Is Kevin Lowe Still Running the Oilers?

[Walkingthroughforest]

You said serviceable NHLer. So two impact players between 97 and 2011, so much for Darryl's dev program.

Great, even if you want to do serviceable, only developing 11 players over 14 years of drafting is insanely bad.

Darryl was a terrible player development GM, but he worked hard to create a system which ultimately turned into the Abbotsford Heat and was taken over by people much more qualified than he was. And now the Flames have a development system which has almost churned out more NHL’ers in 6 years than in the past 20.

You’re just proving my point.

 

[GOilers88]

I believe this is what’s called “straw grasping”!

But who can blame the Oil fans? I’d be looking for conspiracy theories as well to explain how after all these years of high drafts and tanks that they are still at the bottom of the league and hard up against the cap.

Tough place to be at the moment I’d imagine

Is it really a conspiracy theory when all the guys who ran the team into the ground for 10 years were promoted within and given new titles as a reward for their abject failure? Normally, when most people destroy a company or a franchise, they're held accountable and fired. Not in Edmonton.

 

[who_me?]

Why is Messier missing from the OEG lol

 

[McRpro]

Lowe is a better gm than Chiarelli. So is Tambellini.

A tree stump would have been a better GM for the Oilers these last few years.

 

[RalphKing]

A tree stump would have been a better GM for the Oilers these last few years.

Agreed. That's how we know a tree stump isn't doing this behind the scenes.

 

[Yukon Joe]

We'll never know for sure what goes on behind the scenes. We do know that there have been stories published over the years about the Old Buys Club, or the "Red Wine Summits", that continue to have some level of voice. As an example here's a Mark Spector article from 2018:

Oilers being held hostage by voices of their past - Sportsnet.ca

I suspect the problem with the Oilers is that there is no single voice in charge. Chiarelli is the GM and has a lot of sway, to be sure. But former GMs Lowe and MacT are still around, and have owners ear. Katz appears to be willing to go over his GMs head on some issues. You have Gretzky hanging around as well. And it does seem like Ken Hitchcock is probably being listened to as well when it comes to roster decisions.

I think even if Kevin Lowe were "running" the OIlers, we'd see a more consistent and deliberate approach in building the team than what we're seeing now - and I don't particularly respect Lowe as a GM.

 

[Bounces R Way]

They take turns. Chia gets Mondays, MacTuesdays, Kevin LoWednesdays, Howson on Thursdays, and Nicholson gets to do the staff meeting Fridays. Nobody works weekends obviously.

 

[guzzy]

Lowe could at least win a trade and had a nice deadline pickup or two, but Pronger was a gift. Pronger for Eric Brewer, Doug Lynch, and Jeff Woywitka... That deal on the STL end makes some of the Chia's trades look like gold.

On the whole, Lowe (as arrogant of a prick he is) was better than Chia because he at least minimized the damage. Don't want either of them though

This Koskinen deal for example it's just way to aggressive, for no real reason. Why did we need to give him 3 years? Chiarelli seems like the guy who decides at the very last second whether he is going to **** or get off the pot, when he gets off the pot it's fine. When he ****s it's a disaster, because he pulls the trigger on stupid things without seemingly doing research or thinking it through. Could be the OBC, could just be him. Who knows.

Gifts only count if you can materialize. Edmonton made the cup with Pronger which was good. They drafted Eberle with the pick they received when they traded Pronger. We all know what happened to Eberle. Terrible resource management. The cap can't be blamed for that.

 

[Kranix]

Great, even if you want to do serviceable, only developing 11 players over 14 years of drafting is insanely bad.

Darryl was a terrible player development GM, but he worked hard to create a system which ultimately turned into the Abbotsford Heat and was taken over by people much more qualified than he was. And now the Flames have a development system which has almost churned out more NHL’ers in 6 years than in the past 20.

You’re just proving my point.

You said serviceable

 

[qwerty]

Of course Kevin Lowe is still involved with the Oilers.

Afterall, I think he knows a little bit more about winning than most other people and where to sort fans into what tiers.

How could anyone not want a guy with this kind of specialized skillset leading their organization?

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

You said serviceable

I have no idea what point you’re making now. 11 “serviceable” players in 14 years of drafting is abysmal.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Remember when he tried to resign in disgrace with a letter penned to Oil fans and Katz wouldn't let him?

 

[Hynh]

It's obvious ol' 6 rings still has major influence on the team. My boss's dad doesn't have a formal title but he still has an office. The only way to fix the Oilers is to fire the whole group. Send Gretzky back to Arizona.

 

[Helistin]

It's obvious ol' 6 rings still has major influence on the team. My boss's dad doesn't have a formal title but he still has an office. The only way to fix the Oilers is to fire the whole group. Send Gretzky back to Arizona.

Hey now , all those old boys serve a purpose. Who else would drink all the wine and tell amusing anecdotes about Bob Essensa in their staff meetings if Lowe,MacTavish, Nicholson and co would be fired?

 

[Extra Texture]

Pretty much. Even if PC gets fired, unless he comes and publicly shames the organization where are we going to be?

Hiring yet another yes man or ex-oiler that shouldn't be a gm isn't the answer. These guys apparently are already doing decisions by committee so it's quite scary to think that someone that is already here is going to be running the team.

Katz needs to cut ties with all the ex-oilers and be done with.

Absolutely. Katz should just liquidate the entire FO infrastructure. Get those people the hell away from anything related to the Oil, and get in experienced with a proper rebuild/retool who has patience. You’d think Katz would’ve learned after the first rebuild was squandered

They should sound out Hextall. There’s a guy who had patience. Different scenarios of course, but he was clearly building something in Philly. I don’t know if the Oil have that kind of time.

 

[Sugi21]

Lowe could at least win a trade and had a nice deadline pickup or two, but Pronger was a gift. Pronger for Eric Brewer, Doug Lynch, and Jeff Woywitka... That deal on the STL end makes some of the Chia's trades look like gold.

On the whole, Lowe (as arrogant of a prick he is) was better than Chia because he at least minimized the damage. Don't want either of them though

This Koskinen deal for example it's just way to aggressive, for no real reason. Why did we need to give him 3 years? Chiarelli seems like the guy who decides at the very last second whether he is going to **** or get off the pot, when he gets off the pot it's fine. When he ****s it's a disaster, because he pulls the trigger on stupid things without seemingly doing research or thinking it through. Could be the OBC, could just be him. Who knows.

Yeah Lowe did have his moments but he also made a few head scratchers but nothing at the level of Chia. Chiarelli really seems like a fly by night GM and doesn’t seem to have any real plan other than just ride McDrai and hope for playoffs. If he did have a plan it sure backfired don’t think there is any move he can make now to really save his bacon just knee jerk reactions. The Koskinen extension sure could have waited but it is what it is hopefully he can show some resemblance of a starter going forward! Gonna be a few interesting weeks leading up to the deadline in Oil country that’s for sure.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

Yeah Lowe did have his moments but he also made a few head scratchers but nothing at the level of Chia. Chiarelli really seems like a fly by night GM and doesn’t seem to have any real plan other than just ride McDrai and hope for playoffs. If he did have a plan it sure backfired don’t think there is any move he can make now to really save his bacon just knee jerk reactions. The Koskinen extension sure could have waited but it is what it is hopefully he can show some resemblance of a starter going forward! Gonna be a few interesting weeks leading up to the deadline in Oil country that’s for sure.

You don’t consider Ryan Smyth being shipped out over 100k and for Nilsson and O’Mara worse? Or the deals given to Staois, Horcoff and Moreau post 06? How about Vanek’ s offer sheet that could have lost Hall? Maybe Penner’s offer sheet? Trying to sign Hossa to a 10 year 90 million dollar deal and losing Glencross to the Flames were he roasted the Oil for years? Demanding Comrie return his signing bonus if he wanted to be traded?

Chai’s work has been very bad, but Lowe was a nuclear explosion

 

[Seanaconda]

You don’t consider Ryan Smyth being shipped out over 100k and for Nilsson and O’Mara worse? Or the deals given to Staois, Horcoff and Moreau post 06? How about Vanek’ s offer sheet that could have lost Hall? Maybe Penner’s offer sheet? Trying to sign Hossa to a 10 year 90 million dollar deal? Demanding Comrie return his signing bonus if he wanted to be traded?

Chai’s work has been very bad, but Lowe was a nuclear explosion

Horcoff was a 70 point player on a 3.6 mill deal post 06.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

Horcoff was a 70 point player on a 3.6 mill deal post 06.

He was a 50 point player that had a career year.

 

[Seanaconda]

He was a 50 point player that had a career year.

I'm pretty sure it was his five mill a year contract people didn't like in 09.

 

[Sugi21]

You don’t consider Ryan Smyth being shipped out over 100k and for Nilsson and O’Mara worse? Or the deals given to Staois, Horcoff and Moreau post 06? How about Vanek’ s offer sheet that could have lost Hall? Maybe Penner’s offer sheet? Trying to sign Hossa to a 10 year 90 million dollar deal and losing Glencross to the Flames were he roasted the Oil for years? Demanding Comrie return his signing bonus if he wanted to be traded?

Chai’s work has been very bad, but Lowe was a nuclear explosion

Only difference is that Lowe didn’t have a generational talent in his roster to build around! Chiarelli was hired to build a cup winner around Mcdavid and had a plethora of talent to do so but royally screwed up!!! The Oilers should have been a cup threat right now or at least another year or two had Chiarelli made the right moves but he did the opposite so yeah he did worse than Lowe!!!

 

[ThePhoenixx]

You realize for a "backfire effect" you actually need to produce some evidence to be resisted, right?

Unless you consider some tinfoil hat stuff evidence, you might want to rethink using that term.

MacTavish: Senior vice president of Hockey Ops.
Howson: Vice president: Player development
Lowe: Expertise is now business development. No need for experience or education. Sounds legit.
Bob Green: Director: Player personnel.

Ya. They have nothing to do with anything. Just tinfoil stuff to say otherwise. All the reports concerning the red wine summits etc. are all fabrications. They are the bestest ever. That decade never happened.

You MacT/ Lowe apologists are the best.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

I'm pretty sure it was his five mill a year contract people didn't like in 09.

You’re right. This list is just too long.

 

[Seanaconda]

MacTavish: Senior vice president of Hockey Ops.
Howson: Vice president: Player development
Lowe: Expertise is now business development. No need for experience or education. Sounds legit.
Bob Green: Director: Player personnel.

Ya. They have nothing to do with anything. Just tinfoil stuff to say otherwise. All the reports concerning the red wine summits etc. are all fabrications. They are the bestest ever. That decade never happened.

You MacT/ Lowe apologists are the best.

Do we really know ? All that we do know is katz is a huge fanboy and would pay them to hangout with him .

The amount of say they have isn't really known but gm styles have changed when they changed from klowe to tambs to chia.

 

[McDNicks17]

MacTavish: Senior vice president of Hockey Ops.
Howson: Vice president: Player development
Lowe: Expertise is now business development. No need for experience or education. Sounds legit.
Bob Green: Director: Player personnel.

Ya. They have nothing to do with anything. Just tinfoil stuff to say otherwise. All the reports concerning the red wine summits etc. are all fabrications. They are the bestest ever. That decade never happened.

You MacT/ Lowe apologists are the best.

Since you're so sure and have declared yourself correct, it should be pretty easy to come up with one example of concrete evidence that Lowe or MacT had direct influence on a hockey move that happened under Chia.

Let's see what you've got.