Kings News: LA Kings Hire Adam Oats as a Consultant

[Telos]

He has been hired to give advice regarding player skills evaluation and development. What do you think?

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[LAKings88]

Wasn’t he a catastrophe as a coach?

Blake version of punishing the players lol.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I guess Oates acts as a freelance consultant and various NHL players hire him for analysis for their play and I guess it's really expensive.

They were talking about on the Spittin' Chicklets Podcast.

 

[King'sPawn]

**** no. Are you serious?

He was a disaster as a coach and went so far as to micromanage the sticks the players used.

 

[KINGS17]

I think any new voice coming from outside the existing organization providing an honest evaluation of these players is welcome news.

He may have been a lousy coach, but it doesn't mean he can't evaluate talent.

 

[Bandit]

So he's gonna get paid a mint to tell Kovalchuk and Kopitar to change their curve? f***ing terrific

 

[King'sPawn]

I think any new voice coming from outside the existing organization providing an honest evaluation of these players is welcome news.

He may have been a lousy coach, but it doesn't mean he can't evaluate talent.

I trust Stevens to be a better offensive consultant than Oates. He's a disaster

 

[Brodeur]

I think he's generally gotten positive reviews as a skills coach, although there was some backlash when Mike Yeo was coaching in Minnesota and Oates showed up for a practice since Suter/Parise were clients. Yeo thought Oates was overstepping his bounds in that instance.

Oates as a head/assistant coach had mixed results. The oddity being that he made Kovalchuk and Ovechkin switch to RW since they were right handed shots.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2013/10/01/adam-oates-and-hockey-sticks

Possibly to his detriment, Oates is really into stick curves/lies and will get players to switch based on their style of play.

 

[KINGS17]

I trust Stevens to be a better offensive consultant than Oates. He's a disaster

Okay, but the tweet doesn't say Oats is being brought in as an offensive consultant. This roster of players can use some constructive criticism. It doesn't mean everything he says will be correct, but some of these guys need to gain a different perspective on playing the game the right way.

 

[Little Psycho]

Will he finally be the one to help Doughty on the pp?

 

[Winger23]

Hes not coming in to coach people. Just saying he cant make most of the team play any worse with his suggestions.

Overreaction. Change is good.

 

[King'sPawn]

Okay, but the tweet doesn't say Oats is being brought in as an offensive consultant.

I misread the title/article. I thought it said he was brought in as an offensive coordinator.

I still have very little trust in him. He tried to change Ovechkin's stick and tried to change curves and wings of players based on style of play.

I agree in principle an outside voice is needed, but I don't trust his judgment.

 

[KINGS17]

Will he finally be the one to help Doughty on the pp?

I could consult on Doughty's role on the power play. Start using a wrist shot or grab some pine.

 

[KINGS17]

I misread the title/article. I thought it said he was brought in as an offensive coordinator.

I still have very little trust in him. He tried to change Ovechkin's stick and tried to change curves and wings of players based on style of play.

I agree in principle an outside voice is needed, but I don't trust his judgment.

It's been a while, maybe Oates has learned something after the Ovechkin days.

 

[King'sPawn]

It's been a while, maybe Oates has learned something after the Ovechkin days.

You may very well be right, but this move makes me uncomfortable.

 

[tny760]

Will he finally be the one to help Doughty on the pp?

NO

f***ING

SLAP SHOTS

*shakes drew violently*

please.

 

[The Butcher]

At least Blake isn't sitting on his hands.

 

[King'sPawn]

Dave Prior, who had worked with the Capitals either as a goaltending coach, scout or adviser since 1997 and helped draft Varlamov, Neuvirth, Holtby and Grubauer, was fired in August 2013 when he refused to endorse and implement changes to the style of play Oates wanted.
“Adam did not agree with how I coach, both in my methods and the content of what I coached,” Prior said from his home in Ontario. “My inflexibility was perceived as ignorance or stubbornness, but I perceive it as a much deeper knowledge of the position. . . . I have no regrets. I would do the same thing again because I stand up for what I believe in. I would gladly defend a goaltender and what I believe is the toughest way to play goal and lose my job over it than to pour gas on them or give them what I believe is bad advice.”
Oates and new goaltending coach Olie Kolzig promoted a calm, controlled style of play that allowed for deeper placement in the crease. All three netminders who started the year in Washington acknowledged the adjustments weren’t instantaneous, but the most visibly affected was Holtby.
The most aggressive of the bunch, Holtby appeared trapped between instinct and instruction. During a stretch from Dec. 10 to Jan. 21, in which he made just seven appearances, Holtby gave up 23 goals on 160 shots and said his confidence was low.
While Oates declined to comment specifically on the difference of opinion with Prior, he made his case for the modifications.
“I’ve studied the position. I’ve met with a lot of people and studied the position. I’m a head coach of a team: My job is to know every position. I never played D but I know D, so I know goaltending,” Oates said. “We’re just trying to tap in more to their reflexes. . . . Every opportunity I give [Holtby] to make another save with his reflexes is a bonus. Now, it’s a process. There’s many nights that he reverts back because that’s his habits, but there’s things I think he needs to do to be better.”

This is other **** I don't want him to pull.

I know he's not a head coach here, but he sounds like an egomaniac.

 

[Bandit]

At least Blake isn't sitting on his hands.

He's sitting on Luc's hands...

 

[SherVaughn30]

**** no. Are you serious?

He was a disaster as a coach and went so far as to micromanage the sticks the players used.

Not only that, when he was the Caps coach, he was telling the goalie coach on how to coach the goalies! Oates can be very arrogant and egotistical!

 

[Matt13]

I guess Oates acts as a freelance consultant and various NHL players hire him for analysis for their play and I guess it's really expensive.

They were talking about on the Spittin' Chicklets Podcast.

Great Podcast. I never miss an episode.

Oates current list of clients and what they are accomplishing is pretty dynamic. Teddy Purcell is also working for him.

I for one am excited for this.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I could consult on Doughty's role on the power play. Start using a wrist shot or grab some pine.

Seriously, Doughty handles the puck on the PP like it's a hand granade!

 

[SherVaughn30]

Great Podcast. I never miss an episode.

Oates current list of clients and what they are accomplishing is pretty dynamic. Teddy Purcell is also working for him.

I for one am excited for this.

I hope the Kings have put a restraining order on Oates talking to goalies/d-men!

 

[SherVaughn30]

Will he finally be the one to help Doughty on the pp?

If I were Doughty, I would be trying to get consultant advice from greats like Orr, Coffey, Borque, Potvin, Lidstrom, etc., not Oates!

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm ambivalent on it. Big shrug from me. Though if players are seeking him out individually, he must be doing something right, so if he can carry that over here--ie the Kings hired him to do what he's doing but with our players specifically--I don't see why this is getting panned. He's not a coach in any official capacity, players can tell him to go f*** right off if it's garbage advice.

If I were Doughty, I would be trying to get consultant advice from greats like Orr, Coffey, Borque, Potvin, Lidstrom, etc., not Oates!

Yeah, one of the best passers of all time, why would we want anything to do with that guy?