News Article: Hitch wants to return as head coach next year.

[TheRebuild]

I don't think he's a great fit for coach. He certainly knows what he's doing in the role, but I don't feel like the current group of players real respond that well to him in-game. I'm not a huge fan of how he manages player ice team either.

I would be happy with a different coach, but then you run the risk of getting someone who is totally out to lunch (Eakins) and there goes another season. Maybe the safe bet is to keep him as coach?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Also why did the details of his contract just come out? I thought he was simply staying until the end of the season then they'd decide...

Transparency isn't a bad thing, Oilers. At the very least it exposes your stupidity.

 

[PaPaDee]

I don’t mind him sticking around in some type of an advisory role, but he’s not the right head coach going forward.

 

[joestevens29]

Also why did the details of his contract just come out? I thought he was simply staying until the end of the season then they'd decide...

Transparency isn't a bad thing, Oilers. At the very least it exposes your stupidity.

I have no idea why it came out. Maybe they are trying to deflect some of the bad from the team/Nicholson back onto PC?

 

[Messrules11]

Yes, and he’s let them rot on the fourth line. If those players are going to improve, you need to give them minutes and some chances. Otherwise, good luck. It’s well known his style wears down on players, just look at St. Louis in 16-17 from his firing onward to see how much they improved as a recent example.

He’s not a good choice to bring back if I’m being objective, and neither is gg if I’m being 100% honest. I assume playoffs arent the goal for next year, and instead you guys are focusing on bringing some prospects up. Woodcroft could be a decent choice, but idk enough about him to say for certain.

Rot on the 4th line? These 2 guys aren’t some magic difference makers. Are they supposed to be gifted minutes with McD and Draisaitl? They are injury call ups for the most part, Currie has played about 15 games and you site this as a reason that Hitch misplays prospects? Currie isn’t much of a prospect at 26. His style wears on players? They’re given freedom with the offensive game and are told to play his way without the puck. What coach doesn’t want his system employed without the puck? With half an AHL roster it’s not going to be all that successful. The problem is lack of depth, not a HOF coach

 

[super6646]

Rot on the 4th line? These 2 guys aren’t some magic difference makers. Are they supposed to be gifted minutes with McD and Draisaitl? They are injury call ups for the most part, Currie has played about 15 games and you site this as a reason that Hitch misplays prospects? Currie isn’t much of a prospect at 26. His style wears on players? They’re given freedom with the offensive game and are told to play his way without the puck. What coach doesn’t want his system employed without the puck? With half an AHL roster it’s not going to be all that successful. The problem is lack of depth, not a HOF coach

Conveniently leaving out puljujarvi in that mix. Look, I don’t believe he’s a good fit. You see offensive freedom, I see a coach who runs his two best players into the ground and plays a boring defensive and grinding style of hockey (which granted is a necessity as a result of poor roster construction). And what about guys like benson, marody, or bear? I would’ve thought they would get a cup of coffee with the oilers season all but done.

Anyway, your free to have your opinion, but I think it would be a mistake if your team kept him as the hc next year.

 

[MettleMcOiler]

The comparison to Eakins earlier was absolutely ridiculous.

The one thing of interest during the Hitchcock hire is when the team is playing the system they are competitive. When the team is tired, cheating, not having numbers back and jumping the gun they get beat.

But in assessing any coach one thing to look for is how the team does WHEN they are adhering. When the team is employing what Hitchcock is selling they are having some success. That wasn't really ever the case with Eakins.

That said I think we've seen enough. I don't want continuance of Hitch beyond this season. But like any coach some players have done better, some worse. That has to be lo0ked at as well. Pretty clearly Kass has been better under Hitch, I think Lucic as well. Benning has looked better. Most of our D have looked worse though and specifically there appears to be some disconnect in the play of Klef and Larsson during the Hitchcock time frame.

Could you even say that Draisaitl took a step up under Hitch? Considering he is having a career year and knocking out his previous numbers out of the park. I think he responds well under Hitchcock hardnose coaching.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I'd sooner see what Woodcroft could do with the team. We need a younger coach with a fresh take. Even though Woodcroft was here before he wasn't the main voice in the room.

 

[BigFuzzyDice]

I'd sooner see what Woodcroft could do with the team. We need a younger coach with a fresh take. Even though Woodcroft was here before he wasn't the main voice in the room.

you guys keep spelling todd nelson wrong.

 

[BlackDogg]

Also why did the details of his contract just come out? I thought he was simply staying until the end of the season then they'd decide...

Transparency isn't a bad thing, Oilers. At the very least it exposes your stupidity.

"We really wanted to lock him up early, before we knew what we had"

 

[Messrules11]

Conveniently leaving out puljujarvi in that mix. Look, I don’t believe he’s a good fit. You see offensive freedom, I see a coach who runs his two best players into the ground and plays a boring defensive and grinding style of hockey (which granted is a necessity as a result of poor roster construction). And what about guys like benson, marody, or bear? I would’ve thought they would get a cup of coffee with the oilers season all but done.

Anyway, your free to have your opinion, but I think it would be a mistake if your team kept him as the hc next year.

Conveniently nothing. Puli was brought up here, injured here and done for the season. Hitchcock himself said he gives them offensive freedom so unless you want to contradict what came straight from the horses mouth it doesn’t matter what you think you see. As for Benson, Marody and Bear, Benson is in his first year of pro hockey and we’ve continually mis-used young players, his time will come. Marody has been brought up and didn’t look very good. Bear played last year and hasn’t out performed Jones this year and has been struggling with injuries most of the year anyway. Nothing you say shows that you have a clue about this franchise. Stick to the Flames

 

[rboomercat90]

The Oilers finally released his term...he's under contract for two more seasons in some capacity with the team so it'll depend if the new PoHO and GM want to keep him (as coach) or reassign him.

Maybe I’m missing something. I was certain the organization said he was only signed for the remainder of this season and they would re-evaluate at the end of the year. The only thing I remember as a certainty for next year was if the team made the playoffs. Now they’re saying he was given a three year deal? Like I said in a different thread, this organization had no clue what honesty and credibility is. I’ve got nothing against Hitchcock and I can’t even say if I’d be for or against him coming back next year. I just can understand the wisdom in regularly misleading the fans.

 

[joestevens29]

Maybe I’m missing something. I was certain the organization said he was only signed for the remainder of this season and they would re-evaluate at the end of the year. The only thing I remember as a certainty for next year was if the team made the playoffs. Now they’re saying he was given a three year deal? Like I said in a different thread, this organization had no clue what honesty and credibility is. I’ve got nothing against Hitchcock and I can’t even say if I’d be for or against him coming back next year. I just can understand the wisdom in regularly misleading the fans.

Signed for the remainder year as coach, with a 2 year option doing who knows what.

Maybe they didn't lie, just never told us about the "who knows what" 2 year option

 

[fireantz]

Reality is we are up against the cap. Moving any of our better players now won’t get us value. We may find a UFA forward at value to play top six but will fill several spots with Condors. No more Reider or Lucic in the top six. Next season we have to play the young faster guys to find who can fill middle six forward slots and at least one puck moving D. Hitch can’t be that coach unless he trust our young depth

 

[rboomercat90]

Woodcroft is going to go from the devil incarnate to prime head coach candidate before long, we all know this.

As long as he earns it by being successful in Bakersfield for a few years I’ve got no issue with this. He shouldn’t be considered for the next head coach but maybe the one after that.

 

[3IR]

Sorry, but this is just patently ridiculous. When your biggest complaint about an NHL headcoach is tht he's playing NHL vets over Currie and Gambardella it rings hollow. I like Currie and Gambardella as well, but thats not why we are losing. We're losing because we have an NHL roster so bad that we are even expecting AHLers to make a difference here, which seldom is enough to turn your club around.

The reason coaches would play a guy like Rieder is he is very rarely on the ice for a GA. He allows the fewest EV GA of anybody on this team and is also arguably the teams best pk player. Theres reasons you dress him, even if he's not scoring.

With a club front loaded with McDrai, and very little else, the hope is that you can outscore with McDrai (almost always the case) and at least hold the fort with the other line combos. Its not an ideal situation, but with this roster its all Hitchcock, or any coach has got.

No it's just one of the points.

His OT roster choices, his lineups in general, his inability to stick to a line for more than a few shifts, his generally accepted "shelf life" on a team before they tune him out (he's less than half a season in and thinks the players need to hear a different voice in practices so he sits on the sidelines and defers to the guy that's been there the whole year?), his closeness to the OBC, his inability to get anything out of anyone besides the guaranteed producers, etc.

Also I agree about dressing Rieder, in a fourth line role. But clearly hitch thinks he has more to offer. He has worse numbers than Currie in every category this year while also getting much more favorable zone starts and linemates.

There is absolutely no excuse Rieder should be played above Currie at this point, yet he continues to be because the coach puts more value in historical stats than current when the goal is to win now.

I know some of it has to do with the roster he's been given, but this has been another year of garbage play from everyone and another stain on the organization. Start fresh next year with a coach of the new GMs choosing. Preferably someone with a more forward thinking attitude, but at this point that seems impossible in the NHL.

 

[rboomercat90]

Signed for the remainder year as coach, with a 2 year option doing who knows what.

Maybe they didn't lie, just never told us about the "who knows what" 2 year option

Did you hear about the two year option back in November or just now? If it was announced when he was hired then I missed it and it’s my bad. That’s my question.

 

[joestevens29]

Did you hear about the two year option back in November or just now? If it was announced when he was hired then I missed it and it’s my bad. That’s my question.

I never heard about that until today.

I don't blame Hitch for wanting some stability to come into this shit show though, so I'm not overly surprised.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Did you hear about the two year option back in November or just now? If it was announced when he was hired then I missed it and it’s my bad. That’s my question.

I can't find the article but I remember hearing a few times that he was signed for one year, with an optional extension at the end of the season.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Could you even say that Draisaitl took a step up under Hitch? Considering he is having a career year and knocking out his previous numbers out of the park. I think he responds well under Hitchcock hardnose coaching.

One could argue that. But if you up the season Drai has been ripping up the NHL since around December 6, 2018. As he stated, he is a slow starter.

Drai has had 30G 35A 65pts in the last 47GP starting December 7, which is just insane. He's been the hottest player in the league, but the hot streak he's on started well before Hitchcock. I really think its just Drai getting on a roll and continuing.

The Hilarious thing is Spector got Hitchcock to call Draisaitl out due to one bad game DURING the hottest run any player was having. That might be Hitch's silliest moment. tbh Drai is playing the same way before and after. I can't say Hitch has had much impact on him.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

you guys keep spelling todd nelson wrong.

Woodcroft is likely cut from a similar cloth

 

[CycloneSweep]

One could argue that. But if you up the season Drai has been ripping up the NHL since around December 6, 2018. As he stated, he is a slow starter.

Drai has had 30G 35A 65pts in the last 47GP starting December 7, which is just insane. He's been the hottest player in the league, but the hot streak he's on started well before Hitchcock. I really think its just Drai getting on a roll and continuing.

The Hilarious thing is Spector got Hitchcock to call Draisaitl out due to one bad game DURING the hottest run any player was having. That might be Hitch's silliest moment. tbh Drai is playing the same way before and after. I can't say Hitch has had much impact on him.

I'd argue Draisaitls defense game took a step up under Hitch. Draisaitl is, 100% the kind of player that takes any kind of slight, or demotion as an opportunity to prove the person wrong. He did it when he got demoted to the WHL, took it as an opportunity to go "screw you I am the king" and destroyed the league. After Hitch called Drai out, he seemed to clean up his defensive game massively.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Woodcroft is likely cut from a similar cloth

Imo, what Woodcroft is doing is far more impressive than what Nelson was doing.

 

[Stoneman89]

Win% under Dallas Eakins .363
Win% under Hitchcock .500

One of these isn’t like the other.

Better back off the bs a bit.

Already been said, but Drai and McDavid make a big difference.

Absolutely do not want Hitch back. Game has passed him by, IMO, and I'm not sure a lot of guys are buying what he's selling. A bunch of them appear to have taken a step back since he took over. Go do some scouting or drink some red wine.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Just a side point, and I find stuff like this annoying in general, but Commentary like Spittin Chiclets is giving a sour point to hockey and to team sport and allegiance to coaching as well. When no class asshats like Reaves can go on that program and talk about "fat ass Hitchcock" again and get support for the kind of viewpoint that would say something like that or think its funny, or right, to say, and mock a coach on that basis it just dials up the massive disrespect that todays players have for coaches, managers, fans, orgs, in general. For awhile hockey was fairly immune to this nature of asshattery but thanks to douchebags like Ryan Whitney its a regular dialog of disrespect now.

Its easy for anbody to disrespect authority. But if you do that is there ever a question that the person making the insults is better? Would anybody even HAVE Whitney, or Reaves as a coach? Theres limited reasons why anybody ever had them as players. You add the Wideman stuff and several other NHL incidents, even Spooner, and mouthing off about coaches, defying them, insulting them seems well ingrained now. Overall that is really shitty because it only insures that fans see worse product as players do their own thing, assume they are better, and like rich little kids make sport of the Peons teaching them. Like some Ivy league brats. Not a good look for Pro sports players anywhere. Its disappointing the NHLPA is taking up that look. Its more disappointing fans are supporting much like Spittin Chiclets without realizing its devolving authority within the NHL game.