Craig MacTavish has had a bad first 18 months as GM

[stompinstoms]

Hey Oilers fans,

What's the general opinion here on MacT these days? I wrote up a piece on how I rank his work so far. Give a read if you wish, and let's discuss!

http://alongtheboards.com/2014/11/craig-mactavish-progress-report-oilers-gm/

Click to read more...

 

[Gone]

Fair assessment. Good overview.

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

As an outside observer, I am surprised with how MacT has done so far. His trades have been very good and most of his signings have been beneficial. Remember, it is not known how much Lowe has handicapped his abilities.

Eakins is a bad hire, but I have my theories on why MacT went on that KHL craze (keep Yak happy?)

You have your expectations set too high. MacT has done a fine job.

 

[stompinstoms]

I respectfully disagree. My expectations were simply modest improvement in the standings this season, and that has NOT happened so far.

 

[mindmasher]

Your "analysis" of the team is simply your weakly worded opinions. Where's the depth? No indication of goalie performance - you know, like looking at EV save percentage since it's the repeatable portion. Nothing about strength of schedule, or even a look at home-away breakdown. Not a peep about shot metrics. I won't even get started with metrics like fenwick close and PDO.

Even if it's an opinion piece, you should start with facts and end with facts. If this is a proof-is-in-the-pudding (points) analysis of a GM, you aren't properly tasting the pudding.

 

[Aerrol]

Your "analysis" of the team is simply your weakly worded opinions. Where's the depth? No indication of goalie performance - you know, like looking at EV save percentage since it's the repeatable portion. Nothing about strength of schedule, or even a look at home-away breakdown. Not a peep about shot metrics. I won't even get started with metrics like fenwick close and PDO.

Even if it's an opinion piece, you should start with facts and end with facts. If this is a proof-is-in-the-pudding (points) analysis of a GM, you aren't properly tasting the pudding.

Wow exaggeration much? Sure he could've made his point stronger with numbers, especially goalie save percentages but he analyzed MacT's moves pretty in depth. Fact of the matter is we suck despite all these moves. Eakins is the one who all these numbers (eg corsi) are most helpful for analyzing.

I at least thought it was a good read.

 

[Beerfish]

You are being far too kind in that article. MacT has been horrible in most areas of being a GM and for being a 'smart guy' pulled pretty well every rookie GM never been in that spot move before there is from slagging players or making rash promise the day he was hired to making awful boasts about the talent of the team, to changing his mind drastically on players after 6 months. Bad all the way around.

The only difference at this point in time from the Tambo years is that our coaching is worse and the 3rd line and mid tier dmen have been signed to longer more expensive contracts.

He gets a D- so far.

 

[Beerfish]

Your "analysis" of the team is simply your weakly worded opinions. Where's the depth? No indication of goalie performance - you know, like looking at EV save percentage since it's the repeatable portion. Nothing about strength of schedule, or even a look at home-away breakdown. Not a peep about shot metrics. I won't even get started with metrics like fenwick close and PDO.

Even if it's an opinion piece, you should start with facts and end with facts. If this is a proof-is-in-the-pudding (points) analysis of a GM, you aren't properly tasting the pudding.

Corsi, Fenwick and that the other advanced mumbo jumbo means a big fat ZERO when you have the record the oilers have had. They don't have to be mentioned at all. The only place I would mention them is as follows:

macT signed a guy who couldn't last more than a year with any other team to a 5 years 20 mill contract because he had good advanced stats.

 

[Oi'll say!]

Your "analysis" of the team is simply your weakly worded opinions. Where's the depth? No indication of goalie performance - you know, like looking at EV save percentage since it's the repeatable portion. Nothing about strength of schedule, or even a look at home-away breakdown. Not a peep about shot metrics. I won't even get started with metrics like fenwick close and PDO.

Even if it's an opinion piece, you should start with facts and end with facts. If this is a proof-is-in-the-pudding (points) analysis of a GM, you aren't properly tasting the pudding.

good points all around. The fans go to the games and get all excited about shot metrics, ev sv% and whether or not they win games is beside the point.

People still talk about the great shot metrics of the Washington Capitals of the 80's and the ev sv% of the mighty ducks when they first came to the NHL. That was the epitome of hockey at its finest.

 

[Oi'll say!]

Imo it's a great piece that holds MacT accountable in the main areas of achievement, for how he runs his mouth when he shouldn't, and how much patience he has with "his guys" vs "Tambo's guys".

Maybe a bit soft but completely accurate.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Your "analysis" of the team is simply your weakly worded opinions. Where's the depth? No indication of goalie performance - you know, like looking at EV save percentage since it's the repeatable portion. Nothing about strength of schedule, or even a look at home-away breakdown. Not a peep about shot metrics. I won't even get started with metrics like fenwick close and PDO.

Even if it's an opinion piece, you should start with facts and end with facts. If this is a proof-is-in-the-pudding (points) analysis of a GM, you aren't properly tasting the pudding.

The nonsense numbers you listed arent facts. They are the ever-changing always altering/fudging concocted nonsense used by basement dwellers and nose pickers.

As for the conclusion drawn by the article. Ya, no ****. Some of us knew this the day he was hired.

 

[Bangers]

The nonsense numbers you listed arent facts. They are the ever-changing always altering/fudging concocted nonsense used by basement dwellers and nose pickers.

As for the conclusion drawn by the article. Ya, no ****. Some of us knew this the day he was hired.

I don't know IATL, I was filled with confidence when they hired a GM:
- without any experience
- without actually interviewing other candidates
- who was not on any other team's radar (ie. no other team was interested)
- who was part of the reason the team was in such craptastic shape in the 1st place

Because Oilers.

 

[MegaSpiderman66]

I agree with the general sentiment of the article. It seems that as long as MacT has done something to address an area of perceived weakness on the team (ie goaltending, coaching) then it has been 'fixed', cause these are 'his guys' and 'his move'. He can then just sit on his hands and move onto something different, without ever taking the time to assess whether it was an actual improvement or not.

Which is basically just a microcosm of oilers management in general. This management group has absolutely no ability to self-assess or self-critique itself.
.

 

[Ogopogo*]

MacT has done a good job to solidify the goaltending but, he has done a piss-poor job of building our D. We have six third-pair defensemen and that is why we suck. For two summers he has signed warm bodies to play the blue line and we continue to lose - time to step it up and bring in some real D.

I like Eberle but, we should deal him for a solid top-pair D man.

 

[oobga]

While Krueger's team is about to stay at 5 GA in 11 games and get within 4 points of 1st in the EPL.

Almost everything bad about MacT's GM career so far roots back to him hiring Eakins. He will never have any idea of what his team is capable of until he gets rid of that boob. Get a real coach, then find out what the weaknesses of your team actually are (aside from an obvious lack of C depth) and work from there. Stop trying to work around a terrible coach, it's a complete waste of time. Of course we have obvious holes, but that's no excuse for the lack of structure on our game, lack of preparation and lack of competitiveness. The flames can be competitive against any team with 40M worth of healthy players while we can look like we don't belong in the league with 60M of guys.

 

[Gone]

While Krueger's team is about to stay at 5 GA in 11 games and get within 4 points of 1st in the EPL.

Almost everything bad about MacT's GM career so far roots back to him hiring Eakins. He will never have any idea of what his team is capable of until he gets rid of that boob. Get a real coach, then find out what the weaknesses of your team actually are (aside from an obvious lack of C depth) and work from there. Stop trying to work around a terrible coach, it's a complete waste of time.

Given the coach, MacT's "I'm an impatient man" comment rings quite hollow.

 

[McArthur]

While Krueger's team is about to stay at 5 GA in 11 games and get within 4 points of 1st in the EPL.

Almost everything bad about MacT's GM career so far roots back to him hiring Eakins. He will never have any idea of what his team is capable of until he gets rid of that boob. Get a real coach, then find out what the weaknesses of your team actually are (aside from an obvious lack of C depth) and work from there. Stop trying to work around a terrible coach, it's a complete waste of time.

for the first time I am starting to wonder if the Eakins hiring was managements desire to not have another coach that could make management look bad. If Tom Renney leaves and claims the management is terrible, people will listen. If Dallas Eakins said the same thing, I'd be inclined to think that Eakins couldn't hack it.

 

[shoop]

Your "analysis" of the team is simply your weakly worded opinions. Where's the depth? No indication of goalie performance - you know, like looking at EV save percentage since it's the repeatable portion. Nothing about strength of schedule, or even a look at home-away breakdown. Not a peep about shot metrics. I won't even get started with metrics like fenwick close and PDO.

Even if it's an opinion piece, you should start with facts and end with facts. If this is a proof-is-in-the-pudding (points) analysis of a GM, you aren't properly tasting the pudding.

This.

I was also distracted by the poor writing and the unsupported assertions of fact. OP got a page view out of me this time. Never again.

 

[rboomercat90]

I agree with the general sentiment of the article. It seems that as long as MacT has done something to address an area of perceived weakness on the team (ie goaltending, coaching) then it has been 'fixed', cause these are 'his guys' and 'his move'. He can then just sit on his hands and move onto something different, without ever taking the time to assess whether it was an actual improvement or not.

Which is basically just a microcosm of oilers management in general. This management group has absolutely no ability to self-assess or self-critique itself.
.

Your point is a pretty good assessment of Mac T's performance here so far. He's received all kinds of praise for making a lot of trades but all he's done for the most part is move out guys that weren't his acquisitions. He's been very quick to put the hammer down on the guys who were already here and seemingly very satisfied with the guys he brought in. His guys haven't been impressive either. There have been a couple exceptions to this in guys like Larbarbera and Grebeshkov and that defenseman he brought in from the Leafs (can't remember his name now) but those guys were so putrid even he couldn't ignore it. For the most part his guys have been boat anchors that his coach is afraid to bench out of fear of embarrassing either the player or his boss.

Lots of talk on here about how Mactavish has been quick to admit his mistakes and correct them. I don't think this is the case at all. He's looked like a guy who can't concieve the idea that he's ever wrong and sticks with his decisions come hell or high water.

 

[rboomercat90]

While Krueger's team is about to stay at 5 GA in 11 games and get within 4 points of 1st in the EPL.

Almost everything bad about MacT's GM career so far roots back to him hiring Eakins. He will never have any idea of what his team is capable of until he gets rid of that boob. Get a real coach, then find out what the weaknesses of your team actually are (aside from an obvious lack of C depth) and work from there. Stop trying to work around a terrible coach, it's a complete waste of time. Of course we have obvious holes, but that's no excuse for the lack of structure on our game, lack of preparation and lack of competitiveness. The flames can be competitive against any team with 40M worth of healthy players while we can look like we don't belong in the league with 60M of guys.

What bugs me about this comment is that this was supposed to be the reason for firing Krueger and bringing Eakins here in the first place. People were saying these players couldn't possibly be accurately evaluated because Krueger didn't know how to coach. After Eakins was hired, Stauffer for one was saying that significant players would be moved before another coach was fired. He said the Oilers had good coaching now and the players no longer had that excuse. It was their turn to be judged on what they could contribute to this team. This team was so convinced they had their coaching savior that Stauffer had no problem making that bold statement.

If we truly are still in the same place that our players still can't be properly judged due to awful coaching then that falls squarely on the shoulders of Mactavish and in turn on the higher ups in the organization. All of them. It's clear none of them have any idea on how to get the proper people in here to turn this around. It's so much more than just the coach that's failing here.

 

[RattsSSV]

MacF. I can't say it any clearer.

 

[stompinstoms]

Your "analysis" of the team is simply your weakly worded opinions. Where's the depth? No indication of goalie performance - you know, like looking at EV save percentage since it's the repeatable portion. Nothing about strength of schedule, or even a look at home-away breakdown. Not a peep about shot metrics. I won't even get started with metrics like fenwick close and PDO.

Even if it's an opinion piece, you should start with facts and end with facts. If this is a proof-is-in-the-pudding (points) analysis of a GM, you aren't properly tasting the pudding.

All that stuff (Corsi, Fenwick, etc.) is BS if you watch the games.

Tell me, which teams have hired advanced stats gurus since the trend started? The Oilers. The Leafs. Other bad teams.

Advanced stats don't tell a story. Watch the games. I don't really give a crap that the Oilers players have "good possession numbers." If you watch the games, you can see that this team is mismatched against pretty much any opponent.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Corsi, Fenwick and that the other advanced mumbo jumbo means a big fat ZERO when you have the record the oilers have had. They don't have to be mentioned at all. The only place I would mention them is as follows:

macT signed a guy who couldn't last more than a year with any other team to a 5 years 20 mill contract because he had good advanced stats.

I disagree. They have some value because in some circumstances they're a better predictor of future wins than your past record.

That signing you're talking about was definitely a misuse of advanced statistics, but that says more about MacT than the advanced stats themselves. You have to know how to use them.

 

[BackhandToeyJoey]

All that stuff (Corsi, Fenwick, etc.) is BS if you watch the games.

Tell me, which teams have hired advanced stats gurus since the trend started? The Oilers. The Leafs. Other bad teams.

Advanced stats don't tell a story. Watch the games. I don't really give a crap that the Oilers players have "good possession numbers." If you watch the games, you can see that this team is mismatched against pretty much any opponent.

They don't dictate the play! They're a counter strike team, Tyler Ennis had no business being the standout player yesterday.

With MacT, he's addressed the team somewhat, and the best part of him is that he can admit when he his wrong. Where he falls is that, he believes the team too much and is putting too much stock in players. It's stupid, but I believe he's doing what's best.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

It read like a fluff piece of journalism to me, it's just a quick rundown of what he did here and then a basic summation that the team sucks so ergo he sucks and doesn't get a passing grade. It read to me to be about 90% opinion and light on facts and analysis, if I'm going to read a purely opinion piece I'd rather it be from someone I respect and not some random internet blogger. Lowetide and Jonathan Willis have done enough respectable journalism that I'd respect a purely opinion based article from them, but I don't give this author anymore weight then I would something written by an average poster on these boards.