Bakersfield Condors 24-25 thread

[belair]

The AHL conundrum for a coach is wins vs development. They have some overlap but often conflict. This year the team is getting neither it seems.

Maybe their priority is to churn out fourth line plugs and bottom pairing defensemen. Because that seems to be the style of player Chaulk prefers.

 

[Oilhawks]

Maybe Chaulk will be gone after Chaulk-outlining more prospects this season

 

[McDNicks17]

The AHL conundrum for a coach is wins vs development. They have some overlap but often conflict. This year the team is getting neither it seems.

He’s been great at improving two-way play of guys with talent. Holloway and Broberg took big steps in that regard with him. Lavoie was night and day after his time in Bako. Savoie is doing the same now.

Unfortunately the organization hasn’t really provided much actual talent though.

 

[alphahelix]

Man the Oilers pipeline is in dire shape. The Oilers have to have the worst prospect pool in the league and not by an insignificant margin, even their best prospect in Savoie is kind of mid especially compared to other top prospects. I don't know if it's a talent deficit or coaching down there but it's ugly, probably a bit of both?

It seems that Jay Woodcroft did a lot of good for this organization while he was here. Immediately preceding him we weren’t developing much, the AHL team turned a corner with him and then in the NHL he brought several players along and gave them their first NHL shots. Now we’re struggling. We don’t have as much talent in the system now, but we did before he came along. I don’t know, he seemed to keep an eye on the future more than most of our other coaches over recent years.

 

[Spawn]

He’s been great at improving two-way play of guys with talent. Holloway and Broberg took big steps in that regard with him. Lavoie was night and day after his time in Bako. Savoie is doing the same now.

Unfortunately the organization hasn’t really provided much actual talent though.

They really haven’t. Yet somehow we still have Bob Green heading our scouting staff and largely the same group of scouts we’ve had for the last 5-15 years.

Although there have been a number of guys who look like promising players coming out of junior who basically immediately cratered once they got to our development system. Bourgault, Petrov, Tulio for example. Now maybe these guys were just never any good. But we sure as heck know that Chaulk wasn’t helping any of them get better.

I’d hope there is a significant overhaul to the entire scouting/development system we have. With the odd exception it’s been an unmitigated disaster for like… 35 years lol.

 

[LoiltyAtItsFinest]

Savoie scored fine in the AHL last season considering the opportunity. Instead of re-signing him after trading for his brother, they chose to sign a 25 year old undrafted Cam Wright to put up the exact same production.

Maybe holding on to a guy like Carter Savoie may not have hurt considering we're giving Petrov an ECHL center and a defenseman as his linemates.

There's a problem with the way our AHL team is being run.

I also thought it was quite dumb to get rid of Carter Savoie, who’s a capable AHL player, while literally acquiring his brother. Would’ve been good for both those guys development, but Yenno, oilers gonna oiler

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

They really haven’t. Yet somehow we still have Stu MacGregor heading our scouting staff and largely the same group of scouts we’ve had for the last 5-15 years.

Although there have been a number of guys who look like promising players coming out of junior who basically immediately cratered once they got to our development system. Bourgault, Petrov, Tulio for example. Now maybe these guys were just never any good. But we sure as heck know that Chaulk wasn’t helping any of them get better.

I’d hope there is a significant overhaul to the entire scouting/development system we have. With the odd exception it’s been an unmitigated disaster for like… 35 years lol.

I thought Stu MacGregor was long gone?

 

[McTonyBrar]

Man the Oilers pipeline is in dire shape. The Oilers have to have the worst prospect pool in the league and not by an insignificant margin, even their best prospect in Savoie is kind of mid especially compared to other top prospects. I don't know if it's a talent deficit or coaching down there but it's ugly, probably a bit of both?

I don't know how you think Savoie is mid. What on earth gives you that idea lol? We have prospects coming in O'Reilly, Nicholls, Wakely, Clattenburg, Samanski, Brochu, Day, Carfagna. I may have missed a few but our last draft was very good

 

[Spawn]

I thought Stu MacGregor was long gone?

Oh sorry, I meant Bob Green! These failed head scout guys all blend together in my head.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Oh sorry, I meant Bob Green! These failed head scout guys all blend together in my head.

You had me worried there for a second! It would have explained a lot of things though.

Mind you Bob Green can f*** all the way off as well.

 

[Spawn]

You had me worried there for a second! It would have explained a lot of things though.

Mind you Bob Green can f*** all the way off as well.

Can you blame me for getting them mixed up?

 

[McDNicks17]

I also thought it was quite dumb to get rid of Carter Savoie, who’s a capable AHL player, while literally acquiring his brother. Would’ve been good for both those guys development, but Yenno, oilers gonna oiler

He isn’t an AHL player this year though, so I’m not sure they missed out on much.

Hard to say what’s happened behind the scenes too. There were rumours that Carter didn’t really care about off-ice work. I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that he would have helped Matt’s development.

 

[belair]

He isn’t an AHL player this year though, so I’m not sure they missed out on much.

Hard to say what’s happened behind the scenes too. There were rumours that Carter didn’t really care about off-ice work. I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that he would have helped Matt’s development.

Could've gone either way. It just looks odd when the trade for the guy's brother days after walking away from the table.

Meanwhile here the Condors are with two guys in D'Amato and Swetlikoff who couldn't get a regular shift on the Henderson Silver Knights.

Long story short. I'd rather give a homegrown prospect a longer leash than an undrafted plug who's an obvious miss. Nothing stopping them from putting actual prospects on that roster.

 

[McDNicks17]

Could've gone either way. It just looks odd when the trade for the guy's brother days after walking away from the table.

Meanwhile here the Condors are with two guys in D'Amato and Swetlikoff who couldn't get a regular shift on the Henderson Silver Knights.

Long story short. I'd rather give a homegrown prospect a longer leash than an undrafted plug who's an obvious miss. Nothing stopping them from putting actual prospects on that roster.

To be fair, those guys are only getting minutes because the Condors have like 12 injuries right now.

D'Amato was a good 4th line PKer and Swetlikoff was in the ECHL before the team started dropping like flies.


I'd say the main thing stopping them from that is drafting. Like sure, Carter is younger, but I wouldn't consider him an actual prospect. He's pretty clearly a bust at this point and that's basically the only type of guy the organization has been sending to Bako.

 

[MessierThanThou]

I don't know how you think Savoie is mid. What on earth gives you that idea lol? We have prospects coming in O'Reilly, Nicholls, Wakely, Clattenburg, Samanski, Brochu, Day, Carfagna. I may have missed a few but our last draft was very good

Now how do these prospects look compared to most of the other prospect pools in the league? I think that's the real question. Nicholl is OK, but 1 point in 4 playoff games when some of his teammates already have double-digits doesn't exactly scream future NHLer.

You actually left off the most promising prospect of all: Berezkin.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Now how do these prospects look compared to most of the other prospect pools in the league? I think that's the real question. Nicholl is OK, but 1 point in 4 playoff games when some of his teammates already have double-digits doesn't exactly scream future NHLer.

You actually left off the most promising prospect of all: Berezkin.

I left him off on purpose. I won't get my hopes up on him until we sign him. If this team leaves him off, I swear....

 

[belair]

To be fair, those guys are only getting minutes because the Condors have like 12 injuries right now.

D'Amato was a good 4th line PKer and Swetlikoff was in the ECHL before the team started dropping like flies.


I'd say the main thing stopping them from that is drafting. Like sure, Carter is younger, but I wouldn't consider him an actual prospect. He's pretty clearly a bust at this point and that's basically the only type of guy the organization has been sending to Bako.

4th line PKers shouldn't be running on your top line is my point. D'Amato has been one of Chaulk's favorites this season. Meanwhile the actual prospect Matvei Petrov is toiling in the bottom six. No interest in giving this player some confidence, I suppose.

Meanwhile all three of these guys are likely to fall short of Savoie's numbers last season. Was there any reason to believe his production was going to regress?

 

[Canovin]

The Oilers could sign Yamo for the same price as Carter Savoie. At least we know Yamo has success here. He’s also PPG in the AHL

 

[McShogun99]

I'm not sure where the best place to post this, but ex-Condors STAR Tyler Benson is putting up goaltending offensive stats in Sweden this year.

31 games 0 goals 0 assists 0 points.

That’s impressive. It’s like he’s trying not to score.

 

[McDNicks17]

4th line PKers shouldn't be running on your top line is my point. D'Amato has been one of Chaulk's favorites this season. Meanwhile the actual prospect Matvei Petrov is toiling in the bottom six. No interest in giving this player some confidence, I suppose.

Meanwhile all three of these guys are likely to fall short of Savoie's numbers last season. Was there any reason to believe his production was going to regress?

You kind of have to have those guys on your top line when you've got like six injuries in the top9 and maybe two actual prospects on the team.

Petrov is down there for the same reason Savoie wasn't brought back. When you don't score, don't play defense and don't really look like you care, you aren't going to be gifted any opportunities.

 

[belair]

You kind of have to have those guys on your top line when you've got like six injuries in the top9 and maybe two actual prospects on the team.

Petrov is down there for the same reason Savoie wasn't brought back. When you don't score, don't play defense and don't really look like you care, you aren't going to be gifted any opportunities.

So you end up with Savoie carrying a plug and Petrov carrying two of them? This coach ain't it.

 

[McDNicks17]

So you end up with Savoie carrying a plug and Petrov carrying two of them? This coach ain't it.

Petrov can’t even keep his own head above water let alone carry anyone. He’s on par with those ECHL guys and just a body in the lineup.

Moving him up the lineup just means Savoie is carrying an ever worse plug.

 

[Stoneman89]

I also thought it was quite dumb to get rid of Carter Savoie, who’s a capable AHL player, while literally acquiring his brother. Would’ve been good for both those guys development, but Yenno, oilers gonna oiler

So keep him, but mostly due to the fact his bro is here?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Absolutely nuts. They signed Rhett pitlick, Tyler's cousin to an ATO lol

 

[belair]

Petrov can’t even keep his own head above water let alone carry anyone. He’s on par with those ECHL guys and just a body in the lineup.

Moving him up the lineup just means Savoie is carrying an ever worse plug.

Carry his own head above water? Bakersfield is ass. Partially due to its coaching and partially due to its composition.

Nobody should expect guys like Carter Savoie or Matvei Petrov to carry a line coming out of Junior. But the whole point of these farm systems is to empower the prospects of the organization and develop the skill sets they possess, which were the reason they were drafted.

This coach has consistently relied on AHL lifers and ECHL role players for the past two season to fill vital roles instead of actual Oiler prospects and it's still resulting in a subpar product.

I'd rather see the team fail with those two and other actual prospects filling larger roles that suit their respective games than watch an AHL coach try and hang on to his job, leaning on half a dozen AHL vets to the same result.

Development requires opportunity. And we're frequently seeing this coach minimize the roles of our very few prospects and the organization willing to cut ties early. It's time to put this area of the organization under the microscope.