When does McLellan get fired?

[RandomGuy79]

Oilers fire Todd McLellan

Oilers appoint interim head coach Craig MacTavish.

Honestly, that would be an improvement.

 

[belair]

I guess we should fire them so we can hire our own version of Botteril/Housley or Chayka/Tocchet. I'd like to think we would be revitalized like LA, St. Louis, and the Islanders under new coaching, but we're more likely to be like Arizona, Buffalo, and Florida.

We don't want the Isles coaching. Their PK is almost as bad as ours is.

 

[CupofOil]

Chia let Hendricks, one of our main PK'ers walk. He bought out Pouliot another very good PK'er. He also traded one of our best goalscorers for junk. He knew Sekera would be out half the season and his big move was to sign Russell to a horrible deal. He's been Mike Milbury bad, like I can't remember the last time Ive seen a GM so bad at his job.

Hendricks hardly played at all down the stretch last season when the Oilers played their best. So funny that last year, Hendricks according to everybody was washed up and Pouliot was a no good bum, all of a sudden these guys are sorely missed? Never have I seen a fanbase turn on their own players when they're here then praise them so much when they're gone.

His big screw up was banking on Benning to replace Sekera and slotting Gryba as an every day top 6 player. Most of us saw this as a problem and it wasn't addressed, I fully believe that those two cost the Oilers around 5-6 wins this season. I don't think keeping Eberle would have moved the needle that much, guy was clearly not happy here. Granted, it wasn't a good offseason but Mclellan has made a comedy of errors this season, don't know how anybody can absolve him of blame.

 

[Oilhawks]

Where's "Not Soon Enough"? Voted in the offseason but I have a feeling that if the rest of the season is around .5 (miss the playoffs), he gets next season too. Sigh.

 

[Raab]

Hendricks hardly played at all down the stretch last season when the Oilers played their best. So funny that last year, Hendricks according to everybody was washed up and Pouliot was a no good bum, all of a sudden these guys are sorely missed? Never have I seen a fanbase turn on their own players when they're here then praise them so much when they're gone.

His big screw up was banking on Benning to replace Sekera and slotting Gryba as an every day top 6 player. Most of us saw this as a problem and it wasn't addressed, I fully believe that those two cost the Oilers around 5-6 wins this season. I don't think keeping Eberle would have moved the needle that much, guy was clearly not happy here. Granted, it wasn't a good offseason but Mclellan has made a comedy of errors this season, don't know how anybody can absolve him of blame.

O really, whats so horrible about our 5 on 5 play that he deserves to be fired? The team not being ready to play is on the players, the PP and PK is on Woodcroft. If Todd is fired for anything it should be for not getting rid of Woodcroft.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Hendricks hardly played at all down the stretch last season when the Oilers played their best. So funny that last year, Hendricks according to everybody was washed up and Pouliot was a no good bum, all of a sudden these guys are sorely missed? Never have I seen a fanbase turn on their own players when they're here then praise them so much when they're gone.

His big screw up was banking on Benning to replace Sekera and slotting Gryba as an every day top 6 player. Most of us saw this as a problem and it wasn't addressed, I fully believe that those two cost the Oilers around 5-6 wins this season. I don't think keeping Eberle would have moved the needle that much, guy was clearly not happy here. Granted, it wasn't a good offseason but Mclellan has made a comedy of errors this season, don't know how anybody can absolve him of blame.

Chia made many mistakes in the offseason and didn't address a single problem for the team and in fact created one for the sake of cap space.

 

[CupofOil]

O really, whats so horrible about our 5 on 5 play that he deserves to be fired? The team not being ready to play is on the players, the PP and PK is on Woodcroft. If Todd is fired for anything it should be for not getting rid of Woodcroft.

Well, they scored 0 goals in the last 2 games after he tweaked the forward group. Again, who hired Woodcroft and pledges undying loyalty to him?
Also, he apparently delegates the majority of team preparation to Woodcroft so there you go. I'm too tired to go down the laundry list of Mclellan failures this season but it's vast.

 

[CupofOil]

Chia made many mistakes in the offseason and didn't address a single problem for the team and in fact created one for the sake of cap space.

This is pretty much the same team as last season. A team with center depth of McDavid, Draisaitl and RNH along with a good goalie is 17-22. I don't care what the rest of the lineup looks like, a coach should be able to coax a better record than that out of that core.

As I said before, he should have made better use out of that cap space rather than bank on Benning to replace Sekera. He has made his fair share of mistakes but this roster is still underachieving and some of that is on the coach.

 

[Oilhawks]

Chia made many mistakes in the offseason and didn't address a single problem for the team and in fact created one for the sake of cap space.

McLellan has a history of taking stacked rosters nowhere. Can we blame Chia for his underwhelming results with the Sharks? Any competent coach gets the golden age Sharks to the finals. DeBoer did it with less and he's no world beater.

Chia's most glaring errors are a bit of wing depth and back up tending. That's maybe 5-6 losses of the ones this year. Piss poor motivation, braindead lines, near-historically bad PK and PP, inability to adjust to developing in game scenarios account for most of the losses this year.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Chiarelli better make a move soon because there could be up to 4 of 7 Canadian teams looking for new coaches between now and next season, nevermind the American franchises.

Edmonton-so much fail

Ottawa-Boucher and his MO of one terrific followed by one horrific season.

Calgary-underachieving again with GG.

Montreal-least likely with Julien returning partway through last season.

 

[Raab]

This is pretty much the same team as last season. A team with center depth of McDavid, Draisaitl and RNH along with a good goalie is 17-22. I don't care what the rest of the lineup looks like, a coach should be able to coax a better record than that out of that core.

You dont understand hockey then. Show me a defence and I'll tell which teams win consistently.

 

[Snakepit]

Edit: Thought this was the main board topic, ignore me!

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

This is pretty much the same team as last season. A team with center depth of McDavid, Draisaitl and RNH along with a good goalie is 17-22. I don't care what the rest of the lineup looks like, a coach should be able to coax a better record than that out of that core.

As I said before, he should have made better use out of that cap space rather than bank on Benning to replace Sekera. He has made his fair share of mistakes but this roster is still underachieving and some of that is on the coach.

But it's really not. Pouliot, Eberle, Hendricks, Pitlick, Lander all out. Jokinen and Strome in.

 

[Oilhawks]

You dont understand hockey then. Show me a defence and I'll tell which teams win consistently.

Wow dude, coming from the guy that thinks that the Reinhart trade was Chiarelli's best move that's real rich. Don't get me wrong, I was rooting for the kid but knew it wouldn't happen.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

McLellan has a history of taking stacked rosters nowhere. Can we blame Chia for his underwhelming results with the Sharks? Any competent coach gets the golden age Sharks to the finals. DeBoer did it with less and he's no world beater.

Chia's most glaring errors are a bit of wing depth and back up tending. That's maybe 5-6 losses of the ones this year. Piss poor motivation, braindead lines, near-historically bad PK and PP, inability to adjust to developing in game scenarios account for most of the losses this year.

Did the Sharks ever finish in the bottom 5 in 2 out of three years?

Wingers are crap, the defense is average and the goaltending is okay and horrific depending on who's playing.

This isn't a stacked team. It's only deep at center and nowhere else.

 

[CupofOil]

You dont understand hockey then. Show me a defence and I'll tell which teams win consistently.

I don't understand hockey? Didn't you wonder how much it would cost to buy out Draisaitl? Nurse is a bust, Reinhart will be a top 4 Dman and should I dig up some of the many oddball trade proposals that you've posted. Lets not go there about understanding or not understanding hockey.

This is virtually the same defense that led the Oilers to 103 points last season. Sekera isn't the difference between 103 points and this abomination of a season. A team with a healthy McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH and Talbot shouldn't be 17-22 in any season, ever.

 

[Oilhawks]

But it's really not. Pouliot, Eberle, Hendricks, Pitlick, Lander all out. Jokinen and Strome in.

I was a big fan of Hendo and Lander, and to a lesser extent Eberle and really wanted Pitlick to last but those are all replaceable players. (The Eberle we would have had this year and had the past few years, that is...)

Did the Sharks ever finish in the bottom 5 in 2 out of three years?

Wingers are crap, the defense is average and the goaltending is okay and horrific depending on who's playing.

This isn't a stacked team. It's only deep at center and nowhere else.

Sure they had a better roster (though not that much) but they had a lot longer to build it. This team was an absolute dumpster fire when Chia inherited it. Todd's first season here was forgiveable, but this team often succeeded in spite of him last year. There were a multitude of game costing (or at least nearly so) decisions by TMac throughout last season. Last year's team should have taken the division. I guess all those hockey minds out there were wrong betting on this team making the playoffs this year. On paper, they are a wild card team at absolute worst.

You are right though, it's not a stacked team. It never will be with a player like McDavid on the roster in a cap world. But it is a team with elite centre depth, above average D core (especially now with the roster healthy and the Davidson pickup) which is all you need (look at the Pens), a decent mix of size, skill and speed and for the most part serviceable wingers. The wingers would be better if they were utilized properly. Puljujarvi should have made the team at the start of the season and should be on PP#1, for example.

 

[shoop]

I'm not a fan of the revolving door coaches but where do you go after playing the blow your gasket card to the media? There's obviously a significant issue for the PK at home to be so historically dismal and to continuously see a lack of jump in a number of guys out there when they're doing it. If it means better results, I'm all for it but I don't believe his results in Edmonton have been bad as a whole.

Understood about the revolving door of coaches, but TMac has been the Oilers longest serving coach since MacTavish. If people think it is better to let McLellan serve out the season so be it.

If Chia decides to can McLellan mid-season than MacTavish is the perfect interim coach. I think it's fair to say he was the best Oilers coach since Sather. Gives Chia a good chunk of time to find the best fit as the permanent guy.

 

[t0nedeff]

Todd shouldn't get fired. This season is on Chia, he made it dramatically worse over the off season. Woodcroft can go also. My main beef with coaching is the special teams which Woodcroft controls.

What? He has had half a season to work with his assistants to at least improve special teams which what caused the season to turn in the first place. What has he or any of his assistants done to correct either of the special teams? Literally nothing. The pp is negated by Letestu and they even have set plays for him to carry the puck in and he loses it 90 percent of the time it makes no sense he doesn't even win the faceoffs on pps. His unit is often skating to their own end to get the puck after every faceoff. The problems with the pp are so obvious its painful you got one of the best set up man in the games passing to people at the point who constantly have to dust the puck off cause they are the wrong handed shot and do they do anything to correct that? No, they send him out game in and game out thats on the entire coaching staff and Mclellan should have final say on everything Oilers related on the ice and it seems like he doesn't or just doesn't give a f*** to lean in to his coaching staff the same way he does his players.

 

[Raab]

I don't understand hockey? Didn't you wonder how much it would cost to buy out Draisaitl? Nurse is a bust, Reinhart will be a top 4 Dman and should I dig up some of the many oddball trade proposals that you've posted. Lets not go there about understanding or not understanding hockey.

This is virtually the same defense that led the Oilers to 103 points last season. Sekera isn't the difference between 103 points and this abomination of a season. A team with a healthy McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH and Talbot shouldn't be 17-22 in any season, ever.

When you dont look at the defence, then I have to question your hockey knowledge. Defence is by far the most important position. Its like a point guard in basketball. Without a good defenceman, like a point guard, you wont have a transition game.

 

[Canada Drai]

Understood about the revolving door of coaches, but TMac has been the Oilers longest serving coach since MacTavish. If people think it is better to let McLellan serve out the season so be it.

If Chia decides to can McLellan mid-season than MacTavish is the perfect interim coach. I think it's fair to say he was the best Oilers coach since Sather. Gives Chia a good chunk of time to find the best fit as the permanent guy.

Imagine a world where CMac brings us to the playoffs and wins the cup. Scenes.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I was a big fan of Hendo and Lander, and to a lesser extent Eberle and really wanted Pitlick to last but those are all replaceable players. (The Eberle we would have had this year and had the past few years, that is...)

I agree. They are replaceable. Problem is they weren't.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

if he replaces his assistants, he gets until next season to turn it around

if he refuses, he's fired at the end of the season

 

[soothsayer]

Todd shouldn't get fired. This season is on Chia, he made it dramatically worse over the off season. Woodcroft can go also. My main beef with coaching is the special teams which Woodcroft controls.

This is my answer too. If I'm Katz, I'd have already post-dated Chiarelli's termination papers for the day after the regular season. Just a shockingly bad off-season. GMs like Chiarelli are the reason why Melnyks melnyk.

 

[Oilhawks]

I agree. They are replaceable. Problem is they weren't.

Fair enough, though I'd argue their roles are minor enough that you can do that internally. Who do you think would have made good replacements of the players who were signed or traded in the offseason?