Confirmed with Link: Todd McLellan: Fired (Thanks for the Playoff memories)

[McShogun99]

This is true, but TM had a another option this year, it was clear as day since we signed Koski in the summer, we had a better option, Todd chose not to play him for some reason.

It was obvious that he was coaching to not get fired as well. That's probably why players like Talbot, Lucic and other under performing vets were given a longer leash. I don't think he trusted Koskinen.

 

[rboomercat90]

It was obvious that he was coaching to not get fired as well. That's probably why players like Talbot, Lucic and other under performing vets were given a longer leash. I don't think he trusted Koskinen.

He didn’t appear to be coaching at all, that was a problem. Players need direction, they need a plan. Outside of McDavid, who can succeed on his own, the players looked lost and confused. You guys can blame Chiarelli all you want but the lineup is what it is and it’s the coaches job to get something out of it. Mclellan was so ineffective as an in game coach that I don’t think he would have done much irregardless of the roster he had. If you’re not willing to adapt your game plan and devise strategies to take advantage of other teams weaknesses your not a good coach period. Not at this level. It’s a cop out to blame the players after what we saw from him. It wouldn’t have mattered what he had to work with.

 

[PBandJ]

Falls on Chiarelli a lot more than TM imo

Unless Chiarelli told him not to line match, take timeouts or pull his goalie when things are going bad, TM definitely has his share of the blame.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Unless Chiarelli told him not to line match, take timeouts or pull his goalie when things are going bad, TM definitely has his share of the blame.

yep.

people that rant about how "its not the coaches fault lol chiarelli...lololol" ala Sid and the Sportsnet Oblitterati.....didn't watch some the things Tmac did or didn't do.

i mean.....they likely never watched a game...

-did not line match
(-to his credit he did make a few adjustments like moving drai up to the wing and got those two going.....)
-did not move rnh to wing for basically a full year.
-benched scoring rookies all day every day.
-Didn't even bother to attempt a RS on the PP that wasn't Mark Letestu
-never called out the refs
-never went with a hot goalie
-rarely made adjustments
-too often put scrubs out in critical moments
-often let winnable games slip away
-often had the team trailing in the 1st period
-etc.

Sure a few things that "could" be fixed with personnel......but not many.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Unless Chiarelli told him not to line match, take timeouts or pull his goalie when things are going bad, TM definitely has his share of the blame.

The coach definitely shares some fault but look at this roster. Zero top 6 wingers, an absolutely putrid bottom 6, a defense where every pairing is about 1 too high, shaky goaltending....

You shut down McDavid you beat the Oilers.

 

[Hockey Nightmare]

Thing is, I see a lot of other teams with mediocre rosters making the playoffs or at least staying in the hunt (look at Minnesota, they're always in it.) Yes, this team is definitely not perfect, but there is no excuse to not be better than they are.

 

[PBandJ]

The coach definitely shares some fault but look at this roster. Zero top 6 wingers, an absolutely putrid bottom 6, a defense where every pairing is about 1 too high, shaky goaltending....

You shut down McDavid you beat the Oilers.

That's why I said he has his share. This is definitely on Chiarelli too.

I just don't like this media narrative that TM is some amazing, blameless coach who did nothing wrong and didn't deserve to lose his job.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Thing is, I see a lot of other teams with mediocre rosters making the playoffs or at least staying in the hunt (look at Minnesota, they're always in it.) Yes, this team is definitely not perfect, but there is no excuse to not be better than they are.

I mean it's been the case for over a dozen years.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

That's why I said he has his share. This is definitely on Chiarelli too.

I just don't like this media narrative that TM is some amazing, blameless coach who did nothing wrong and didn't deserve to lose his job.

He had to go but I also don't think he's as poor as people said he was. The GM has done some irreparable damage to this roster. The sooner we flush him and the rest of the Red Wine Summit the sooner we can start rebuilding the front office.

For all that went wrong in the past season plus, Khaira and Nurse took some real strides last year. I have no idea what happened to them this year.

 

[Aerrol]

He had to go but I also don't think he's as poor as people said he was. The GM has done some irreparable damage to this roster. The sooner we flush him and the rest of the Red Wine Summit the sooner we can start rebuilding the front office.

For all that went wrong in the past season plus, Khaira and Nurse took some real strides last year. I have no idea what happened to them this year.

This is where I stand too. I liked Todd a lot from when we hired him until things went south last season. It seemed like he just couldn't adjust once things went south, and couldn't develop our young players at all once we started losing. More blame falls on Chiarelli but Todd definitely didn't help his case with his head scratching special teams, refusal to line match, and refusal to actually give Pulju and other young players a shot once the season was over last year.

I'm curious to see if he ends up head coaching again. I could see teams staying away if they actually watched his performance here, given his perennially underachieving sharks teams. I suspect he'll end up as an associate or assistant somewhere instead rather than a head coach next.

 

[Bangers]

I am grateful that Todd brought some stability and structure to the team at a time when the organization needed it; he did a pretty good job his first two years with the team considering the state it was in at the time.

That being said, even the best coaches (which Todd is not) come with a best-before date.

I'm not sure what exactly happened, but it seemed like in November of last season, the team just started tuning him out, and his response was to throw up his hands and say screw it.

If he would have been sacked then, the team might have made the playoffs last year; they almost certainly would have finished higher than they did.

Chiarelli, on the other hand, is likely done in this league. You don't come back from losing TWO Taylor Hall/Tyler Seguin trades.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I am grateful that Todd brought some stability and structure to the team at a time when the organization needed it; he did a pretty good job his first two years with the team considering the state it was in at the time.

That being said, even the best coaches (which Todd is not) come with a best-before date.

I'm not sure what exactly happened, but it seemed like in November of last season, the team just started tuning him out, and his response was to throw up his hands and say screw it.

If he would have been sacked then, the team might have made the playoffs last year; they almost certainly would have finished higher than they did.

Chiarelli, on the other hand, is likely done in this league. You don't come back from losing TWO Taylor Hall/Tyler Seguin trades.

Chiarelli risked his reputation or what little of it he had as a Stanley Cup winner to keep Todd as long as possible either to protect his own job or out of some sense of loyalty or doing the right thing by the guy you hired.

So if its to protect his job hes gone if the Oilers falter. However, if they do a complete 180 and play hard and make the playoffs and win a round or two, in my eyes his fault was keeping his guy to long and he will be somewhat redeemed with his roster choices. That is a big if though, its more than likely this team does not make it and hes gone. I will give him the benefit of the doubt if the team actually does much better with this cast, but i am extremely skeptical at this point.

 

[Todd from Leduc]

I wonder if Stevie Y tries to bring TMac into Detroit next season given his Babchuk pedigree.