GDT: Holland to address media at 11 AM

[Del Preston]

Why are some of you so upset and what were you expecting him to say?

They were 9th overall in points and 5th best from December 31st until the stoppage. I wish they were still playing but let's not overreact to a one week play-in after five months off.

 

[Smartguy]

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

Being a top 12 team in the league wasn’t competing this season? They lost a play in, they don’t miss the playoffs in a normal year, and were on a tear when the league shut down. It’s a odd year, if you think this changes the entire look of the team that’s insane.

 

[bellagiobob]

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.

We’ve all heard these end of the season pressers before, and this one was no different. Pretty much what I expected. They are all the same. The comments are usually generic - internal growth, have to be better, will pursue some UFA’s if the price is right, etc. I know we would love to hear him trash certain players, but end of the day, that isn’t going to help in moving them out, if that’s his plan. Tippett said one small thing about Kosko after the series, and fans of his basically shit their pants, complaining that he threw him under the bus. Fans want to hear the dirt until they don’t. Holland has been around the block before, and saw the same things we all did. I’ll judge him in four months after he’s had an opportunity to react to what he saw and make changes, not in a standard fluffer presser. And for the record I’m extremely pissed off, but will give him the opportunity to correct things. All things considered I thought he did a good job last summer in his first go round of cleaning this mess up. I’ll give him the opportunity to build on that.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

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

I admit when you boil it down like that it sounds pretty bad. I am pissed they pulled the plug on yet another press conference and that Holland offered up nothing of substance. Sue me.

 

[CupofOil]

WHAT AREAS???? except PP and PK, everything took a step back
goaltending was below average at best
defense was shambles
offence was a 2 man show
5v5 was horrid
depth was horrid
coaching was questionable

Well yeah, if you base everything on 4 games and ignore the much larger sample size regular season you can come to this conclusion but that's not the reality.

The reality is that 5 on 5 play was improved in 2020 once Yamamoto emerged. They developed a top 4 Dman in Bear, developed a top 6 forward in Yamamoto, another Dman in Jones who showed signs of improvment, added scoring depth in Neal by dumping Lucic, added two other top 9 forwards at the trade deadline and of course, the massive PK improvement with Holland's acquisitions in Sheahan and Archibald playing a significant role.

Your rant about everything being awful is based on recency bias of the 4 game play in and ignoring the fact that there were some significant strides made this season over the entirety of the season.
This thing wasn't going to be built overnight. There's still a ways to go , but they are a lot better off now than they were a year ago with the Chia steaming pile of dung that he left Holland.

 

[Drivesaitl]

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.

Most people were pumped that Oilers fans were breaking records every game in the 50/50 draw. I mean despite the good causes some of that money goes to I found it a bit depressing to still witness the non committal zeal of Edmonton fans. I hope that didnt send a signal to the org that all is still well with the fanbase, that they can just keep taking it all for granted for another decade.

The due dilligence of this org was signalled when they weren't even bothering to stream scrimmages at their own rink, in their own bubble, like the other visiting clubs were doing. That as usual is Oilerspeak for "we just don't care"

The other was the Intro to the bubble pressers that got bumped multiple times, or just didn't occur with no aanouncement, and ended up being delayed several times.

A third was the roof membrane again failing and the heavens pouring in just pre tournament.


I mean the foreshadowing was forboding. A bit ominous.

The funniest thing. Bettman didn't want the bubble here, we insisted and insisted, while other cities pulled out, because it was so important to have this bubble here.. just to fall flat on our faces. I'd almost prefer this happened somewhere else, and that the Calgary Flames were not the Alberta team sitting in our dressingroom.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Being a top 12 team in the league wasn’t competing this season? They lost a play in, they don’t miss the playoffs in a normal year, and were on a tear when the league shut down. It’s a odd year, if you think this changes the entire look of the team that’s insane.

We competed for a season a few years ago too. To me competing means sustainable success. Requiring insane special teams which is unsustainable to win is not a recipe for competing for more than a year in a row

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Why are some of you so upset and what were you expecting him to say?

They were 9th overall in points and 5th best from December 31st until the stoppage. I wish they were still playing but let's not overreact to a one week play-in after five months off.

Because I wanted more Del Preston GDT. If that is not a reason to overreact then I dont know what is.

Tantrum over.

Back to shitting on the Leafs and Flames....

 

[KlefDown]

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.

This team had issues far beyond the bad 4 game play-in.
Our 5on5 scoring was the most disastrous thing that was kept masked due to best PP since the 1980s and our top 2 big guns.
Our depth was an anchor and barely kept afloat this year as compared to years past, our Dcore is as inconsistent as can be and our goaltending tandem is ranked 31/31 in the NHL

we only go as far as Connor and Leon in the regular season and won’t go far at all in the post season unless the team around them are better

guys like TEnnis, RSheahan, MSmith etc are all washed goods

 

[joestevens29]

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).

I'm a lot surprised that you are a little surprised.

 

[CupofOil]

For contrast, here is Jim Rutherford right now. Plain speak, not superlatives that come out of hockeys How To Talk To Fans Like They Are Idiots manual.

The Pens were supposed to contend for the Cup this season, the Oilers were trying to scrape out of the basement to start this season. Huge difference in expectation.

You know I like you as a poster but you're letting your anger cloud your better judgment.
Lots of crazy overreactions from you guys. Step back and assess the season as a whole and you'll realize that they took a sizeable step forward this season. A COVID crapshoot series doesn't change that.

 

[Drivesaitl]

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.

heh. Your wife is probably right. Sorry to say man.

I held out hopes, maybe I wouldn't be here anymore at all were it not for McDrai drawing me in. I mean I even had thoughts when we won McD that, well, heres the Oilers drawing me in for another decade.

One of my friends used to say "Just let it go, its not coming back, find other things" I often resisted that, but she was right. I have found some other things. I was on the edge of not even paying attention to this tournament. But I got drawn in again. I'm an addictive personality or sucker for punishment, or both.

If the pandemic had suddenly ended, and I could feel safer doing a lot of other things, I would, but I was kind of a sitting target for all this.

 

[Mav3rick07]

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

“The trade is one for one.”

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

The Pens were supposed to contend for the Cup this season, the Oilers were trying to scrape out of the basement to start this season. Huge difference in expectation.

You know I like you as a poster but you're letting your anger cloud your better judgment.

I know I know.

I had my little rant.

I am better now.

Back to normal.

I do like the Holland hire and Tippett hire. It is inexplicable to me why he broke up the DRY line. Not a huge fan of the presser being pulled and the vanilla-ness of it but I will give Holland the benefit of the doubt in making this team a contender. If he cant do it nobody can.

 

[KlefDown]

Well yeah, if you base everything on 4 games and ignore the much larger sample size regular season you can come to this conclusion but that's not the reality.

The reality is that 5 on 5 play was improved in 2020 once Yamamoto emerged. They developed a top 4 Dman in Bear, developed a top 6 forward in Yamamoto, another Dman in Jones who showed signs of improvment, added scoring depth in Neal by dumping Lucic, added two other top 9 forwards at the trade deadline and of course, the massive PK improvement with Holland's acquisitions in Sheahan and Archibald playing a significant role.

Your rant about everything being awful is based on recency bias of the 4 game play in and ignoring the fact that there were some significant strides made this season over the entirety of the season.
This thing wasn't going to be built overnight. There's still a ways to go , but they are a lot better off now than they were a year ago with the Chia steaming pile of dung that he left Holland.

Holland has made improvements but also questionable moves already

I may have recency bias but some of y’all have nostalgia bias. we are not a good team as lead to believe. We wasted a year of 50 goal Leon and 120+ point McDavid last year, we wasted another year this year, and we’ll waste another year next year

 

[Drivesaitl]

The Pens were supposed to contend for the Cup this season, the Oilers were trying to scrape out of the basement to start this season. Huge difference in expectation.

You know I like you as a poster but you're letting your anger cloud your better judgment.
Lots of crazy overreactions from you guys. Step back and assess the season as a whole and you'll realize that they took a sizeable step forward this season. A COVID crapshoot series doesn't change that.

Nah, thats straight up weird. I don't see Pens as a cup contender or Sidney lifting a trophy in 2020. Its over man, time for rebuild. I mean in a place like LA or Chicago this is pretty known or understood. Somehow in Pittsburgh it isn't. I don't get that. This is not a contender team. Its a sated team that has won it all multiple times. You stop eventually having the same drive to do it over.

In LA the final pieces of the puzzle left are just skating amusements and memories of a better time. Nobody expects anything from the club. The Pens, by trying to compete now instead of opting rebuild could be setting themselves up for an Oiler horrific period of futility..

 

[KlefDown]

this is the kind of backwards ass thinking that is going to be his downfall

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

So if Holland is reassessing AA's status given the cap, and AA is due to be qualified at $3.0M then what are the chances he can flip AA for anything approaching the 2 2nds Holland paid to get AA? Do you want to go into next season with AA still on the roster given he hasn't clicked chemistry-wise on the top two lines and had only 2 or 3 good games in his 13 games thus far as an Oiler?

How much better off would the Oilers have been if they just kept Gagner? His energy and give-a-shit level certainly could have helped the Oilers against the Hawks, he produced better than AA with the Oilers, and his contract is expiring.

 

[CycloneSweep]

this is the kind of backwards ass thinking that is going to be his downfall

I'm hoping he meant more ready and experienced in the NA game ..

 

[frag2]

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

Then hopefully Larsson can get LTIR'd for the next season, we get 4M space and be done with him.

 

[Navx94]

I swear some of you expect him to address the media like an HF main boards poster lol.

 

[CupofOil]

I know I know.

I had my little rant.

I am better now.

Back to normal.

I do like the Holland hire and Tippett hire. It is inexplicable to me why he broke up the DRY line. Not a huge fan of the presser being pulled and the vanilla-ness of it but I will give Holland the benefit of the doubt in making this team a contender. If he cant do it nobody can.

See, was that so hard?

As I mentioned to the other poster who said everything is awful. They developed a top 6 forward in Yamamoto, a top 4 Dman in Bear, another one in Jones who showed promise, he added two top 9 forwards at the deadline (not a fan of the AA trade but he's still a skilled player), the PK was greatly improved partly due to Holland's acquisitions and Neal for Lucic.

This season went about as well as expected considering where they were as a franchise when Holland took over (just a year ago) and the utter lack of assets that was left to him with little cap space to maneuver. Nobody is happy with the end result after a strong regular season but the season as a whole was a success when you look at the entirety of it. Still lots of work to be done to take them to the next level but we knew this wasn't a 1 year fix.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Holland talking about Ennis coming back.

Holland talking about signing a veteran goalie for the AHL.

Holland talking about making a decision on Smith.

Nothing new on the PJ front, he will see where it goes this off season.

All decisions will be cost based. Most teams will be strapped because of the cap.

Stauffer fed the usual softballs but this wasn't bad.

 

[Morpheus]

Holland on Oilers now just mentioned the orgs been in touch with Staretts agent and he won’t be re-signed. They will target & sign another goalie for the AHL.
Gonna speak with Smiths agent...see what Smiths future plans are.

 

[KlefDown]

I'm hoping he meant more ready and experienced in the NA game ..

exactly. that is a good justification

stop with this he's older and has experience, the better player deserves to be in the lineup

the young players will never get experience and develop at the NHL level if not given game time. i.e. Benson is just not going to become a 40 point third line winger over night. Bear would not have become a top 4D if not given the opportunity