Speculation: Smyth wants to work with Oilers

[tiger_80]

This has always been what Smyth is known for, and I fail to see how that is underrating him. Even his coach pointed out that his natural talent was below average (for an NHL level) but made a career out of being one of the hardest workers in the league. Obviously everyone works hard in the NHL, but even when everyone works hard, there will always be someone who is the most determined. Smyth was close to the top in that regard. It's the opposite of underrating, it's probably one of the highest praises you can get to say you got where you are exclusively from determination instead of natural talent. He was talented, absolutely, it's just that his talent was his resilience and ability to get to dirty areas instead of the traditional style of flashy talent.

We all agree he had a great career, that's what matters.

He certainly had skills--his hand eye coordination and tipping ability were truly uncanny. Good on boards, good defensively, good awareness on ice --what can be called hockey sense. Hard work, grit and determinatin complemented his skillset rather than were its essence. If he could skate and shoot the puck, he would be an elite player.

 

[DethOfDragnz]

I hope Smyth does get a job with the Oilers doing something. If it's coaching he should probably start at the junior level and work his way up to a Oilers job. I think alot of the style Smyth played can be taught even to a highly skilled player. He got most of his goals through grit, grind, and determination doing the little things well that anyone can improve on. Someone like Wayne Gretzky with his skill level that is not really something you can teach you either have it or you don't. I hope he does get a job of some sort, just don't rush him into a spot he's not ready for.

 

[T-Funk]

I hope he stays with Smyth because I want McDavid away from Taylor Hall off the ice.

I'm more worried about him being around Ference too much. "Hey kid forget about hockey, let's discuss your legacy in composting. Pass the hemp hearts and wheatgrass."

 

[Spawn]

I'm more worried about him being around Ference too much. "Hey kid forget about hockey, let's discuss your legacy in composting. Pass the hemp hearts and wheatgrass."

I've seen this type of comment quite a bit. Hopefully just sarcasm? Andrew Ference is a poor player at this stage of his career because he's too old and even at his best was a fairly limited player. He can't keep up with the game as an undersized 36 year old defenseman. But I don't think anyone should ever question his commitment to hockey.

And in what world is being socially or environmentally conscious a bad thing? Anyone, professional athlete or otherwise should have those traits. Andrew Ference would be an incredible mentor for McDavid off the ice if he was the person McDavid lived with. Although honestly I think it is mostly irrelevant who McDavid lives with. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone that no one was expecting. Maybe even another younger guy.

 

[Samus44]

I've seen this type of comment quite a bit. Hopefully just sarcasm? Andrew Ference is a poor player at this stage of his career because he's too old and even at his best was a fairly limited player. He can't keep up with the game as an undersized 36 year old defenseman. But I don't think anyone should ever question his commitment to hockey.

And in what world is being socially or environmentally conscious a bad thing? Anyone, professional athlete or otherwise should have those traits. Andrew Ference would be an incredible mentor for McDavid off the ice if he was the person McDavid lived with. Although honestly I think it is mostly irrelevant who McDavid lives with. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone that no one was expecting. Maybe even another younger guy.

When you're insecure about your own way of life...

 

[guymez]

I've seen this type of comment quite a bit. Hopefully just sarcasm? Andrew Ference is a poor player at this stage of his career because he's too old and even at his best was a fairly limited player. He can't keep up with the game as an undersized 36 year old defenseman. But I don't think anyone should ever question his commitment to hockey.

And in what world is being socially or environmentally conscious a bad thing? Anyone, professional athlete or otherwise should have those traits. Andrew Ference would be an incredible mentor for McDavid off the ice if he was the person McDavid lived with. Although honestly I think it is mostly irrelevant who McDavid lives with. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone that no one was expecting. Maybe even another younger guy.

Thanks for posting this.

I have no idea why being socially responsible is being help up for ridicule.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

By the way, I meant that McDavid partying would be okay. I just hope he doesn't party with the wrong people.

 

[AM]

Just like Lowe Mact Semenko Acton right?

I love how hockey fans think they are capable of running multi-million dollar businesses.

 

[sportsdynasty]

I love how hockey fans think they are capable of running multi-million dollar businesses.

Half the fans in this forum are more capable than Lowe and MacT at running the Oilers. 10 years straight without playoffs, was the most poorly run franchise in NHL history.

 

[rboomercat90]

Half the fans in this forum are more capable than Lowe and MacT at running the Oilers. 10 years straight without playoffs, was the most poorly run franchise in NHL history.

These posts with people defending the job Lowe and Mactavish did by insinuating it's not their fault because it's a hard job are amusing.

 

[McspOiler]

These posts with people defending the job Lowe and Mactavish did by insinuating it's not their fault because it's a hard job are amusing.

To be fair the people using the false logic that Lowe and macts failure = smyth would be a failure are equally silly....

 

[rboomercat90]

To be fair the people using the false logic that Lowe and macts failure = smyth would be a failure are equally silly....

Who is doing that? People are concerned because Lowe and Mactavish kept putting people in jobs they weren't qualified or competent in and keeping them around. The team's record and performance over the last decade speaks for itself. So does all the mass firings after Nicholson took over. These things were happening. If people look past Ryan Smyth the player and focus on Ryan Smyth the person it's hard to see in him what value he brings outside of an ambassador role. Much like Kelly Buchberger. That didn't stop the team from keeping him around forever, first in coaching and then when they couldn't do that anymore they shuffled him around in jobs outside the public eye.

 

[OiledUp]

By the way, I meant that McDavid partying would be okay. I just hope he doesn't party with the wrong people.

So you're saying me giving him Jarret Stolls number was a mistake? Apparently there was a party at Mike Ribeiros ranch and he wanted to catch a ride there with Stoll and Ryan O'Rielly. O'Rielly is driving.

 

[OiledUp]

Who is doing that? People are concerned because Lowe and Mactavish kept putting people in jobs they weren't qualified or competent in and keeping them around. The team's record and performance over the last decade speaks for itself. So does all the mass firings after Nicholson took over. These things were happening. If people look past Ryan Smyth the player and focus on Ryan Smyth the person it's hard to see in him what value he brings outside of an ambassador role. Much like Kelly Buchberger. That didn't stop the team from keeping him around forever, first in coaching and then when they couldn't do that anymore they shuffled him around in jobs outside the public eye.

Yeah, I have no issue with Smyth getting a job starting in Norfolk/Oil Kings as an assistent or something and working his way up. But to automatically put him in a key position high up would just be bad management all over again.

 

[Young Lions*]

Who is doing that? People are concerned because Lowe and Mactavish kept putting people in jobs they weren't qualified or competent in and keeping them around. The team's record and performance over the last decade speaks for itself. So does all the mass firings after Nicholson took over. These things were happening. If people look past Ryan Smyth the player and focus on Ryan Smyth the person it's hard to see in him what value he brings outside of an ambassador role. Much like Kelly Buchberger. That didn't stop the team from keeping him around forever, first in coaching and then when they couldn't do that anymore they shuffled him around in jobs outside the public eye.

Yeah: because you or I don't have enough information to make that judgement.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

To be fair the people using the false logic that Lowe and macts failure = smyth would be a failure are equally silly....

No, we are using MacT and Lowe as examples of heart-and-soul players whose dedication to the Oilers meant nothing in a non-player role.

 

[Stainsy]

My favourite Ryan Smyth memory

Ryan Smyth was the Oilers best player, the face of the organization after Doug Weight left. Ryan Smyth was never as greedy as Doug Weight, he wanted to stay. To trade him for a difference of 100k was total bs. Kevin Lowe was being stupid. Ryan Smyth deserved to be Captain, and should have been an Oiler for life. This, showed me all I needed to know about his heart, his dedication, and how he bled copper and blue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UBMiCcDlnc

In that video, Smyth loses teeth, and returns to the game to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxVihV8c5rg

Ryan Smyth was the epitome of never quit. Some say he had no talent, however, he had a lot of it. He was the heart and soul of this team, and without that performance from him in that playoff game, forget the finals. Going down 3-0 to SJ would have been all she wrote. Its to bad we lost Roloson for the finals. No way Carolina would have won.

 

[rboomercat90]

Yeah: because you or I don't have enough information to make that judgement.

And yet you're so convinced I'm wrong about this. Please tell me what you've seen from him that shows he's got the aptitude for coaching professional hockey players. That seems to be what we're arguing about because I've already said numerous times that I wouldn't have a problem with him getting a shot at a low level job somewhere. And please give me more than he was a hard working heart and soul guy because that doesn't have anything to do with coaching.

 

[Narnia]

Ryan Smyth was the Oilers best player, the face of the organization after Doug Weight left. Ryan Smyth was never as greedy as Doug Weight, he wanted to stay. To trade him for a difference of 100k was total bs. Kevin Lowe was being stupid. Ryan Smyth deserved to be Captain, and should have been an Oiler for life. This, showed me all I needed to know about his heart, his dedication, and how he bled copper and blue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UBMiCcDlnc

In that video, Smyth loses teeth, and returns to the game to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxVihV8c5rg

Ryan Smyth was the epitome of never quit. Some say he had no talent, however, he had a lot of it. He was the heart and soul of this team, and without that performance from him in that playoff game, forget the finals. Going down 3-0 to SJ would have been all she wrote. Its to bad we lost Roloson for the finals. No way Carolina would have won.

EIG were the ones being stupid. They didn't give Lowe the budget and EIG was a major reason why Slats left as EIG didn't give him the budget either.

 

[Stainsy]

And yet you're so convinced I'm wrong about this. Please tell me what you've seen from him that shows he's got the aptitude for coaching professional hockey players. That seems to be what we're arguing about because I've already said numerous times that I wouldn't have a problem with him getting a shot at a low level job somewhere. And please give me more than he was a hard working heart and soul guy because that doesn't have anything to do with coaching.

To play the other side. Just because he is a heart and soul guy, doesn't mean that he doesn't have the aptitude to teach younger players. Its a no win argument. The only way to find out, is to give the guy the chance. If he works at it with the same kind of heart that he had as a player, I think the younger players will buy in.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

Do other organizations old stars feel that they can just walk into management positions or does this just happen to us?

 

[Stainsy]

EIG were the ones being stupid. They didn't give Lowe the budget and EIG was a major reason why Slats left as EIG didn't give him the budget either.

I seem to recall, in the interview after the trade was announced, that Lowe took the credit (blame) for pulling the plug. EIG was lauding him for having the balls to do it.

 

[Narnia]

I seem to recall, in the interview after the trade was announced, that Lowe took the credit (blame) for pulling the plug. EIG was lauding him for having the balls to do it.

And wanted to fire him if he didn't improve the team as well. EIG shouldn't be given a free ride for this.

 

[Stainsy]

And wanted to fire him if he didn't improve the team as well. EIG shouldn't be given a free ride for this.

EIG is a total different problem in Oiler history. They kept the Oilers in Edmonton. Do not forget this. They had a budget, and the Canadian dollar was at some points less than 60% U.S. . They could not afford players, and that was the reality. Today, Katz has another business, and is a billionaire. He has put Edmonton back on the map at least with a modern arena and revitalizing the downtown.

EIG did the best they could, with what they had. I, had a lot of problems with the Smytty trade. Only 100k apart and you pulled the plug? That is crazy, but Lowe said it was his decision and he made it. Bad call, really. Smytty was true copper and blue. Should have worn the C, instead of Moreau. No locker room cancer then. It really affected the rebuild. However, the past can't be changed.

Before free agency, many players had a lot of loyalty to the team they were with. They didn't want to change colours. Now, most players are only loyal to the colour green. I do not accuse Smytty of this. He was not asking exorbitant amounts of money. Weight left, and got a lot more money than Smytty was asking, and no small amount of points for Weight came off of Smytty's back. It still galls me today that Weight got the cup, and Smytty didn't. Many on here laud Weight as a great Captain, but other than the streak, he didn't really do much. We never won a cup with him. We never beat Dallas with him. Edmonton accomplished much more in the 90's than they did with Dougie as Captain. Really, those were dark days. I find it funny that many on here remember Dougie with reverence, and then won't give Smytty his due. Dougie was a passer, wouldn't go to the dirty areas, and Ryan did all that, and more. Far better player IMHO.

 

[Narnia]

EIG is a total different problem in Oiler history. They kept the Oilers in Edmonton. Do not forget this. They had a budget, and the Canadian dollar was at some points less than 60% U.S. . They could not afford players, and that was the reality. Today, Katz has another business, and is a billionaire. He has put Edmonton back on the map at least with a modern arena and revitalizing the downtown.

EIG did the best they could, with what they had. I, had a lot of problems with the Smytty trade. Only 100k apart and you pulled the plug? That is crazy, but Lowe said it was his decision and he made it. Bad call, really. Smytty was true copper and blue. Should have worn the C, instead of Moreau. No locker room cancer then. It really affected the rebuild. However, the past can't be changed.

Before free agency, many players had a lot of loyalty to the team they were with. They didn't want to change colours. Now, most players are only loyal to the colour green. I do not accuse Smytty of this. He was not asking exorbitant amounts of money. Weight left, and got a lot more money than Smytty was asking, and no small amount of points for Weight came off of Smytty's back. It still galls me today that Weight got the cup, and Smytty didn't. Many on here laud Weight as a great Captain, but other than the streak, he didn't really do much. We never won a cup with him. We never beat Dallas with him. Edmonton accomplished much more in the 90's than they did with Dougie as Captain. Really, those were dark days. I find it funny that many on here remember Dougie with reverence, and then won't give Smytty his due. Dougie was a passer, wouldn't go to the dirty areas, and Ryan did all that, and more. Far better player IMHO.

EIG may h ave saved the team but the team but Slats left because of EIG and some of the things they did.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/sather-resigned-to-resigning-from-oilers-1.249143