TSN: McKenzie: Woodcroft Assigned to Bakersfields

[Cloned]

I personally saw Howson sitting at the Oilers draft table last summer.

That's simultaneously hilarious yet depressing.

 

[RebuildTheRebuild]

I really don't know what to make of the this move. I thought Woodcroft should have been let go completely but putting him in the AHL wasn't something I considered as an option at all. I don't know what kind of development experience he has or anything like that but the story of him that was mentioned earlier about helping players with skills development does give me a bit of hope.

One thing that is a real positive though is that I would think he and McLellan will play a similar system so the transition from the AHL to NHL should be a much smoother one that it may have been years past. I also think he will give more ice time to our actual prospects and not so much AHL veterans as well.

 

[Cloned]

I really don't know what to make of the this move. I thought Woodcroft should have been let go completely but putting him in the AHL wasn't something I considered as an option at all. I don't know what kind of development experience he has or anything like that but the story of him that was mentioned earlier about helping players with skills development does give me a bit of hope.

One thing that is a real positive though is that I would think he and McLellan will play a similar system so the transition from the AHL to NHL should be a much smoother one that it may have been years past. I also think he will give more ice time to our actual prospects and not so much AHL veterans as well.

Honestly if they had a big issue with Fleming (as many did), they should have fired him a long time ago, before he potentially played a huge part in ruining 2 draft classes worth of prospects.

 

[Canovin]

Honestly if they had a big issue with Fleming (as many did), they should have fired him a long time ago, before he potentially played a huge part in ruining 2 draft classes worth of prospects.

That's not the Oilers way. They have to wait for a near permanent damage first before any firing goes through

 

[Up the Irons]

Meh. I doubt it makes a big difference inless Klebom, Lucic and Talbot bounce back, Nurse improves, Pulju, Ratti and Yamamoto all work out.

I don't see Chia bringing in any additions that make a difference.

 

[Faelko]

I have no problem with any of this, mostly because I’m tired of bitching about everything....

 

[Soul8]

Woodcroft staying far away from the NHL club is a good thing

why is he running things in the AHL though? I get the team in Bako will play exactly like the team in Edmonton so that's probably why they hired him but is he really that good with prospects?

and I like Gulutzan as an assistant if true...just don't give him any control

and Yawney is a no-brainer...his PKs are always near the top of the league

Woodcroft running the AHL team isn't far enough away from the NHL team...in fact he is the closest tier away directly influencing and developing the NHL callups and prospects.

 

[PulYou]

 

[VainGretzky]

Has Gulutzan run good PP's at the NH level as an assistant? Does either he or Yawney have balls to call out officiating?

I hve no problem with Gulutzan hiring , he took a team that had no business being in the playoffs with a very meh roster , and almost did it again this year. Flames organization is in denial thinking it's the coaching when it's the players .

 

[CupofOil]

I wonder how Johnson feels about being completely shuffled out because he just wasn't QUITE as close to the HC as Woodcroft is.

This has been well known for a while. Mclellan and Woodcroft are a package deal so either way, both were going to be in this organization or both would be out so Woodcroft being "reassigned" shouldn't surprise anybody.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Are they going to announce any hirings today?

 

[PinSeeker]

Are they going to announce any hirings today?

McLellan just said on air he has not started looking into those decisions until he knew the fate of the his current staff. So guessing not!

 

[PinSeeker]

Stauffer mentioned this is a promotion for Woodcroft... if so, what in god's name has he done to deserve it? I am glad he is not on the big club obviously but... puzzling.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

>Oilers letting go fo PP coach

OILERS YES!

>He's now the head coach of our prospects

>OILERS NO!

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

Stauffer mentioned this is a promotion for Woodcroft... if so, what in god's name has he done to deserve it? I am glad he is not on the big club obviously but... puzzling.

He was the better special teams coach obviously! No historically bad pp means he hasn’t failed enough to be fired, so naturally he’s earned a promotion. Bet he sees a fat pay raise and is back on the oilers bench in no time

 

[CycloneSweep]

>Oilers letting go fo PP coach

OILERS YES!

>He's now the head coach of our prospects

>OILERS NO!

Fleming fired. Yay
Woodcroft no longer on our bench in the NHL. Yay
Johnson gone. Yay
Woodcroft AHL coach. Boo.

I'll take 3 good and one bad any day

 

[CycloneSweep]

He was the better special teams coach obviously! No historically bad pp means he hasn’t failed enough to be fired, so naturally he’s earned a promotion. Bet he sees a fat pay raise and is back on the oilers bench in no time

Its a completely different role so he could maybe do a good job. Its dumb but at the same time, I'll see if it works out. Not all moves are auto fails. Still don't like the idea.

 

[Jet Walters]

It might actually motivate our AHL prospects to play hard for Woodcroft as they know he has McClellan's ear, and more importantly his heart.

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

Its a completely different role so he could maybe do a good job. Its dumb but at the same time, I'll see if it works out. Not all moves are auto fails. Still don't like the idea.

I’m just frustrated it more of the same. Instead of interviewing qualified candidates, they take a failure from another position, and move him somewhere else. It speaks volumes about a lack of accountability in the entire org.

I hope it succeeds, but I’ll never be happy with the process.

 

[CornKicker]

That's not the Oilers way. They have to wait for a near permanent damage first before any firing goes through

it would be nicer if you wouldn't spread false information around the web like that. its dishonest and disrespectful.

EVERYONE knows the oilers were just waiting for the HR department to think of a fancy title for a promotion. like they always do.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Hahaha!

Yeah, this solves our problems.

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Such an oilers move. Someone is disgustingly terrible at their job, better promote them. I’ve hated Fleming in Bako since Nelson left but replacing him with Woodcroft doesn’t seem like an upgrade. As for Gulutzan, looks like he’s our next head coach when McClellan is canned 30 games into the season next year.

 

[Cloned]

Such an oilers move. Someone is disgustingly terrible at their job, better promote them. I’ve hated Fleming in Bako since Nelson left but replacing him with Woodcroft doesn’t seem like an upgrade. As for Gulutzan, looks like he’s our next head coach when McClellan is canned 30 games into the season next year.

The sad thing is that if TM is fired, out of the rumoured assistant coaches that would be here, Gulutzan would be the best choice (Yawney isn't ready and MacLean is just bad).

 

[rboomercat90]

Stauffer mentioned this is a promotion for Woodcroft... if so, what in god's name has he done to deserve it? I am glad he is not on the big club obviously but... puzzling.

The question was asked, a week or so ago when the rumours first appeared, whether this was a demotion because he was dropping down a league or a promotion because he was now running his own bench. I personally saw it as a promotion because he was taking on much more responsibility. I too, question what he’s shown here that he’s deserved it. After the teams power play performance with McDavid and Draisatl available and he and Mclellan admitting they had no answers to fix it, I need more than just “Khaira likes him” to think this is a good idea.

I’ll stick to this being the sacrifice the team needed to make to get him off Mclellan’s bench until I see evidence to the contrary.

 

[rboomercat90]

I’m just frustrated it more of the same. Instead of interviewing qualified candidates, they take a failure from another position, and move him somewhere else. It speaks volumes about a lack of accountability in the entire org.

I hope it succeeds, but I’ll never be happy with the process.

I’m surprised anybody still thought they were going to interview multiple candidates to find the best coaches available.