Is MacT getting too much of the blame?

[s7ark]

Until the pressor yesterday, I felt perhaps things were getting out of hand, as far as blame, but no he deserves all he can get.

In actuality he's gotten off way too easy for the performance he's had.

 

[missinthejets]

In actuality he's gotten off way too easy for the performance he's had.

He is really really lucky he wasn't fired right alongside Dallas Eakins. Probably deserved it for inflicting that doofus on the team.

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

I'm not a fan of the Oilers and I don't want to start an argument. But I don't think its a matter that Mac-T isn't smart, I think there's an issue with his ego, and I think that there's a low standard in terms of a lack of preparation and work ethic.

When I read a tweet from a media member, and I would have to go back to find it that the Oilers don't want to move their bigger assets because they don't know enough about other teams players, that goes to your professional scouting level and a lack of accountability within an organization.

your team was basically paralyzed at the trade deadline because it sounds like the home work wasn't done in terms of scouting and looking at other teams assets.

Look from the outside looking in and watching Mac-T trying to sell hope and sell that your problems are in the rear view mirror and that your moving to another decade of great Oiler hockey is sad because he actually seems like he believes this stuff.

But the question is where is the accountability within your organization, if there is a lack of knowledge and a lack of plan, your GM is going to do one of two things. He's going to sit on his hands and hope by some fluke something happens, or he's going to make a really bad judgement call based on a lack of information.

To me its laziness somewhere that this organization isn't trying to improve its tools and management, but its criminal that your GM and your senior management let it happens. It sounds like the whole forensic audit thing was a public relationship and not serious.

 

[missinthejets]

When I read a tweet from a media member, and I would have to go back to find it that the Oilers don't want to move their bigger assets because they don't know enough about other teams players, that goes to your professional scouting level and a lack of accountability within an organization.

your team was basically paralyzed at the trade deadline because it sounds like the home work wasn't done in terms of scouting and looking at other teams assets.

This has been a problem for the Oilers for a lot longer than McTavish has been around in the GM role. Sad part is that it's probably gotten better since he was hired but that's a real low bar.

 

[Tyrolean]

Don't you fans ever get tired of bashing the Oilers? Only thing you can do is either support another team or boycott in hopes Katz relaizes he is losing money thus effecting a through change.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Yzerman was also unqualified... shanny in Toronto is also unqualified..

MacT is the opposite of Tambo... One didnt say anything...the other says way too much ..
In the end both hurt themselves when no one good joins the club.

Yzerman was assistant GM under one of the best GM's in the world. Shanny worked for the NHL. MacT coached, got fired, went to school, and was given a job that was obviously "our next GM".

 

[Beerfish]

Don't you fans ever get tired of bashing the Oilers? Only thing you can do is either support another team or boycott in hopes Katz relaizes he is losing money thus effecting a through change.

Katz will never lose money. He was given a money pit called a new arena and even if attendance is bad in that arena he'll make money.

And to answer your question, nope. I never get tired of bashing a bunch of arrogant, blameless, nepotism bloated front office and owner who have turned a once proud franchise into a laughing stock of the league and totally sewered the team in almost every way possible.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Don't you fans ever get tired of bashing the Oilers? Only thing you can do is either support another team or boycott in hopes Katz relaizes he is losing money thus effecting a through change.

After supporting them through thick and (especially) thin it's refreshing to see things from the other side. I defended these goofs for years but no longer. I haven't bought anything Oilers related for the past few years after making at least one trip to Edmonton per year for a game. Venting my annoyance is about the only thing I can do because it's so painful to be smarter than the people who get paid to run this team into the ground.

 

[Pennertration]

I actually like MacT, or I like him as much as you can under these circumstances. I don't think he's the worst GM in the league or he's an idiot or (insert insult here). But he deserves blame. Everyone does.

Truth is Lowe should've been canned a while ago. The last straw should've been his hamfisted apology to the fans following the multiple tiers thing. And while I don't think all of MacT's moves have been boneheaded - I've liked quite a few of them, actually - and I don't think he's stupid, he just strikes me as someone who is in over his head. His final nail should've been his misplaced trust and loyalty to Eakins.

After everything went into the gutter this year, my biggest hope - apart from the firing of Eakins - was that the organizational review that was announced was a sincere and honest effort to reform the team and how it is run. Hard work, due diligence and accountability should be hallmarks of the Oilers. Alas, the longer Lowe/MacT remain in place the more it looks like said review was just more lip service.

Is it too late to convert to a Hartford Whalers fan or too early to cheer for Seattle's team? We are officially all Cubs fans (historically speaking - this years Cubs actually look pretty good).

 

[Seedling]

I'm not a fan of the Oilers and I don't want to start an argument. But I don't think its a matter that Mac-T isn't smart, I think there's an issue with his ego, and I think that there's a low standard in terms of a lack of preparation and work ethic.

When I read a tweet from a media member, and I would have to go back to find it that the Oilers don't want to move their bigger assets because they don't know enough about other teams players, that goes to your professional scouting level and a lack of accountability within an organization.

your team was basically paralyzed at the trade deadline because it sounds like the home work wasn't done in terms of scouting and looking at other teams assets.

Look from the outside looking in and watching Mac-T trying to sell hope and sell that your problems are in the rear view mirror and that your moving to another decade of great Oiler hockey is sad because he actually seems like he believes this stuff.

But the question is where is the accountability within your organization, if there is a lack of knowledge and a lack of plan, your GM is going to do one of two things. He's going to sit on his hands and hope by some fluke something happens, or he's going to make a really bad judgement call based on a lack of information.

To me its laziness somewhere that this organization isn't trying to improve its tools and management, but its criminal that your GM and your senior management let it happens. It sounds like the whole forensic audit thing was a public relationship and not serious.

You pretty much got everything right. Thing is, we've all known this for a long time. The owner seems to not give a @@@@

 

[nexttothemoon]

The thing is... I really do believe Lowe, MacT and the rest of the OBC network actually DO want to restore this team to its former glory. I don't think they are intentionally wanting to see this team crumble into nothingness.

Unfortunately they and Katz are still living in 1985 with dreams of those days returning once again... soon... on the cusp... just around the corner... decade of Oilers hockey.

You can hear the delusions every time they speak.

They honestly think this rebuild plan and the path they have set this team on will deliver those days again.

It's even sad when you think about it. Grown men who are trying to relive the former glory days without realizing that the NHL is a very different place and the Oilers will never get back to those days again... not even close.

Honestly I think many of us got swept up in that dream as well several years ago... it was hard not to because everyone wants to relive those good times and have those glory days back again.

The difference between most of those naive fans (I include myself in that group) and the Oilers braintrust is that we have long since snapped back to reality... whereas MacT, Katz, Lowe and Co are still living on dreams and fairy tale fantasies that those glory days are just around the corner if we just have more patience/hope/time to let the process/progress/improvement play itself out.

Thats why fuzzy, meaningless words like "visually" are used so often. It's a made up concept to help reassure themselves into thinking their delusions are somehow reality and that the path they are on is actually working to achieve those glory days coming back again.

It's reality vs fantasy.


Reality:

A 29th place team that's perennially being turned over and that's losing many of its half decent assets that it develops or manages to somehow collect and that can't attract anything more than mediocre pieces to supplement the few decent players they do have remaining.

Fantasy:

Improvement and progress is being made and the glory days are soon upon us again. Just wait until next year.. and the years and decades after that. It's going to be fantastic once again... just have faith and patience and hope and wait... and... and...


Will you choose the blue pill or the red pill?

 

[oobga]

The thing is... I really do believe Lowe, MacT and the rest of the OBC network actually DO want to restore this team to its former glory. I don't think they are intentionally wanting to see this team crumble into nothingness.

Unfortunately they and Katz are still living in 1985 with dreams of those days returning once again... soon... on the cusp... just around the corner... decade of Oilers hockey.

You can hear the delusions every time they speak.

They honestly think this rebuild plan and the path they have set this team on will deliver those days again.

It's even sad when you think about it. Grown men who are trying to relive the former glory days without realizing that the NHL is a very different place and the Oilers will never get back to those days again... not even close.

Honestly I think many of us got swept up in that dream as well several years ago... it was hard not to because everyone wants to relive those good times and have those glory days back again.

The difference between most of those naive fans (I include myself in that group) and the Oilers braintrust is that we have long since snapped back to reality... whereas MacT, Katz, Lowe and Co are still living on dreams and fairy tale fantasies that those glory days are just around the corner if we just have more patience/hope/time to let the process/progress/improvement play itself out.

Thats why fuzzy, meaningless words like "visually" are used so often. It's a made up concept to help reassure themselves into thinking their delusions are somehow reality and that the path they are on is actually working to achieve those glory days coming back again.

It's reality vs fantasy.


Reality:

A 29th place team that's perennially being turned over and that's losing many of its half decent assets that it develops or manages to somehow collect and that can't attract anything more than mediocre pieces to supplement the few decent players they do have remaining.

Fantasy:

Improvement and progress is being made and the glory days are soon upon us again. Just wait until next year.. and the years and decades after that. It's going to be fantastic once again... just have faith and patience and hope and wait... and... and...


Will you choose the blue pill or the red pill?

Well stated. I agree, these guys completely believe what they are saying. They just badly overestimate their abilities as they always have. Lowe still thinks winning cups 20+ years ago means he will always know what he's doing in any role to do with hockey. MacT is the same way.

These guys are all terribly unqualified, badly outmatched compared to the other management groups in the NHL, but their confidence in their abilities will always remain an 11 out of 10. All they can do now is hope that this inherent ability to win that they think they possess will make things they touch turn into gold and eventually everything will just work out for them in the end.

 

[BlowbyBlow]

The thing is... I really do believe Lowe, MacT and the rest of the OBC network actually DO want to restore this team to its former glory. I don't think they are intentionally wanting to see this team crumble into nothingness.

Unfortunately they and Katz are still living in 1985 with dreams of those days returning once again... soon... on the cusp... just around the corner... decade of Oilers hockey.

You can hear the delusions every time they speak.

They honestly think this rebuild plan and the path they have set this team on will deliver those days again.

It's even sad when you think about it. Grown men who are trying to relive the former glory days without realizing that the NHL is a very different place and the Oilers will never get back to those days again... not even close.

Honestly I think many of us got swept up in that dream as well several years ago... it was hard not to because everyone wants to relive those good times and have those glory days back again.

The difference between most of those naive fans (I include myself in that group) and the Oilers braintrust is that we have long since snapped back to reality... whereas MacT, Katz, Lowe and Co are still living on dreams and fairy tale fantasies that those glory days are just around the corner if we just have more patience/hope/time to let the process/progress/improvement play itself out.

Thats why fuzzy, meaningless words like "visually" are used so often. It's a made up concept to help reassure themselves into thinking their delusions are somehow reality and that the path they are on is actually working to achieve those glory days coming back again.

It's reality vs fantasy.


Reality:

A 29th place team that's perennially being turned over and that's losing many of its half decent assets that it develops or manages to somehow collect and that can't attract anything more than mediocre pieces to supplement the few decent players they do have remaining.

Fantasy:

Improvement and progress is being made and the glory days are soon upon us again. Just wait until next year.. and the years and decades after that. It's going to be fantastic once again... just have faith and patience and hope and wait... and... and...


Will you choose the blue pill or the red pill?

Excellent post



What I don't understand and Oiler fans and management should take this into account.

(a) Very few organizations fans are this patient - Vancouver had to change management cause they were worried aout seasons tickets. Long Island fans were drying up. You could say T.O. fans are patient more so disillusioned combined with corporate spending + history of losing = contentment and accepting mediocrity.

(B) Most fans aren't accepting of not only full on rebuilds but on timelines. Which is why you will rarely ever see in your life time a full Toronto rebuild or Detroit one (theres being for different reason). Cap restrictions, developing players poorly, and generally poor scouting pro and amateur leaves fans leaving and not coming back.

(C) General narcissism, arrogance , entitlement to there positions Never a evaluation from owner or these guys themselves on how well they have done - always blaming someone. As former players made a name for themselves but in management there nobodies in no other city would you get the benefit of doubt for mistakes or be given more time, power, or control. You'd either lose alot of power (i,e someone above would either be calling more shots, or you would be replaced). Most if not all teams have a owner evaluating your progress as well as your relationship to fans, and also how you conduct yourself and represent the organization.

(D) Showing the middle finger to fans calling tier 1, 2, ect fans, a owner can't address fans publicly - (sorry Darryl you bought a public entity not private), always misleading fans with false promises, fake sincerity to get better.

(E) no true vision - never changing philosophy, then changing this goes to garbage like Corsi, and then how they have drafted identified players, making no brainer decisions difficult.

 

[rboomercat90]

I'm not a fan of the Oilers and I don't want to start an argument. But I don't think its a matter that Mac-T isn't smart, I think there's an issue with his ego, and I think that there's a low standard in terms of a lack of preparation and work ethic.

When I read a tweet from a media member, and I would have to go back to find it that the Oilers don't want to move their bigger assets because they don't know enough about other teams players, that goes to your professional scouting level and a lack of accountability within an organization.

your team was basically paralyzed at the trade deadline because it sounds like the home work wasn't done in terms of scouting and looking at other teams assets.

Look from the outside looking in and watching Mac-T trying to sell hope and sell that your problems are in the rear view mirror and that your moving to another decade of great Oiler hockey is sad because he actually seems like he believes this stuff.

But the question is where is the accountability within your organization, if there is a lack of knowledge and a lack of plan, your GM is going to do one of two things. He's going to sit on his hands and hope by some fluke something happens, or he's going to make a really bad judgement call based on a lack of information.

To me its laziness somewhere that this organization isn't trying to improve its tools and management, but its criminal that your GM and your senior management let it happens. It sounds like the whole forensic audit thing was a public relationship and not serious.

Great post from someone who calls himself an outsider. I think you've hit the nail on the head with what you're seeing. We've all tried to guess what the root problem is, my guess is it's all of the above.

 

[Board Gordon]

Guys. Guys guys guys.
Let's be a little freaking patient here. MacT is a new GM who inherited a bad team.
The next decade of Oiler hockey will be filled with Cups galore. Just you wait folks.
Show this man some respect and give him some slack.
Good gosh. Some of you people make me sick.

sarcasm

 

[Replacement*]

I'm not a fan of the Oilers and I don't want to start an argument. But I don't think its a matter that Mac-T isn't smart, I think there's an issue with his ego, and I think that there's a low standard in terms of a lack of preparation and work ethic.

When I read a tweet from a media member, and I would have to go back to find it that the Oilers don't want to move their bigger assets because they don't know enough about other teams players, that goes to your professional scouting level and a lack of accountability within an organization.

your team was basically paralyzed at the trade deadline because it sounds like the home work wasn't done in terms of scouting and looking at other teams assets.

Look from the outside looking in and watching Mac-T trying to sell hope and sell that your problems are in the rear view mirror and that your moving to another decade of great Oiler hockey is sad because he actually seems like he believes this stuff.

But the question is where is the accountability within your organization, if there is a lack of knowledge and a lack of plan, your GM is going to do one of two things. He's going to sit on his hands and hope by some fluke something happens, or he's going to make a really bad judgement call based on a lack of information.

To me its laziness somewhere that this organization isn't trying to improve its tools and management, but its criminal that your GM and your senior management let it happens. It sounds like the whole forensic audit thing was a public relationship and not serious.

Excellent, astute post. Typically you hear it all the time as well right from the org. The Oil will typically have 2-3 trade options on a backburner, when 1 deal doesn't work they play plan B. Problem being in a 30 team league they often only have a plan A and B. Theres been actual cases of multiple other GM's mentioning that they would have had some interest but nobody asked.
Its like it takes effort for this org to pick up the phone.

 

[Arctic Fox]

I would personally keep our 1st and 2nd and Pitt's 1st. This ship won't be turned around over night and we already have Draisaitl and Nurse in the fold as soon to be impact players. Unless we can get a high end RD or goalie our 2nd and Pitt's 1st should be off the table. Perhaps we use Montreal's 2nd in combination with our 2nd and walk out with 3 1st round picks? This is a franchise altering draft IMO, I wouldn't deal off high picks for anything short of an impact player entering their prime.

IMHO, Draisaitl and Nurse are too young to expect them to carry the team next season. And I see major holes all throughout the lineup: 2C, 1D, 1G. I can't possibly see what they can do to fix all these holes other than trading picks.

MacT won't be able to sign any impact players. All impact players will run away from this gongshow of Lowe+MacT. So trading is the only way to force them to play for the Oilers. Barring some lightning striking miracles, we are minimum 1-2 seasons away from competing. Minimum.

 

[WayneGreatzky]

In actuality he's gotten off way too easy for the performance he's had.

Agreed with this. No accountability.

 

[Bangers]

Has he been tied to a tree in winter while being covered in tar and feathers (or merely just fired)?

If not, the answer is no.

 

[harpoon]

Katz will never lose money. He was given a money pit called a new arena and even if attendance is bad in that arena he'll make money.

And to answer your question, nope. I never get tired of bashing a bunch of arrogant, blameless, nepotism bloated front office and owner who have turned a once proud franchise into a laughing stock of the league and totally sewered the team in almost every way possible.

You do know blameless means innocent, right?

It is kind of amazing the appetite you have for this team. It seems like as the team gets worse, you post more than ever.

 

[Soundwave]

The thing is... I really do believe Lowe, MacT and the rest of the OBC network actually DO want to restore this team to its former glory. I don't think they are intentionally wanting to see this team crumble into nothingness.

Unfortunately they and Katz are still living in 1985 with dreams of those days returning once again... soon... on the cusp... just around the corner... decade of Oilers hockey.

You can hear the delusions every time they speak.

They honestly think this rebuild plan and the path they have set this team on will deliver those days again.

It's even sad when you think about it. Grown men who are trying to relive the former glory days without realizing that the NHL is a very different place and the Oilers will never get back to those days again... not even close.

Honestly I think many of us got swept up in that dream as well several years ago... it was hard not to because everyone wants to relive those good times and have those glory days back again.

The difference between most of those naive fans (I include myself in that group) and the Oilers braintrust is that we have long since snapped back to reality... whereas MacT, Katz, Lowe and Co are still living on dreams and fairy tale fantasies that those glory days are just around the corner if we just have more patience/hope/time to let the process/progress/improvement play itself out.

Thats why fuzzy, meaningless words like "visually" are used so often. It's a made up concept to help reassure themselves into thinking their delusions are somehow reality and that the path they are on is actually working to achieve those glory days coming back again.

It's reality vs fantasy.


Reality:

A 29th place team that's perennially being turned over and that's losing many of its half decent assets that it develops or manages to somehow collect and that can't attract anything more than mediocre pieces to supplement the few decent players they do have remaining.

Fantasy:

Improvement and progress is being made and the glory days are soon upon us again. Just wait until next year.. and the years and decades after that. It's going to be fantastic once again... just have faith and patience and hope and wait... and... and...


Will you choose the blue pill or the red pill?

To be honest it would've probably worked if the 1st overalls we got were

Tavares and Stamkos (the two 1st prior to Hall) and Hall

or even

MacKinnon and Ekblad (the two 1sts after our era) and Hall

We really got unlucky by getting the RNH and Yakupov draft classes.