Confirmed with Link: Jeff Jackson (McDavid's now former agent) named Oilers CEO of Hockey Ops

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I don’t like Bobby haha I mean you de-rail threads with things that upset you. All the time.

Fair enough. I simply answered a question as to why I think he should be fired.

As for the hire itself, it's tough to judge anything at this point in time. Who replaces Ken Holland (assuming anyone does) will tell us everything.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

I'm sure he's super sorry. Hockey Canada is a joke, and he oversaw it.

so no proof, just making up scenarios in your head

Holland is better than Chiarelli, of that there is no question... But until this team wins it all they're still underachieving. Hopefully the defense/goaltending pulls it together this year.

such silly logic...there are 31 "underachieving" teams every year, and most don't fire their GMs

 

[Morpheus]

I gotta agree with Keith on this one.
Glad this burger baron is getting phased out.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

so no proof, just making up scenarios in your head


such silly logic...there are 31 "underachieving" teams every year, and most don't fire their GMs

Why would he apologize if nothing happened?

And those 31 other teams don’t have the high end talent the Oilers do. I don’t know how anyone can call the loss to Vegas anything other than underachieving.

 

[Anarchism]

I don’t like Bobby haha I mean you de-rail threads with things that upset you. All the time.

Does it really matter TopShelf. Does it matter that his perspective is an acute angle....maybe thats better than many of the strokers here...many of who cannot express an original thought or who know little of the subject matter they discuss but are regurgitating.

 

[brentashton]

Does it really matter TopShelf. Does it matter that his perspective is an acute angle....maybe thats better than many of the strokers here...many of who cannot express an original thought or who know little of the subject matter they discuss but are regurgitating.

No one would argue with posters being a devils advocate to group think in a thread. It’s how one goes about it, that becomes the issue.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Why would he apologize if nothing happened?

of course something happened, you assume he knew about it

And those 31 other teams don’t have the high end talent the Oilers do. I don’t know how anyone can call the loss to Vegas anything other than underachieving.

that's not on Holland though...he can't save the pucks for Skinner, or tell the defense how to play defense
or have Draisaitl go -7 in the final 4 games
or have Kane be a ghost
or tell Woody how to coach

 

[Drivesaitl]

Jeff Jackson? That's pretty random.
Has an agent ever moved up to CEO of Hockey Ops of an NHL team?

Not saying it's a bad thing btw (Nicholson being replaced can only be a good thing), just that it's interesting and of course can only be good that McDavid's rep is now in charge of Hockey Ops in terms of keeping him here long term. Is he qualified though or is that more of a favor to McDavid?

Just call the team the Edmonton McDavids and be done with it. Another McD hire. Seems like he has massive influence now on decisions

I dunno. Hire on merit, not because McD wants his gang here.

 

[Jumptheshark]

it's not that easy. If 3 years are up and McDavid needs a deal (2 years really), even winning the cup will not be enough. We need to be a team that is worth staying around for 8 years. That means we need to keep picks at the same time that we sell them off. For instance, thank god that Holland did not trade the picks that got us Holloway and Bourgault, and it was smart to roll with McLeod and keep Broberg. But, these will probably not be enough. When RNH, Ekholm, Kane, and Hyman age out we need replacements

There are other ways too. Holland has been pretty good at getting interesting free agents like college prospects, but we need to get some that hit, and to find late round gems as well. But, he's not magic. We need to keep some 1sts and 2nds imo

Nope.

Every 1st is on the table to get a player to help us with a deep run and to win at the deadline.

Remember I am the guy who loves picks and building via the draft.

We are in win now mode. If we don't either win or have a deep run in the next 2 years? Why do they stay?

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Fair enough. I simply answered a question as to why I think he should be fired.

As for the hire itself, it's tough to judge anything at this point in time. Who replaces Ken Holland (assuming anyone does) will tell us everything.

Fair enough and agreed.

Oooh that is such an important hire. No pressure Jackson.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Fair enough and agreed.

Oooh that is such an important hire. No pressure Jackson.

At the very least it pushes Bobby further out of the picture. I'd prefer entirely but this is the Oilers, after all.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Can't remember which show I was listening to, but they were talking about how there are more in the analytical community suggesting forget about draft picks. Probably for this very reason.

I don't 100% agree with that theory, but the Avalanche winning with so few drafted players probably are making people look at things very differently.

Except Colorado turned two elite young NHL drafted players, Duschesne and O'Reilly, into a bounty of 11 NHL players, draft picks and prospects.

Eventually trading some of these assets for their Cup winning goalie, a Stanley Cup winner forward Saad, and drafting another cornerstone top 5 d-man in Bowen Byram. All filling out their elite high pick core of McKinnon, Landeskog, Makar, E. Johnson.

Highly unique situation.

 

[Slats432]

I can't really find the negatives here, other than mild nepotism through the Old Boys Club. And even at that, most businesses are built on relationships, and if having Jeff Jackson ensures a pair of 8 year deals for 97 and 29 then sign me up.

 

[CupofOil]

Normally I would say yes, but it's not like this org hires anyone that smart in management positions to begin with, so if JJ is as smart (possibly smarter) than anyone else in the Oilers hockey ops and increases the odds of resigning McDavid by a fair amount ... I can't be too upset about that.

That's where I disagree, I think that's an awful reason to hire somebody to such an important position. If they think they can't re-sign McDavid without hiring Jackson as CEO then McDavid doesn't really want to be here anyway and cest la vie in that case.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Interesting hire. I think this is good news that McDavid will stay long term.

I think this means Nicholson is unofficially out. Hes probably just collecting a paycheck while he serves out a contact. Good riddance.

I'd really like to know how the owner, ceo, and GM's interract with each other behind the scenes though. I wonder how often the GM gets overruled on decisions. Least Holland will have someone competent in the room to bounce ideas off.

I see it more that McDavid influence on the org is dramatically increased and that its even more his clubhouse. What I question is whether McD is so great at team building, org building, or who to obtain. McD is the greatest player in the world, yes, I think he possibly falters in his assessment of what the team needs.

In any case I don't blanket approve of a player so heavily influencing operations now, which is essentially what this is.

 

[Slats432]

That's where I disagree, I think that's an awful reason to hire somebody to such an important position. If they think they can't re-sign McDavid without hiring Jackson as CEO then McDavid doesn't really want to be here anyway and cest la vie in that case.

I think that if hiring a qualified executive (And by all accounts JJ is) ensures that the Oilers retain two of the top five players in the game, you do it.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I can't really find the negatives here, other than mild nepotism through the Old Boys Club. And even at that, most businesses are built on relationships, and if having Jeff Jackson ensures a pair of 8 year deals for 97 and 29 then sign me up.

How would this influence Drai to stay? The org has moved from anybody he wanted around. I could see an alternate view where Drai forever feels in the shadows here, and that he wouldn't be anywhere else.

 

[Mr Positive]

Nope.

Every 1st is on the table to get a player to help us with a deep run and to win at the deadline.

Remember I am the guy who loves picks and building via the draft.

We are in win now mode. If we don't either win or have a deep run in the next 2 years? Why do they stay?

the issue I have with this is that we aren't Pittsburgh. Our window is not 3 years. It's as long as we have McDavid and Draisaitl. Pittsburgh can go truly all in because it is going to crash down soon.

I'll say your question back at you: Why do they stay? Why do they stay on a team with no future, even if they won the cup? We already have one of the worst rated prospect pools, that will catch up to us, perhaps just when we need it not to.

All this means is that the job of GM isn't easy. It's easy to say "don't trade the picks!" or "trade all the picks." Holland (or whoever is in charge in the coming years) has to navigate the impossibly thin barrier beteween the two and come out on top. Heck, even Colorado kept their 1st rounder for this year.

McDavid and Draisaitl are smart. They aren't going to stay on a team with no future. They will leave with no guilt because they gave the fans a cup.

 

[Drivesaitl]

That's where I disagree, I think that's an awful reason to hire somebody to such an important position. If they think they can't re-sign McDavid without hiring Jackson as CEO then McDavid doesn't really want to be here anyway and cest la vie in that case.

Nepotism is almost always a bad reason for hire. Absolutely agreed.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I think that if hiring a qualified executive (And by all accounts JJ is) ensures that the Oilers retain two of the top five players in the game, you do it.

You hire based on how suitable the person is for the position, end of story.

If the Oilers are actually worried about McDavid leaving then maybe we're in trouble.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Just call the team the Edmonton McDavids and be done with it. Another McD hire. Seems like he has massive influence now on decisions

I dunno. Hire on merit, not because McD wants his gang here.

The guy is an executive VP and founder of one of the largest/most progressive agencies in the NHL (Wasserman), played in the NHL for many years, has a law degree having worked as a corporate lawyer for multiple years and served 4 years as director of hockey ops/AGM for the Leafs.



He is qualified.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

How would this influence Drai to stay? The org has moved from anybody he wanted around. I could see an alternate view where Drai forever feels in the shadows here, and that he wouldn't be anywhere else.

like who?

 

[Anarchism]

No one would argue with posters being a devils advocate to group think in a thread. It’s how one goes about it, that becomes the issue.

I guess that means ur against crushing some posters heads and piling the debris up in the corner.
If you change ur mind ...I have the beginnings of a list.

 

[Drivesaitl]

like who?

Jack Campbell, Foegele, Connor Brown, Yams, all heavily endorsed by McD. just to mention a few.

Point is theres some clear misses.

At best McD is non critical. He gives blanket support to anybody he likes. That can be good and bad. But I don't think McD is great at player assessment and I feel the org is more and more putting him in that practicing beyond competence role.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Nepotism is almost always a bad reason for hire. Absolutely agreed.

believe it or not, this is how most sports organizations operate...even the best ones

Jack Campbell, Foegele, Connor Brown,Yams, all heavily endorsed by McD. just to mention a few.

Point is theres some clear misses.

I thought you were talking about Draisaitl