Rumor: Paul Coffey Joining Oilers

[CantHaveTkachev]

Really? They lose Doug Weight in year 1 ... Lowe still keeps that team competitive. That's a 90+ point Doug Weight ... how do you think Chia would deal with losing McDavid?

After losing Weight, the Oilers only dropped 1 point (93 points to 92 points).

I'd prefer Chiarelli being fired outright, but if it has to happen through the OBC forcing Chia out, even if that's less ideal I'm all for it. Chiarelli is a danger to this franchise and has made the three worst trades of the last three years. He needs to be put into check before any more damage is done.

and then he lost Pronger than never made the playoffs again with him in management...

 

[Soundwave]

and then he lost Pronger than never made the playoffs again with him in management...

Yes clearly the strain of the Pronger (coupled with the prior Weight and Comrie fiascos) situation broke him, but until then he was a good GM. Chia doesn't get that excuse for why he's so stupid. Tyler Seguin never forced himself to be traded at gunpoint.

 

[rboomercat90]

Really? They lose Doug Weight in year 1 ... Lowe still keeps that team competitive. That's a 90+ point Doug Weight ... how do you think Chia would deal with losing McDavid?

After losing Weight, the Oilers only dropped 1 point (93 points to 92 points).

I'd prefer Chiarelli being fired outright, but if it has to happen through the OBC forcing Chia out, even if that's less ideal I'm all for it. Chiarelli is a danger to this franchise and has made the three worst trades of the last three years. He needs to be put into check before any more damage is done.

Of course the OBC is licking their chops looking at this team ... they see how good McDavid and Draisaitl are and they figure they can do better and they're probably not wrong. People who are trying to say the Oilers can't fire Chia/McLellan because no one would take the Oilers job are lying to themselves btw. This just shows plenty of people want to be involved with this franchise.

If this needs to happen it can be done without the OBC. That’s what Nicholson is supposed to be in charge of. This was never going to work out well with Katz keeping these guys on the payroll when changes were supposedly made in 2015. Lowe and friends had their opportunity with this team and it ended up being an unmitigated disaster. Keeping them here was just a broken crutch to fall back on if things weren’t going well instead of making real and solid decisions for the team.

People who are saying no one would take the Oilers job are saying it because these idiots are still in the background and could undermine them at any minute. Not exactly an environment you want to get yourself involved in.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yes clearly the strain of the Pronger (coupled with the prior Weight and Comrie fiascos) situation broke him, but until then he was a good GM. Chia doesn't get that excuse for why he's so stupid. Tyler Seguin never forced himself to be traded at gunpoint.

Neely forced the trade
in any case, you may be the only one on this board advocating Lowe's return

he should've been fired the second he brought back MacT and told us about "tier 1 and tier 2 fans" and telling us how he knows a thing or 2 about winning

 

[McDNicks17]

I don't know why I still try to look on the bright side of things with this team, but I feel pretty good about this.

Yeah, the optics aren't great bringing in another former Oiler, but maybe Coffey is a decent coach and does some good work on specials teams(I assume that's going to be his role). Even if they only go up a few percent, it's a win in my books.

Obviously you'd like a proven, experience voice brought in, but I can't see there being too many out there are in need of a job and willing to take a lower consultant position.

 

[rboomercat90]

Neely forced the trade
in any case, you may be the only one on this board advocating Lowe's return

he should've been fired the second he brought back MacT and told us about "tier 1 and tier 2 fans" and telling us how he knows a thing or 2 about winning

And why did Neely Force the trade? It was because the kid wouldn’t stop partying during the playoffs. It was so bad at one point that their solution to curb it was to place a guard at his hotel door during the playoffs. Bruins decided they couldn’t break him of that behaviour and wanted to move him for players that were professionals. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for the organization as a whole, still not sure why Chiarelli is still taking all the heat for that one.

 

[oobga]

And why did Neely Force the trade? It was because the kid wouldn’t stop partying during the playoffs. It was so bad at one point that their solution to curb it was to place a guard at his hotel door during the playoffs. Bruins decided they couldn’t break him of that behaviour and wanted to move him for players that were professionals. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for the organization as a whole, still not sure why Chiarelli is still taking all the heat for that one.

It is a bit telling how they did the exact same thing with Hamilton after Chia was gone. Super skilled young guy that they felt didn't fit their culture. Plus a smear campaign trying to make Hamilton look bad to appease Boston fans after making the trade. And Chia actually wanted to acquire that poor team culture player, only he had to pay the moving target Chia premium.

Can fit Chia a small pass on Seguin, although, he was still the guy that made the trade that ended up being a huge Dallas win.

 

[MaxR11]

OBC... or different people from outside, this organization needs to get on the same page and one strong direction. my guess is there's to much flux and differing and or contrary opinions in the upper management and it might be causing turmoil and a lack of singular focus and vision for the organization. it's too wishy washy and second guessing. it makes for both over-cautiousness and rash and stupid moves. either go another direction and let some non-OBC COMPLETELY take over or bring the OBC back and have them FULLY run the show (ie Lowe as GM etc). Pick one. I don't know which way is better but I feel like there's a lack of a strong singular mantra, way to build a team and culture with OBC and guys like Chia both around because we know damn well if the OBC boys are around they ARE going to have their say and input.

 

[Aerrol]

I don't know why I still try to look on the bright side of things with this team, but I feel pretty good about this.

Yeah, the optics aren't great bringing in another former Oiler, but maybe Coffey is a decent coach and does some good work on specials teams(I assume that's going to be his role). Even if they only go up a few percent, it's a win in my books.

Obviously you'd like a proven, experience voice brought in, but I can't see there being too many out there are in need of a job and willing to take a lower consultant position.

What evidence is there of this? Being a coyotes consultant for a year? Where their special teams got worse? (based on this thread)

 

[I am the Liquor]

Who else gets the feeling the OBC were just waiting for things to go south so they could take away or limit Chiarelli's authority? He's "supposed" to have full say for hockey decisions. Even if you hate the man you have to agree hiring a former Oiler with zero experience is not something he would do. Bringing in Coffey just reeks of Katz/Gretzky/Lowe/MacTavish/Howson.

Bingo!

 

[Soli]

Saturday Headlines makes it sound like he's a consultant. No defined job title (IE: assistant coach).

 

[Burnoutboi]

Really? They lose Doug Weight in year 1 ... Lowe still keeps that team competitive. That's a 90+ point Doug Weight ... how do you think Chia would deal with losing McDavid?

After losing Weight, the Oilers only dropped 1 point (93 points to 92 points).

Ahhhh, you can't mention the Doug Weight trade without bringing up memories of the savior of the franchise :

Marty Freaking Reasoner.

 

[McDNicks17]

What evidence is there of this? Being a coyotes consultant for a year? Where their special teams got worse? (based on this thread)

I said maybe.

He could have no impact at all, but it's not like they could get any worse.

 

[I am the Liquor]

I welcome to OBC over Chiarelli to be honest. If you gave Kevin Lowe the task of running the team starting in 2015, IMO we'd be in a better spot right now.

Not that Lowe is some genius, but Chiarelli is that bad.

Ten years of missed playoffs. Consecutive. You've completely lost the plot.

 

[belair]

Ten years of missed playoffs. Consecutive. You've completely lost the plot.

No kidding. They sure lost a lot of hockey games but at least they didn't lose their trades. Or something.

 

[MaxR11]

I think with franchises that are inconsistent or struggling there might be some element of disconnect between the upper management, scouts and coaches. there's not that same laser like focus and philosophy or line of thinking as to EXACTLY how the team needs to play and what type of players (both physically and mentally) they need to bring in and how to develop them through the system.
oilers seem to want a whole swack of opinions on how to right the ship and at times it's a good thing but if it's constant it just causes chaos and loss of that singular vision.

 

[Soundwave]

No kidding. They sure lost a lot of hockey games but at least they didn't lose their trades. Or something.

As opposed to losing trades while also being out of the playoff race by early January en route to a 70 point ish season?

 

[belair]

As opposed to losing trades while also being out of the playoff race by early January en route to a 70 point ish season?

Yep...all the GM's fault that those wasted one-dimensional offensive wingers aren't there to prop up our record-setting, league-worst penalty killing or our shaky goaltending. Just like the Islanders...let's score our way out of our problems.

If you didn't constantly flip-flop your opinions, you could've tricked me into thinking you never stopped believing the boys on the bus were going to build that offensive juggernaut they always envisioned.

 

[Soundwave]

Yep...all the GM's fault that those wasted one-dimensional offensive wingers aren't there to prop up our record-setting, league-worst penalty killing or our shaky goaltending. Just like the Islanders...let's score our way out of our problems.

If you didn't constantly flip-flop your opinions, you could've tricked me into thinking you never stopped believing the boys on the bus were going to build that offensive juggernaut they always envisioned.

What exactly is Chia's "formula"? Build the worst winger depth in the league around McDavid with a vanilla group of D who aren't good at any one thing and then pray that Talbot has an MVP season to make up for it all?

At least the Islanders have an identity and play to it ... they play all out offence and at least are within distance of a playoff spot. This team per Chiarelli ... for 5 games they can't buy a goal, then for 5 games they can't defend anything, then switch it.

We just have excuses, a non-stop stream of them as to why we are in a worse position.

 

[belair]

What exactly is Chia's "formula"? Build the worst winger depth in the league around McDavid with a vanilla group of D who aren't good at any one thing and then pray that Talbot has an MVP season to make up for it all?

At least the Islanders have an identity and play to it ... they play all out offence and at least are within distance of a playoff spot.

We just have excuses, a non-stop stream of them as to why we are in a worse position.

It doesn't matter here. This is a discussion about Paul Coffey and Daryl Katz's attachment to his childhood heroes.

I've responded to your discussion in the mainboard thread that addresses a number of those concerns. And honestly, I'm bored with it.

 

[Bangers]

It's the team's standard diversion tactic - the team sucks -> Let's bring back someone/hold a ceremony to remember the glory years.

 

[Soundwave]

If Coffey's hiring signals more changes coming to the front office and coaching staff I'm happy about it.

Anything is better than what we got, right now we have a front office that is aggressively damaging the team, it's like getting a child away from an abusive situation, virtually anything is better than what situation they are in.

 

[RegDunlop]

My thought - Is there any other team that has all these people in management? Just hanging around? I mean I know Lou in T O is whatever either over Shanny or beside him or ...? but we have like what 4, 5 of these execs? WTF do they do? I know they are surely not necessary and Katz friends but it does have to be quite intimidating for Chia or anyone else to come in here when you know that, whether official or not, their opinion is valued.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Just mentioned on CBC, Coffey will be formally introduced as a skills coach tomorrow.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Who I would love to see them bring in from the glory days is Billy Ranford as goalie coach.

Too bad LA has him.