Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | Post Draft, Pre Free Agent Frenzy

[Sheikyerbouti]

I was listening to some pod today with Doug Maclean. He said Ken Holland is leaving Edmonton because of ownership. Made it sound like ownership meddling/ owner did him dirty somehow.

Thought it was interesting because I’ve never heard that before.

I'm very biased fwiw, I heard all this the day after, I sort of half posted the truth on HF if anyone wants to confirm. It's why I have been adamant that Jackson was in charge since day one

They did do him dirty. I'm glad people are speaking up for Holland.

If you can work the owner's ear into creating a position above the POHO, without the involvement of the POHO, what does POHO even mean? It was then compounded by trotting Holland out at the presser.


Also, just my opinion here, but if you are next in line, and you see an old school, considerate, hockey person, treated this way, do you move towards the door or away? If the keys to hockey ops are the owners ear, and not hockey ops, then your future title is meaningless.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Only the finest Paulaner and Flammkuchen for Herr Draisaitl from now on!

I'm not big on beer, but I know a few who are connoisseurs and it seems to be German. That or Canadian microbrewery.

I gather German microbrewery would be really good then.

 

[McFlyingV]

I think the Avs are still clearly as good as we are, and maybe better. Vegas is still really good, but I think got worse. Canucks still a great team with great tending, which can be the deciding factor in any series. Stars are still a great young team as well, with lots of depth scoring and good tending.

Truthfully, of those 4, only Vegas got worse in any real way IMO.

I mean this is just objectively wrong.

The Avs lost Nichushkin and both their rentals in Walker and Trenin while adding nothing of substance. Their goaltending is a major weak point. Even Skinner's biggest detractors would take him in a heartbeat over Georgiev.

Vegas lost its top goal scorer. Pietrangelo is fading fast. Their goaltending is a massive question mark.

Stars just spent 7mil to add Dumba55 and Lyubushkin, two bottom pairing D to their roster to replace Tanev who was one of their top 2D in the playoffs, while also losing Pavelski, who obviously didn't produce in the playoffs but was one of their top producers in season.

I would need to do some serious mental gymnastics to try and convince myself that any of these 3 teams improved.

Canucks at best went lateral, and that might be generous when you look at their D going into next year. Debrusk doesn't move the needle and they lost other depth players on top of their rentals in Lindholm and Zadorov.

 

[iCanada]

 

[McTonyBrar]

I was listening to Oilers Now today and Stauffer talked with Shannon about the Oilers. Both said the Oilers are not finished and Bob said they will most likely move quick because they want their RFAs signed

 

[Oilhawks]

I'm very biased fwiw, I heard all this the day after, I sort of half posted the truth on HF if anyone wants to confirm. It's why I have been adamant that Jackson was in charge since day one

They did do him dirty. I'm glad people are speaking up for Holland.

If you can work the owner's ear into creating a position above the POHO, without the involvement of the POHO, what does POHO even mean? It was then compounded by trotting Holland out at the presser.


Also, just my opinion here, but if you are next in line, and you see an old school, considerate, hockey person, treated this way, do you move towards the door or away? If the keys to hockey ops are the owners ear, and not hockey ops, then your future title is meaningless.

This is part of why they might as well just have Jackson handle the GM duties, or hire an up and coming assistant from another org with the understanding that they're going to be "tutored" and "groomed" while in that position "until they are ready"

Hiring an established GM will just create unnecessary tension

 

[McFlyingV]

View attachment 891717

I mean in McLovin's defence what is he supposed to say lol? The Kings are a hard working team, but he's not going to just come out and say "well the Oilers didn't really offer me anything to come back and chose better players than me in Skinner, Henrique, and Arvidsson for essentially less money".

 

[Cloned]

Do tell, oh Knowledgeable one.

Back up your cryptic post. What do you expect to be the price? Details please.


It's kind of fun to play though!

Some games shouldn’t be played.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I was listening to some pod today with Doug Maclean. He said Ken Holland is leaving Edmonton because of ownership. Made it sound like ownership meddling/ owner did him dirty somehow.

Thought it was interesting because I’ve never heard that before.

Thanks for sharing. Boy Maclean sounds bitter. Largely a marginal manager and coach. That said I wouldn't be surprised that Holland had friction with Oilers ownership. Rightly or wrongly that likely came with the unprecedented $25 million contract to move this franchise out of the muck.

Holland created a stable winning culture that's now gone to game 7 competing for a Cup. But wouldn't surprise me if Katz and Coffey felt Holland was too traditional and conservative in his work. He seemed to have a succession plan percolating with Staios but I think maybe through Coffey there was a hard push to create more of a modern organization following the path of newer franchises pushing agents and non-traditional hockey executives to lead.

It's too bad (obviously) that Holland's tenure couldn't have ended with the miracle Cup comeback win. He did a lot of good work to stabilize a trainwreck franchise which should be recognized. However we're also seeing with day 1 free agency how a nimble, modern thinker can cook.

 

[McFlyingV]

I was listening to Oilers Now today and Stauffer talked with Shannon about the Oilers. Both said the Oilers are not finished and Bob said they will most likely move quick because they want their RFAs signed

They can sign their RFAs right now if they want. They both have qualifying offers of 870k and if they want a bit of term they can probably get them both still very cheap on 2 or 3 year deals at money that likely won't even increase their salary cap once you factor sending Josh Brown and Derek Ryan down.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

I'm very biased fwiw, I heard all this the day after, I sort of half posted the truth on HF if anyone wants to confirm. It's why I have been adamant that Jackson was in charge since day one

They did do him dirty. I'm glad people are speaking up for Holland.

If you can work the owner's ear into creating a position above the POHO, without the involvement of the POHO, what does POHO even mean? It was then compounded by trotting Holland out at the presser.


Also, just my opinion here, but if you are next in line, and you see an old school, considerate, hockey person, treated this way, do you move towards the door or away? If the keys to hockey ops are the owners ear, and not hockey ops, then your future title is meaningless.

If this was the case, Holland’s “set in his ways” ways was also a catalyst. His refusal to fire Tippett, his refusal to make any in-season trades until the deadline and just lack of creativity to fill in gaping holes did him in. The decision to fire Woodcroft wasn’t his idea either. He probably wanted the team to figure it out before firing another coach. If they let him make that call, they’re probably drafting somewhere in the top 10. His own stubbornness in refusing to fire coaches in the season or trade players after summer acquisitions had a higher hand with ownership meddling, if that happened. That was the easiest $25 million Holland ever made basically showing up for work 4-5 days a year…the draft, FAF, and trade deadline.

I was partially joking when I said Jackson accomplished more in 10 hours than Holland did in 4.75 years but I’m also being honest. I think it’s pretty common in any business setting if the product is failing or not where your manager promised it would be, ownership gets involved to see what’s up. If it was any other GM, they would have just fired him but because it’s Ken Holland, they actually did an honorable thing to avoid the humiliation of being canned and just kept him on until his contract was up.

 

[McTonyBrar]

They can sign their RFAs right now if they want. They both have qualifying offers of 870k and if they want a bit of term they can probably get them both still very cheap on 2 or 3 year deals at money that likely won't even increase their salary cap once you factor sending Josh Brown and Derek Ryan down.

Interesting. Well, putting the RFAs aside, it sounds like we aren't done and I'm going to assume he means our defence because clearly there is a logjam on the #6 position now

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Some games shouldn’t be played.

Games help keep one's mind young.

 

[iCanada]

I mean in McLovin's defence what is he supposed to say lol? The Kings are a hard working team, but he's not going to just come out and say "well the Oilers didn't really offer me anything to come back and chose better players than me in Skinner, Henrique, and Arvidsson for essentially less money".

Lol that's fair.

 

[Heavy Dee]

I'm very biased fwiw, I heard all this the day after, I sort of half posted the truth on HF if anyone wants to confirm. It's why I have been adamant that Jackson was in charge since day one

They did do him dirty. I'm glad people are speaking up for Holland.

If you can work the owner's ear into creating a position above the POHO, without the involvement of the POHO, what does POHO even mean? It was then compounded by trotting Holland out at the presser.


Also, just my opinion here, but if you are next in line, and you see an old school, considerate, hockey person, treated this way, do you move towards the door or away? If the keys to hockey ops are the owners ear, and not hockey ops, then your future title is meaningless.

Ken had five years and was paid 25 million.

Jackson's performance yesterday is what we all wanted from Holland every damn year.

I don't feel bad for Ken whatsoever.

 

[McFlyingV]

Interesting. Well, putting the RFAs aside, it sounds like we aren't done and I'm going to assume he means our defence because clearly there is a logjam on the #6 position now

Oilers are in a good spot. If Kane starts on LTIR they don't need to do a single thing. If he doesn't the most logical choice is moving out Ceci which should put them around 1mil cap space, and 1 mil cap space at the deadline gets you roughly a 4mil player at full price, an 8mil player at 50% retained, or a 16 million player at 75% retained.

Imo the Oilers should ride Ek-Bouch, Nurse-Broberg, Kulak-Stetcher to start the season and add a dman at the deadline, unless they have a way of swinging Kane+Ceci out and 5-6M Dman in before the season starts.

 

[Jumptheshark]

leafs being the leafs if this was us --Leaf media would be riding us to death

Recently Signed Maple Leafs Defensemen 'May Never Play Again': Report

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Jani Hakanpaa to a two-year deal but reporter Steve Simmons claims he may never play another game in the NHL.

heavy.com

 

[M Ace]

Florida signs Nate Schmidt for his ressurection. Book on it!!

Guessing they have one or more prospective Ceci trade options percolating. Looking at the cap overages plus minimum qualifying offer requirements for Broberg & Holloway and the amount aligns closely with Ceci's $3.2 million cap hit on an expiring contract. Right handed d-man with quality PK minutes on a recent elite playoff run, at that price point, I believe there will be buyers.

Florida just signed Nate Schmidt for 800k.
He would have been the cheaper, perfect replacement for Ceci…

 

[WEMCHUD]

Ken had five years and was paid 25 million.

Jackson's performance yesterday is what we all wanted from Holland every damn year.

I don't feel bad for Ken whatsoever.

Nice not having to hear quotes like "what was I supposed to do? Get him for nothing?"

 

[Tarus]

I was listening to some pod today with Doug Maclean. He said Ken Holland is leaving Edmonton because of ownership. Made it sound like ownership meddling/ owner did him dirty somehow.

Thought it was interesting because I’ve never heard that before.

Katz pretty clearly has limited patience, Holland is the only GM he hasn't fired before the end of their contracts and that's mostly a technicality. The hiring of JJ and shift in organizational power structures last year was basically Katz being polite and letting Holland run out his contract while replacing him behind the scenes.

The signing and subsequent bombing of Jack Campbell probably did Holland in, it was Mactavish levels bad.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

If this was the case, Holland’s “set in his ways” ways was also a catalyst. His refusal to fire Tippett, his refusal to make any in-season trades until the deadline and just lack of creativity to fill in gaping holes did him in. The decision to fire Woodcroft wasn’t his idea either. He probably wanted the team to figure it out before firing another coach. If they let him make that call, they’re probably drafting somewhere in the top 10. His own stubbornness in refusing to fire coaches in the season or trade players after summer acquisitions had a higher hand with ownership meddling, if that happened. That was the easiest $25 million Holland ever made basically showing up for work 4-5 days a year…the draft, FAF, and trade deadline.

I was partially joking when I said Jackson accomplished more in 10 hours than Holland did in 4.75 years but I’m also being honest. I think it’s pretty common in any business setting if the product is failing or not where your manager promised it would be, ownership gets involved to see what’s up. If it was any other GM, they would have just fired him but because it’s Ken Holland, they actually did an honorable thing to avoid the humiliation of being canned and just kept him on until his contract was up.

Holland doesn’t get enough credit imo. The organization was a soup sandwich before he came. McDavid was on a line with AHLers, prospects were handled like grenades, no playoffs… just an absolute shit show from top to bottom. He was far from perfect but at least the organization got some stability under him.

Needed to move on though. We’re trying to win a cup and he just wasn’t nearly aggressive enough. The “squeeze” comment really comes to mind. In a tight cap world you have to be willing to squeeze whenever you can. I don’t think Holland would have done nearly what JJ did this long weekend.

 

[VainGretzky]

JJ said it's well known around the league by the players know how great our leadership is, how well our players our treated, and know that Katz is an owner that will provide anything needed to support players.

Moneybag Katz rarely get's flowers around here. But I've always maintained we're pretty lucky to have a home town billionaire with a passion for hockey and bringing a Cup home here. As an owner, he's doing his job which essentially entails opening his wallet. And he's always been more than willing to open his wallet.

Katz paid 200 million CAD for the Oilers and as of 2023 is worth 2.6 billion cad lol EIG were very foolish

 

[Cloned]

Games help keep one's mind young.

Some games should only be played by the very young.

 

[Jumptheshark]

It is interesting to see many vloggers are saying the oilers were one of the big winners in FA crazy

 

[Gordian Knot]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808224519703699673

With suitors for Henrique, Skinner, Janny, and Brown this Free Agency day could have gone alot different with a shittier negotiator at the helm. Jackson deserves a ton of credit for executing.

I think you guys need to give credit to yourselves as well. How edmontonians supported Connor Brown when he had tough time last season and that spontaneous standing ovation after he scored is something which has not happened in any other building.

You are special kind of fan base and players now know it. Everyone can support high scorers and jubilate when they hit landmark numbers, supporting struggling players because you love the club so hard is totally another level.