GDT: Holland to address media at 11 AM

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Its fine not to play your cards but at least be transparent about how you view your current team and the direction you see us moving

saying yes i was disappointed by early exit then saying general shit like Yamamoto and Jones really helped and our goaltending was good and we shall see what to do with our pending RFA is piss poor effort

Being transparent is the exact opposite of not showing your cards...

 

[Oilhawks]

You know that is all fine, I can accept this is a business and they have tremendous costs to cover not helped by a low Canadian dollar. I have been to 22 other rinks and its the same or worse in every other market.

But like Tom Anselmi says, the product on the ice drives the rest and when that product has been substandard to the point of being historically worst, then as fans we cant be faulted for demanding more. This season we did not make the playoffs (thanks Bettman for your stupid idea) and as Holland said, were not ready to play Game 1. The effect spilled over into every other game outside of 7 minutes of the final game.

SO why is Holland not addressing why he thinks that is? Coaching? Leadership? Is there a character deficiency on this team? How about a comment on the players you pay to bring energy and emotion to the game, like Nurse, Kassian and Khaira? For f***s Sake, Yamamoto is the smallest player on the team and he was 10 times more engaged than our highest paid brain dead defencman.

There is a ton Holland could have addressed. But didn't.

I was a massive fan of the Holland and Tippett hires. I feel that the water in this town may be eroding their brains as much as it has everyone else who works for this laughing stock of a team.

I get were you’re coming from but I don’t think it’s prudent to throw your players under the bus publicly, particularly if he might be considering moving any of them. I’m sure he voiced his displeasure and discussed expectations of these players in the exit interviews

 

[Drivesaitl]

The thing that is funnier than anything Holland states is that fans still line up to hear what the latest senile or deluded mouth piece still has to say here. I mean the one benefit is its not Bob the burgermeister Nicholson, or Chiarelli.

I mean if I ever listen to these guys its with specific intent to lampoon what these guys have to say and just for the purpose of gathering comic material.

Is theere anybody out there that still holds that any good news ever happens with these pressers? Or that theres any real reason, other than comic satire, to watch?

 

[russ99]

Some insight rather than the plainly obvious. He did after all interview each player 3 days ago. Maybe offer up where he plans to improve, we need scoring wingers, goaltending, defence and a 3C. What are his priorities? What Oiler UFAs will be looking at resigning? What are his priorities heading into the draft? BPA? Forwards? I am not asking him to tip his hand but it is the atypical Oiler nonsense we are getting at the end of every year for the last 15 years.

I am sick and tired of this team not being honest with its fans and just f***ing around like blind men in a dark maze trying to find their way out and offering up only "We will try to do better next year" quotes.

Now we get 4 months of Stauffer polishing this complete turd of a hockey team like he does every goddam summer.

Am I pissed? Yes. This team pulled a massive no show in the playoffs and outside of 3 players, decided they only needed to play hard in the final 7 minutes before they were booted from the bubble. Gutless no heart no character team is what we have built that accepts losing as normal.

I’d rather have a GM keeping things close to his vest rather than telegraphing moves like MacT did.

 

[KlefDown]

Being transparent is the exact opposite of not showing your cards...

you can be transparent and not show your cards

they are not mutually exclusive

 

[KlefDown]

for the love of god, do not re-sign Ennis or any of the pending UFA's for that matter

 

[CycloneSweep]

Holland confirms it's a back issue for Larsson. Guy is done being a legit top 4 defensemen. Sadly moving him would probably be next to impossible

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Exactly. I mean he’s saying exactly what was wrong. Goaltending, team d, AA wasn’t good enough. What else should he say and how should he say it?

Holland isnt going to promise big changes because for him it means trades. It wrecks your leverage to announce that big changes WILL be made. You have to say you're comfortable with the team. If you want big promises maybe we can bring MacT back

Not asking for big promises. Offer his opinion as to why he thought his two signings this year - Nurse and Kassian - failed on such an epic level. Offer insight into what the priorities are this offseason, goaltending, 3C, defence, that is not telegraphing anything but being honest with the fans of the team. Where does he think the team needs the most improvement? Why did we fail on such an epic level this playoff? Was Tippett correct in splitting up the DRY line? I mean there is a ton he could discuss without "tipping his hand" or "making big promises".

I mean first they announce a press conference live for fans to watch, then Stauffer pulls the plug on it, and we get fed vanilla twitter quotes out of the How To Treat Your Fans Like Idiots book that MacTavish and Lowe memorized.

Its just yet another kick in the fans teeth in my opinion and everyone here knows I am one of the biggest Oilers supporters - hell I have been called an apologist and one guy here thinks I work for the team and have been planted here. But to pull a press conference that is as much for fans as it is for the media 2 minutes before it goes live is so alarmingly unprofessional that it makes my head spin. And then to feed bland blatantly obvious quotes that any idiot who watched this team could feed up is a fail of massive proportions. Edmonton fans are not Florida or Arizona fans. We are like Montreal fans, highly engaged and knowledgeable, hockey is religion here.

Need I remind them that their season ticket base dropped by about 20% this year and it will be dropping probably by another 10-20% next year. This is completely unacceptable after how they went out this year.

Maybe they are too focused on fixing their 50-50 mess to concentrate on hockey anymore. I don't know. But this is unacceptable.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I’d rather have a GM keeping things close to his vest rather than telegraphing moves like MacT did.

Its not telegraphing anything to say We have many needs, I think our biggest is improving our defence and depth at centre.

 

[Drivesaitl]

You know that is all fine, I can accept this is a business and they have tremendous costs to cover not helped by a low Canadian dollar. I have been to 22 other rinks and its the same or worse in every other market.

But like Tom Anselmi says, the product on the ice drives the rest and when that product has been substandard to the point of being historically worst, then as fans we cant be faulted for demanding more. This season we did not make the playoffs (thanks Bettman for your stupid idea) and as Holland said, were not ready to play Game 1. The effect spilled over into every other game outside of 7 minutes of the final game.

SO why is Holland not addressing why he thinks that is? Coaching? Leadership? Is there a character deficiency on this team? How about a comment on the players you pay to bring energy and emotion to the game, like Nurse, Kassian and Khaira? For f***s Sake, Yamamoto is the smallest player on the team and he was 10 times more engaged than our highest paid brain dead defencman.

There is a ton Holland could have addressed. But didn't.

I was a massive fan of the Holland and Tippett hires. I feel that the water in this town may be eroding their brains as much as it has everyone else who works for this laughing stock of a team.

I know we're getting along now, but you were a massive fan of the Nicholson hire, and pretty upset that I was'nt. Just saying. Nicholson is first in charge of all these safe hires. Which is essentially what he is. The org continuing to go with gray hairs (and I am so thats not ageism) This org doesn't take too many risks, and when it does its disasters like Chiarelli, Eakins.

The same as any arena stuff is a misgiving though. It wasn't always like this, and sports fans weren't always being gouged. Going to pro sports used to be cheap and affordable. Now its high priced night at the opera. I respond by fiscally having nothing to do with the current pro sports premium ticket or largesse.

I spent the 70's 80's seeing pretty good Oilers hockey for mere dollars a ticket. The 90's almost any game you could throw a 20 at a scalper and get a good seat. The interesting thing is I was still doing that in 96, 97, and that was a better team, that I would prefer watching, to the current one. (sorry Draisaitl)

As far as spending on pro sports I'm retired, and the Eskimos just assured I won't be spending money there either.

I'll still watch on TV, for free.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I get were you’re coming from but I don’t think it’s prudent to throw your players under the bus publicly, particularly if he might be considering moving any of them. I’m sure he voiced his displeasure and discussed expectations of these players in the exit interviews

I agree, don't toss a player under the bus but still give us something more than "I am massively disappointed." I am sure he could tactfully voice displeasure with Kassian and Nurse like he did with AA.

 

[Oilhawks]

I’m a little surprised by the negativity in this thread. The series result was disappointing but I’ve gotten over it. Overall the team exceeded my expectations (check the bump on JTS thread from last September ‘where you see the team finishing’) and Holland has done at least an above average job of improving the team. This is nothing like the MacT exit interview pre-McDavid lotto win. It literally left me feeling like I was done as a fan of the team.

Holland’s improvements:

- Tippett hire led to improved special teams, development of young players. Bungled the series but if they won it and lost in the 1st round he probably wouldn’t get much criticism outside of the usual suspects
- Improved bottom 6 depth with solid NHL caliber role players. Only missed on a few signings
- Neal for Lucic swap was a win any way you dress it
- Looks to have a reasonable first draft, Broberg is promising, not sure on rest but decent potential and too early to tell
- Had some not as good / negatives like what turned out to be a mediocre trade deadline (with some things out of his control like Green opt out and Ennis injury), Smith being a mixed bag, Kassian extension should have waited, Nurse bridge is maybe slightly high (though I’m not sure Nurse would accept anything lower given his previous bridge).

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

This thread is hilarious. “Holland didn’t say we need to improve our D. I’m upset.”

 

[belair]

Pitts misses the playoffs for the first time in a long time and changes will be made. Edmonton misses as usual and we get a "we have to try harder"

What changes? Look at their roster. Any moves they can make are essentially downgrades. That's generally what happens when you spend assets year after year and commit a bunch of money long-term.

They'll get poor returns on guys like Matt Murray and Jared McCann and be forced to take back salary if they have any interest in shedding guys like Johnson, Bjugstad or Tanev. They have fewer picks than we do in this draft.

 

[Drivesaitl]

you can be transparent and not show your cards

they are not mutually exclusive

When did Holland last have cards in his hand? I don't think he's anything more than bluffing. Hitchcock did the same when he said he had the answers to make this a good club, he already conceived of the needed changes that would work, and that he had a solution to improve Pulju.

Holland hasn't been a good GM for a long time.

 

[Smartguy]

stupidest f***ing thing
I hate Holland my god

Holy man, this fan base is ******* insane. Everyone on here was in love with this team 2 weeks ago and all about keeping our lineup intact. A ******* five game series after 4 months off and everyone hates this team, Tippett, and Holland. This is still a very young, and good team, who was second in their division through a 70 game season and got screwed over by Covid and a bad play in.
We have minimal cap space until next offseason. Who is taking any of the dead cap we have when everyone is strapped with that flat cap?

Has overturning the roster every offseason worked at all in the last 14 years? It’s crazy how fast this fanbase turns on the team, they aren’t contenders, they have holes, but there isn’t a quick fix coming this offseason.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Not asking for big promises. Offer his opinion as to why he thought his two signings this year - Nurse and Kassian - failed on such an epic level. Offer insight into what the priorities are this offseason, goaltending, 3C, defence, that is not telegraphing anything but being honest with the fans of the team. Where does he think the team needs the most improvement? Why did we fail on such an epic level this playoff? Was Tippett correct in splitting up the DRY line? I mean there is a ton he could discuss without "tipping his hand" or "making big promises".

I mean first they announce a press conference live for fans to watch, then Stauffer pulls the plug on it, and we get fed vanilla twitter quotes out of the How To Treat Your Fans Like Idiots book that MacTavish and Lowe memorized.

Its just yet another kick in the fans teeth in my opinion and everyone here knows I am one of the biggest Oilers supporters - hell I have been called an apologist and one guy here thinks I work for the team and have been planted here. But to pull a press conference that is as much for fans as it is for the media 2 minutes before it goes live is so alarmingly unprofessional that it makes my head spin. And then to feed bland blatantly obvious quotes that any idiot who watched this team could feed up is a fail of massive proportions. Edmonton fans are not Florida or Arizona fans. We are like Montreal fans, highly engaged and knowledgeable, hockey is religion here.

Need I remind them that their season ticket base dropped by about 20% this year and it will be dropping probably by another 10-20% next year. This is completely unacceptable after how they went out this year.

Maybe they are too focused on fixing their 50-50 mess to concentrate on hockey anymore. I don't know. But this is unacceptable.

As long as this team has McDavid fans will spend shit tons of money and be loyal as f*** to this org. This team doesn't need to win for fans to care. There is absolutely zero pressure to win or do well here. Players don't even seem to care themselves win or lose.

It's apathy top down. "I think we did fine". Players "eh I guess we just weren't ready or they wanted it more".

The entire organization is apathetic to the point that Broberg showing a pulse in camp was lauded as incredible.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I agree, don't toss a player under the bus but still give us something more than "I am massively disappointed." I am sure he could tactfully voice displeasure with Kassian and Nurse like he did with AA.

He could voice displeasure over himself for those contracts and moves.

What did he say about AA?

 

[CycloneSweep]

Holy man, this fan base is ******* insane. Everyone on here was in love with this team 2 weeks ago and all about keeping our lineup intact. A ******* five game series after 4 months off and everyone hates this team, Tippett, and Holland. This is still a very young, and good team, who was second in their division through a 70 game season and got screwed over by Covid and a bad play in.
We have minimal cap space until next offseason. Who is taking any of the dead cap we have when everyone is strapped with that flat cap?

Has overturning the roster every offseason worked at all in the last 14 years? It’s crazy how fast this fanbase turns on the team, they aren’t contenders, they have holes, but there isn’t a quick fix coming this offseason.

True true. Team should wait 3-5 years and hope drafting will save us. Hopefully this team will be ready to compete by waiting by the time McDavid and Drai need new contracts

 

[CycloneSweep]

He could voice displeasure over himself for those contracts and moves.

What did he say about AA?

That he didn't have the impact he was expecting and will think about that for the next 6 weeks. Sounds like he wants to sign him still but not at his AAV

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

When did Holland last have cards in his hand? I don't think he's anything more than bluffing. Hitchcock did the same when he said he had the answers to make this a good club, he already conceived of the needed changes that would work, and that he had a solution to improve Pulju.

Holland hasn't been a good GM for a long time.

Good enough to make massive improvements to this team in 1 year. Or do you disagree that he has made this team better since Chia sunk this team to the depths.

 

[Oilhawks]

He could voice displeasure over himself for those contracts and moves.

What did he say about AA?

He said he expected him to be better

 

[CycloneSweep]

Good enough to make massive improvements to this team in 1 year. Or do you disagree that he has made this team better since Chia sunk this team to the depths.

Our special teams were the only legit improvement this year and most of that was coaching. Our best penalty killers were guys we had last year, Sheahan and Archibald did help.

Our pp hasn't changed player wise either outside of sometimes having Neal there although it was better with Chiasson.

Coaching improved our special teams and 2 4th liner additions helped on the PK. Outside of that the team is pretty much the same as last year outside of us wasting a bunch of draft picks on nothing at the deadline and a couple rookies helping.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I know we're getting along now, but you were a massive fan of the Nicholson hire, and pretty upset that I was'nt. Just saying. Nicholson is first in charge of all these safe hires. Which is essentially what he is. The org continuing to go with gray hairs (and I am so thats not ageism) This org doesn't take too many risks, and when it does its disasters like Chiarelli, Eakins.

The same as any arena stuff is a misgiving though. It wasn't always like this, and sports fans weren't always being gouged. Going to pro sports used to be cheap and affordable. Now its high priced night at the opera. I respond by fiscally having nothing to do with the current pro sports premium ticket or largesse.

I spent the 70's 80's seeing pretty good Oilers hockey for mere dollars a ticket. The 90's almost any game you could throw a 20 at a scalper and get a good seat. The interesting thing is I was still doing that in 96, 97, and that was a better team, that I would prefer watching, to the current one. (sorry Draisaitl)

As far as spending on pro sports I'm retired, and the Eskimos just assured I won't be spending money there either.

I'll still watch on TV, for free.

I was a massive fan of the Nicholson hire, and Chiarelli. (not Eakins!) Guilty as charged!

I am also a fan of the Holland and Tippett hires, but the way this team approached this playoff was so disheartening to me. To then schedule a press conference for fans to view, and then pull the plug presumably so Stauffer gets his exclusive, is so unprofessional that I cannot believe it happened.

I love watching the game and while I miss the innocence of days gone by, I am fortunate (stupid?) to be able to partake in the games as a STH and all of its excess. My wife is talking in a few years that we should be moving from Edmonton, and the only reason I give her for staying is - but what about my seasons tickets? That is how engaged I am lol.

Sigh.....I have to go get my blood pressure medication now. I think I have turned permanently red in the face.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

He is the teams Propaganda Minister. Unfortunately the Oilers are big on controlling the narrative in this town.

The Oilers are in a virtual monopoly position for sports & entertainment discretionary dollars. They trade on an emotional connection that is well leveraged to build a hockey palace and operate with minimal accountability knowing the house will be full despite incompetent product running for fifteen years. There doesn't have to be greater accountability because unlike other NHL markets there isn't any viable threat to poach the bottom line based on ticket sales; sponsorships; merchandise; broadcasting and the like. Try to be this bad in any other NHL/sports market not named Winnipeg and it would be a recipe for extinction.

Think you pretty much nailed it with your description btw. He's a toady of this team's owner which led to a job he wasn't qualified for (the Oiler way) and given the reigns to hire the play-by-play guy which is further insanity. What NHL team hires a guy who played bantam hockey to provide expert colour commentary? Not sure why someone like an articulate ex-NHL player like Rob Brown doesn't have that job. But without question, the team has a firewall around its inner decision making that cuts out a boastful, know it all propagandist to prevent their operations leaking to the public. They may dribble some fluffy stuff through him but not letting their broadcaster into the guts of real decision making and hockey operations. Stauffer's speculations and veiled in the know attitude most definitely comes through his network of sports agent buddies and the like.

Edmonton is a one-horse town which enables this to happen. I'm just happy there is finally an elite hockey guy like Holland finally driving the show here and Tippett's experience as well.