[Rumour] Chiarelli meeting with the Oilers. UPD: press conference Friday to announce hiring?

[activeStick]

Definitely sucks for Flames fans but I'm also looking forward to Lowe's interview if he does get fired. I wonder if he'll still be an arrogant, smug know-it-all during his media availability?

[polak]

Reflecting on the mess though is just so hilarious. What a joke of an organization that franchise turned into.

- Billionaire owner buys team and keeps all his 80's hero's around despite being the most incompetent group of people I've ever seen or heard of. Literally. No one who has a position in the public eye is as bad as those guys. Any other organization of any kind would fire those morons.

- Manage to have the first overall pick more times in 8 years than most teams have in their history and yet none of them really panned out. Sure there are some good players on that team, but together they are absolute garbage. Every single one of them. Not one player on that team before McDavid would be worth a 1st overall pick in a trade. Not one.

- Their biggest rival who is a mere two hours drive away managed to out pace their nearly decade long rebuild in two years.

- The billionaire owner STILL kept around his 80's fantasy friends despite all of this until he by complete luck was gifted a potential generational talent who most likely demanded that changes were made or he won't play there.

Just epic. Katz and co. are still not responsible for making a smart decision for that franchise since he bought it and the real brains behind the salvation of the Edmonton Oilers was an 18 year old kid who hasn't even got a high school diploma yet.

God. THANK YOU. Thank you so much. We complain about the hockey gods but look at all of the hours, days, months, years of joy and happiness they brought us by having Katz feel inclined to purchase the team.

Thank you hockey gods. Thank you for nearly a decade of laughs. I love your sense of humor.

[keratosis]

I think Katz is just waiting for Skype to update.

[FlamesAddiction]

If Chiarelli is interviewing for either Lowe's or MacTavish's job, then it is a pretty crappy way to do business. If Lowe or MacT are not in the cards, then let them go.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

If Chiarelli is interviewing for either Lowe's or MacTavish's job, then it is a pretty crappy way to do business. If Lowe or MacT are not in the cards, then let them go.

Let's be fair here for a moment. This IS Edmonton we are talking about. How can you even be certain you can hire one of these guys? Why let go of theses guys until you know for sure you can land a Chiarelli level of executive?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The comparisons to Lindros are total wishful thinking. With the amount of money guys make now, and the amount of money they stand to make with early free agency, someone like McDavid is potentially leaving over $10 million on the table by refusing to sign for even one year. It simply is not going to happen. He'll suck it up and wear that crappy jersey.

I think it's a huge long shot for sure, but not as impossible as you make it seem.

IF McDavid was to let them know that he had no intention of signing with the Oilers, they would have two choices: A) Draft him, take the risk that he decides to play. If he does great. If he doesn't care about his future $10 mil as compared to his future $100s of mils from contracts and endorsements and decides to not play, they can trade him or lose him for nothing to the draft. B) Trade the pick/player.

Again. IF McDavid was to do this, it would be completely ridiculous for Edmonton not to trade the pick. The kings ransom they get for it could be exactly what they need to fill every other hole they have. Yeah, none of them would be McDavid, but it would certainly look much better than having a teenager that would rather play sub-par hockey for the next 2 years than play for your franchise. They would have to do something. If they trade him, he could play right away and still make his extra millions you think he's so worried about. You make it seem like if he holds out, he automatically loses this money and has to sit out which is just plain not the case.

If I was a kid in his position, with what I know now, I would totally hold out. Screw the agent, he just wants his extra commissions. Screw what you think the rest of the league would think. They wouldn't look at this as some egotisical superstar putting it to the small-town hockey loving Canadians like Lindros was, or at least i don't think most of them would. You honestly think guys like Burke/Lombardi/Davidson/whoever would really blame him for doing it? I think Burke would be the first to burst out in hysterical laughter.

Again, I highly doubt this happens. But to paint it as some fantasy world thought process I just don't think is accurate.

[polak]

I think if I was McDavid I'd do exactly what we think he might have done.

Tell them that serious changes need to be made or he simply will refuse to play for them. This isn't a joke, it's his career. Just like if you were able to pick and choose your employer.

[Hack&Lube]

If Katz is really so buddy-buddy with Lowe & Co. he could always give them consolation jobs as cashiers at the local Rexall drugs. If a nobody like Tom [sic] Erixon can refuse to sign with us, McDavid knows he has every other team in the league as the next suitor.

[GioforPM]

Prediction: they will rearrange the decks chairs and add (but not remove) management positions. I thought Calgary was a bit top heavy with King, Burke and Treliving all in the mix but Edmonton will make them look positively lean.

[Locke]

I'm just waiting for the inevitable:

"Peter, you have an impressive resume and we really like you, we hope you'll join our team as Craig's Assistant."



Oilers gonna Oil.

[GioforPM]

Hopefully Chiarelli wouldn't be dumb enough to just accept with Edmonton since there are other positions which have been and will become available.

[burnitdown]

Originally Posted by polak

I think if I was McDavid I'd do exactly what we think he might have done.

Tell them that serious changes need to be made or he simply will refuse to play for them. This isn't a joke, it's his career. Just like if you were able to pick and choose your employer.

Sadly, it's all just wishful thinking. According to an article in the Edmonton Sun this afternoon, his dad came out and said Connor's very excited to play in Edmonton and he was just in shock after the lottery. He said he would have had the same look regardless what team won. Either way, he wanted to put the matter to rest saying that there's no chance he'll pull a Lindros.

[dustygoon]

there is no way Chiarelli or someone with that kind of resume would take a job reporting into Lowe. This might be the end of the man who knows something about winning.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by burnitdown

Sadly, it's all just wishful thinking. According to an article in the Edmonton Sun this afternoon, his dad came out and said Connor's very excited to play in Edmonton and he was just in shock after the lottery. He said he would have had the same look regardless what team won. Either way, he wanted to put the matter to rest saying that there's no chance he'll pull a Lindros.

lol Of course the Connor camp would put that out there, regardless of how true it is. We all saw his face, heard his tone of voice and saw the body language.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by burnitdown

Sadly, it's all just wishful thinking. According to an article in the Edmonton Sun this afternoon, his dad came out and said Connor's very excited to play in Edmonton and he was just in shock after the lottery. He said he would have had the same look regardless what team won. Either way, he wanted to put the matter to rest saying that there's no chance he'll pull a Lindros.

**Article Edited By: K-Lowe@oilayzrule.ab.gov

[Frank MetaMusil]

I just hope they leave cement head in there as a pro scout. Guy's certainly got a keen eye for garbage.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Locke

I'm just waiting for the inevitable:

"Peter, you have an impressive resume and we really like you, we hope you'll join our team as Craig's Assistant."



Oilers gonna Oil.

"Darryl, meet Jay. He's the guy that beat you to the cup a couple of years back. He's going to join you as your assistant..."

[OldDutch]

If and I mean IF Chiarelli takes the job, then 2 future consulting positions will be created for Katz's crew. I am sure Lowe knows the only way he stays around pro hockey in any capacity is to be a token fly on the wall in future big boy meetings.

As others have pointed out. Oilers are in very bad shape right now. I really don't think they are a Taylor Hall trade from contender or even playoff hopeful.

- They have no goalie
- They have no defence (outside rookie Nurse who may not even play next year)
- Their forwards are comfortable in losing. They are stat padders at their finest.
- No one wants to play in Edmonton. Which may change with new Management and the saviour coming to town, but I think anyone with a NTC will take a wait and show me attitude after 10 years of "Oil Change".
- They need an upgrade on coach. Will they find a guy who is pedigree who is willing to ruin his career ala Quinn, Reiney, Eakins, Kruger, etc?
- They are in cap hell. They need to buyout some guys or trade for equally bad guys. Buyout equals less money to lure free agents.

Lots and lots of questions there. Even with McDavid I see them as 4-5 years out. That honestly how long it has been since the Flames started easing slowly into the rebuild waters. After that, who knows? McDavid is the next Gretz, somehow they found their Coffey, Messier, Kurri, Fhur and they are a dynasty who eliminates the Flames every year. Or they turn into ATL 2.0 and have powerful offence and nothing else and spin their tires until McDavid wants out.

I am not hitting panic mode quite yet. Like a kid who cheated their way though the semester, they haven't proven anything other than being lucky. Time will come where they have to actually make bold moves, and not bold #1 overall choices. Big difference.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by burnitdown

Sadly, it's all just wishful thinking. According to an article in the Edmonton Sun this afternoon, his dad came out and said Connor's very excited to play in Edmonton and he was just in shock after the lottery. He said he would have had the same look regardless what team won. Either way, he wanted to put the matter to rest saying that there's no chance he'll pull a Lindros.

Of course he said that. Its how back channeling looks.

I see two options here.

Katz is the ultimate tanker. He realized that the only way to truely ensure tanking would work is to was not to ask his GM to tank but instead to hire truely incompetant people to run the show. This way the tanking was natural and wouldn't be ruined by peoples natural instincts to win. Once he drafted a truely generational talent he fires everyone and recovers.

or

McDavid's agent said things need to be fixed.

Otherwise why werent MacT and Lowe fired immediately after the season ended.

Something changed when the lottery was done. Either Katz is done tanking and firing him or McDavids agent said something.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Day Tripper

McJesus and Chiarelli? The next 10 years could be a great decade for the Oilers, a tough but okay decade for the Flames, and a nightmare for the Canucks.

So, the early to mid 80s all over again?