We are in phase 2 of the rebuild, next year we need to contend for the playoffs

[coladin]

Claiming Edmonton hired all the right people is the hot take of the century.

In reality there isn't anything further from the truth, and making that claim is 100% just trying to get a reaction.

Please go make that claim on the main boards, or even on the Edmonton board, so we can all sit back and enjoy the show.

You mean when Chiarelli and McLellan were hired, when, they were the wrong people? It may have turned out wrong, but that was not the sentiment as to when they were hired

 

[Alf Silfversson]

LMAO

Edmonton has been an old boys' club for the last 15 years. They think that the glory years of the 80s will return if they let some of the players from that team run the show. It sucks as a concept. They suck as a front office. Hence, they suck on the ice.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Claiming Edmonton hired all the right people is the hot take of the century.

In reality there isn't anything further from the truth, and making that claim is 100% just trying to get a reaction.

Please go make that claim on the main boards, or even on the Edmonton board, so we can all sit back and enjoy the show.

No kidding.

Even if it looked good at the time, Chiarelli more than proved in his short time there that he is a terrible GM and very much personally responsible for a lot of that mess. That is a guy that should never get the keys to another NHL franchise.

 

[coladin]

No kidding.

Even if it looked good at the time, Chiarelli more than proved in his short time there that he is a terrible GM and very much personally responsible for a lot of that mess. That is a guy that should never get the keys to another NHL franchise.

That is all my point was.

 

[GrantLemons]

I think Buffalo is a bit different than Edmonton, in that I think this year was more on the players/coaches. Housley was trash a coach, and I'm not super sold on Eichel's leadership. They won 10 games in a row so there's something there, but they need to figure out how to put it together consistently.

With a good coaching hire I think they can turn it around. Edmonton is f***ed though.

I hope to god we don't mess up the POHO and coach hire. It's so damn important.

 

[BK201]

I think we could be a bubble team but we'll need white possibly Brown to step up big at center next year.

 

[billpo]

Contending, or even attempting to contend next year (that's what he said) is so moronic.

One of the biggest mistakes in Sens franchise history is keeping this management group.

They have no clue what they are doing. Why do they want to "contend" (be a bubble team...) when we actually have our 1st but are content being what they are now in a season without their 1st. It's bonkers, makes zero sense and has absolutely no realistic way of happening.

Management needs to go ASAP, until that happens the Sens are what they are, a steaming pile of dog turd

i agree with you 100%...but i'm pretty sure Melnyk wants the 2 home playoff games to cover some expenses...

 

[Micklebot]

No kidding.

Even if it looked good at the time, Chiarelli more than proved in his short time there that he is a terrible GM and very much personally responsible for a lot of that mess. That is a guy that should never get the keys to another NHL franchise.

There were pretty strong indicators that Chiarelli wasn't a good option for the oil ahead of the hire; this is the guy that traded Seguin and Kessel at 21 years old. He got lucky that Toronto regressed making the return far better than expected when he moved Kessel, but the guy had a track record of trading elite cost controlled assets. What does he do, a year in trades a 23 year old Hall for Larsson.

It's not even like people didn't point this out at the time either. Chiarelli was a step up from McTavich and the mess that preceded him, but the reality is, it was a mistake. Nicholson admits it, and even identified a big part of the problem in a recent interview; they only interviewed one guy, they never conducted an in depth search for the right GM, they just hired the first available guy with a name.

So no, the Oil didn't do it right, and hire the right people or do things the right way only to have it not work out. They made mistakes that lead them to where they are now, and they can even admit their mistakes, and even though it's easy to throw Chiarelli under the bus after you fired him at least Nicholson is owning that he's the one who made the mistake in how he went about hiring the guys they had in the first place.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

How does a multi-million dollar operation like an NHL franchise hire, as probably the third most important person in the organizational chart, the first guy they interview?!

If I was the owner, I'd dump Nicholson right away. What a farce.

 

[Micklebot]

How does a multi-million dollar operation like an NHL franchise hire, as probably the third most important person in the organizational chart, the first guy they interview?!

If I was the owner, I'd dump Nicholson right away. What a farce.

Not first, only.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Not first, only.

I'm forced to admit I'm not sure why this distinction matters. If he is the only one they interviewed, was he not also the first?

 

[Micklebot]

I'm forced to admit I'm not sure why this distinction matters. If he is the only one they interviewed, was he not also the first?

I guess the point is emphasizing that they only interviewed one guy. I can interview five candidates, and after the final one, decide to call up the first guy and offer him the job.

 

[BonkTastic]

Next year we need to find a way to be bad enough to give us a solid chance at winning one of the three lottery draft spots, but also mitigate the damage that a bad season in the standings will have on our still-developing players - specifically the tendency for bad habits to develop in young players who grow up in a losing atmosphere.

If we don't make significant upgrades on the blueline and in nets, I'm sure we'll have the "losing season" half of that plan covered, whether we want to or not. I'm less confident about the "damage control" part of the equation, however.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Next year we need to find a way to be bad enough to give us a solid chance at winning one of the three lottery draft spots, but also mitigate the damage that a bad season in the standings will have on our still-developing players - specifically the tendency for bad habits to develop in young players who grow up in a losing atmosphere.

I need more info.
We lose but we don't get used to it. I'd just like to hear more on how we accomplish this... With no top 4 this year, we need the high pick.

 

[BonkTastic]

We lose but we don't get used to it. I'd just like to hear more on how we accomplish this...

If I had the true answer to that question, I'd be an NHL AGM by now.

I mean, personally, I think it's about insulating the kids with character veterans who can absorb some of the blame for the team's failures, whileat the same time instituting an organizational standard for hard work, while making sure we have a coach in place that can convince the rookies on a multi-year plan that prioritizes and effectively communicates long-term skill development over short-term results in the standings. On top of all of that, we'd need an ownership and management group that considers player development in a long-term context, and can resist the urge to set young players up to fail by promoting them before they are ready, and exposing them to responsibilities they aren't suited for.

I mean... I have no confidence that we'll actually do any of that, but that's my best guess.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

If I had the true answer to that question, I'd be an NHL AGM by now.

I mean, personally, I think it's about insulating the kids with character veterans who can absorb some of the blame for the team's failures, whileat the same time instituting an organizational standard for hard work, while making sure we have a coach in place that can convince the rookies on a multi-year plan that prioritizes and effectively communicates long-term skill development over short-term results in the standings. On top of all of that, we'd need an ownership and management group that considers player development in a long-term context, and can resist the urge to set young players up to fail by promoting them before they are ready, and exposing them to responsibilities they aren't suited for.

I mean... I have no confidence that we'll actually do any of that, but that's my best guess.

Good answer ,, that is the very most we can hope for.. I have my doubts whether a) Melnyk will have the patience and b) Dorion is a strong enough man to do what is right for the team vs trying to appease Menlyk and sugar coat everything to the fan base.. I think this is the biggest reason why we need a good hockey man in that chair between Melnyk and Dorion. I get the sense now that Melnyk isn't close to 100% sold on Dorion's capabilities but without a buffer between them that will put us in even more in the situation we fear... No insulation, No quality vets to truely lead ( a la Mark Stone this year) . Making the right coaching decision for this team will be huge. Melnyk has to spend a little (beyond extending our RFAs) and Dorion has to bring in one key forward and one key defenseman that can at least lead on the ice.

 

[GrantLemons]

It's going to be about finding ways to show the guys we're getting better and making progress, despite losing lots of games. It's going to take a really good coach to do that.

 

[slamigo]

We need to trade for Taylor Hall otherwise we don't stand a chance at winning the draft lottery.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Does anyone else here think .. Priority should be given to hiring a new POHO .. ahead of hiring a new Coach... I think it should and I think the new POHO should have a big say in the hiring of the next coach. These are critical decisions in my view given the state of our rebuild. Leaving Dorion at the helm to hire the new coach within the context of what is in his mind about how we should be contending early in the rebuild is a mistake.

 

[BatherSeason]

Does anyone else here think .. Priority should be given to hiring a new POHO .. ahead of hiring a new Coach... I think it should and I think the new POHO should have a big say in the hiring of the next coach. These are critical decisions in my view given the state of our rebuild. Leaving Dorion at the helm to hire the new coach within the context of what is in his mind about how we should be contending early in the rebuild is a mistake.

I think in any normal pro sports organization this is exactly what would happen. Here in Ottawa, it's not happening that way.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Does anyone else here think .. Priority should be given to hiring a new POHO .. ahead of hiring a new Coach... I think it should and I think the new POHO should have a big say in the hiring of the next coach. These are critical decisions in my view given the state of our rebuild. Leaving Dorion at the helm to hire the new coach within the context of what is in his mind about how we should be contending early in the rebuild is a mistake.

I don't see the hire actually happening but the issue is we need a POHO with literally the exact opposite mindset of the presumable person hiring them, is Eugene going to hire someone who will rightly identify him as the problem?

 

[Danythegod]

If they are going to bring in a veteran and he is available, it should only be Justin Williams. He's old but he has won championships and is a great leader. Great example for the kids. That or bring back Heatley.

 

[BonkTastic]

It's going to be about finding ways to show the guys we're getting better and making progress, despite losing lots of games. It's going to take a really good coach to do that.

I think Guy Boucher was absolutely the right kind of communicator for this role, but unfortunately the wrong lind of coach from a hockey perspective.

... If that makes sense.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

There were pretty strong indicators that Chiarelli wasn't a good option for the oil ahead of the hire; this is the guy that traded Seguin and Kessel at 21 years old. He got lucky that Toronto regressed making the return far better than expected when he moved Kessel, but the guy had a track record of trading elite cost controlled assets. What does he do, a year in trades a 23 year old Hall for Larsson.

It's not even like people didn't point this out at the time either. Chiarelli was a step up from McTavich and the mess that preceded him, but the reality is, it was a mistake. Nicholson admits it, and even identified a big part of the problem in a recent interview; they only interviewed one guy, they never conducted an in depth search for the right GM, they just hired the first available guy with a name.

So no, the Oil didn't do it right, and hire the right people or do things the right way only to have it not work out. They made mistakes that lead them to where they are now, and they can even admit their mistakes, and even though it's easy to throw Chiarelli under the bus after you fired him at least Nicholson is owning that he's the one who made the mistake in how he went about hiring the guys they had in the first place.

I agree with everything you've said here. There were huge red flags from his time in Boston. I guess it was just because it was the first hire that didn't reek of nepotism, so anecdotally the Edmonton fans I know were happy at the time.

 

[coladin]

Next year we need to find a way to be bad enough to give us a solid chance at winning one of the three lottery draft spots, but also mitigate the damage that a bad season in the standings will have on our still-developing players - specifically the tendency for bad habits to develop in young players who grow up in a losing atmosphere.

If we don't make significant upgrades on the blueline and in nets, I'm sure we'll have the "losing season" half of that plan covered, whether we want to or not. I'm less confident about the "damage control" part of the equation, however.

I think they can do that by promoting Chlapik and Paul, and signing Gibbons and one UFA. This can ensure at least being in the lottery. Hogberg plays as well.

Tkachuk- White- Duclair
Paul-Chlapik-Ryan
Balcers-Pageau-Boedker
Smith-Gibbons-UFA