Edmonton Oilers

[doulos]

I've got tickets to the Opening Night game against the Flames, so it'll be nice to go to possibly the one game where I can feel optimistic before the puck drops

[marshal]

Getting Ramsay could be one of the best moves MacTavish made in the off-season. Still find it a bit hard to believe that EDM went ahead with Eakins as head coach without insulating him with more veteran coaching assistance. I get why they brought Acton along, but it seemed inadvisable to have Eakins in the head coaching role without a former head coach to help with the transition.

I think Eakins should still be given some time, but his leash should be VERY short. If he can't get the Oilers going consistently, MacTavish should hand the reins over to Ramsay.

[doulos]

Getting Ramsay could be one of the best moves MacTavish made in the off-season. Still find it a bit hard to believe that EDM went ahead with Eakins as head coach without insulating him with more veteran coaching assistance. I get why they brought Acton along, but it seemed inadvisable to have Eakins in the head coaching role without a former head coach to help with the transition.

I think Eakins should still be given some time, but his leash should be VERY short. If he can't get the Oilers going consistently, MacTavish should hand the reins over to Ramsay.

I like the Ramsay hiring. Not sure how much of a difference it will actually make, but hopefully he can at least improve the powerplay.

[MXHockey]

The Ramsay hiring was solid, but I don't see the team replacing Eakins with him ever........

[doulos]

I wouldn't say never. It could be a Renney/Quinn situation with one guy waiting in the wings to get hired (and then fired himself shortly after!) Ugh, what a mess of a team.

[MXHockey]

LOL, maybe MacT going to go back behind the bench, 2006 style............

[agentzero]

I wouldn't say never. It could be a Renney/Quinn situation with one guy waiting in the wings to get hired (and then fired himself shortly after!) Ugh, what a mess of a team.

Boy was that a fiasco..... I agree with the Ramsay thing in that I don't think he is their next head guy unless it's by interim. I'm of the school that Eakins is not necessarily a bad coach... This team has to come to work and they haven't always done that. Shake it up with a "bold" move is what I say. I mean really shake it.

[doulos]

They have turned over almost their entire team in the past few years - that's pretty "bold"!

[rataylor22]

Boy was that a fiasco..... I agree with the Ramsay thing in that I don't think he is their next head guy unless it's by interim. I'm of the school that Eakins is not necessarily a bad coach... This team has to come to work and they haven't always done that. Shake it up with a "bold" move is what I say. I mean really shake it.

I think he is a very good non-NHL coach and a mediocre to bad NHL coach. Like it or not, you can't treat NHL players like you do AHL/Junior players. That 7AM practice stuff he pulled last year was bush league. Just overall, I don't think he knows how to cater his style to the NHL.

[doulos]

I'm open to giving him more time to judge his coaching, but his people skills leave a lot to be desired.

[agentzero]

They have turned over almost their entire team in the past few years - that's pretty "bold"!

lol haha indeed. The culture seems to not have turned with it though. The Oilers used to be the hardest working team out there. Very hard to play against. Those series in the 90s.. 2000s against Dallas... they played you hard. Now, not so sure.

[agentzero]

Like it or not, you can't treat NHL players like you do AHL/Junior players. That 7AM practice stuff he pulled last year was bush league. Just overall, I don't think he knows how to cater his style to the NHL.

Even if most of your roster is practically junior aged?.... :P

He pulled the 7 am practice to teach them a lesson. To be an NHLer you have to be a pro. You have to act like a pro and work like a pro and this team did not want to work hard. The only thing bush league about the Oilers was their effort level. I think Eakins's interpersonal skills need work, yes. But the Oilers core needs more work and that's for sure.

[rataylor22]

Even if most of your roster is practically junior aged?.... :P

He pulled the 7 am practice to teach them a lesson. To be an NHLer you have to be a pro. You have to act like a pro and work like a pro and this team did not want to work hard. The only thing bush league about the Oilers was their effort level. I think Eakins's interpersonal skills need work, yes. But the Oilers core needs more work and that's for sure.

Yes I know, but just about everyone in the league said it was the worst possible option to teach that lesson. I just think his ego is too big to understand he needs to work with and cater to NHL players egos, where in junior/AHL he can bash them down and overrule them because they are all trying to get to the show. His personality says to me that he's gotta be "the man" or "the show" and that doesn't work in the NHL like it does in the A

[agentzero]

Yes I know, but just about everyone in the league said it was the worst possible option to teach that lesson. I just think his ego is too big to understand he needs to work with and cater to NHL players egos, where in junior/AHL he can bash them down and overrule them because they are all trying to get to the show. His personality says to me that he's gotta be "the man" or "the show" and that doesn't work in the NHL like it does in the A

Everyone else in the league is in competition with him so I doubt they go public and do him any favours...

Look, it seems like no matter who the coach is the results are the same. To me that signals that the players are the problem and everyone knows they are. Yes, Hall, Eberle are skilled and such and such but that core seems like they act bigger than their game shows on the ice. You gotta play hard and back-check in this NHL and if these guys aren't doing it, it doesn't matter that they got drafted in the first round or scored 100 points in junior. They have to compete and beat the best grown men hockey players in the world and you don't do that without working hard. If they don't understand that, or don't want to, no coach or 7 am practice will ever teach them that. They are 21 yr old boys and are acting like teenagers so until they act like men, give'em junior coaches, bc they're working like junior players.

[doulos]

Taylor Hall actually is better defensively than people give him credit for. No Selke winner, but he's not hurting the team as much as a guy like Eberle is. I become less and less a fan of Eberle every time I watch him play. Lots of offense, but leaves a lot of other hockey skills on the bench. When you have guys like him, Yakupov (still young, and still lots to learn - love the guy but ...), Gagner, and Schultz as your top end players....you're just not going to be a good team defensively.

They got rid of Gagner, which is great, but is Purcell much better defensively? I'd have to look into it, but I'm not certain.

Yakupov will hopefully be marginally better this year in that regards. I'm not sure he'll ever be that good though. The thing is that's ok IF the Oilers had him surrounded with guys who were smart in their own end. I just think if they could move a guy like Eberle for a much more well-rounded player then the team overall would really improve. They did a good job insulating Schultz with some better defensive guys as well. give him the primo powerplay time and a partner that can cover for his offensive wanderings, and the team might be okay.