Confirmed with Link: Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson fired - no more Woody during NNN - Kris Knoblauch hired, Coffey as assistant

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Man I was hoping Jackson would just be the president and not try to be GM too. Whether Holland is a figurehead or not, JJ should have brought in a young GM candidate to do basicslly what Jackson is doing.

I was making posts defending Woody after the Seattle game, kinda felt like we were turning the corner (aside from McDrai). Step 1 was a goalie, very obviously.

Anyway despite wanting Woodcroft to stick around, that’s not reality. KK could be a good coach, I damn well hope so. He’s in a tough position, so I just hope the best for him and the team. The team needs to put their feelings aside and do their best for Knob, it’s all you can do in this situation.

This team is failing. Unfortunately Jackson has to jump into short-term decision making while trying to build out the long-term view. I actually think there is respect between Jackson and Holland and that the latter's experience and wisdom has value through the transition. But this epic collapse has pushed Jackson into the day-to-day. Ultimately he landed on Knoblauch to course correct today and beyond.

For me, it's always been a player's issue who I hold accountable for 80% of on-ice results, good and bad. All measures eyeball and analytical reveal that league worst goaltending has sunk this team aided and abetted by ongoing huge own zone mistakes and poor decisions by their d-corp and often indifferent forward support. This team's work rate comes and goes (within each individual's control) and elite performers have been only average.

Now if advance analytics are to be believed, this team appears posed to have their actual goal production numbers catch up to their expected numbers sometime soon. That breakthrough might have happened with the Seattle game. But again if Skinner can't deliver stops then the balloon will continue to deflate on this team's will.

Can't change 20+ players as the hockey cliche goes. Fire the coach is unfortunately the go to panic move. Woodcroft is a good coach with some flaws and will learn from this experience. I think Knoblauch is a solid young coach but this took big brass ones to hire him in this team's situation as a mature phase Cup wanna be on cusp of a season extinction event. Felt personally this group needed a firm veteran HC with Stanley Cup pedigree, wisdom and experience.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Weird what Gazolla is saying

Describes the rink this morning as "Dead energy" lol

He's kind of reminding me about how mad Rishaug got mad when Barrie got traded.

Maybe that's how Tom is thinking because maybe he's biased. I hope I'm right lol

 

[Drivesaitl]

Weird what Gazolla is saying

Describes the rink this morning as "Dead energy" lol

Gazolla has been pretty much a troll of this org for sometime. Wasn't he fired?

 

[Lay Z Boy GM]

I can’t help but imagine Woody signing somewhere in 2 years and McDavid rejoining him as a FA. That’s assuming we don’t find some real success in Edmonton.

I think McDavid mostly just wants to win. Bringing in familiar old faces doesn’t have that much value, he’s barely even stayed in contact with KK btw. If Holland did his damn job Woody wouldn’t go anywhere, with a goalie this team would probably be around even right now, I think there was always going to be a dip trying a new system this season, we even talked about there likely being a dip when they said the system was changing this off season.

 

[guymez]

double post

 

[McTonyBrar]

f***in leads trolls

 

[mkatcherin00]

Gazolla has been pretty much a troll of this org for sometime. Wasn't he fired?

Isn't he the guy who people think was SpeedyTurtle lol

 

[bellagiobob]

After having listened to both Connor and Knoblauch speak, it becomes quite clear that while they respect each other, they haven't remained close at all, with just the odd text here and there since Connor played for him in Erie. To me this is 100% a Jackson hiring, bringing in a coach he is familiar with, as he developed many of Jackson's clients, and has nothing to do with Connor playing GM, as has been mentioned in the thread.

 

[Shathar]

How could he have been surprised about Woody's firing when Holland said that he talked to him?

I don't know what to believe, but there are definitely some strange, suggestive interactions in that management interview.

Holland says he talked with some vets. Perhaps he didn't necessarily mean that he consulted with them about coaching. Fair enough. But the odd thing is on the subject of Connor, he defers to dingledork, who immediately shuts the subject down.

Why would Holland defer to dingledork on that particular player? It suggests a lot; there's no way around it.

 

[McTonyBrar]

After having listened to both Connor and Knoblauch speak, it becomes quite clear that while they respect each other, they haven't remained close at all, with just the odd text here and there since Connor played for him in Erie. To me this is 100% a Jackson hiring, bringing in a coach he is familiar with, as he developed many of Jackson's clients, and has nothing to do with Connor playing GM, as has been mentioned in the thread.

Can you tell the less intelligent people on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and all other social media Bob?

 

[guymez]

After having listened to both Connor and Knoblauch speak, it becomes quite clear that while they respect each other, they haven't remained close at all, with just the odd text here and there since Connor played for him in Erie. To me this is 100% a Jackson hiring, bringing in a coach he is familiar with, as he developed many of Jackson's clients, and has nothing to do with Connor playing GM, as has been mentioned in the thread.

Its absolutely a Jackson hire. Woodcroft wasnt his man and he used this 12 game opportunity to fire the most successful coach (in terms of winning percentage) in the history of the team.
Not saying that Woodcroft didnt have any flaws but this was clearly used as an opportunity for Jackson to get his man in the coaching chair.

 

[Patch101]

The one thing I have never understood is why coach's aren't just re-assigned.

Like, if they are a good hockey guy why not have them do other jobs while under contract.
Is it a pride thing? a contract thing? Maybe its a dumb question .....

 

[BamaOil]

I'm telling you. Once these two are gone, we will eventually build a good d and have a good goalie lol. Then we will be searching for that top elite talent.

I don't care what Marek says as well (from another post)

This team cost Woody his job with this garbage start, barring that idiot Holland. The goalies, the dmen, and forwards did not get the job done and put themselves ina giant hole.

I feel like this happened with the Rangers. When they had Hank, they couldn't score to save their lives, and relied on Hank to stand on his head to will them to a Cup final appearance. Then once Hank is gone, they get some decent scoring and a stronger commitment to systematic defensive schemes.

I definitely wouldn't be surprised to see a scenario where McDrai are done here and then we finally get some solid defense/goaltending, and we'll all be here griping about how we have no forwards that can finish.

 

[foshizzle]

Oiler fans will slowly sour McDavid on Edmonton. Just give it another 2 years

If they haven’t already

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Its absolutely a Jackson hire. Woodcroft wasnt his man and he used this 12 game opportunity to fire the most successful coach (in terms of winning percentage) in the history of the team.
Not saying that Woodcroft didnt have any flaws but this was clearly used as an opportunity for Jackson to get his man in the coaching chair.

Was it him or Holland who admitted he kept close tabs on Knoblauch's coaching trajectory during the presser?

 

[CupofOil]

McDavid doesnt sound very happy about Woodcroft being let go in the pre game interviews

McDavid never sounds very happy about anything.

 

[MessierII]

Was it him or Holland who admitted he kept close tabs on Knoblauch's coaching trajectory during the presser?

Holland said he interviewed him and almost hired him for detroits AHL team in 2016.

 

[TheNumber4]

After having listened to both Connor and Knoblauch speak, it becomes quite clear that while they respect each other, they haven't remained close at all, with just the odd text here and there since Connor played for him in Erie. To me this is 100% a Jackson hiring, bringing in a coach he is familiar with, as he developed many of Jackson's clients, and has nothing to do with Connor playing GM, as has been mentioned in the thread.

Truth. I don’t believe for one second McDavid wanted Woody replaced and then started playing pretend GM. Disappointed in supposedly knowledgeable Oilers media like the Oil Stream where Nielsen and Gazzola were pushing this narrative hard.

 

[guymez]

Was it him or Holland who admitted he kept close tabs on Knoblauch's coaching trajectory during the presser?

The thing is that Hollands track record never includes firing his choice for coach (a coach who had a very high winning percentage) after 12 games of trouble.
Its just not consistent with the GM Holland has been for a few decades.

 

[CupofOil]

Either they played well against Seattle because they knew Woody was gone, or they played well against Seattle because they're fully capable of it and decided to put their work boots on.

Either way it's concerning.

The effort level was noticeably higher. Look at Draisaitl's backcheck in the 3rd when McLeod gave him a pat on the back on the bench. He was doing that all night and we saw little of it prior. Love Drai and we've seen lazy spurts from him before but he's looked noticeably more consistently lazy this season up until the Seattle game.

My conspiracy theory is that they (the core guys especially) wanted Woodcroft gone and knew before the Seattle game that he wasn't surviving the road trip so they felt relieved and loose going into the game that a new coach was on the way. Nurse also had his best game being more engaged physically and just a lot more in the battle.
McDavid was still a little off but he was definitely more engaged in the defensive end.

 

[LeonDraisaitl29]

"Connor has had it with losing" then play better?

 

[ElysiumAB]

How could he have been surprised about Woody's firing when Holland said that he talked to him?

Holland apparently talked to them about the general feeling around the team, not about a coaching change, and Jackson said they didn't consult the players about it.

I personally have no clue what actually happened, but that's the story as best as people have put together.

The effort level was noticeably higher. Look at Draisaitl's backcheck in the 3rd when McLeod gave him a pat on the back on the bench. He was doing that all night and we saw little of it prior. Love Drai and we've seen lazy spurts from him before but he's looked noticeably more consistently lazy this season up until the Seattle game.

My conspiracy theory is that they (the core guys especially) wanted Woodcroft gone and knew before the Seattle game that he wasn't surviving the road trip so they felt relieved and loose going into the game that a new coach was on the way. Nurse also had his best game being more engaged physically and just a lot more in the battle.
McDavid was still a little off but he was definitely more engaged in the defensive end.

Unless McD, Drai, and Nurse are all incredible actors, that's not what their interviews today would lead you to believe at all.

 

[bellagiobob]

Its absolutely a Jackson hire. Woodcroft wasnt his man and he used this 12 game opportunity to fire the most successful coach (in terms of winning percentage) in the history of the team.
Not saying that Woodcroft didnt have any flaws but this was clearly used as an opportunity for Jackson to get his man in the coaching chair.

Which is pretty standard in business, and especially in sports. The new boss will gladly accept success that his support staff achieves, but will take the opportunity to put his people in place given what he sees as failure. Woody did some good things here, but unfortunately for him he was too stubborn at times, failed to react quickly enough (if at all) when it was warranted, and seemed to have a hard time making his stars accountable. And of course the numerous things we all know that were out of his control that have lead us to this moment.

 

[mkatcherin00]

I feel like this happened with the Rangers. When they had Hank, they couldn't score to save their lives, and relied on Hank to stand on his head to will them to a Cup final appearance. Then once Hank is gone, they get some decent scoring and a stronger commitment to systematic defensive schemes.

I definitely wouldn't be surprised to see a scenario where McDrai are done here and then we finally get some solid defense/goaltending, and we'll all be here griping about how we have no forwards that can finish.

Well, they drafted an unbelievable goalie too in Shesterkin

 

[Ritchie Valens]

The thing is that Hollands track record never includes firing his choice for coach (a coach who had a very high winning percentage) after 12 games of trouble.
Its just not consistent with the GM Holland has been for a few decades.

It doesn't fit his MO, that's for certain. I just remembered either Jeff or Ken (maybe both at different points) said they watched Knoblauch from afar, so to speak.

The beginning was strange also. My interpretation: "Well, we couldn't find a dance partner to trade with 12 games in, so we ran out of ideas and said......f*** it. We're bringing in Jeff's guy and our inside guy."