[News] Oilers name Bob Nicholson CEO

[Daradon]

Cause management and ownership absolutely doesn't see the problems as their fault. They they they are unlucky. Which ironic because they are the luckiest idiots in the league. But they seriously think they are building something special up there. They think they are the smartest guys in the room. There is no reason to think Katz has lost faith in his boys.

As for Bettman, yeah I see those theories as kinda conspiracy-ish. Agreed he's steamed, but I don't see him interferring to that level.

[OzSome]

They can rearranged the management position in Edmonton as much as they can BUT things will not change as long as that pompous and arrogant KLowe is still Darryl Latz right hand man.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by Locke

I dont see what could happen to make Nicholson move Lowe and MacTavish out.

The look of despair on McDavid's face, when it was revealed the Oilers had won his rights.

[Vulcan]

There is more to this than just getting rid of Lowe and company. As the saying goes, it starts from the top.

What people need to understand is that Erie general manager Sherry Bassin is like a father figure - perhaps big brother or mentor is a more applicable label - for McDavid. It was Bassin who drafted him to Erie as a 15-year-old. And since that time, it is Bassin who has always had McDavid’s back while the hype around the prized teenager continued to snowball.
Through it all, Connor’s parents, Brian and Kelly, knew that Bassin would always watch out for the best interests of their son.
Imagine, then, what it must have felt like when McDavid heard that Edmonton had won the lottery - the same Edmonton team whose owner, Daryl Katz, is suing Bassin, claiming he failed to carry out a deal to sell the Otters to a subsidiary of the Oilers in 2011. The team would have been moved to Hamilton, Ont.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL.../22353211.html

[btimbit]

He's been around to organization long enough to see what the problems are, he's going to clean house. Only question is, before or after the draft?

[FBI]

Don't like the sounds of that press conference..

How weird would it be if Edmonton actually got their shat together and in 2017-2018 our division was Calgary and Edmonton at the top and LA/San Jose/Vancouver competing for the #1 pick?

[browna]

Not sure the handwringing. This is akin to "Oh wow, Lowe got Quinn AND Renney to coach, the Oilers are going to turn the corner". At least Quinn and Renney had success and were smart hockey guys. But they too were neutered. Quinn gave up after a year. Renney basically quit, and has since said he had pressure from above to play players and tactics he didn't want.

1)Lowe got Nicholson the job thanks to Wayne hiring Lowe out of pity in 2002. Lowe's not going anywhere, he's befriended Katz (if he even needed to) who also isn't going anywhere, and anyone Lowe throws under the bus isn't going to solve the issue.

2)Nicholson doesn't have experience running an NHL team. Dealing with multimillionaires, dealing with local business conditions (no longer is Labatt schmoozing him and giving him a blank cheque, with Edmonton's reputation he's schmoozing Rick's electric to get $5k in the door). Head of Hockey Canada is politicking (recall his big stink about not being able to use the HC logo in Vancouver 2010) more then hands on operations...and even if so, the hands on operations of bottom of the barrel NHL team. Again, this means Lowe has his hands all over things, no matter what title they give Nicholson to polish the turd.

3)Changes will be that Nelson is gone. Nelson was gone as soon as MacTavish said he was going to be behind the bench for the first 6 games. Then when they refused to give him credit for modestly turning the results around.
Surprised after Saturday he is still employed; with Lowe's ego and shiny new toy and McDavid, he doesn't want some no name coach coaching him, or leading his team into cities visiting all his hockey "pals" around the league.

4)MacT is safe, I think...he's Lowe's marionette, and you can tell through the clumsy phrases that he's a repeater, not a thinker....though in "revolutionary" fashion, as Lowe likes to think he is, I can see McT given a slight demotion while a "name" GM steps in, again, satisfying Lowe's ego and continuing need for sizzle over substance (see Kruger vs Eakins).

All in all, this is all optics. As long as Lowe is anywhere near the building, that reputation he's sunk that organization down to amongst players, agents, and even coaches, will carry on...which means no UFA's of any substance, and the lack of waiving of NTC's for any player good enough to be given one.

[ricosuave]

Dont you guys remember the 80s?

When the Oilers were good, it pushed the Flames to be better, and overall, the BOA was outstanding, as was our regular seasons...

As much as I like to poke at the state they are in now, having a healthy rivalry will also help push us to greatness as well.

McDavid et al against Bennett, Gaudreau, Monahan Brodie etc - yes please!

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Dogbert

I guarantee you that Bettman called Katz between the lottery and now and told him that, regardless of how he felt about it, McDavid was his, fair and square. However, the league needs to market this kid, and more of the bungling we've seen from the Oilers for going on a decade now wouldn't jive with the plan and would not be acceptable.

I might not like Bettman's way of handling the league's business, but if he wants something to happen, you can bet the farm it will.

Bettman works for Katz....there isn't a chance in hell this occurred.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Cause management and ownership absolutely doesn't see the problems as their fault. They they they are unlucky. Which ironic because they are the luckiest idiots in the league. But they seriously think they are building something special up there. They think they are the smartest guys in the room. There is no reason to think Katz has lost faith in his boys.

As for Bettman, yeah I see those theories as kinda conspiracy-ish. Agreed he's steamed, but I don't see him interferring to that level.

It's entirely possible Bettman took some heat from other executives around league and had a talk with Katz. At some point someones going to say something about the way the Oilers have made a mockery of the draft year after year and has the NHL looking a bit foolish.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Giving Nicholson control has to be to fire Lowe and MacT. Nicholson has more cred than either of those two and is infinitely more respected. You aren't getting real hockey people there with the clownshoes currently running things in place. And Oilers will be an obviously attractive job with decent talent in place and McDavid on the way. Still need a lot of help but it starts with losing the 80's club.

[ricosuave]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

It's entirely possible Bettman took some heat from other executives around league and had a talk with Katz. At some point someones going to say something about the way the Oilers have made a mockery of the draft year after year and has the NHL looking a bit foolish.

I dont doubt this for a second.

[troutman]

Bob McCown had him on tonight - he was very vague about what and when he was going to do things. McCown tried to get him to bite on whether Wayne was coming back.

He says there will be changes - my guess is two out Lowe, MacT and Nelson will be fired.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

[dino7c]

Katz is one of Gary's bosses, not the other way around

[Fire of the Phoenix]

You just know Gretzky is going to come back as the director of player personnel or some such thing, maybe even coach. I could totally see them giving him a Roy-like role. 99 mentoring 97, the media and fans will orgazminate, and everyone gets free passes, yay! Add Messier as AGM and all problems solved. Semi serious, could actually see this happening, all with Lowe still as president of hockey ops.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Katz is one of Gary's bosses, not the other way around

I think over the years the power has shifted. After all Gary has been there longer than just about all the owners and they had to pass his vetting before they even came before the board. He represents the majority of the owners, so when he tells Katz something, he better pay attention.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by troutman

Bob McCown had him on tonight - he was very vague about what and when he was going to do things. McCown tried to get him to bite on whether Wayne was coming back.

He says there will be changes - my guess is two out Lowe, MacT and Nelson will be fired.

I heard someone on the TV say that the Oilers have contacted McLellan.

[ah123]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I heard someone on the TV say that the Oilers have contacted McLellan.

Elliot Friedman tweeted this out earlier today

@FriedgeHNIC: ANA/WIN on Sportsnet. Hearing EDM has reached out to Todd McLellan. Will be plenty more...and his Worlds job will slow down the process

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

Dont you guys remember the 80s?

When the Oilers were good, it pushed the Flames to be better, and overall, the BOA was outstanding, as was our regular seasons...

As much as I like to poke at the state they are in now, having a healthy rivalry will also help push us to greatness as well.

McDavid et al against Bennett, Gaudreau, Monahan etc - yes please!

Do you remember the 60s?

When the Leafs were good, it pushed the Habs to be better, and overall, the Toronto-Montreal rivalry was outstanding.

Then came the 70s. Harold Ballard took over the Leafs and turned Maple Leaf Gardens into a gigantic toilet. You could hear the flushing sound all the way to L.A. The rivalry was dead and gone.

But the Montreal Canadiens won six Stanley Cups in that decade. They still had rivalries, but they were with Philly and, above all, Boston. Toronto was a sad footnote.

We don't need to define ourselves against the Oilers. For crying out loud, our team is called the Flames. We can build our own fire.