The Search For a GM II: 2nd Round of Interviews Under Way

[PBandJ]

Dubas signed John Tavares and got Jake Muzzin for a reasonable price. When's the last time the Oilers added two players of that quality in a calendar year?

The Bruins are simply a tough match up for a young team and it's not the GM's fault Kadri keeps getting himself suspended like an idiot.

You got to pay good players, there's no way around that.

He bungled Nylander and Matthews and now has to deal with Marner, who's agent already appears unhappy.

 

[joestevens29]

Didn't see this article posted here yet, but this is a nice breakdown of some potential candidates from Leavins:

The Top 9 candidates for the Edmonton Oilers' General Manager job, rated and ranked

The worse thing about all of this is you really don't know how much the misses and hits are on those guys themselves.

Don't hear a lot about Ross Mahoney or Tom Fitzgerald, so was nice to see a write up on them.

 

[Soundwave]

He bungled Nylander and Matthews and now has to deal with Marner.

Nylander had two 60+ point seasons prior to signing ... Matthews whether people want to admit it or not is a young franchise center that scores goals at a ridiculous rate.

You're gonna have to pay those guys. I'll take Matthews on my team at 11.65 and move whatever salary is needed to be moved no questions asked.

 

[joestevens29]

I keep hearing in here Eastern Bias on Hunter, yet I really don't remember a lot of public outcry saying they made a mistake letting him go. Just like Lou. Heck in Lou's case his first bunch of moves he was called out on.

 

[BudBundy]

Lol. Saw Matty's tweet just now. Yikes, that was a sad attempt at seeming relevant. Just retire Matty.

This probably isnt a popular opinion, but I like Matheson. This one was a time he should’ve kept his mouth shut though.

 

[PBandJ]

Nylander had two 60+ point seasons prior to signing ... Matthews whether people want to admit it or not is a young franchise center that scores goals at a ridiculous rate.

You're gonna have to pay those guys. I'll take Matthews on my team at 11.65 and move whatever salary is needed to be moved no questions asked.

Well, it'll be interesting when Marner wants similar money considering he's outproduced Matthews 2 out of 3 seasons, the third by a wide margin.

Dubas already folded on Nylander and got burned and then somehow managed to fail in locking up Matthews long term.

 

[Soundwave]

Well, it'll be interesting when Marner wants similar money considering he's outproduced Matthews 2 out of 3 seasons, the third by a wide margin.

So what? I'd rather have the problem of too many good players than our issue of not enough.

That's a "good" problem to have. Marner is one of the best young players in the game. The Leafs are lucky to have him.

Matthews agent is not stupid, he wouldn't sign like some $9 million deal anywhere, they know how good he is, and Marner's agent is not stupid either.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

AHAHAHAHAHA MATHESON BTFO!

 

[PBandJ]

So what? I'd rather have the problem of too many good players than our issue of not enough.

That's a "good" problem to have. Marner is one of the best young players in the game. The Leafs are lucky to have him.

They won't be be able to afford it, that's the point. They'll run into the issue of too much money locked into too few players because Dubas seems to have the constitution of a cheap tent.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

He bungled Nylander and Matthews and now has to deal with Marner, who's agent already appears unhappy.

It's only really a bungle if they perform like they did this year. If it continues, yeah those are bad. Right now, Nylander has a bit of history to back him up with his play. Just have to hope he's not a guy who gets paid and then coasts.

 

[Soundwave]

They won't be be able to afford it, that's the point. They'll run into the issue of too much money locked into too few players because Dubas seems to have the constitution of a cheap tent.

You can't talk players like Matthews and Marner into taking $2 million less a year because you say so.

Their agents are not stupid.

You want to have players that good, that's fine, but you have to pay them, that's the simple reality.

If you want to have no cap issues there's an easy way to do that -- have a crap team with no good players on it.

All good teams eventually will hit the cap roof.

Also maybe Dubas' age does work against him in contract negotiations ... but that doesn't mean that's 100% the case with Hunter.

Hunter I believe has actually said the Leafs should've settled the Nylander situation last spring, so he differs from Dubas in that respect it seems.

 

[PBandJ]

Just saying. Toronto loves hyping up everyone to do anything there. I'm super leery of anyone being hyped up by their media.

 

[Soundwave]

Just saying. Toronto loves hyping up everyone to do anything there. I'm super leery of anyone being hyped up by their media.

That's where you objectively look at the situation.

Do they have a good young team or not?

Is Mitch Marner a very good player or not? Was Dermott a decent pick for a 2nd rounder or not?

Is Lou Lamorillo a good hockey mind to learn under or not?

Is the situation Toronto built themselves under more comparable to ours than Vegas (an expansion draft where you get to pick a player from each team)?

There's no "hype" that changes those answers.

 

[joestevens29]

Definitely worth it to go to dreger's tweet and see all the gifs and such that have been posted.

 

[PBandJ]

That's where you objectively look at the situation.

Do they have a good young team or not?

Is Mitch Marner a good player or not? Was Dermott a decent pick for a 2nd rounder or not?

Is Lou Lamorillo a good hockey mind to learn under or not?

There's no "hype" that changes those answers.

Depends. Do I want a team that gets run out of the building every year in round 1?

Not really. Better than missing entirely? Barely.

Eakins was all hype Dubas is approaching bust status with his poor contracts. I'd be looking hard at guys like McCrimmon and Mahoney over anyone from Toronto.

 

[The Hound]

Just saying. Toronto loves hyping up everyone to do anything there. I'm super leery of anyone being hyped up by their media.

Kyle “The Architect” Dubas

 

[joestevens29]

Just saying. Toronto loves hyping up everyone to do anything there. I'm super leery of anyone being hyped up by their media.

Who's hyping him though? All I see is Oiler fans not wanting him because he was a part of the Leafs. I don't even see the Toronto media suggesting that he'd be the best candidate.

There is more media hype for Gretzky then anything on this whole search. Most media aren't even saying who they think would be best

 

[Soundwave]

Depends. Do I want a team that gets run out of the building every year in round 1?

Not really. Better the missing entirely? Barely.

As opposed to the season being over in February basically each of the last two years?

Bruins are a tough match up for any young team, if the Oilers had for whatever seeding issue met them in round 1 of the 2016 playoffs, they probably lose too.

They're a better team than the Anaheim Ducks.

To be honest too, they maybe win the series this year if Kadri wasn't an idiot.

 

[PBandJ]

To be honest too, they maybe win the series this year if Kadri wasn't an idiot.

Doubt it. As built, that team crumbles under adversity, and that's on Dubas.

 

[Jarvi]

Not looking at someone because "well Dallas Eakins" is kind of stupid too. Hunter wasn't even in the Leafs org when Dallas Eakins was coaching the Marlies.

Hunter has worked under Lou Lamorillo for 2 years, I'd have interest in a guy who's learned from the best.

I'm not saying "well Dallas Eakins". I'm saying Toronto media has a reputation of pumping their guys tires to an absurd degree. And to be skeptical of a guy who's history consists of a *controversial draft record with Toronto, and running a junior team with controversial player acquisition practices. I'm not super in touch with the Juniors management systems, but London is one team that always comes up when I hear about the backdoor deals to get talent, and that obviously wont fly in the NHL.

Not saying he did poorly in either role. But to not look at potential underlying factors for success, with anyone from that organization is a recipe to get burned. Much like we did with Eakins previously.


*the drafting under him in Toronto looks alright, but from what I have read here on the Toronto boards, is he and Dubas split duties at the 2015 draft, the leafs best recent draft IMO. In his other two drafts for the leafs, where he ran the show, its a bit less promising from what I see. Though it is early to say decisively any way.

 

[Soundwave]

Doubt it. As built, that team crumbles under adversity, and that's on Dubas.

Going to game 7 twice against a very good team isn't "crumbling". "Crumbling" is what Tampa and Calgary did this year.

When you go to a game 7 it's likely been a fairly even series.

 

[PBandJ]

I'm not saying "well Dallas Eakins". I'm saying Toronto media has a reputation of pumping their guys tires to an absurd degree. And to be skeptical of a guy who's history consists of a *controversial draft record with Toronto, and running a junior team with controversial player acquisition practices. I'm not super in touch with the Juniors management systems, but London is one team that always comes up when I hear about the backdoor deals to get talent, and that obviously wont fly in the NHL.

Not saying he did poorly in either role. But to not look at potential underlying factors for success, with anyone from that organization is a recipe to get burned. Much like we did with Eakins previously.


*the drafting under him in Toronto looks alright, but from what I have read here on the Toronto boards, is he and Dubas split duties at the 2015 draft, the leafs best recent draft IMO. In his other two drafts for the leafs, where he ran the show, its a bit less promising from what I see. Though it is early to say decisively any way.

That's a big thing too.

In junior, you can contact college commits and tell them to declare for college and then pick them in the final rounds and have them magically decide to uncommit and go to your team.

The Knights are one of the shadiest teams in the CHL and a lot of those tactics either don't exist or will get shot down quick in the NHL.

 

[Soundwave]

I view Hunter being in the Toronto market a positive. If you can do OK there with the intense media spotlight, Edmonton should be manageable. At least you will know what its like to be in a fire storm. It's not like he's going to come here and go "wow, pressure!", he's already dealt with that in Toronto, so it will be nothing new.

McCrimmon has had no real media pressure in Las Vegas and was only in juniors prior to that which is no where close to NHL level scrutiny. If he is the hire, it likely will be an adjustment period for him dealing with the scrutiny that comes with being a GM of a Canadian NHL team, this is definitely not Las Vegas.

If McCrimmon interviews the best, I have no problem with hiring him but from the outside looking in, my concerns with him is he's the least experienced, he's faced the least pressure, and he has zero experience building a team in a conventional way (no expansion draft).

 

[OilerTitanFan]

Dubas signed John Tavares and got Jake Muzzin for a reasonable price. When's the last time the Oilers added two players of that quality in a calendar year?

The Bruins are simply a tough match up for a young team and it's not the GM's fault Kadri keeps getting himself suspended like an idiot.

You got to pay good players, there's no way around that.

Also the Hunter pick of Dermott looks pretty good, 2nd round pick for a D that's already a 20 point-ish D is not bad. Marner is obviously a slam dunk pick.

When was the last team who did something like that. Not just the Oilers. You make it sound so easy. Why don't you make a phone call and offer the first and expect someone like the Predators say ok, we give you one of Subban or Josi.

The last time a team pulled off a massive signing and trade is the oilers. Pronger and Peca. Then getting Roloson, Spacek and Samsonov. Tell me when was the last time another team got a true elite D, high end PK specialist and playoff performer, starting goalie, scoring first line winger, and 2nd pairing D. All in the same year.

 

[Soundwave]

When was the last team who did something like that. Not just the Oilers. You make it sound so easy. Why don't you make a phone call and offer the first and expect someone like the Predators say ok, we give you one of Subban or Josi.

The last time a team pulled off a massive signing and trade is the oilers. Pronger and Peca. Then getting Roloson, Spacek and Samsonov. Tell me when was the last time another team got a true elite D, high end PK specialist and playoff performer, starting goalie, scoring first line winger, and 2nd pairing D. All in the same year.

The bottom line is getting/having too many good players is not a negative. Yes, you're going to have cap issues, but look at the Oilers -- they have cap issues anyway and don't even have a playoff team. I'd rather have the problem of too many good players.