IMO in that role.

 

[Gone]

Even in that case, Seguin and Landeskog are not Stamkos level players IMO.

That said, I always was critical of the Oilers for not being all over the Seguin situation when he was available.

Seguin would be a great piece to have in ADDITION to Hall, but I think he lacked the maturity to shoulder the face of a franchise in a Canadian market like Hall has had to, he would've crumbled IMO in that role.

You could be right. A big part of it is the playing environment, i recognize that. In their draft year Boston put Sequin on the 4th line, which was the perfect position for him to succeed.

 

[Gone]

Just looking at the 2007 draft, first round picks the Oilers stockpiled:

Immediately following Gagner (6th) was Voracek (I recall watching this draft and the announcers expecting Voracek as the top rated player to go to the Oilers, but they knew better)

Immediately following Plante (15th) was Colton Gilles (at least Gilles had an NHL career)

Immediately following Riley Nash (21) was Pacioretty (gee, who would you rather have?)

Imagine today those 3 players on the Oilers, would we be in last place? That is the difference between a good team and a pathetic team.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Just looking at the 2007 draft, first round picks the Oilers stockpiled:

Immediately following Gagner (6th) was Voracek (I recall watching this draft and the announcers expecting Voracek as the top rated player to go to the Oilers, but they knew better)

Immediately following Plante (15th) was Colton Gilles (at least Gilles had an NHL career)

Immediately following Riley Nash (21) was Pacioretty (gee, who would you rather have?)

Imagine today those 3 players on the Oilers, would we be in last place? That is the difference between a good team and a pathetic team.

that draft (thankfully) cost Prendergast his job

unfortunately MacGregor hasn't fared much better
(imagine Boone Jenner on this club instead of picking Frank's son David Musil?)

 

[ponokanocker]

I hope the fans thorugh media can put enough pressure on Katz to remove all the old management except for Nicholson. Let Nicholson take the reins and hire a whole new group of underlings next season.

Otherwise all we can hope for is sprurts of improvement amidst the same medicrity.

But is the ultimate problem Katz? When he wasn't given his new rink, he went to Seattle to "check out" what is happening there. If you can believe all the speculation, he went against management/scouts to choose Yakupov over Murray. He meddled with the city, and went against his own staff's recommendations that we know of. For the record, I believed Yakupov seemed like the better prospect, but we needed a D or C badly, not another W. Whether that involved a trade or just taking Murray, leave the decision to the experts.

I blamed Lowe for a long time about the state of the team as well, but I really believe this organization is the way it is because of the guy at the top. I really don't know if cleaning house is going to do anything.