Speculation: Your choice for a new coach

[Spawn]

Dan Bylsma is an obvious answer.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Dan Bylsma is an obvious answer.

I can already tell you Mact will wait too long and some other team will make a change and hire Bylsma before we do.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

Dan Bylsma is an obvious answer.

Is the question what former NHL coach won't be able to fix what's wrong with the Oilers?

This team needs to learn to play defense, we always try to get coaches that fit that prototypical Oilers style and allow the young guys to go out there and show off their skill and free wheel out there. We need a real taskmaster to put in a rigid defensive structure and enforce it to the letter of the law, we are not getting anywhere till we play better defense as a team. Therrien is the person who put the defensive structure in place to make Pittsburgh a championship calibre team, not Bylsma.

 

[McIce Whole]

Dan Bylsma is an obvious answer.

No he isn't. I follow the pens petty closely and I can assure you that there are better options than him. Bylsma can't adapt, is so damn stubborn and plays favorites. He couldn't control the locker room when things start getting out of hand (playoffs). He rode Therriens system and team to the Stanley Cup. He refused to adjust when things weren't going for Crosby and Malkin. I have no idea why he kept playing Adams when he shouldn't have been playing. The guy is overrated. He would be an upgrade over Eakins but that isn't saying much. I would rather target a coach like Sutter to be honest. He would be an upgrade over Eakins and is a better option than Bylsma IMO. Murray and Boucher would be alright as well but I would gamble on Sutter over those two.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I saw

HC--SPAWN
ac-Loweide
acs-Headcrusher

 

[Spawn]

No he isn't. I follow the pens petty closely and I can assure you that there are better options than him. Bylsma can't adapt, is so damn stubborn and plays favorites. He couldn't control the locker room when things start getting out of hand (playoffs). He rode Therriens system and team to the Stanley Cup. He refused to adjust when things weren't going for Crosby and Malkin. I have no idea why he kept playing Adams when he shouldn't have been playing. The guy is overrated. He would be an upgrade over Eakins but that isn't saying much. I would rather target a coach like Sutter to be honest. He would be an upgrade over Eakins and is a better option than Bylsma IMO. Murray and Boucher would be alright as well but I would gamble on Sutter over those two.

Revisionist history.

Michel Therrien was a disaster in Pittsburgh. It's only until his recent success in Montreal that he has started getting any sort of credit. Dan Bylsma wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh. All coaches eventually do.

Last season was Pittsburgh's best regular season in 20 years for that organization. They were:
5th in goals for
10th in goals against
1st in PP
5th in PK

It's not Blysma's fault that Fleury has become one of the worst playoff performers in the league since their cup run.

But whatever, I'd welcome any of the other guys you mentioned as well. There are a handful of proven, successful former NHL head coaches out there right now. Any of them would jump at a chance to get back into the league.

I saw

HC--SPAWN
ac-Loweide
acs-Headcrusher

I can get behind that as well.

 

[McIce Whole]

Revisionist history.

Michel Therrien was a disaster in Pittsburgh. It's only until his recent success in Montreal that he has started getting any sort of credit. Dan Bylsma wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh. All coaches eventually do.

Last season was Pittsburgh's best regular season in 20 years for that organization. They were:
5th in goals for
10th in goals against
1st in PP
5th in PK

It's not Blysma's fault that Fleury has become one of the worst playoff performers in the league since their cup run.

But whatever, I'd welcome any of the other guys you mentioned as well. There are a handful of proven, successful former NHL head coaches out there right now. Any of them would jump at a chance to get back into the league.

Therrien wasn't a disaster, he lead that team to the finals the season before he got canned. Bylsma took over with like 20 games left and went on to win the cup. While Fleury didn't play well, the defence didn't help him. After that cup win, Bylsma has really had only regular season success and when you have two of the best players in the world, it isn't that hard. After watching him in Pittsburgh, the decisions he made, his strategies and how he handled things, I wouldn't want him coaching our team when there are other options out there. With that said, I would take him over Eakins.

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

Sutter wouldn't be bad actually. His while situation in Calgary was terrible, poor roster, his brother is way better as a coach than a gm. The Sutters have good hockey values and he's a good old Alberta guy. I'd love to see what he can do with a young talented team.

 

[Butsy Erickson]

Terry Murray....hey he laid the foundation for Sutter..... he is a "setup" coach before you go after Babcock ....you will be bored to death for about 2 years though....

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

Revisionist history.

Michel Therrien was a disaster in Pittsburgh. It's only until his recent success in Montreal that he has started getting any sort of credit. Dan Bylsma wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh. All coaches eventually do.

Last season was Pittsburgh's best regular season in 20 years for that organization. They were:
5th in goals for
10th in goals against
1st in PP
5th in PK

It's not Blysma's fault that Fleury has become one of the worst playoff performers in the league since their cup run.

But whatever, I'd welcome any of the other guys you mentioned as well. There are a handful of proven, successful former NHL head coaches out there right now. Any of them would jump at a chance to get back into the league.



I can get behind that as well.

Well Therrien's time in Pittsburgh did not start really well the team was 14-29-8 after he took over from Olczyk the team finished the season at 22-46-8-6 for a grand total of 58 points on the season, the team scored 244 and allowed 316 goals. The following season he coached them to a 47-24-5-6 record which amounts to 105 points and they scored 277 goals and allowed 246 goals.

So while Therrien did have a part in the failure of the prior season the team still improved by 47 points in the standings and improved its goal differential by 103 from year to year, if that is what constitutes a disaster please bring some of that disaster to Edmonton.

What the issue with Therrien is he is a grating personality and very dogmatic and hard on his guys, I'm sure it didn't sit well with their star players and I'm sure his brand of coaching wouldn't go over well in our room as well, but if that is the level of improvement one can expect it is worth it.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Crawford or Sutter for me. Wilson would be interesting in that he'd be competing against his BFF in the BOA. That said we need better management as well as coaching.

 

[Captain Catatomic]

I take hitch with crawford as associate coach ramsay as assistant. also see when robinson is available to shutup lowe and his 6 rings.

 

[Gambl0r83*]

I posted this link about Babcock yesterday afternoon: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2014/10/13/mike-babcock-contract-talks/17227059/

Why the **** was it deleted??

 

[Zihuatanejo]

Any coach who can implement a simple defensive minded system. This team needs to go back to basics and learn how to keep the puck out of their net.

Young players will obviously make mistakes but continuously making the same mistakes is on coaching. A good number of our goals against are carbon copies of one another, that is poor coaching. There are obviously glaring holes in the system.

 

[NikF]

Terry Murray. He's put the defensive foundation in place in LA. He's a bridge coach though, he'll put up the structure and the defensive identity but I don't know whether he can finish the job. Perfect assistant coach or AHL coach IMO, but if you need defensive accountability and structure as bad as the Oilers do he's a good option for the time being. You have to use the players that are going to fit his model though, if you preach defensive conscious and have a bunch of players who are fancy skill types that can't or don't want to commit to the basics defensively then it's going to be pointless.

 

[thadd]

One thing to consider about saying you want Dan Bylsma or Crawford is the fact that... well... what kind of reputable coach is going to step in given how many coaches have come in and out of this city over the past decade?

We go through coaches like Philly goes through goalies, don't we?

 

[Replacement*]

My choice is not to delude myself by thinking this org would hire anybody remotely resembling what a fan would want.

Because a fan would likely want a competent established NHL coach. Both Lowe and MacT have clearly revealed ongoing incompetence and a predisposition to not expose themselves to somebody in the org that might actually know what they are doing. Thus the collection of buffoons you see at every level of management in this insular org.

 

[McOilbleeder]

IF Eakins is fired midway through the season, get Ramsay as interim HC and roll with him for the rest of the season. Bring up Nelson as assistant.

In the offseason, see what shakes loose. Weather its a Babcock or Tippett.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

My choice is not to delude myself by thinking this org would hire anybody remotely resembling what a fan would want.

Because a fan would likely want a competent established NHL coach. Both Lowe and MacT have clearly revealed ongoing incompetence and a predisposition to not expose themselves to somebody in the org that might actually know what they are doing. Thus the collection of buffoons you see at every level of management in this insular org.

You mean hiring people with no experience is a bad thing?

 

[Jtown]

keep him till the end of the year. He is leading us to mcdavid.

 

[FlameChampion]

I think they need a coach that will implement a simple system that the players can learn easily. I think he also has to be personable and the players need to like to play for him. I think the players have quit on Eakins.

 

[Hockey Monkey]

I think Nelson would be perfect for the Oilers from a system perspective. He uses a really simple strategy that focuses on defense and generating shots and he does a great job of getting players of all types to buy into their respective roles.

Problem is, I'm not sure another rookie NHL coach is the right way to go. Shrug.

 

[CornKicker]

Revisionist history.

Michel Therrien was a disaster in Pittsburgh. It's only until his recent success in Montreal that he has started getting any sort of credit. Dan Bylsma wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh. All coaches eventually do.

Last season was Pittsburgh's best regular season in 20 years for that organization. They were:
5th in goals for
10th in goals against
1st in PP
5th in PK

It's not Blysma's fault that Fleury has become one of the worst playoff performers in the league since their cup run.

But whatever, I'd welcome any of the other guys you mentioned as well. There are a handful of proven, successful former NHL head coaches out there right now. Any of them would jump at a chance to get back into the league.



I can get behind that as well.

it also isnt bylsmas fault they pay 2 C's so much they have literally no depth. not saying it would be any better here depth wise but at least he isnt a tool.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

I also wouldn't mind the exact opposite of what I think.

Like....might as well go full on boys club.

Prez; Gretzky
GM; Messier
Coach; Lowe
AC; MacT
AC; Huddy

Clearly there is only one reasonable choice there, but why is a stay-at-home defenceman telling our team to play like Wayne Gretzky.....if anything Gretzky should tell the team to play like Gretzky.

Let Lowe/MacT/Huddy play good cop bad cop/student of the game crap (I have no idea what coaches do) and Messier tell GM's to go **** themselves (or GM's)

 

[thadd]

I love this idea. This is even better than the "Lowe has to go" movement!