the bottom line is that the Oilers aren't even close to competing for a playoff spot This was a badly built team and as much as Oiler fans deny it, they were built to Lowe's blueprint, even when he became president it became pretty clear that Lowe's hands were all over the drafting strategy.
Sadly for the Oiler fanbase, Lowe will only go if its voluntary, Katz is too big of a fan and I think its blinded him. Plus the Friday night Pajama party wouldn't be the same without Lowe.
Mac-T isn't going anywhere first of all this is his first year, second of all see above Katz probably has a Mac-T macfarlane action figure.
Eakins is a disaster, his swarm defense is a minor league defense, NHL coaches and skilled NHL players will smash that defense every time. The lack of effort should be disconcerting as well, the Oilers look like they've tuned the guy out.
The Oilers are literally trapped, they can't blow the team up and announce another rebuild after 7 years of rebuilding. They can't trade their uberstars without a massive return because of how they've been hyped and I don't think that the Eberle's and Yaks and Schultz's have the trade value that people think they have. Yak looks like a lazy head case, Eberle is very good offensively but his work in his zone is terrible. Schultz is well on his way to being the next MAB, a guy that bounces around the league as a pp specialist pissing off one coach after another.
The logical scapegoat is Eakins, its not fair but hits true, his coaching is disastrous on a lot of levels, and he's not even motivating his players.
I doubt he'll be sent packing, he'll either become a co-coach with Mac-T stepping behind the bench, or he'll be offered another position in the organization, probably a pro scouting position.
If I was to make a bet, if the Oilers don't pull a few wins out by game 20, the booing will rise to screaming and by game 25 fans will stop showing up to watch that god awful hockey and Lowe will pull the trigger.
Too bad for Eakins, but not only does he have Mac-T and Lowe to blame for building a disaster of a team with no thought or reason, but he has himself to blame as well.
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