He, through several high profile moves, thinking this is still the 80's and he could be Slats Jr and bully players into "his way or the highway" sunk that team's repuation around the league.
The team, since going to the Cup and Pronger wanting out after one of Lowe's said tricks, haven't had any sort of supporting cast.
Cole came and left after a year, they gave Khabibhulin a 5 year deal when no one else in the league was going to give him more then 2 with his bad back. Souray they accused of not being as hurt, and left him in a hospital bed. They tried to trade two injured players to the Kings, back to back. It goes on and on. And this was after hoodwinking Pronger and wanting money back from Comrie to trade him.
Its not about players not wanting to be part of a rebuild, its about the untrustworthyness of the President of the franchise who is still pulling strings through his GM buddy, and his owner, a fan of his in the 80's, doesn't care. Lowe will say whatever it takes to get you there, but get in the door and then the situation changes, all is not as appears, and ends up alienating players.
They then draft the best players available hoping to get something out of them. But no proper NHL veteran supporting cast up and down the lineup to help those players ease into roles...a supporting cast that can win games without the young guys needing to produce every night. Stability, in general, on the back end, and in net hasn't been there for 7 tears. Willingness to hold onto guys like Smyth and Never with 20 goals Hemsky.
If any one of those young guys like Hall or Eberle or RHN had a guy like Hudler (this year's Hudler) as Monohan does, they'd be better players instantly.
As we all know, guys like Heatly and Nylander are prime examples of those rejecting the Oilers. Players won't wave NMC's to go there, FA won't sign there, and the ones that do are marginal, and the Oilers have to overpay severely to get them (Whitney, the list can go on). Meanwhile guys like Glencross get tossed out with the garbage and made low priority. Lowe's so busy with trying to keep Ryan Smyth from going to the Isles that he leaves no time to get assets for the other UFA's he had up that year. Anything that Lowe tells players or tries to convince them with is dismissed as lies, and the Pronger/Comrie and likely numerous other tricks Lowe pulled are full knowledge by the players, by the PA, by agents, etc.
Bottom line, between 2002-2007, and even basically up to current day as this has snowballed, Lowe ran that team's reputation into the ground around the league even in GM circles (lets not forget the offer sheets for Vanek when Buffalo told him not to bother). As that has played itself out and snowballed, its resulted in getting no decent players, finishing at the bottom of the league 2 years in a row, amassing 3 #1 picks, as the only way to acquire useful assets. Those assets are only useful to the Oilers, because again, even if Hall or Eberle were on the block, it takes two to trade, and when another team asks their player if they will wave to be traded to EDM for Hall, they say no.
There is no coming back from the damage he's done, until he's gone. That means the product on the ice will not get much better long term and those young junior stars will each turn into Sam Gagner (at best) or Schremp or Robert Nilsson at worst as the losses pile up season after season.
Lowe's tirade this offseason goes to show the control he has over that whole operation. That's due to an owner that was a fan of his, and, an owner that himself may be too busy looking for an exit strategy after not getting what he asked for when he bought the team, to really care what's going on.
Last edited by browna; 11-02-2013 at 11:25 PM.
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He, through several high profile moves, thinking this is still the 80's and he could be Slats Jr and bully players into "his way or the highway" sunk that team's repuation around the league.
The team, since going to the Cup and Pronger wanting out after one of Lowe's said tricks, haven't had any sort of supporting cast.
Cole came and left after a year, they gave Khabibhulin a 5 year deal when no one else in the league was going to give him more then 2 with his bad back. Souray they accused of not being as hurt, and left him in a hospital bed. They tried to trade two injured players to the Kings, back to back. It goes on and on. And this was after hoodwinking Pronger and wanting money back from Comrie to trade him.
Its not about players not wanting to be part of a rebuild, its about the untrustworthyness of the President of the franchise who is still pulling strings through his GM buddy, and his owner, a fan of his in the 80's, doesn't care. Lowe will say whatever it takes to get you there, but get in the door and then the situation changes, all is not as appears, and ends up alienating players.
They then draft the best players available hoping to get something out of them. But no proper NHL veteran supporting cast up and down the lineup to help those players ease into roles...a supporting cast that can win games without the young guys needing to produce every night. Stability, in general, on the back end, and in net hasn't been there for 7 tears. Willingness to hold onto guys like Smyth and Never with 20 goals Hemsky.
If any one of those young guys like Hall or Eberle or RHN had a guy like Hudler (this year's Hudler) as Monohan does, they'd be better players instantly.
As we all know, guys like Heatly and Nylander are prime examples of those rejecting the Oilers. Players won't wave NMC's to go there, FA won't sign there, and the ones that do are marginal, and the Oilers have to overpay severely to get them (Whitney, the list can go on). Meanwhile guys like Glencross get tossed out with the garbage and made low priority. Lowe's so busy with trying to keep Ryan Smyth from going to the Isles that he leaves no time to get assets for the other UFA's he had up that year. Anything that Lowe tells players or tries to convince them with is dismissed as lies, and the Pronger/Comrie and likely numerous other tricks Lowe pulled are full knowledge by the players, by the PA, by agents, etc.
Bottom line, between 2002-2007, and even basically up to current day as this has snowballed, Lowe ran that team's reputation into the ground around the league even in GM circles (lets not forget the offer sheets for Vanek when Buffalo told him not to bother). As that has played itself out and snowballed, its resulted in getting no decent players, finishing at the bottom of the league 2 years in a row, amassing 3 #1 picks, as the only way to acquire useful assets. Those assets are only useful to the Oilers, because again, even if Hall or Eberle were on the block, it takes two to trade, and when another team asks their player if they will wave to be traded to EDM for Hall, they say no.
There is no coming back from the damage he's done, until he's gone. That means the product on the ice will not get much better long term and those young junior stars will each turn into Sam Gagner (at best) or Schremp or Robert Nilsson at worst as the losses pile up season after season.
Lowe's tirade this offseason goes to show the control he has over that whole operation. That's due to an owner that was a fan of his, and, an owner that himself may be too busy looking for an exit strategy after not getting what he asked for when he bought the team, to really care what's going on.
I'm drunk and this is way to long onto read but as long as this is Negative Oilers... I'm down hahaha
I'm drunk and this is way to long onto read but as long as this is Negative Oilers... I'm down hahaha
It is, though not sure why I am spending my time writing about the Oilers, but maybe, after all the debacles, its more a shot at their fans, who surely can't be this blind over the past decade and put up with the abuse of power that Lowe has.
The Flames reputation in the league circles had hints of headed down this path after the last year or so...but ownership quickly stepped in and brought in Burke. This prevented the goodwill that Sutter had built up regarding the Calgary Flames, from going down the toilet so that the Flames would have the same perpetual problem of the only roster turnover being overpaid scrubs or high draft picks forced into action.
As for the OP, even George Burnett lasted 35 games before Sather fired him. Eakins will likely not be fired so they don't have to pay 3 head coaches, but maybe he'll quit before then.
8 years is a long time...never thought our 7 year record would be broken. Sad times for Alberta hockey. Don't get me wrong...still ok with the Oilers never winning another cup.
I would start the housecleaning with Gagner, Hemsky, and Yakupov. Those three players aren't part of the solution. Get some defensive help and a gritty utility forward and see if they can change the culture in the room before firing the coach.
IMO part of the problem is that Oilers management overvalues their players so much that they think teams are going to give their top assets for these guys but the truth is they aren't that good and maybe that's why MacTavish hasn't been able to walk the walk. I don't see any simple solution for this team outside of blowing the roster up.
I would start the housecleaning with Gagner, Hemsky, and Yakupov. Those three players aren't part of the solution. Get some defensive help and a gritty utility forward and see if they can change the culture in the room before firing the coach.
IMO part of the problem is that Oilers management overvalues their players so much that they think teams are going to give their top assets for these guys but the truth is they aren't that good and maybe that's why MacTavish hasn't been able to walk the walk. I don't see any simple solution for this team outside of blowing the roster up.
What happens first? The London development on heritage is completed, or the oilers make the playoffs?
__________________ ”All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”
The problem is Katz, and nothing will change with him owning the team. He's on board with hiring Oilers alumni and his buddies for the hockey ops and development teams. If he was serious about winning, he'd get his fingers out, pry away someone like John Davidson and have them clean house.
But in all seriousness, it's so much sweeter this way.
It's his own fault for choosing the Oilers over Dallas and Vancouver. What a buffoon. Why would you choose to sign with a team that's repeatedly finished last for the last half-decade?
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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