Speculation: Poll: Who would be your choice for new Head Coach of the Oilers?

[nexttothemoon]

I haven't made a new thread in a long, long time so in the spirit of the firing season I thought I'd throw up a poll asking all here on HFOil who would be your pick as new Oilers Head Coach, if/when McLellan gets the boot this season.

I put up as many names as I could think of as possibilities... and yes I know some are coaching/assistants elsewhere but so be it. It's just a poll on who you feel would be a good choice to potentially right the sinking ship and get the team back on track towards respectability once again.

If your choice isn't on the list... write them in your comments below and tell us why your choice would be better to lead the Oilers going forward.

EDIT:

I'll keep adding options to the poll as they are suggested in the comments and I set the poll so that people can change their pick so if their top choice is added to the poll they can still choose them.

Click to read more...

 

[Soundwave]

Make one for the GM too please.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Darryl Sutter.

You could probably add Michel Therrien.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Sutter. But Chia probably chooses Tippett or Therien.

 

[Soundwave]

Mind you I vote Sutter, but not because I want to watch Sutter hockey.

It's boring. I would rather be a high flying team. But it's time to accept this team pissed away the talent required to be that type of team thanks to the inept GM.

So given the roster as is, and knowing there is no top end D-Man here, that they are a slower, bigger team ... Sutter is the only coach I feel for sure can work with this roster.

We don't have the cap room to change massively.

He made the Finals with a Flames team that had a bunch of a no.3/4 d-man. Talbot's SV% will rise fast under Sutter's trap/slow down/frustrate system.

If this team is not going to be some high scoring team, then they learn to close the game down, and you either do that for Darryl or else. He doesn't take any shit from any players, it's his way or the highway.

All this "boo hoo, last year was so fun, I feel sorry for myself" mindset will be slapped hard out of these players in a week of Sutter.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Could we get Adam Oates to run our PP?

 

[jukon]

Adam Oates would make himself available if offered the job right? Or is he too loyal to his players?

 

[JetsOilersfan]

I voted Tippet because he's available now but if you want a coach for the long term and a younger one who knows where the game is going (small and fast) and is adaptable I'd say bring back Todd Nelson.

 

[russ99]

No on Sutter, his brother is one of the Oiler Old Boys.

Need to punt all those guys, winning hockey is more important than Katz keeping his 80s drinking buddies around.

 

[smokersarejokers]

Whomever they bring in better have some damn good assistants. That's the key.

I said it in another thread, but all successful head coaches have really good assistants they can lean on and trust to handle special teams, Xs and Os, etc.

Sather had Muckler, Sutter had Stevens, etc.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Crawford. Been there done that. Changed and reinvented his coaching style in Switzerland. Has some passion. Not afraid to kick the players.

A huge f***ing NO to Tippett, MacTavish, Therrien.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The poll, as per selection options granted ought to read; "Who should be the coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Not who should be the new head coach which is redundant anyway and does not allow for all options listed (realistically)

Thus my answer is Nelson. Or Krueger if two options could be selected.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Crawford. Been there done that. Changed and reinvented his coaching style in Switzerland. Has some passion. Not afraid to kick the players.

A huge ****ing NO to Tippett, MacTavish, Therrien.

Crawford was the most despicable coach in the modern era. Was intimately involved in the Steve Moore bounty incident in which his players suffered greatly and of course Bertuzzi. The saddest chapter, arguably, in the annals of the NHL. I would literally vomit if Crawford was chosen as headcoach.

Wouldn't pick Sutter either.

 

[McDrai]

I would have said Nelson but i think that Bridge has burnt.
I went with Darryl Sutter as he is from Alberta, has coached an Albertan team, has won the cup, and would probably tear the boys a new one if they didnt put forth their best effort.

 

[frag2]

Honestly don't care who is coaching now. As long as the coach understands that the game is dynamic and can adjust line ups/match ups/strategies accordingly rather than force a select single play/setup, I'm ok...I think

 

[Burnoutboi]

Of the list posted, my top choice would be Robinson, but I doubt he’s interested.

Aside from him, I’d gamble on Lindy Ruff.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Crawford was the most despicably coach in the modern era. Was intimately involved in the Steve Moore bounty incident in which his players suffered greatly and of course Bertuzzi. The saddest chapter, arguably, in the annals of the NHL. I would literally vomit if Crawford was chosen as headcoach.

Wouldn't pick Sutter either.

I take Crawford and twice on Sundays. The NHL was a different game back then.

 

[Jet Walters]

I'd even settle for MacTavish behind the bench in an interim role just to finish the year and then go looking for a replacement in the offseason when more names are available. We don't need to be handing someone a 3-4 year deal right now when there are not a lot of options. Say what you want about MacT's terrible stint at the GM post, but he was actually decent in his time behind the bench IMO.

 

[MoontoScott]

Darryl Sutter teams play a boring, stifling style of hockey but really is that not a description of most of today's NHL action? The NHL is not really about finesse (although I'd love it if it were so we could watch skill instead of this rodeo stuff) but instead its 50 minutes plus of cycling the puck and waiting for someone to make a mistake. That's why I like the World Junior tournament because it just seems to be far more entertaining.

Sure, there are some exciting moments in every NHL game but when you have so many huge players and 5 guys plugging up the center ice zone then the entertainment value is thin. Absent the excitement value why not at least have a guy who can consistently win and put us back in the playoffs next year? It's kind of like kissing your sister on New Year's eve but at least you are invited to the party.

 

[Joey Moss]

Therrien is like Torts.. no one likes playing for him and he loses the team after 1 season. Would rather see McLellan here another 5 years than Therrien.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

I legitimately want Nelson back, full stop.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

I vote for Nelson too. He earned a shot here. Yak probably would have had a decent career here, and I bet he would be awesome for Puljujarvi!

 

[SupremeTeam16]

I mentioned in the TM thread that it would be real nice to have Nelson here right now. I haven't tortured myself watching many games over the last stretch but I'd imagine the scores are an accurate representation of the Oilers play and it would appear that the coaching staff has lost the room. Unfortunately we have no competent options internally to replace TM and mid season finding a head coach let alone an entire coaching staff would be brutal.

Looking at that list there are a lot of no's for me, I see a lot of old school guys who maybe the game is leaving behind and they can't or won't adapt. Lots of guys who are comfortable in current positions and would;t be interested or in some cases can't leave mid season.

At this point in the season I'd probably roll the dice on Oates if he was interested. Help him build a coaching staff that included a defensive and systems specialist and see what he can do with the rest of the season. From what I've read and seen of Oates he seems to be a student of the game, a good communicator and he was always an intelligent hockey player. He also seems to prefer more of today's style of NHL game.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Sutter or Tippett...who always had the Coyotes overachieving

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

I see a lot of mediocre options on there, brutal. Voting Krueger just because.