Kevin Lowe - The Most Inept Executive in NHL History

[Perfect_Drug]

Let me start the entire thing with this tidbit here:

The Edmonton Oilers are the 2nd longest post-season drought in NHL history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...on_droughts#Post-season_appearance_droughts_2

When we miss the playoffs next season, the Edmonton Oilers will get to share the title of "The Worst Franchise in the 98 year history of the NHL".

Think about how god awful that is.

When we dig just a little bit, we can see the executive list for the Panthers:
GM:
Bill Torey
Chuck Fletcher
Rick Dudley
Mike Keenan
Jacques Martin
Randy Sexton
Dale Tallon

Presidents:
Bill Torrey
(Can't find who succeeded Torrey)
Michael R. Yormark


Kevin Lowe knows a thing or two about losing if there ever was a concern.



Most of my friends know me as a level-headed die-hard, but I'm really not sure if I can be a fan of this franchise for any longer. My Patience is officially gone.

There is absolutely no sense in loving something that treats their patrons as garbage.

Click to read more...

 

[oobga]

There is definitely no excuse for Lowe still being in control of this team. I highly doubt there is any guy in the highest management position (aside from an owner) that has kept their job in the NHL through as much losing as Lowe has.

Lowe is like Eakins. Both guys should have been fired long before they were (assuming one day Lowe is fired or steps down), but this organization is allowing them to be terrible for so long that they are able to compete for the title of worst ever for the job they're doing.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

Lowe should have been fired when he asked Comrie for money back if he wanted to be traded. He might have been following orders from the EIG, but it shows he didn't have the franchises overall state/image in mind for the long haul.

Or he should have even been fired after that thing with Burke (I still to this day thing he was buzzing lol. You could hear light slurring on his part. I thin he was on his patio on a summer day if I recall).

 

[dem]

It is what it is.
He's not getting fired... so really.. why waste time caring anymore?

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

since Lowe took over in management:

-3 playoff appearances in 14 seasons
-only once in the top half of the conference (6th in his 1st year...largely with Sather's players)
-no division titles
-longest playoff drought in the league, and going to tie for longest EVER
-5 of the past 6 seasons in the bottom 3 in the league...incredible!
-7 straight bottom 10 finishes
-a full 10 points on average LESS than the next worst team since Katz took over

good thing he has a job for life

 

[OilTastic]

There is definitely no excuse for Lowe still being in control of this team. I highly doubt there is any guy in the highest management position (aside from an owner) that has kept their job in the NHL through as much losing as Lowe has.

this is a management team that also doesn't outright fire incompetent 'old boy club' assistants either. it's the reason Kelly Buchberger survived, what? 4 coaches and was still on the Oilers bench until Eakins brought in his own guys, and now Bucky is an assistant in OKC! even though he can't coach, he has a job for life it appears.

 

[oobga]

this is a management team that also doesn't outright fire incompetent 'old boy club' assistants either. it's the reason Kelly Buchberger survived, what? 4 coaches and was still on the Oilers bench until Eakins brought in his own guys, and now Bucky is an assistant in OKC! even though he can't coach, he has a job for life it appears.

For sure, that has to be an NHL record. Keep your assistant coaching job through 4 coaching changes. There's just no shame with these guys.

 

[dem]

It actually brings me hope that we are about to set a record for futility.

I mean.. eventually we have to get lucky and start playing good hockey. We cant go another 10 years, surely.

 

[oobga]

It actually brings me hope that we are about to set a record for futility.

I mean.. eventually we have to get lucky and start playing good hockey. We cant go another 10 years, surely.

Someone should have asked MacT to be more specific about what the the "cyclical nature of the business" is. He said wins back in the 80's and 1990 created a cycle that caused losing in 2013. So, that's 23 years. If it can be that long, why not 33 years or more?

 

[Perfect_Drug]

It actually brings me hope that we are about to set a record for futility.

I mean.. eventually we have to get lucky and start playing good hockey. We cant go another 10 years, surely.

Yes we can.

Proof is in the pudding. Eakins is saying it will be 5 more years before we turn it around. 14 years is the new goal. And even then Hall/Eberle/Nuge will be gone. From the returns we've been getting from these trades, I expect a late 1st for all of them, with a 3/4 DMan. Then we screw up the draft and development of those late 1sts.


Not to sound overly dramatic, but I don't see the Oilers making the playoffs for the next 20 years with these guys in charge. They've prove they are stupid, reactive, and emotional people who make rash decisions based on impulse.

They are trying to compete with level headed intelligent, meticulous people, who are thorough, rational, and logical.

 

[CornKicker]

watching the playoffs without the oilers again just sucks, mongs at work are debating flames and canucks with both teams fans wearing their colors and im sitting here wishing i was never an impressionable kid in the late 80's who fell in love with a team. wish i would have been a redwings fan or something.

 

[Beerfish]

His absolute worst move he ever made was perhaps his last significant one. Hiring Craig MacTavish.

 

[dem]

Annnnnd.. Peter Chiarelli is fired


Man.. the Oilers are a freakin dream job for management.

 

[oobga]

Annnnnd.. Peter Chiarelli is fired


Man.. the Oilers are a freakin dream job for management.

Such a beautiful contrast. Chiarelli's GM career overlaps exactly with the Oilers 9 year playoff drought. With all Chiarelli accomplished in that time he still got fired today for 1 bad season. Then you look at what Lowe accomplished in those same 9 years...and he's probably more comfortable than ever in keeping his job.

 

[edmontonoilers89]

It's disgraceful these guys still have a job.

I don't care if we make the playoffs next season (obviously not happening), the level of futility I've witnessed has permanently scarred my love for this team. I've always been a fan of hockey in general, and the Oilers. Now I'm just a fan of hockey. I follow the Oilers for some comic relief while I watch 2/3 of the rest of the league's management make rational, thorough decisions.

Boston just fired Peter Chiarelli. They qualified for the playoffs seven straight years (2008-204), won a Cup in 2011, a President's Trophy in 2013-14 and a Cup Final appearance in 2013.

The clowns in our front office are still here.

 

[Da McBomb]

With the way Katz runs the Oilers, I'm suprised as hell this man is a billionaire. Too bad he doesn't treat his Oilers the same way he would treat his pharmacy chain. Hey Katz.. wake up and smell the **** around this club and stop being such a fanboy.

 

[ZJuice]

Katz knows money, not hockey.

Being an Oiler fan sucks

 

[Game 8]

With the way Katz runs the Oilers, I'm suprised as hell this man is a billionaire. Too bad he doesn't treat his Oilers the same way he would treat his pharmacy chain. Hey Katz.. wake up and smell the **** around this club and stop being such a fanboy.

Meh seats are full, buddies employed, life's good!

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

With the way Katz runs the Oilers, I'm suprised as hell this man is a billionaire. Too bad he doesn't treat his Oilers the same way he would treat his pharmacy chain. Hey Katz.. wake up and smell the **** around this club and stop being such a fanboy.

that's the weird thing. He is credited as being very savvy by buying up poor performing pharmacies AND HIRING GREAT PEOPLE to turn them round. That's what I read everywhere when I read about him.

I don't know why that doesn't apply to the Oilers...

 

[bone]

Sorry for posting something I already posted in the Fire MacT thread, but it is probably more relevant here:

I figured I'd go back and look at the cumulative record of the Oilers under Lowe's leadership. They now boast the lowest point total of any team in the league going back to 2002-2003. That's 12 seasons of hockey!!!

Looking at Lowe's entire tenure the there is only two more years to consider. Look at his plummet post salary cap after treading water pretty nicely for a couple years after inheriting the team from Sather when the team was "disadvantaged" by the lack of salary cap.

Year / Rank of Cumulative Record under Lowe
2000-2001 12th
2001-2002 13th
2002-2003 10th
2003-2004 12th
2005-2006 10th
2006-2007 11th
2007-2008 13th (passed by Nashville, Boston)
2008-2009 16th (passed by Anaheim, Calgary, Montreal)
2009-2010 21st (passed by Carolina, St. Louis, Minnesota, NYR, Washington)
2010-2011 26th (passed by LA, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Tbay, Arizona/Phoenix)
2011-2012 26th
2012-2013 26th
2013-2014 26th
2014-2015 28th (passed by NYI and Winnipeg/Atlanta)

Next year within reach
Columbus 37 points back (gained 27 on Oilers this year)
Florida 21 points back (gained 29 on Oilers this year)

Will we see him reach the absolute bottom!!! Maybe not next year, but quite possibly by the year after.

How many regime's had the same leader through this same time period. I'm pretty sure it is only Detroit and NJ, but Detroit is 1st place by almost 100 points in the time since Lowe took over from Slats and New Jersey is 4th. 2nd place is San Jose and I'm pretty sure they've had turnover in this time frame, yet the 28th ranked Oilers continue to stand behind this nitwit.

 

[Board Gordon]

Not sure why but this reminded me of Lowe's sabbatical that Katz shot down.
Lmfao what an organization.

 

[I am the Liquor]

It is what it is.
He's not getting fired... so really.. why waste time caring anymore?

Bingo.

And I dont, nor should anyone else who is bothered by this. Its just not worth it.

 

[djdub]

Katz has probably given Lowe & MacT one more year IMO. If they are bottom 3 next year, I'm sure they are fired.

The worst part about that?

Chiarelli and McLellan are available right now. Not in the next decade will as good a coach and GM combo be available to hire.

And something even worse than that?

The Leafs will end up hiring both.

 

[oobga]

Katz knows money, not hockey.

Being an Oiler fan sucks

Yeah, there is very little that can happen with the Oilers where Katz can't still look at buying the Oilers as a massive profit-maker. The value of the franchise has almost doubled I think since he bought it. He used the franchise to secure a massive real estate deal. He's still sold all the tickets to every game since he bought the team. And he gets to hang with how boyhood idols as much as he likes.

I think the only thing that can motivate him to try to fix or sell the team is if he becomes embarrassed by huge amounts of tickets not selling. Damn oilers sheeple for delaying that from happening after 9 freakin years of no playoffs.

 

[Suxnet]

One day, I will be telling my children/grandchildren that Kevin Lowe was the reincarnation of Pol Pot, Stalin, and Hitler, and probably also related to Stephen Harper.