So ... Yakupov hey?
Renney makes some absolutely terrible coaching calls...
So ... Yakupov hey?
Oh the Oilers aren't going to sink that low and even if they do sign me up for one of the top tier defensemen. Seriously Yakupov would be so redundant at this point. Trade down and get something out of the situation.
I see bottom 3 as easily attainable with the injuries and bad play.
EDIT: And maybe ... just maybe ... three horrific seasons can finally get the management housecleaning needed? Nah I doubt it.
Stu can stay, but the rest need to go if this team ends up bottom 5 for a third straight season. I don't see how that can be viewed as positive at all.
If the team ends up out of the lottery then perhaps one more season could be given.
Stu is awesome.
I I just do not agree. Everything this team has done over the past four-five years has been about changing the culture.
Bumping Prendergast to Assistant GM and inserting MacGregor as Head Scout after Prendergast somehow miffed a draft with three first round picks was arguably the best move the franchise has made since acquiring Pronger.
Realizing that Lowe could not juggle the GM and President's job at the same time and hiring Tambo was another key move in 2008.
I like where this team is headed. They may not have the perfect management but they appear to have a plan and appear to be learning along the way.
You cannot blame anyone for how miserable 2009 or 2010 were because those were foundation building years. You can argue that they miffed on last season by not bringing in more veteran talent but they have learned and in the grande scheme it was a rebuild year either way. You definitely cannot say they did not improve the team this year. So if injuries take the team down I will not be out trying to lynch anyone because honest to god, I do not know what any other management group is doing differently.
Since then they have only stocked the farm system, established their own AHL team and made it competitive and set in motion a process of returning the team to respectability. Look at any rebuild, that shit takes time.
I would hate to just give up on this rebuild halfway through. Think about it. If Hall, Eberle and the Nuge are the keys to the rebuild then I am not so sure you need to clean house because they are not a playoff team within a couple years of making the league. Look at Chicago. Look at Pittsburgh. Look at Washington. Culture change takes time. If you cannot see that culture change you must be blind.
I grant you that you can be angry about Lowes missteps as GM but he is not GM any more. His work as President has been absolutely fine.
I grant you that Prendergast was a collossal failure but that dude did get fired. He's gone. We can let that go.
I grant you that Tambo did not add enough veteran talent to the team to help build that winning culture last season but he still had skeletons in Souray and Penner to get rid of and he learned his mistake.
The team has been competitive this year. Yeah, ups and downs, especially now in the midst of a long road trip I should add but you expect those things. Rome was not built in a day. And oh yeah, the team has been ransacked by injuries. Is that on the front office too?
I just do not see it. Bring in a new team and a new vision and you risk messing up what we have all been waiting a long time for. I really do not think this season has been all that bad and if it is another bottom five finish then I chalk it up to bad luck more than bad management.
Mostly, I just do not see what someone else is going to do differently so change for the sake of change just seems foolish.
Not sure last night's game versus the Sabres was typical, but from what I saw you're one...maybe two key Regehr-type d-men from making a run. Not to mention, another year on the vine for Hall/Nuge/Eberle and that's gonna be one deadly line combo.
@SmittysRant
I only caught bits and pieces of the game but was following it through twitter sources...
Caught some interesting tweets from Copper and Blue (blog which I really respect when it comes to stuff about the Oilers). Basically was pointing out all the mistakes Renney made (throwing out the 4th line after they had just been scored on, throwing them out down by a goal, etc.).
His tweet after the game was something along the lines of:
"Oilers win 3-1. Renney loses 3-0."
See I dunno. I didn't watch the game last night but whenever the Oilers are struggling and often after a goal I'll see Renney toss out the fourth line and it generates energy. The fourth line played dreadfully as far as the boxscore indicates but I usually like how they play.
I know that Copper and Blue guy hates Ben Eager but I don't see it. Some stuff just goes beyond stats and advanced stats. I do not think Eager is an 82 game player but for 55 games a season as an energy guy and an experienced voice in the locker room Eager has tremendous value.
So it's like I do not always agree with what they are saying.
I've also seen a ton of stuff on Copper and Blue alluding to how good Gagner is and how advanced stats show he is on track to be really good when I just see a guy who is completely redundant.
Yea, not pretending to know anything and not saying Copper and Blue is the Oilers Bible or anything.
Just another perspective and I've always found his viewpoints pretty interesting.
On another note, has there been any word on how long the Nuge is out for? Just got my new jersey of him and going to the Kings game on the 16th. Going to suck if my first game wearing it he isn't even playing.