Top GM Replacements

[Soundwave]

I don't mind that they are taking their time, but I would like for them to start interviewing people now.

Keith probably can handle the draft, that said I really hope the next GM focuses 24/7 on at least the 1st round pick we have and doesn't just come into it as "I'm go house shopping in Edmonton for two weeks, we'll figure out the pick when we get there" or takes it lightly.

 

[I am the Liquor]

I don't mind that they are taking their time, but I would like for them to start interviewing people now.

They haven’t been able to pick a good one multiple times. What makes you think they will this time?

 

[Soundwave]

They haven’t been able to pick a good one multiple times. What makes you think they will this time?

I don't know if they will. I do know if they get this one wrong, they are done. They are going to lose McDavid if they f*** this up and likely are going to be relegated to being irrelevant for a long, long time. And there's not a whole lot to talk about.

I also have to think it becomes statistically difficult at some point to hire this many bad GMs in a row, lol, like matching Chiarelli will be difficult, there aren't that many stupid people in hockey.

 

[rboomercat90]

It would be much better than it is had they taken Sergachev, Tkachuk etc. If they had kept the picks which Reinhart turned into it would look much more positive. Even if the team didnt draft Barzal, it would be more obviously be more positive than what it is today. There will always be misses in the draft, its not a exact science obviously, but me personally, I am a bit leery on praising the Oilers too much for their recent drafting, yes I think its improved but I still think it has a long ways to go.

It’s quite possible that they missed with both Puljijarvi and Yamamoto. I don’t get the logic in saying drafting is better now than it was before if that’s the case. Those are huge misses at a critical time.

I’m sorry, but after decades of poor drafting and development with this organization and after the numerous times I’ve heard management, media or fans say the words “yeah but drafting and development is better now”, I can’t take the opinions of anybody seriously when they make that statement. As fans of this team, we should know better than any other fan base that prospects are nothing more than just prospects until they start contributing in the NHL. Until they do, you can’t say drafting and or development is any better than it was before.

 

[Soundwave]

It’s quite possible that they missed with both Puljijarvi and Yamamoto. I don’t get the logic in saying drafting is better now than it was before if that’s the case. Those are huge misses at a critical time.

I’m sorry, but after decades of poor drafting and development with this organization and after the numerous times I’ve heard management, media or fans say the words “yeah but drafting and development is better now”, I can’t take the opinions of anybody seriously when they make that statement. As fans of this team, we should know better than any other fan base that prospects are nothing more than just prospects until they start contributing in the NHL. Until they do, you can’t say drafting and or development is any better than it was before.

Benson over DeBrincat is also another questionable call that may end up burning the Oilers badly. Can he contribute in a big way to the Oilers at the NHL level because DeBrincat is already a borderline All-Star tier player.

There's a lot of picks in 2015 and 2016 that are suspect.

 

[rboomercat90]

Except he helped cripple the franchise by not doing this the first time? I know that isn't what you are saying but it is frightening to think a guy all of a sudden gets an epiphany and is sharper now to do all the right things. Also, if anyone here thinks the candidate will be someone that can just clear out the mess that has taken 20 years to make, sadly we are all in for a disappointment.

When this guy is hired, the following will still be employed:

Craig MacTavish
Bob Green
Duane Sutter
Keith Gretzky
Bill Scott
Rick Carriere
Scott Howson

Some or all of these guys said to Trade a first and a second for Griff. Trade Hall, Trade Eberle, Sign Mikko, Trade Caggiula, Sign Russell, Sign Lucic....

The rebuild should start from within and Bob is not likely to address it.

I think the reason the OBC was/is so awful here was because these guys weren’t qualified for their positions and were in over their heads from the beginning. They were scrambling just to keep the team afloat for years and they were on their own because EIG was in the same boat as them. They had no mentors and the end result of all this was a very unprofessionally run organization.

I was under the impression that Nicholson was brought in to change all that. To find out years later that he didn’t and operated the organization at status quo, IMO, makes him the biggest fraud of the bunch and that’s saying something. He’s failed miserably at his job. I’d keep him on to choose the next GM because the alternative is likely a lot worse. If he’s not choosing the next guy then who would be? There’s no way I’d keep him around after that.

 

[justafan22]

Friedman on his podcast this week said that even if Gretzky is promoted, they'll hire someone to help out that isn't from hockey canada/OBC.

Mentioned ken holland if yzerman goes back home.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

Friedman on his podcast this week said that even if Gretzky is promoted, they'll hire someone to help out that isn't from hockey canada/OBC.

Mentioned ken holland if yzerman goes back home.

OMG noooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

 

[justafan22]

OMG noooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Though he mentioned him as a VP, not GM FWIW, and only if gretzky is hired

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

Though he mentioned him as a VP, not GM FWIW, and only if gretzky is hired

Oh ok.

 

[belair]

It’s quite possible that they missed with both Puljijarvi and Yamamoto. I don’t get the logic in saying drafting is better now than it was before if that’s the case. Those are huge misses at a critical time.

I’m sorry, but after decades of poor drafting and development with this organization and after the numerous times I’ve heard management, media or fans say the words “yeah but drafting and development is better now”, I can’t take the opinions of anybody seriously when they make that statement. As fans of this team, we should know better than any other fan base that prospects are nothing more than just prospects until they start contributing in the NHL. Until they do, you can’t say drafting and or development is any better than it was before.

Well the logic is that the Edmonton Oilers are currently developing players in their system that actually have the ability to improve the NHL roster in time. We currently have what seems like a functioning farm system--something that they hadn't had for well over a decade prior.

The purpose of the draft is to provide the NHL roster with affordable depth, especially in the cap era.

What I don't understand is the logic used to judge a product by the decisions not made. You're criticising our current prospect group because we didn't draft specific players. How does that make any sense whatsoever when that logic can be used by literally thirty other teams in each instance?

We currently have the best farm team the Oilers have ever had. And it's being led mainly by its prospects. That is an improvement.

 

[justafan22]

 

[MikeGrier99]

I was under the impression that Nicholson was brought in to change all that. To find out years later that he didn’t and operated the organization at status quo, IMO, makes him the biggest fraud of the bunch and that’s saying something. He’s failed miserably at his job. I’d keep him on to choose the next GM because the alternative is likely a lot worse. If he’s not choosing the next guy then who would be? There’s no way I’d keep him around after that.

Agreed 100%. Saying just recently that the team is going to start "unturning every stone, which hadn't happened in the past" is baffling to me. Bob has promised us "forensic audits" and only now he believes it's time to start doing things differently? He's been the "chief executive officer" overseeing business and hockey operations since 2015. He's failed utterly in his time here yet he's the one that is going to set the table for this franchise's future.

 

[oobga]

Matheson needs to retire. What a clown. He doesn't seem to care if this team just wanders in the desert forever. Nicholson is claiming to finally, for the first time ever, have this org try to properly interview people for an important job, and all Matheson can think to do is stump for Keith Gretzky.

 

[PBandJ]

The amount of stanning by Edmonton media for KG is becoming concerning.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

We all know that they will make a little run & miss the playoffs by 3-5 points & this will show management that we really are a competetive/better team than we showed earlier & that will make them decide to stay the course & promote Keith Gretzky & make no tangible changes going forward & we'll have this same discussion about who should replace Nicholson when he decides to go back to Hockey Canada after we're dead in the water in the standings in late January 2020.

 

[BudBundy]

Anybody else listen to the Keith Gretzky interview with Shannon a week or two ago? Am I the only one cringing at what he said?

 

[LVOT]

Where there's smoke, there's fire-- and there appears to be A LOT of smoke surrounding KG as the new GM.

This organization never learns. Typical Oilers move to hire a rookie GM (who is somehow connected to OBC) to fix Edmonton's problems. I feel bad for McDavid.

 

[RegDunlop]

I think the reason the OBC was/is so awful here was because these guys weren’t qualified for their positions and were in over their heads from the beginning. They were scrambling just to keep the team afloat for years and they were on their own because EIG was in the same boat as them. They had no mentors and the end result of all this was a very unprofessionally run organization.

I was under the impression that Nicholson was brought in to change all that. To find out years later that he didn’t and operated the organization at status quo, IMO, makes him the biggest fraud of the bunch and that’s saying something. He’s failed miserably at his job. I’d keep him on to choose the next GM because the alternative is likely a lot worse. If he’s not choosing the next guy then who would be? There’s no way I’d keep him around after that.

Well said. I thought he was - and would bring stability to the turbulent atmosphere at the time.

I know now that he did nothing to absolve it. In fact contributed greatly to the ever increasing chaos IMO.

 

[Cloned]

I wonder what they thought about Chiarelli, lol.

 

[Cloned]

Where there's smoke, there's fire-- and there appears to be A LOT of smoke surrounding KG as the new GM.

This organization never learns. Typical Oilers move to hire a rookie GM (who is somehow connected to OBC) to fix Edmonton's problems. I feel bad for McDavid.

If he's the best available candidate, I have no issues with them hiring him. It's not like hiring a heralded assistant GM is always all it's cracked up to be (see: Fenton, Nill). There isn't one defined formula to hiring the "right guy."

 

[MikeGrier99]

If he's the best available candidate, I have no issues with them hiring him. It's not like hiring a heralded assistant GM is always all it's cracked up to be (see: Fenton, Nill). There isn't one defined formula to hiring the "right guy."

What are the odds that the most suited person to lead the Oilers to glory is already in the org? The only way Keith Gretzky is the best option is because 95% of the GM candidate field doesn't want to work in an organization with an unprecedented history of failure.

 

[Beerfish]

They can't possibly be stupid enough to choose K Gretizky, of course I've probably said they can't possibly be stupid enough... a dozen times over the last decade with this team.

 

[Cloned]

What are the odds that the most suited person to lead the Oilers to glory is already in the org? The only way Keith Gretzky is the best option is because 95% of the GM candidate field doesn't want to work in an organization with an unprecedented history of failure.

He probably isn't the best option, but on the off chance that he is, his hiring shouldn't be summarily criticized solely on the basis that he was already with the team.

 

[rboomercat90]

Well the logic is that the Edmonton Oilers are currently developing players in their system that actually have the ability to improve the NHL roster in time. We currently have what seems like a functioning farm system--something that they hadn't had for well over a decade prior.

The purpose of the draft is to provide the NHL roster with affordable depth, especially in the cap era.

What I don't understand is the logic used to judge a product by the decisions not made. You're criticising our current prospect group because we didn't draft specific players. How does that make any sense whatsoever when that logic can be used by literally thirty other teams in each instance?

We currently have the best farm team the Oilers have ever had. And it's being led mainly by its prospects. That is an improvement.

Where have I criticized the organization for not drafting specific players? I have not once, ever, done that and the main reason for that is because I don’t follow junior hockey closely enough to form an opinion on players. All I said in my post about players specifically is that we may have missed with Puljijarvi and Yamamoto and I said this to criticize those that are proclaiming that our drafting is better than it was in the past. Do you disagree with that?

I agree that the Condors are a bright spot in the organization and it is nice to finally have some optimism there after decades of futility but it still doesn’t prove anything until these players are contributing up here. Lots of teams have capable players in lower leagues. You know the bar has been set pretty low when we’re heralding the organization for finally starting to catch up to other teams farm systems.