No. Eakins was the hot commodity at the time, and the Oilers wanted to look good by snapping him up ahead of everyone else. They did it for the accolades they thought they'd get.
It wasn't just everyone else. Specifically it was the declining Leafs, who were fighting the inevitable but sticking with a coach of a by-gone era in a futile attempt to get blood from a stone. Meanwhile the agile, swift-thinking Oilers, who had embraced their decline to do a proper draft driven rebuild, poached the forward thinking coach for the new, analytics driven NHL for their up-and-coming dynasty right from under the noses of MLSE.
^ At the time, I thought it was the Canucks, wanting him to be an assistant. But yes, he was given a high rating by the talking heads out east, and that’s enough for Lowe, always looking to get some positive extras PR out of the hire so the press can write the story that this is the master stroke by renegade and revolutionary Kevin Lowe, which will change the Oilers, and NHL hockey, forever, and he will be immortalized.
His claim for asking Comrie to take less money in his second contract in the mid 2000s was to be the self appointed NHL GM Sheriff that would put a stop to rising player salaries league wide, if he held firm with his ridiculous idea. Same goes with his offer sheeting of Vanek and Penner, again, he wanted to appear to be the pioneer that was going against the grain, but that would change the way the business of hockey was run.
His delusions know no bounds...I think he really thinks he should be in the Hall of Fame with all the other Oilers buddies who partied it up, and figures his only way in since he wasn’t going to make it via his playing career and association with Slats and the boys on the bus, is to do something dramatic on the management side.
Anyways, his quick 1 week courtship of Eakins was why Lowe had to fire Krueger over Skype as Kruger was working for the club in Europe at the time, scouting.
Lowe’s other coaching moves in the same ilk and cry for publicity, was trotting out the two headed monster in the well respected Quinn and Hockey Canada Renney. Quinn got fed up after a year after being told the same lies Lowe told players to attract them, and Renney last a couple more,and left on very sour terms due to the meddling that he had to deal with.
And of course McT after the 2006 regular season, Lowe not picking up his option. McT then goes to the Cup and Lowe has to (well he didn’t have to, but he did) pay him a crap load and a new long term deal.
But nothing really tops the Todd Nelson interim tag. Likely disgusted that he had to bring in a conventional coach from the minors to save some money after the Eakins firing mid season, Lowe having the audacity and disrespect for Nelson and his abilities as a coach, who made his way up through the ranks to a professional hockey farm team, to have Lowe actually make MacT hang out on the bench and watch over and baby sit Nelson for his first 10 games. Just goes to confirm what sort of egotistical, pompous ass know it all Lowe is.
Last edited by browna; 01-31-2019 at 12:32 AM.
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It really is a master stroke of public relations that the oilers have successfully pinned all of their problems on chiarelli.
As predicted, the oilers used their all star week to sewer the outgoing GM. They needed that window because they could guarantee an oilers loss or two or a blowout wouldn't detract from the pile of #### they were heaping on Chiarelli.
Now that it's been firmly established that Chiarelli and only Chiarelli is to blame, the team can resume playing and losing hockey games.
The next salvo in this PR war is that mcdavid wants to stay an oiler. Gin up the fanbase, try to secure those renewals, make everything appear copasetic and then when mcdavid wants out over the summer the franchise can turn on him and leak a bunch of stories about all the things they did for him and yet he spurned them.
But unlike last time this happened, no tears will be shed at the airport in Leduc by the star on the move. Mcdavid may even be spotted clicking his heels.
Last edited by Flash Walken; 01-31-2019 at 09:52 AM.
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I find these last two post are spot on by browna and Flash Walken. I think it's funny how a video surfaces on how McDavid wants to say in Edmonton when asked at the ASG.
What a dumb question to ask - what do expect McDavid to say? If he says he wants to leave Edmonton - well that's it isn't it - he just requested a trade.
I find your prediction really quite bold - I have always said by the summer of 2020 McDavid will request a trade if things remain about the same or get worse. I put the odds at 15 (Summer of 2019 or before), 60 (by end of Summer 2020), 25 (sometime after that or he stays). But the more I read your post and thoughts - I find your prediction quite compelling - the writing may be on the wall and we just can't see it, hindsight will make it so apparent after the fact.
Last edited by JackIsBack; 01-31-2019 at 12:09 PM.
KLowe(n): I know something about winning as opposed to our second tier fans. D'urr, Durp.
Everyone: That was the worst press conference ever.
Nicholson: Hold my beer. Just don't get any water in it.
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It really is a master stroke of public relations that the oilers have successfully pinned all of their problems on chiarelli.
As predicted, the oilers used their all star week to sewer the outgoing GM. They needed that window because they could guarantee an oilers loss or two or a blowout wouldn't detract from the pile of #### they were heaping on Chiarelli.
Now that it's been firmly established that Chiarelli and only Chiarelli is to blame, the team can resume playing and losing hockey games.
The next salvo in this PR war is that mcdavid wants to stay an oiler. Gin up the fanbase, try to secure those renewals, make everything appear copasetic and then when mcdavid wants out over the summer the franchise can turn on him and leak a bunch of stories about all the things they did for him and yet he spurned them.
But unlike last time this happened, no tears will be shed at the airport in Leduc by the star on the move. Mcdavid may even be spotted clicking his heels.
Fully agree with it all, but I’d wager maybe the next summer. Lowe has turned on the charm for Orr when he came into town to check in on the state of emergency with McDavis ice time and contracting of leperosy.
To walk their camp off the edge, he at the time also accelerated the dumping of Chia after that meeting to placate the McDavid camp in that they were capable of real change. The push will be hard, or appear hard, to make him happy. It’s all a bunch of false promises, as it always is with Lowe, because in addition to the snake oil salesman that Lowe is, even if the organization didn’t have a toxic reputation, the cap issues in a vacuum are hard enough for any GM to quickly navigate out of, let alone the up hill battle of whatever new GM having to answer to Lowe and keeping him out of things, and get calls from agents saying their client won’t wave the nmc to consummate whatever trade was proposed.
Orr and I think McDavid know full well by now from stories around the league and personal experience how dysfunctional Lowe is, but they’ll say and do all the right things, and give the Oilers a year, more to be having the time to be laying out a plan and laying the groundwork for his exit than his staying signifying having any further commitment or trust that the Oilers are going to turn it around.
Last edited by browna; 01-31-2019 at 08:37 PM.
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Orr and I think McDavid know full well by now from stories around the league and personal experience how dysfunctional Lowe is, but they’ll say and do all the right things, and give the Oilers a year, more to be having the time to be laying out a plan and laying the groundwork for his exit than his staying signifying having any further commitment or trust that the Oilers are going to turn it around.
This is exactly my line of thinking - this is why I think it is most probable that McDavid requests a trade and is traded sometime near the end or after the 2019/2020 season.
If the Oilers can somehow manage to turn things around by then, this can be avoided of course, but I mean, those odds are extremely thin, even if they make all the right possible decisions now until then - I think it's next to impossible. After this season, I think it will take them at least four more seasons to fully right their ship - McDavid would be 27 in that fifth season, the Lucic contract would be gone (unless they bought it out, in which case some residual value would be there) - and the Oilers could possibly be a contender - if you were McDavid, would you want to take that chance, and McDavid's camp knows this. At 27, Crosby already had one cup and was on a team that was just about to win back to back cups, Mario just won back to back cups and Gretzky had 4, even the great Lowe, he had 4 (or was about to win his forth - depending on his birthday).
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In addition to Browna's fine summary above, I'd just like to add my .02 on how spectacular it is to see Lowe providing continuity in that craphole of an organization.
After 2006, and a run to the cup with Pronger eating 30 minutes a game and Roloson playing lights-out, Lowe believed he didn't need to replace those 30 minutes of superstar DMan, instead opting for a return of 30-goal scorer Joffrey Lupul.
The 2007 Oilers then featured a first pairing of Jason Smith and Steve Staios and - despite being billed as the team to beat the Bruins' record of twenty goal scorers (only in Edmonton of course) - was completely unable to ever exit their own zone. Ever. Worth mentioning that Lupul was not Lowe's first choice, as he initially tried to undue his earlier misstep in the Comrie fiasco in rejecting Perry.
Throughout the late "noughts", the Oilers bumbled from one bad decision to another, laying all of the groundwork for the beautiful product they have today. They signed Nylander - and announced it - only to find out that, well, they didn't. Then they signed Heatley - just two years later - and announced it - only to find out that Heatley was serious about that NMC that I'm almost positive had Edmonton bolded in it. They did make a NMC-busting DVD about Edmonton to give him though.
They got Dustin Penner through an offersheet. Why Dustin Penner? No one knows. He had a spectacular career after that. They offer-sheeted Vanek, too, of course for way too much money. Pitkanen was hyped as a #1 DMan: he turned into something special. They ruined Souray's career by playing him with a bum shoulder in 2008.
Amazingly, in all of these tales of woe, they never once made the right decision under Lowe (rhyme-time!) - imagine if the Oilers did get Vanek, Nylander, and Heatley? They might have been even worse. That would've been the highest paid and most pathetic trio of forwards ever to lace them up. I know, I know - they would never have gotten all three - but just imagine if they did? They dodged bullets they shot right at their own feet, only to remove their boots, reload several times, and fire again.
Gagner and Cogliano were also superstars in and around this time, the second comings of Mess and Gretz. Don't know what happened, exactly...
I am so happy that Lowe is still hanging around up there.
Fully agree with it all, but I’d wager maybe the next summer. Lowe has turned on the charm for Orr when he came into town to check in on the state of emergency with McDavis ice time and contracting of leperosy.
To walk their camp off the edge, he at the time also accelerated the dumping of Chia after that meeting to placate the McDavid camp in that they were capable of real change. The push will be hard, or appear hard, to make him happy. It’s all a bunch of false promises, as it always is with Lowe, because in addition to the snake oil salesman that Lowe is, even if the organization didn’t have a toxic reputation, the cap issues in a vacuum are hard enough for any GM to quickly navigate out of, let alone the up hill battle of whatever new GM having to answer to Lowe and keeping him out of things, and get calls from agents saying their client won’t wave the nmc to consummate whatever trade was proposed.
Orr and I think McDavid know full well by now from stories around the league and personal experience how dysfunctional Lowe is, but they’ll say and do all the right things, and give the Oilers a year, more to be having the time to be laying out a plan and laying the groundwork for his exit than his staying signifying having any further commitment or trust that the Oilers are going to turn it around.
Orr will probably work quietly behind the scenes to arrange the McDavid trade scenario, so that when they make their demand to be moved, there will be some potential landing spots worked out in advance. Otherwise, that's a pretty tough salami to slice quickly - a lot of moving parts...
