The All encompassing Rant thread II: Rant City

[gqmixmaster]

only 1 thing needs to change, its Kevin Lowe.

Once that's done the rest will happen on its own.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

only 1 thing needs to change, its Kevin Lowe.

Once that's done the rest will happen on its own.

I think an entire purge. Kevin, Craig, Scouts.

I'm fine letting a new GM decide if Eakins could actually coach a team that has a top pairing D man and real NHL centers.

 

[Beerfish]

Pretty good interview by Mark Connoly with Pat LaForge. Connoly to his credit is pretty brutal and LaForge to his credit didn't dodge things as much as others would though of course he still has an Oiler bias.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2631987957/

 

[gqmixmaster]

I think an entire purge. Kevin, Craig, Scouts.

I'm fine letting a new GM decide if Eakins could actually coach a team that has a top pairing D man and real NHL centers.

Thats basically what I meant, by getting rid of the president, the new president will have their own group they want to hire.

 

[s7ark]

Another real problem here is that the 2015 draft is filled with high end talent and is deep as well. If we're really going to ride this season out with the current group in place, even if we replace them all at the end of the season, we'll be drafting based off the knowledge of folks that have blown many, many picks during the rebuild.

I think it's vital that changes happen sooner rather than later so we can have new scouts evaluating this draft's talent. The last thing we need is another Musil over Jenner, or Pitlick over Faulk with our high 2nd this draft.

 

[rboomercat90]

Pretty good interview by Mark Connoly with Pat LaForge. Connoly to his credit his pretty brutal and LaForge to his credit didn't dodge things as much as others would though of course he still has an Oiler bias.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2631987957/

Great job by Mark Connoly here.

Same stuff from Laforge though. "We believe our biggest problem is that we've made too much change, that's why we're sticking with what we have." Good grief!!! What change? It's the same combination of people who have been here the entire time. Just in supposedly different positions now. Whenever the questions got too tough and he didn't want to answer his response was "I'm not the hockey guy". What's he doing the interview for if he can't speak for the hockey end of operations?

The one good thing I'll say about him is that he acted professionally through out and didn't rant or attack Connoly when he was asked a question he didn't like. That right there is probably the reason he was sent to do the interview instead of one of the other two idiots.

 

[Beerfish]

Great job by Mark Connoly here.

Same stuff from Laforge though. "We believe our biggest problem is that we've made too much change, that's why we're sticking with what we have." Good grief!!! What change? It's the same combination of people who have been here the entire time. Just in supposedly different positions now. Whenever the questions got too tough and he didn't want to answer his response was "I'm not the hockey guy". What's he doing the interview for if he can't speak for the hockey end of operations?

The one good thing I'll say about him is that he acted professionally through out and didn't rant or attack Connoly when he was asked a question he didn't like. That right there is probably the reason he was sent to do the interview instead of one of the other two idiots.

Though some people on here don't like him Pat LaForge is about the best thing about the org. At least just about the smartest.

Connoly was pretty good though he asked some questions and responded to some answers like one of us on here would.

 

[Up the Irons]

Pretty good interview by Mark Connoly with Pat LaForge. Connoly to his credit is pretty brutal and LaForge to his credit didn't dodge things as much as others would though of course he still has an Oiler bias.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2631987957/

Good interview.

It's pretty clear that the organization is insulating Lowe and keeping him out of the public eye, so, firing him probably is useless; and if Katz just wants him employed in some way, I guess that's his business.

Dropping the title of President of Hockey Operations would go along way. As long as Lowe has that title and is even peripherally involved in hockey ops, he will receive this vitriol and scorn.

And, if ... IF... they were to win the cup some day, and Lowe is in the dressing sporting an I-told-you-so smile, it will take away from the euphoria of the moment. He simple doesn't deserve to be there ( even tho that's a hypothetical that is a million dreams away)

I don't care if he has been pushed aside. As long as he's there I can't take them seriously.

 

[Del Preston]

Pretty good interview by Mark Connoly with Pat LaForge. Connoly to his credit is pretty brutal and LaForge to his credit didn't dodge things as much as others would though of course he still has an Oiler bias.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2631987957/

Thanks for the link.

"Too many changes."

What in the ****? It's not wholesale changes when you are just reshuffling the positions.

 

[Gone]

Another real problem here is that the 2015 draft is filled with high end talent and is deep as well. If we're really going to ride this season out with the current group in place, even if we replace them all at the end of the season, we'll be drafting based off the knowledge of folks that have blown many, many picks during the rebuild.

I think it's vital that changes happen sooner rather than later so we can have new scouts evaluating this draft's talent. The last thing we need is another Musil over Jenner, or Pitlick over Faulk with our high 2nd this draft.

Just buy a copy of the Redline Report and pick the next guy on that list. If you look back at that report versus the Oilers actual picks, you would be shocked.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Just buy a copy of the Redline Report and pick the next guy on that list. If you look back at that report versus the Oilers actual picks, you would be shocked.

Scouting isn't solely the problem. The solution to every player that busts with this organization isn't ... ''well if only we picked player X instead!''

I could easily argue the counter point. If only we had better development, Pitlick would be a top 6 forward.

If we only drafted scrubs but somehow turned them into even marginal NHL players then you could argue that drafting different players would solve most of our problems.

If we drafted a collection of superstars that could barely make it to the NHL then you could argue we aren't developing players properly.

My belief is that both are extremely problematic. We are drafting players (sometimes good, sometimes bad) with no plan on how to get those players from 20 yr old first year pro to 27 yr old NHL veteran.

I won't accept an argument that 90% of our 2nd round picks are all scouting mistakes. Jenner over Musil is obvious however, Pitlick over Toffoli isn't as easy to see when these players are 18.

I won't accept that scouting is awesome and OKC is failing each player 90% of the time either.

I give both Drafting and Player Development Fs and in the end these problems revert back to management who should be fired along with every clown who's been part of this mess over the last 9 years.

 

[guymez]

Pretty good interview by Mark Connoly with Pat LaForge. Connoly to his credit is pretty brutal and LaForge to his credit didn't dodge things as much as others would though of course he still has an Oiler bias.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2631987957/

Mark Connoly did a good job trying to hold LaForge's feet to the fire.

LaForge did dance around a little bit and talk in circles but it was refreshing to see a member of the media ask some tough questions for a change.

It should have been Lowe in that chair though. Clearly the org is sheltering him from any scrutiny.

In any event I likely never would have seen this interview if you didnt post it.

Thanks for that.

 

[Sheikyerbouti]

My belief is that both are extremely problematic. We are drafting players (sometimes good, sometimes bad) with no plan on how to get those players from 20 yr old first year pro to 27 yr old NHL veteran.

I won't accept an argument that 90% of our 2nd round picks are all scouting mistakes. Jenner over Musil is obvious however, Pitlick over Toffoli isn't as easy to see when these players are 18.

I won't accept that scouting is awesome and OKC is failing each player 90% of the time either.

I give both Drafting and Player Development Fs and in the end these problems revert back to management who should be fired along with every clown who's been part of this mess over the last 9 years.

Boom. You're hired. I agree with this 100%

The Musil pick, and Moroz' to a certain extent, show the cronyism too.

Also, imo, MacGregor is very overrated. He did a terrible job in Kamloops and should not be a head scout. He's an excellent regional scout, probably organized enough to stay afloat at the NHL, but not a visionary like Conte or Timmins were/are. This is empirical now.

It's all relative to management though; Mact has stated that he thinks the team has one of the best development systems in the NHL and suggested Tamblowe was rebuilding without a draft philosophy - it's impossible to assess anything accurately until the OBC is gone.

 

[Oi'll say!]

Just buy a copy of the Redline Report and pick the next guy on that list. If you look back at that report versus the Oilers actual picks, you would be shocked.

I don't think it's possible for the Oilers to draft so many failures over the years going within 5 spots of the BPA. The main problem here is prospect development and I could name plenty of good examples but nothing will ever top the treatment of Sam Gagner.

Can you name me one other team that has ever put an 18 yr old rookie on a line with two other rookies, and then given that same player a steady diet of rookie linemates 'til he was 23....? Would anyone other than the Oilers give Hemsky so many minutes at ES and never require him to do so much as just try a little tiny bit on defense?

MacT is pointing fingers at everyone else but he's MORE to blame than any other person in this org. If we drafted Crosby he would be a 3rd line lw'er in Dallas right now.

 

[BlowbyBlow]

Great job by Mark Connoly here.

Same stuff from Laforge though. "We believe our biggest problem is that we've made too much change, that's why we're sticking with what we have." Good grief!!! What change? It's the same combination of people who have been here the entire time. Just in supposedly different positions now. Whenever the questions got too tough and he didn't want to answer his response was "I'm not the hockey guy". What's he doing the interview for if he can't speak for the hockey end of operations?

The one good thing I'll say about him is that he acted professionally through out and didn't rant or attack Connoly when he was asked a question he didn't like. That right there is probably the reason he was sent to do the interview instead of one of the other two idiots.

Connolly had good questions, however Laforge passed the buck. The interesting thing is this is that each one of them to a man ALL believed that just draft high and wait and see they treated it like building a fantasy team. That letter donation thing for Katz is Pejorative Slured I know Lowe is at the top but what happens when they got there sacrificial lamb. Once again it by's time for them. It looks like the brain child of high school or university level students... I mean cmon state that Lowe, Howson, Mact have in some form been part of this organization for the last 8 years just in different titles and all three are the problem.