Speculation: Who is really running Hockey Ops to close out the season?

Bank Shot

Registered User
Jan 18, 2006
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I question whether he bought the team as a toy or just to use as leverage for his real estate plans. Seems to me that if it was as a toy he’d be more involved. If not in a meddling way then in a vanity way. He may have interest in the eighties players and that team but there sure hasn’t been much made public about his interest in the players or the team since he’s owned it.

He’s done very well financially with the real estate development downtown, none of that happens for him if he didn’t own the team. As every year goes by it gets harder for me to believe there was any other reason for him to buy them.

Katz has been involved. He flew with the boys to woo Heatley.

Perhaps it was him that overruled the scouts to pick Yakupov. Either him or Mact/Lowe. It's unclear.
 

RegDunlop

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Nov 5, 2016
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Edmonton
I question whether he bought the team as a toy or just to use as leverage for his real estate plans. Seems to me that if it was as a toy he’d be more involved. If not in a meddling way then in a vanity way. He may have interest in the eighties players and that team but there sure hasn’t been much made public about his interest in the players or the team since he’s owned it.

He’s done very well financially with the real estate development downtown, none of that happens for him if he didn’t own the team. As every year goes by it gets harder for me to believe there was any other reason for him to buy them.

Interesting take
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
12,154
Katz has been involved. He flew with the boys to woo Heatley.

Perhaps it was him that overruled the scouts to pick Yakupov. Either him or Mact/Lowe. It's unclear.

Katz involvement in the Yakupov draft was mentioned in this Steve Dangle podcast. Its starts at the 3:00 mark....

 

Tyrolean

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Feb 1, 2004
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Yakupov was the consensus #1. No sane person one on earth could predict that he'd bomb.
 
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Uindicator

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Sep 27, 2010
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Interesting take
I can’t believe anybody would buy any of the suites that are being built at the tower for the price they’re charging. Really bad work being done there and now there’re in a crunch to finish in time so it’s all getting done as quick as possible.
 

rboomercat90

Registered User
Mar 24, 2013
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Edmonton
Katz has been involved. He flew with the boys to woo Heatley.

Perhaps it was him that overruled the scouts to pick Yakupov. Either him or Mact/Lowe. It's unclear.
This is all true. That said the Heatley thing was what, eleven years ago? Even the Yakupov meddling, was in 2012. It was also behind the scenes and probably never meant to be made public. I think it was done because he felt the flashy Russian forward was more marketable than the boring stay at home defensemen. I also think it was done because the overwhelming majority of the public wanted Yakupov over Murray. In any event, he’s been a ghost to the fans since he owned the team. My point being that if the team was bought to be a toy or as a vanity purchase he’d be more front and center.
 
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rboomercat90

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Mar 24, 2013
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Katz involvement in the Yakupov draft was mentioned in this Steve Dangle podcast. Its starts at the 3:00 mark....


For whatever reason, these rumours started circulating almost immediately after the draft. Maybe there were a lot of scouts angry over what happened. That it happened is pretty much accepted as fact now. I’m pretty sure even Stauffer confirmed it at some point.
 

belair

Jay Woodcroft Unemployment Stance
Apr 9, 2010
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Yakupov was the consensus #1. No sane person one on earth could predict that he'd bomb.
He was, but our scouts weren't too fond of him it seems. The top end of that draft ended up being rather disappointing. And I do remember a lot of chatter about moving the pick for more immediate help. In hindsight, that would've been the right move.
 

rboomercat90

Registered User
Mar 24, 2013
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Except when he is extorting the city to pay for his arena or when he is telling the fans to suck it Craig isn’t going anywhere.

He is the biggest bag of **** to ever hit town.
These things all took place years ago too. We did see much more of him in regards to the arena issue than we ever have in regards to the team itself which certainly supports my suggestions of what is important to him.
 
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Patch101

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
3,191
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Yakupov was the consensus #1. No sane person one on earth could predict that he'd bomb.

Its not as if option #2 at the time did much better ( granted he's a more usable player, but he never developed as predicted either) That draft was a losing cause for whoever was picking that high.

It was a weird draft.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
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For whatever reason, these rumours started circulating almost immediately after the draft. Maybe there were a lot of scouts angry over what happened. That it happened is pretty much accepted as fact now. I’m pretty sure even Stauffer confirmed it at some point.

I think you are right here. I do recall Stauffer mentioning this as well.
Its not at all surprising and its a tell on how Katz has decided to run this team.

Has he learned from that...probably not.
 
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Sheikyerbouti

ShakeyerMcBooty
Nov 4, 2006
1,359
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Van isle
As someone's who's followed the team closely i just don't see it, since Lowe stepped down as GM (and a successful run at that) the teams GM's have had VERY distinct styles. Tambellini was not proactive at all and basically sat on his hands, then MacT came in and was pretty aggressive for better and for worse but other than Petry (smh) really didn't move on from core players instead trying aggressively to find high upside and often unconventional bargains (Scrivens, Fasth, Belov, Grebeshkov, ect...), and then Chiarelli (the worst of them all) went full ****** and traded highly valuable core pieces for players he deemed needed. All 3 i truly believe from looking on the outside in were clearly distinct enough for me to clearly think they all were in charge of their own fates and the direction of the team.

In saying that i don't doubt there's been some influence from the "OBC" at times, even if unintentional as Brian Burke alluded to on Oilers Now the other day. I do think Lowe had considerable power during the Tambo era but i also think those days are gone and now he's simply the Bobby Clarke of the Oilers now. I don't think MacT is the guy in charge of the team right now, i do think it's Gretzky. From all reports MacT is invloved more heavily in the overseeing of the procurement and development of players from the Minors, while Howson is doing his work with prospects abroad. I think it's pretty clear that Chiarelli was a moron and his mistakes were his own, i also think it's pretty clear that the one guy who's thus far seemed reasonably competent has been Gretzky (at least in terms of the amateur side) and thus it would only make sense given his previous role and body of work that he would be the guy.

I just think some of you let your frustrations get in the way of the reality of the situation. They probably should clean house of the OBC in terms of roles within hockey ops and they certainly shouldn't be beyond criticism for this, they've had influence, but i think we need to be honest about where the buck's been stopping. Tambo was a do-nothing GM and Chiarelli was an idiot who made some disastrous moves completely of his own volition. If the OBC was really in charge i have a hard time thinking MacT would have been cool buying out Pouliot or moving Gordon for Korpikoski (Another 2 idiot moves). It sucks whats happened here but i also think its pretty clear that there isn't likely some outrageous conspiracy taking place, it's simply been 2 really incompetent GM's sandwiching a guy who tried to be bold but failed in his attempts to make meaningful moves without giving up the farm sort-a-speak.


The problem is MacT and Lowe are around when decisions get made. They might not be making the final call but they are the worst advisers possible and they will always have access to the throne.




We need some new scouts and a new think tank. Not a new boss. A new group.


Bob Green too. He is a friendly hire who has had a chance and been marginally better than Stu. Both the scouts and front office need major turnover or nothing is going to change.


Las Vegas put together a decent front office and scouting team from scratch. Took an experienced GM and added a young and smart asst.


We've built new dressing rooms, then a new arena, tried different groups of players; GM's and coaches a plenty etc etc. The only consistent is the morons running things.
 

5 Mins 4 Ftg

Life is better with no expectations.
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Edmonton
Green Sutter Lowe MacTavish Chihocki Messier Chiarelli K Gretzky - all OBC or brothers of OBC or just buddies of said or buddies of buddies .... this organization is just a nepotistic joke.

Take a weapons grade nuclear option on them all.

Kill ‘em all. (Rhetorically speaking). Let God sort ‘em out as they used to say in the 80’s.
 

Took a pill in Sbisa

2showToffoliIwascool
Apr 23, 2004
16,259
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Australia
For whatever reason, these rumours started circulating almost immediately after the draft. Maybe there were a lot of scouts angry over what happened. That it happened is pretty much accepted as fact now. I’m pretty sure even Stauffer confirmed it at some point.

Tencer also spoke about it on his podcast when he had one a couple years ago. Said that Stauffer had told him the morning of the draft that it would be Ryan Murray, as he and Stu McGregor were close. Then a few minutes before the draft started Murray walked past the 630 CHED boys and and they stopped him for an interview, thinking that it was perfect timing. And then immediately after that Tencer looked over to Bob who had just got a text message and apparently his faced had dropped, and Tencer mouthed if they're still taking Murray and Bob mouthed 'NO'.

Was all very last minute
 
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5 Mins 4 Ftg

Life is better with no expectations.
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Tencer also spoke about it on his podcast when he had one a couple years ago. Said that Stauffer had told him the morning of the draft that it would be Ryan Murray, as he and Stu McGregor were close. Then a few minutes before the draft started Murray walked past the 630 CHED boys and and they stopped him for an interview, thinking that it was perfect timing. And then immediately after that Tencer looked over to Bob who had just got a text message and apparently his faced had dropped, and Tencer mouthed if they're still taking Murray and Bob mouthed 'NO'.

Was all very last minute

Either way Murray turned out to be a 5/6 D and was bloody f***ing awful in the WJ during his draft year. I think he was a -5 the final game which I was at and I was praying we wouldn’t draft that stiff.

Yak was a blow hard who played like his hair was on fire. That was a good year to trade the pick.
 

rboomercat90

Registered User
Mar 24, 2013
14,598
8,770
Edmonton
Tencer also spoke about it on his podcast when he had one a couple years ago. Said that Stauffer had told him the morning of the draft that it would be Ryan Murray, as he and Stu McGregor were close. Then a few minutes before the draft started Murray walked past the 630 CHED boys and and they stopped him for an interview, thinking that it was perfect timing. And then immediately after that Tencer looked over to Bob who had just got a text message and apparently his faced had dropped, and Tencer mouthed if they're still taking Murray and Bob mouthed 'NO'.

Was all very last minute
I remember that entire week leading up to the draft that Stauffer was hinting loudly on his show that the Oilers were taking Murray and that the idea wasn’t popular with the fans. In that context, your story makes a lot of sense. I’d never heard it before but I’ve always felt Katz had stepped in because he was worried about public opinion regarding the pick.
 

Fourier

Registered User
Dec 29, 2006
25,444
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Waterloo Ontario
Gretzky said they are excited and that they have a good team making decisions. That good team is the same one responsible for not only this mess but also for the last decade plus.

Talent recognition is a major issue. Forget about development if you can't even recognize what you have. Would they have had to throw Caggiula away for less than nothing in Manning if they signed Gustafsson or even Oesterle. Would they be worse off paying Anton Lander $1.5M to be Swiss army knife or with Tyler Pitlick than they are with Spooner in the AHL. These are the same guys that thought that Dallas Eakins was going to be the guy and that brought us Nikitin to save the defense.
 
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syz

[1, 5, 6, 14]
Jul 13, 2007
28,862
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He was, but our scouts weren't too fond of him it seems. The top end of that draft ended up being rather disappointing. And I do remember a lot of chatter about moving the pick for more immediate help. In hindsight, that would've been the right move.

I mean, disagreeing with Oilers scouts is one of the only things I wouldn't be able to blame Katz for.
 

belair

Jay Woodcroft Unemployment Stance
Apr 9, 2010
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I mean, disagreeing with Oilers scouts is one of the only things I wouldn't be able to blame Katz for.
Then trading the pick shouldn't have been a problem. It was talked about at lengths here.
 

BudBundy

Registered User
May 16, 2005
5,765
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Hmmm. Lets see. Who’s in charge now? Well, bringing in a complete garbage overpaid Manning screams Howson (Nikitin v2.0). Signing Koskinen for waaay too much, waaay too soon screams KLowe and MacT (Clarkson, Nylander etc). All we need to do to muddle the issue now is to bring in an over-rated former OilKing and we could add Green to the mix. Gosh! So many happy potential endings in this little Choose Your Own Adventure book.
 

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