Your views on Dallas Eakins so far - Part II

[FunkyChicken]

By the response and effort level of the players, it seems that Eakins has lost the room. I do not recall any instance where a coach has regained the room after losing it.

From an asset management standpoint, Eakins has killed this team. At the end of last season, Yakupov, Gagner, J.Schultz, Dubnyk and Petry values were sky high. Now Yakupov has his named mentioned in trade rumors with Reimer (a backup goalie), Gagner is almost unmoveable, J.Schultz is junk, Dubnyk was traded for a 4th liner and Petry is a throw in for most trade offers.

 

[Philly85*]

He's an arrogant idiot plain and simple.

 

[thinlizzy]

Mac T still has some ******* cleaning to do with the players that don't figure they need to listen. Your getting paid stupid money to play the game show some pride and guts rather then do zip and pout. Top 6 needs one or two to depart. As stated previously they figure they run the asylum here and can do as they wish garbage entitlement crapola. Geekins probably has enough noose to hang himself until at least two months into next season. We have to gut it out until Mac Flea can vanish the turkeys out of the henhouse and get a decent draft pick. Not that out scouting system could pick a good one anyway. We suck.

 

[bigmango]

Kruger was not perfect but he brought a team that was falling apart as a result of terrible management back to life a couple of times last season. The team sagged every time they lost a center through injury and management refused to do anything, but Kruger got them to hang tough and regain belief in their ability to compete. But watching useful players go by the waiver wire and doing nothing at the trade deadline when they we actually in the playoffs was the last straw, it was obvious that management wanted them to fail so that Tambo could be axed and an old boy hired in his place. A much poorer team went to war for Kruger and then watched him get stabbed in the back over the summer by Lowe and MacT. Anyone surprised that most of the players can't stand the whole situation and Kruger's replacement? This season is pure karma for Lowe and MacT and stems from their betrayal of the team last year. Think it's bad now? Just wait till Hall asks for a trade this summer. Ladies and gentlemen...............your Atlanta Thrashers.

One of the most frustrating things, is Krueger had this team playing more systems than the supposed guru. To think people complained about this team being lost last year.

I still contend Eakins is that coach who is perfect for the AHL. He's that guy who can get less than skilled players to work their butts off and do everything just to get a shot to play in the league, but his techniques don't work with more of the skilled variety or veteran players. Just look at his run ins with Kadri and Gardiner.

He's in over his head with the inability to read and mesh personalities and skill sets. It's one thing if you're Bowman, Babcock or Hitchcock, who are respected and frighten even veteran players.

They had a coach who was getting production out of guys that seemingly look at Eakins with no respect. The guy they replaced is a master motivator. Eakins is simply a bully tactic coach with no bite. The fact he was even hired shows what horrible evaluators this mgmt team is.

 

[McBaevid]

That little kid needs to tell him he sucks again

 

[Man Purse]

 

[Replacement*]

Kruger was not perfect but he brought a team that was falling apart as a result of terrible management back to life a couple of times last season. The team sagged every time they lost a center through injury and management refused to do anything, but Kruger got them to hang tough and regain belief in their ability to compete. But watching useful players go by the waiver wire and doing nothing at the trade deadline when they we actually in the playoffs was the last straw, it was obvious that management wanted them to fail so that Tambo could be axed and an old boy hired in his place. A much poorer team went to war for Kruger and then watched him get stabbed in the back over the summer by Lowe and MacT. Anyone surprised that most of the players can't stand the whole situation and Kruger's replacement? This season is pure karma for Lowe and MacT and stems from their betrayal of the team last year. Think it's bad now? Just wait till Hall asks for a trade this summer. Ladies and gentlemen...............your Atlanta Thrashers.

This is far too good for a first post and I hope that theres many more. Interesting look over the last years events. Given this org its a plausible scenario you laid out.

One of the things I'm reminded of and that I said in the offseason is don't fix what isn't broke. There were several holes MacT needed to patch last offseason. Coaching wasn't one of them. He knew it, the players knew it. But MacT got seduced by Eakins. Well really MacT got seduced by himself. Even MacT's comments at the time that eakins coaching philosophy reminded MacT so much of himself. I wonder how thats going lately?

Nobody can even argue at this point that staying with Krueger would've been a better option.

 

[Replacement*]

This article is excellent and needs to be here in the discussion;

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/20...ack-nail-yakupov-not-so-much-edmonton-oilers/

Very interesting analysis of Eakins differential treatment of players. Marincin, horrible on the night and responsible for two of the GA is a "young player who will learn" and Yakupov, well we know what Eakins thinks of Yakupov. "BIG PROBLEM"

I see a big problem all right. Eakins looks in the mirror enough you'd think he'd spot it.

 

[MegaSpiderman66]

The look on the faces and body language says it all.
Hall, frustrated beyond belief.
Hopkins, in lala land
Eberle, seems to be tuned right out
Gagner, zipperhead here is clued right out, worse than he's ever been
Perron seems to be getting pissed off
Hemsky, playing the best hockey in 4 years so he gets traded out if this ****show
Gordon looks dumbfounded, like what the hell did I get myself into here
Smyth, his usual clued out self
Yakupov, totally lost his confidence, it's plain as day
The entire defence, WTF wasn't that your man?
Bryzgalov, throwing sticks.

Eakins has lost the room. He is grasping at straws now, MacT will stick with him out of sheer stubbornness.

^^This. Summarizes the situation completely.

 

[Replacement*]

The look on the faces and body language says it all.
Hall, frustrated beyond belief.
Hopkins, in lala land
Eberle, seems to be tuned right out
Gagner, zipperhead here is clued right out, worse than he's ever been
Perron seems to be getting pissed off
Hemsky, playing the best hockey in 4 years so he gets traded out if this ****show
Gordon looks dumbfounded, like what the hell did I get myself into here
Smyth, his usual clued out self
Yakupov, totally lost his confidence, it's plain as day
The entire defence, WTF wasn't that your man?
Bryzgalov, throwing sticks.

Eakins has lost the room. He is grasping at straws now, MacT will stick with him out of sheer stubbornness.

I've said much of the same. Theres lots being communicated out there. Lets add that Smid and Dubnyk were communicating a great deal of frustration out there as well. Lets also note that it wasn't particularly appreciated by Eakins the times he's seen it. Bryz for instance seems to have lost standing with the org for communicating his displeasure on the ice. I think because it communicates too much that what Eller said is correct and that this is a gongshow.

As far as MacT its not just stubbornness its that MacT is culpable in the hire, that it was unnecessary in the first place, and that it was a bold move canning the previous coach (for no reason) and pinning the cart behind a coach with no experience. its a move that has absolutely blown up, exploded, and for MacT to fire Eakins at this point is firing himself by proxy. MacT has cornered himself here and its something I wondered about in offseason. What if this bold hire doesn't work? I really think MacT didn't even consider that.

 

[harpoon]

Hmm... think the decision he was supposed to make was pretty well laid out for him.

Pretty much this.
Still, Smith and Buchberger do work for Eakins. Presumably he is free to direct them as he sees fit.
By this point in the season he should have worked out how to deal with them even if they are liabilities.

I think MacT should step back behind the bench. Cut our losses on Eakins before he does any more damage.

Bring up Nelson and start grooming him for the head coach job like most normal NHL teams do.

Pinks slips for Smith, Acton, Buchberger and Chabot.

 

[McShogun99]

By the response and effort level of the players, it seems that Eakins has lost the room. I do not recall any instance where a coach has regained the room after losing it.

From an asset management standpoint, Eakins has killed this team. At the end of last season, Yakupov, Gagner, J.Schultz, Dubnyk and Petry values were sky high. Now Yakupov has his named mentioned in trade rumors with Reimer (a backup goalie), Gagner is almost unmoveable, J.Schultz is junk, Dubnyk was traded for a 4th liner and Petry is a throw in for most trade offers.

At the end of last season Yakupov was leading rookie scorer and looked to have the potential to be a top goal scorer in the league. Gagner was having a career year and looking to be a borderline 1st line C. Dubnyk was being mentioned in Olympic talks, Schultz was looking to have Karlsson potential and Petry looked like a #2 Dman.

Under Eakins Yakupov looks like he might do ok in the AHL, Gagner has Horcoff trade value, Dubnyk was traded for a 4th liner, Schultz looks like MAB and Petry would be on the Barons 2nd pairing. If this isn't a result of Eakins then I don't know what else it could be.

 

[Tyrolean]

I can't blame the coach entirely. The team doesn't have enough motivation and plays with little intelligence.

It's time to ship out at least 2 of the top 6 and get a better stronger mix.

 

[I am the Liquor]

I can't blame the coach entirely. The team doesn't have enough motivation and plays with little intelligence.

It's time to ship out at least 2 of the top 6 and get a better stronger mix.

Both of those things are in the coach's job description. They are the responsibility of the coach.

 

[Consultant]

Fire Eakins today.
After today's game win or lose, I will try not to watch another game until this arrogant idiot is out.
Everyone wants to rid of the whole management team minus Joey. For me it's all on Eakins, bad decision after bad decision. Remember the optimism at the beginning of the year? Now it's just sad.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Earlier on in the season, some were speculating Yakupov was maybe not a part of the team from a social perspective and was believed to be an outsider.

It is obvious the team is not playing for the new coach, who also continously throws Yakupov under the wheels of a fully loaded tractor-trailer, nevermind a bus while others get a free pass and praise.

We've all seen it in workplaces, be it past or present. The boss/supervisor just has it out for a certain person and wants nothing more for this person to be terminated or transferred. They do something wrong, they get yelled at and humiliated in front of their peers, in Yak's case-the press. They do something good, they don't even get a nod of the head and/or the boss still manages to find a fault in their good deed. Eventually, the other workers take notice of this single-ing out and begin to detest the boss, while feeling sorry/terrible for employee"X" because they are all on the same team. They also see themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place because they can't stand up to the boss and defend employee "X", because of the fear they will be next in line to be treated poorly. I think many players are tired of Eakins' constant Yak bash while others get an "attaboy...you did your best". Perhaps Yakupov is not an outsider and is a valued part of the team by his teammates, they are just tired of seeing him getting blamed all the time.

I can easily see something like this going in that locker room.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Eakins probably thinks the Cold War is still going on. That's why he keeps sticking it to Yak. What a ******* mess.

 

[czar99]

The look on the faces and body language says it all.
Hall, frustrated beyond belief.
Hopkins, in lala land
Eberle, seems to be tuned right out
Gagner, zipperhead here is clued right out, worse than he's ever been
Perron seems to be getting pissed off
Hemsky, playing the best hockey in 4 years so he gets traded out if this ****show
Gordon looks dumbfounded, like what the hell did I get myself into here
Smyth, his usual clued out self
Yakupov, totally lost his confidence, it's plain as day
The entire defence, WTF wasn't that your man?
Bryzgalov, throwing sticks.

Eakins has lost the room. He is grasping at straws now, MacT will stick with him out of sheer stubbornness.

We'll there you have it. Your a complete stranger to me, I don't know you,I have never spoken to you, yet you see everything the same way as I do. It's nice to know that I know what I'm seeing isn't just me making **** up.

 

[BlowbyBlow]

The one thing I found which I never got with fans, was that most felt they needed a hardnosed strategist like this so called new hot shot rising star of a coach in Eakins.

Krueger was personality wise the better guy just for the fact that players played hard for him (though 5 on 5 play was less than desired). It goes to show you that great coaches (Queneville (sp), Julien, Bylsma have made extinct the old school coach of Mike Keenan, John Tortorella, Marc crawford is a dying breed even Ken Hitchcock said he had to change his style and approach to young kids when he came back.

the fact that this team was going to be led by young guys as the go to guys, remains a mystery why you would get the least experienced hard nosed guy when you could have had someone with way more experience in a Marc Crawford, even a Tortorella.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Both of those things are in the coach's job description. They are the responsibility of the coach.

Nobody has gotten the kids to get the stupid out of their game, or to play physical, or to go to the net.

Scotty Bowman couldn't get these lazy ***** to play hard.

 

[MrM]

Nobody has gotten the kids to get the stupid out of their game, or to play physical, or to go to the net.

Scotty Bowman couldn't get these lazy ***** to play hard.

Its really hard to say because so much is affecting them being as you say lazy. When we had Renney as coach that was 2 years ago. They would seemingly have progressed since then because he was bringing them along slowly, sheltering them in games. Would it have made a difference if he remained as coach, nobody knows.

Also, the laziness you refer to I feel a good portion is part of the loser mentality. They have given up, atleast somewhere in the back of their mind and that is why you see them play lazy.

If Scotty Bowman was our coach and he couldn't motivate our players, or implement a system so that we would be successful, I would trust him because he has pedigree. We just supposed to believe whatever Eakins tells us? Must be the players they just don't get it.

 

[redgrant]

Its damn time for these guys to decide whos got more upside over the next 15 years: Yaks or Eakins in this organization. One of them has to go.

 

[frag2]

Its damn time for these guys to decide whos got more upside over the next 15 years: Yaks or Eakins in this organization. One of them has to go.

Thats why I said I would lol if MacT plans to trade Yak and Katz steps in and tells him to fire Eakins

 

[FinnSkillz28]

Just fire Eakins,He's gameplan will not work with Oilers,and you can see it.I liked more that Krueger type of hockey.

 

[Up the Irons]

Eakins is definitely a big part of the problem, but mostly, its the lineup. u can't compete in the NHL with half your team borderline NHLers and full on AHLers, and most of the real NHLers are under 25.

some posters point to player effort as a culprit. I blame management for this, aswell. The players have been waiting for management to improve the lineup for years now, and they still haven't. When your management group throws in the towel on the season at game 20, is it any wonder why the players seem to have done the same?

Will Eakins eventually work out? Who knows. There isn't a shred of evidence, at this point, that he will. Mact is still hoping, but he sure as h-ll doesn't 'know' he got the right coach.

From what I've seen, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if, by game 40 next year, when the season is lost, Mact will be firing Eakins. And we will get another presser where the same 3 people make all the same promises of hope and progress, and ask for patience, and argue that they are doing a good job. It should be comical.