Tag Archives: Kevin Lowe

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Edmonton Oilers: The Old Boys Club, Trade Deadline Plans, and Did the #PayDecker Movement Fall Flat on Its Face?

Last night as I was reading articles on what the Edmonton Oilers need to do with regards to the hiring of their new GM and listening to the countless podcasts on the same subject, I came to a realization that nobody (in the main stream media) has brought up Bill Scott’s name.

Bill Scott’s title within the organization is, Director of Salary Cap Management and Assistant to the President of Hockey Operations.

We’ll get to why this means nothing later on but I think the following point has to be made anyhow. This is the man that was put in charge of the Oilers salary cap. He is the teams “Capologist” if you will. His job entails knowing the ins and outs of the CBA and he’s supposedly an “expert” in this aspect. He graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.

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So, if the Oilers are in salary cap “Hell”, then why hasn’t this gentleman’s name not been thrown onto the hot seat at ANY point in the last three odd years?

The history on Scott on the Oilers goes back a few years. He was the GM of the Oilers’ farm team for four seasons from 2010-2014 before being brought on as assistant general manager to, at the time, Craig MacTavish. Then in 2016, Peter Chiarelli brought in Keith Gretzky to replace Bill Scott. Scott was then “demoted” to director of salary cap management and assistant to the POHO (Chiarelli).

Why This Doesn’t Matter

I asked a number of my sources what the deal was here is the best response I was handed,

Bill Scott is being audited by Bob Nicholson. Scott also never had a ton of input. At the end of the day, it was Peter Chiarelli making the calls.

MacT, Howson, and Bob Green BRAINSTORMED on the pro scouting and Green himself on the amateur side.

A lot of talk about “What’s in the water” in Edmonton since Bob Nicholson gave us that iconic quote. Is it all of the extra voices around the club? More from a source of mine that is close to the club,

Lowe listens because he is an Oilers fan but at the end of the day, he has ABSOLUTELY no input regarding decisions.

The “old boys club” DOES exist but not as the fans think it does. Kevin Lowe has not been involved with the hockey decisions ever since Nicholson has taken over.

But I can tell you RIGHT NOW. The ONLY men involved on the hockey side is Nicholson (CEO of OEG and leader on business AND hockey until he hires a POHO) MacT for hockey, Howson for hockey and Bob Green for pro and amateur hockey. Lowe is NOT involved on the hockey side.

As Elliotte Friedman said in the latest episode of the 31 Thoughts podcast, These old Oilers know exactly how they’re perceived in Edmonton and for me, I think they’re considering their positions within the club and whether to stay or not.

My feeling is that we will see a purging of those ex-Oilers when the new GM comes in. I’m not even sure if Keith Gretzky is safe despite his fine job with the scouting but maybe a new boss comes in and simply puts him in a more suitable role, like Director of Amateur Scouting.

A lot of fans are getting on the case of the pro scouting department and I’m not sure that’s the right direction for their fury. They’ve only got two pro scouts listed on the Oilers website, Paul Messier and Chris Cichocki. How much can two guys really do? I say, add more pro scouts, get more manpower out there attempting to discover the underappreciated players that could be had.

Pierre LeBrun and Elliotte Friedman both spoke about hockey teams putting more focus on sports science and analytics. I would hope Edmonton would dig in a bit more here too.

That might sound hypocritical of me to say if you follow me on Twitter, but I dig into the computer boys on that platform because, for the most part, they’re dicks. NOT ALL OF THEM. I’m not saying that. I’m saying that because I feel there’s a use for the advanced metrics, I use them in my posts all the time. I guess for me, I could do without the online personalities and egos.

Then again, maybe I should just “man up” and “deal with it”…

Trade Deadline Plans

Recent names coming to the forefront are players like Andreas Athanasiou, Ryan Dzingel, Daniel Carr, Charles Hudon, etc. I think it’s fair to say the team is looking to get back to what made it successful in the past, speed and hard work.

I have a feeling they’re going to find a beneficial way out of Lucic’s contract in an attempt to put themselves in a position to be in the running for Michael Ferland. Not sure how they’ll accomplish that mind you.

#PayDecker Debacle

This incarnation of the NHL All-Star game format has one plus, the 3-on-3 portion. The rest is garbage. I mean how can you only have FOUR contestants for the hardest shot contest? And how boring was the passing contest? I’m happy Leon won it but fack…

Speaking of the passing contest, it came out after the All-Star competition that Brianna Decker had performed three seconds better than Leon Draisaitl and a massive campaign to get her recognized for the accomplishment flooded hockey Twitter.

Bitter much? Here’s what Leon Draisaitl had to say,

But hold on folks… There’s more from Elliotte Friedman…

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1089324763606962177

Oh shit… So she didn’t beat Leon after all. That sucks for the #PayDecker movement… I guess.

Maybe the NHL knew this all along but that’s not important here. CCM paid her and the NHL is also going to donate 25k to both the American and Canadian women’s national team players who participated. Everyone’s a winner! Right?

For what it’s worth, I thought Kendall Coyne Schofield was the most impressive. Fack can she fly! I wish I’d have seen the other ladies participate but I did not, sadly.

So here’s my suggestion, why not include the ladies in the actual 3-on-3 event? They’ve proven they’re nearly on par with the men, so why not promote inclusion by having a lady on every team? What about having a team of ladies comprised of the best female hockey players across the globe?

In Taiwan, I play hockey on a team with three members of the women’s national team and they are just as good as the men, if not better. Last year, I was on a men’s team and we had a series of games against the women’s national team that was VERY competitive.

The game is growing despite gender and I say the NHL does even more in the future to include everyone.

What are your thoughts?

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The Vegas Golden Misfits are going to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018!!! Love ’em or hate ’em it’s an amazing story and this is one punk rocker’s way of giving tribute! Click the pic above and get yours today!
Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Edmonton Oilers: Memorable Season Openers

The 2018/19 journey for Lord Stanley’s cup begins in only a few hours for the Edmonton Oilers and I think there’s no better time to remember past season openers than now!

I have an atrocious memory for these sort of things and so I crowdsourced this one. I asked some people who I know have followed the Oilers a helluva lot closer than I have since they came into the league in the 1979/80 season for their favorite Oilers season opener memories and the following is what they so graciously provided me.

THE FIRST ONE

The first goal against Edmonton came from John Marks, a tally Oilers goalie Dave Dryden said shouldn’t have counted because Marks “kicked my pad over the line” thus beginning a 40-year love-hate relationship between Edmonton fans and NHL referees. Kevin Lowe scored the first goal in franchise history, scoring after a pass from Brett Callighen (via Wayne Gretzky) on the power play about 10 minutes into the team’s first NHL period. – Lowetide

This snippet is from LT’s latest post from The Athletic. It’s behind a pay-wall and I encourage all of you to subscribe as they’ve always got a deal going on to make it cheaper for everyone. You can subscribe here and full disclosure, if you do, The Athletic will let me have a $10 Amazon credit for helping them out.

THE FIRST GOAL AND A KO YOU’LL NEVER FORGET

2010 – Following the worst season in Oilers history at that time, Oilers fans felt that change was on the horizon. It was the debut of prized pick Taylor Hall, however, it was World Juniors hero Jordan Eberle who stole the show. I was sitting at Chili’s in Calgary Airport surrounded by Flames fans waiting for my flight home to Saskatoon from university for Thanksgiving break. Then, it happened. Eberle scored one of the most beautiful first goals in NHL history, which sent Rexall Place into a frenzy! Edmonton crushed the Flames 4-0 and Steve MacIntyre knocked a guy out in the third period, but it’s Eberle’s goal that we all remember. – Eric Friesen

CAN YOU REMEMBER A BETTER OPENING NIGHT HATTY?

2017 – The dominant performance in game 1 last year against the flames. Expectations were sky high and they proceed to shut the flames out. Talbot was fantastic and McDavid with a hattie including that crazy speed and power goal down the right side with a roof job. – Original Pouzar

A SIGN OF GREAT THINGS TO COME

2005 – It had been 17 or 18 months since I had seen the Oilers play (due to the lockout) and it was the first time in my life the Oilers had ADDED some star power to their team (Pronger and Peca). The team didn’t disappoint either as Horcoff scored a goal late in the third to give them a 4-3 victory over the Avs. Little did I know, it was a sign of great things to come that season. – Ryan Robinson

NOT A SEASON OPENER BUT A MESS OF A HOME OPENER

1979 – For Mark Messier, his first career goal and point was an unexpected moment in the spotlight, but he took to it rather well. By the time his career wound down a quarter century later, he had passed the greatest Red Wing of them all, “Mister Hockey” Gordie Howe, to rank second all-time on the NHL career scoring list, where he remains the only player to be within 1000 points of the incomparable Wayne Gretzky. Turns out the two youngest players on that Oiler team — and indeed, in the entire NHL — were both bound for what Peter Gzowski called “the pantheon” of greatness. For this hockey-starved young fan and thousands of others in the Coliseum that night, it was the start of a wild and unforgettable ride. – Bruce McCurdy

Watch the game in its entirety below! Also, Bruce wrote an entire article on this evening. You can check that our here.

A big thank you to LT, Bruce, Eric, OP, and Ryan for helping out! Be sure to follow them this season!

What are your favorite memories of Oilers season openers? Let us know in the comments below!

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Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Lindsay Ryall, Madison Moroz, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Trades

Chiarelli Isn’t the Only Oilers GM We Could Accuse of Poor Asset Management by Lindsay Ryall

Pic courtesy of Conway’s Russian Hockey Blog.

When the news of Anton Slepyshev’s availability in trade was distributed indiscreetly to Oilers fans on Tuesday, few could have been surprised.  But more than a few (including myself) were likely disappointed.  For a team in search of speed, size, and value, Slepyshev seemed to have the potential to check off all the boxes.

Drafted in the third round of the 2013 entry draft, Slepy showed potential from the start.  Playing with the big boys in the KHL as a teenager, Slepyshev was one of Russia’s leaders on their 2013 and 2014 U20 WJC team.  At the 2014 WJC he scored at a point per game rate and paced Russia to a bronze medal that year vs the top U20 talent in the world.

Unlike some young prospects, Anton didn’t seem to be in a rush to the big league.  He spent two more years in the KHL before coming over to take a crack at the NHL.  When he arrived, Mclellan seemed impressed, commenting on the professional edge he held over some of the other rookies.  However,  not long after making the team, Slepyshev was sent down to Bakersfield, a move that didn’t take long . . . it doesn’t appear patience is a virtue with Mclellan.

After spending the balance of the year with Bakersfield (scoring 13 ginos in 49 games) he re-joined the Oilers for the balance of the 2017 season, providing some timely scoring in the playoffs on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic.  Big things were expected of Slepy in the 2017-18 season, the P.O.H himself even said so . . . so what went wrong.

Two things: The player got injured and his progress lost momentum, and, he was not put in a position to succeed.  Anton Slepyshev is not a fourth line player, nor should he be.  For velocity and accuracy, his wrist shot is the best on the team, and he was never shy about using it.  Slepy also had no issues going to the front of the net, with speed and purpose.  But he was never going to accomplish anything on the fourth line, and he didn’t.  On the brief moments he spent next to the Nuge he looked good.  But he was never again put on a line with Draisaitl and Lucic . . . save 19 seconds according to Bruce McCurdy.

So within a matter of months the Oilers have devalued a prospect from one with clearly demonstrated potential, to whatever the NHL’s equivalent of a bag of pucks would be (see Nail Yakupov trade).  The situation is both puzzling and frustrating to watch.  But it’s not a story we haven’t seen before.  Even before the decade of darkness, the Oilers had a habit of shipping prospects off prematurely and letting other teams reap the benefits.  Interestingly Slepyshev would have a few close compatibles from Oilers’ past.

Oilers Have a Long History of Downtrading

Martin Gelinas: Although Gelinas was not drafted by the Oilers (selected 7th overall in the 1988 entry draft by LA), they were his first NHL organization as he came over in the now infamous Wayne Gretzky trade.  Gelinas established himself as a member of the kid line in the Oilers’ last successful cup run in 1990 showing speed and some offense.  Gelinas followed up with 20 goals in his first full season with the Oil in 1990 – 91.  Nonetheless, he often drew the ire of then head coach John Muckler and was eventually traded by Glen Sather for rugged forward Scott Pearson in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques.  Gelinas would go on to have a successful NHL career, scoring 660 points over 18 NHL seasons.  And Scott Pearson?  If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it shouldn’t: Pearson scored 98 NHL points and spent most of his pro career as a minor-leaguer.

Miroslav Satan: Drafted 111th overall in 1993 out of Slovakia, Satan showed an early scoring touch for the Oilers, notching 18 goals in 64 games in his 1994 rookie season. 1994, part of the first dark era in Edmonton Oiler history.  Satan showed good potential, however was traded by then Oiler GM Glen Sather in his second season to the Buffalo Sabres for Craig Millar and Brian Moore . . ..   Satan would go on to score 30 plus goals in four seasons including a 40 goal campaign in 1998 – 99, mostly with Buffalo.  Craig Millar and Barrie Moore combined would not play in 40 NHL games . . .

Kyle Brodziak: Something of a local boy hailing from St. Paul, Ab., Brodziak was drafted 214th overall in 2003. Brodziak cracked the big club in 2008, scoring 14 and 11 goals in his first two seasons respectively, playing mostly on the bottom six.  Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for then GM Steve Tambellini as he traded Brodziak (under the advice of then coach MacT) plus a 6th round pick, to Minnesota for a fourth and fifth in the 2009 entry draft.  Brodziak remains a productive player, providing equal parts grit and scoring, currently with St. Louis Blues.  For the picks Edmonton received in the trade, the Oilers landed . . . Linus Omark, who is no longer in the NHL, and never made an impact.

So how will Slepyshev develop as a player?  My guess is somewhere between Gelinas and Brodziak, closer to Gelinas.  He has a better shot than Gelinas but isn’t as fast.  I would rate his hockey sense as average at best, but he has the skills, and over time he will learn how to use them.  My guess is, he will develop into at 15 goal 40 point guy if he sees consistent ice time on the top nine.

Now, I don’t have a direct line to Chiarelli’s office so, maybe this move was prompted by Slepyshev demanding a trade.  Possibly.  But based on what we know, Slepshev’s imminent departure is spurred by player mismanagement by the coach.  And what will the Oilers receive in return?  With the way Chia desperately advertised the player, I don’t see any team rushing to offer a prospect or a pick in the top three rounds.  The Oilers will likely receive a career AHL player, or a pick no earlier than the fifth round.  And why would we expect anything different?  With respect to Oiler asset management, it seems to be a long tradition.

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Re-Live a Dynasty That Died 10,000 Days Ago

*FUN FACT*

According to Oilers blogger Ryan Batty, it has been 10,000 days since the Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup.

I’m glad he did the legwork on that because I sure as hell wouldn’t have. I’m not even sure if that’s accurate but if I do the lazy math it sounds about right.

Now in 1990 I was ten years old and dominating minor hockey in Camrose, AB and if I can recall correctly, I had more of an interest in hockey cards and playing street hockey than I did watching actual hockey games. I mean my dad would take me to watch the local college team (Go Vikings!) at the old Rec Centre (it’s now called the Max McLean I think or maybe it’s part of the Enmax centre…) but I never spent much time in my seat. I was too busy chasing pucks that went over the glass, buying hockey cards out of those coin-operated machines, or playing “kick hockey” in the hall by the dressing rooms.

But in 1990, my dad somehow got his hands on tickets to the Stanley Cup Finals and I can’t exactly remember what game it was. All I can remember is Andy Moog deflecting pucks into the crowd every time he kicked his leg out to make a save, Ray Bourque’s unforgettable playing style, and Bill Ranford be as electrifying as he ever was.

Anyways, I worked some magic and present to you the Edmonton Oilers 1990 Stanley Cup Playoffs courtesy of the NHL VHS movie they put out that year. It’s basically just the parts of the movie that feature the Oilers. Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe to our Beer League Heroes Youtube Channel for more sweet videos!

GUEST POST FROM GEARGEEK.COM

What stick does each player on the Oilers use? 

If a question like this interests you, your next stop should be www.GearGeek.com, the world’s first online database of NHL equipment. Recently launched, the site has more than 3,500 equipment items used by all 700-plus active NHL players. You can slice and dice the information just about any way you want, and see the results within a couple of seconds. 

It’s an Oilers fan’s paradise — and one that has been much in demand, since previously it has been quite difficult to get accurate and comprehensive information about player equipment. Speaking of accurate, GearGeek updates its site daily so Oilers fans can keep track of equipment changes their favorite players make during the season.   

Specific pieces of equipment GearGeek monitors include sticks, gloves, pants, skates, helmets, blockers, pads and masks. The site also details player stats for the past/current season. It’s free to use and requires no registration or login. It’s a highly “bookmark-able” site for any hockey player or Oilers fan who enjoys being in the know about pro equipment.

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Breaking News, Edmonton Oilers, Rob Cooke

Oilers sign Klefbom long-term

1 Comment

Oilers fans have a long history of watching this team develop real NHL defensemen only to let them walk as free agents or traded prior to UFA status taking effect. Today, more than any other day so far I have seen the changing of the tide. Proof that someone other than MacT and Lowe are in charge and making the decisions. Let’s face it, previous management had a proven track record of developing solid defenders that while they may not have been top pairing guys were still legitimate NHL defensemen and then trading them away.

The first three that come to mind for me are Tom Gilbert, Jeff Petry and Marty Marincin. Three quality players, well Marty had some issues but was still a damn sight better than Nikitin or Ference in my opinion. That brings us to today and the joyous occasion that has us reminiscing of players gone too soon. Today Peter Chiarelli made the smart decision and locked up one of the best up and coming defensemen in the league. Oscar Klefbom in my eyes is a huge part of the Oilers defense moving forward and today the Oilers proved they think the same way as I do.

The number I have heard is 4.167 per season. That is a pretty decent number but there are a lot of folks on twitter that are trashing this team for signing Oscar long-term. Well really there are those bitching about the term and there are those bitching about the dollar value. Of course all the hate that I have seen comes from those outside the organization and fan base. I haven’t really seen anyone from the MSM or fans say anything remotely negative about the deal.

Really, I don’t see how anyone can say anything negative about it now. He is a lock to be in our top four for the next eight years. He is still only 22 years old and has a ton of developing left to do so he is only going to get better! He may never be a top guy like Doughty or Keith but he will be a top pairing defenseman, likely by the end of this season. Visions of a top pairing of Darnell Nurse and Oscar make me giddy with anticipation. We are not that far away from that happening folks!

What do you think? Is this a good signing? Too long of a term? Too much money? Let us know what you think. Leave a comment below or follow me on twitter and we can converse there, @justoil78. Thanks for reading.

 

Cheers

Rob