The Case For Marc Crawford

[Gambl0r83*]

Why Marc Crawford, when you got Babcock, Hitchcock, Bylsma, McLellan as free agent coaches at the end of the season (provided 3 of the 4 don't get/accept extension)
Oilers hit any of the big 4, it's going to be a fun season

 

[Baronsfan]

The fact that some still think yet another new coach will fix this gongshow is amusing. When you have gone through coaches as quickly as this team and every one of them have failed at one aspect or another, it might be a sign that the issues with this organization is not as superficial as you think.

 

[Seedling]

No new coaches until, as IATL stated, we change the entire management. Otherwise it's pointless. No pun intended.

 

[aqib]

Sorry I still have not gotten oven seeing Gretzky sitting on the end of the bench with the game on the line. Crawford can never coach my team

I have brought that up every time Crawford's name is mentioned with the Oilers. However, at this point I am desperate so fark it bring him in.

 

[redgrant]

Im sure that Crawford alone dictatorially made the 5 shooter list without any input from the coaches.

Oh and yeah if Gretzky shot we would have totally won the gold medal considering all the other wonderful things he did in that Olympics.

Sheesh people are blindly nostalgic over something nearly 20 years ago. While youre at it lets tar and feather Steve Smith.

 

[Jumptheshark]

The fact that some still think yet another new coach will fix this gongshow is amusing. When you have gone through coaches as quickly as this team and every one of them have failed at one aspect or another, it might be a sign that the issues with this organization is not as superficial as you think.

well-- we have thrown all 4th liners, third liners, 2nd liners, goalie coach, guys in the dressing room--

lets just ignore the top line has never been touched

 

[Soundwave]

The thing I like about Crawford is he's developed players that did have some talent, but weren't exactly "can't miss" superstars.

Naslund and Bertuzzi were mid/late 1st round picks who were slow starters in their careers. Naslund became a 100+ point player, Bertuzzi hit 97 points before the unfortunate Moore incident.

The Sedins came from a terrible draft class were a lot of players above and below them busted. They also required an extreme amount of patience.

Kopitar was an 11th overall pick ... an OK pick, but not a pick where a lot of superstars come from.

Jamie Benn was a 5th round pick.

Cammalleri and Frolov weren't super high picks either.

I think that works well for us because Hall/Eberle/RNH have some talent, but they're not exactly Crosby/Stamkos/Malkin tier players where minimal coaching is required. They need a coach to shepard them if they are ever going to achieve their full potential. Same with Draisaitl, same level of prospect.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Im sure that Crawford alone dictatorially made the 5 shooter list without any input from the coaches.

Oh and yeah if Gretzky shot we would have totally won the gold medal considering all the other wonderful things he did in that Olympics.

Sheesh people are blindly nostalgic over something nearly 20 years ago. While youre at it lets tar and feather Steve Smith.

Why make excuses for the man's ****** decision? It was a bad decision - accept it and move on. Not interested in someone with poor judgement running the team - again.

 

[Soundwave]

Why make excuses for the man's ****** decision? It was a bad decision - accept it and move on. Not interested in someone with poor judgement running the team - again.

That's one mistake who's to say Gretzky was freaking guaranteed to score? Like I said at that point in his career he was five years past his prime and was never great at breakaways to begin with. They went with 5 guys who were good at them, Hasek and Jagr were just playing at an incredible level. The Czechs were due, they arguably had the greatest forward in the game at that time and the best goalie.

Crawford is better at developing young players than anyone the Oilers have had since Glen Sather IMO.

I'm more interested in that. If we miss out on a playoff berth because of his shootout choices, then so be it, but at least we'd be in the hunt in that scenario, which miles from where we are today.

Other thing we may need to think about is a lot of coaches simply may not want to come here period. I think Crawford has wanted this job for years, I remember him looking longingly from the TSN panel at Tambellini when he won the last draft lottery. Apparently he still wants the Oilers job.

Pros:

- Experienced. Has won a Stanley Cup. Has coached his entire career in the Western Conference.
- Tremendous at developing young, offensive minded forwards of virtually any size/nationality/playing style.
- Fire brand personality, is not a wallflower behind the bench. Will not let star players get run.
- His teams generally play an exciting brand of hockey.
- Is accustomed to working with imperfect rosters ... never really has had a stud goalie outside of Roy for instance, got the Canucks to 100 points with Cloutier. Coached Dallas to 94 points with no stud no.1 d-man, etc. Has even built a team successfully around two wingers (Naslund and Bert).

Cons:

- Hasn't had as much success in his last two stops, Dallas should have made the playoffs with 94 points but fell short.
- His personality isn't everyone's cup of tea.
- Isn't a lock to get the team into playoffs, while he can improve the team he's not a miracle worker.
- Sat Gretzky in a shootout 15 years ago.
- Called Ales Hemsky "Alex Hemsky".

 

[redgrant]

Why make excuses for the man's ****** decision? It was a bad decision - accept it and move on. Not interested in someone with poor judgement running the team - again.

"Accept it and move on".

No why dont you convince me why a wrong side of 30s Gretzky was a sure thing to score? Aside from selfish nostalgic reasons there was really no reason for him to shoot.

You act like it was a sure thing he'd score. He had a reputation as being poor in shootouts and that factored into the team decision.

Also in case most people are not aware rumor has it a large reason he left LA was because Melrose chose Robatallie instead of Gretzky to take a penalty shot in OT. Melrose later stated Gretzky was very poor in penalty shots and it was an easy choice for him.

If youre going to base your coaching decisions based on a shootout in 1998 and negate all the positive facts regarding a coach like Crawford youre doing a great job of sounding like current Oilers management.

 

[redgrant]

That's one mistake who's to say Gretzky was freaking guaranteed to score? Like I said at that point in his career he was five years past his prime and was never great at breakaways to begin with. They went with 5 guys who were good at them, Hasek and Jagr were just playing at an incredible level. The Czechs were due, they arguably had the greatest forward in the game at that time and the best goalie.

Crawford is better at developing young players than anyone the Oilers have had since Glen Sather IMO.

I'm more interested in that. If we miss out on a playoff berth because of his shootout choices, then so be it, but at least we'd be in the hunt in that scenario, which miles from where we are today.

Other thing we may need to think about is a lot of coaches simply may not want to come here period. I think Crawford has wanted this job for years, I remember him looking longingly from the TSN panel at Tambellini when he won the last draft lottery. Apparently he still wants the Oilers job.

Pros:

- Experienced. Has won a Stanley Cup. Has coached his entire career in the Western Conference.
- Tremendous at developing young, offensive minded forwards of virtually any size/nationality/playing style.
- Fire brand personality, is not a wallflower behind the bench. Will not let star players get run.
- His teams generally play an exciting brand of hockey.
- Is accustomed to working with imperfect rosters ... never really has had a stud goalie outside of Roy for instance, got the Canucks to 100 points with Cloutier. Coached Dallas to 94 points with no stud no.1 d-man, etc. Has even built a team successfully around two wingers (Naslund and Bert).

Cons:

- Hasn't had as much success in his last two stops, Dallas should have made the playoffs with 94 points but fell short.
- His personality isn't everyone's cup of tea.
- Isn't a lock to get the team into playoffs, while he can improve the team he's not a miracle worker.
- Sat Gretzky in a shootout 15 years ago.
- Called Ales Hemsky "Alex Hemsky".

Also once pronounced Ryan Smyth as "Smythe"

 

[BigTime99]

If the Babcock isn't signed by detroit during the season and continues into the offseason. Wouldn't offering an assistant gm position along with $1mil/per more than detroit and the coaching position enough to attract Babcock to oilers?

 

[Ogopogo*]

"Accept it and move on".

No why dont you convince me why a wrong side of 30s Gretzky was a sure thing to score? Aside from selfish nostalgic reasons there was really no reason for him to shoot.

You act like it was a sure thing he'd score. He had a reputation as being poor in shootouts and that factored into the team decision.

Also in case most people are not aware rumor has it a large reason he left LA was because Melrose chose Robatallie instead of Gretzky to take a penalty shot in OT. Melrose later stated Gretzky was very poor in penalty shots and it was an easy choice for him.

If youre going to base your coaching decisions based on a shootout in 1998 and negate all the positive facts regarding a coach like Crawford youre doing a great job of sounding like current Oilers management.

Honestly, I don't care if Gretzky scored or not in that shootout. It is clearly the wrong decision to sit the greatest goal-scorer in the history of the game in favor of Ray Bourque. That kind of idiotic decision making is not what we need - we already have plenty.

 

[soothsayer]

Whatever happens, the Oilers need to actually perform job interviews this time around. Then again, there is zero reason to be confident in this management's judge of talent.