Tag Archives: Peter Chiarelli

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Breaking News: Chiarelli on the Verge of Being Fired?

What a passionless effort from the Edmonton Oilers. They spotted the San Jose Sharks six goals before deciding to turn up the heat and put some heart into the game. The defense can’t defend with Klefom and Russell out, the forwards can’t manage to hold onto puck possession for more than 10 seconds thus negating any notion of a scoring chance, and the goalies can’t stop the puck.

Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock basically said the same thing in his post-gamer,

It’s toxic in Edmonton and before the game was even over I was sent a message by one of my sources,

A decision on #Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli might be coming in the next few days after todays game.

Oilers owner Darryl Katz was in the crowd as well as Bob Nicholson. Sitting 3-4 seats away was Keith Gretzky and Peter Chiarelli. Apparently, not a lot of interacting was being done… I heard it’s cold in Rogers Place but I don’t imagine it got any warmer where they were watching the game from.

I’ll hold off on the post I’ve been promising to give you when Chiarelli gets fired but for the time being, do you think firing him will do anything to improve the health of the Oilers defense? Will the new GM (probably Keith Gretzky on the interim) be able to come in and all of a sudden work magic with this roster?

I will say this though, the fanbase and the media do not like being blamed for the Oilers performances when things are down. I get it and it’s not completely their fault but we’re heading into 15 years of poor Oilers seasons and the team has been headed by former Oilers as well as GMs and coaches from outside the organization who have championship pedigree. The one thing that has stayed the same, the media and the fanbase. Just saying. Maybe all those ex-players who talk about the effect the media and fans have on the team are on to something.

But I digress.

The team is what it is right now. It’s not good enough in its current state. But if you don’t believe injuries are definitely a factor during this losing streak, then I think you’re delusional. Edmonton is down a top-6 forward (Chiasson) and two top-4 defenders. I wonder why the team can’t score or stop the puck.

That’s not to say management isn’t responsible.

They thought that Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto could be impact players and they haven’t been able to be. That doesn’t mean they won’t be but at the moment, they’re not quite there. They didn’t do bring anybody in to deal with the Sekera injury for two years in a row. And they haven’t done anything to help out right now.

I’m not going to go back and talk about the Larsson, Strome, or Reinhart deals because frankly, enough time has passed on those that I believe if they were THAT poor of trades, either the Oilers would be way worse than they are or the Islanders and Devils would be way better than they are. Neither has happened.

Bob Stauffer, the host of Oilers Now, thinks the Oilers should go after an upgrade on the blueline. Others think that they should try for some secondary scoring. I think they’re hooped either way but I would also prefer a defender. I just think that if they stump up for a winger, they’re back to square one with regards to their reliance on Connor McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl.

The best trade proposal I’ve heard that I think would help the Oilers immediately is this one,

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Boston for Torey Krug and Jake DeBrusk

I don’t imagine the deal would be that clean. Other pieces might need to be involved but they get their winger and their PP quarterback who has a history of producing points from the back-end. Boston gets the centre they’ve desired for years as heir apperent to Patrice Bergeron.

I didn’t hear it but according to one of my followers on Twitter, Stauffer said he expects a goalie trade soon?

https://twitter.com/Oilking90313962/status/1079180337446416384

If this does happen, expect a flurry of moves. I think that Talbot to Philly is becoming more of a reality than ever. Not sure what defender you could expect out of Philadelphia though. Andrew MacDonald? I’ve thrown out names like Colton Parayko and Tyson Barrie in the past, but what about Brett Pesce? Carolina is in about the same state as the Oilers and they’ve got a surplus of defenders.

What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Click the image above and get this sweet Leon’s parody shirt!
Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
Click the pic and grab a 16-bit McDavid tee!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors, Trades

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Chiarelli On the Hunt for a 3C

Since the coaching change, I’ve been listening to media types like Jason Gregor say that Ken Hitchcock has nothing to lose by coaching the Edmonton Oilers.

“He’s on a 4-month contract! He can do as he pleases!”

But I’m here to tell you that if you hear anybody say that you should kick them square in the shins and tell them to get their heads out of their asses.

Ken Hitchcock is 66-years-old and his dream has been to coach the Edmonton Oilers his whole coaching career. Do you really think that he’s some sort of coaching mercenary just looking to make some money for a few months and then walk away emotionless?

No! Of course he isn’t. This is his dream for Christ’s sake. He wants to come in and do the best he can and help the Oilers go as far as possible in what might be his final kick at the can. He most certainly does have something to lose if this doesn’t end in substantial improvement for the Oilers.

Consider it his tribute to Clare Drake and all the other local friends he’s made over the years, if you will.

A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!

Trade Whispers

Now that the Oilers have Chris Wideman I do believe that spells the end for one of Matt Benning, Kevin Gravel, or Jason Garrison. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the end for two of them.

My picks would be Benning and Garrison.

Everyone on the team loves Garrison. He really is well-thought-of within the organization and It’s my belief that the Oilers would do their best to accommodate his wishes whatever those would be if Edmonton wanted to cut ties. His foot speed simply isn’t where it needs to be in today’s NHL.

According to those who are close to the team, Matt Benning has lost confidence and for unknown reasons, his hockey IQ has gone down the drain. He can’t make a pass for the life of him and it’s costing the Oilers in goals against and chances against.

Benning is a very decent option on the 3rd pairing but if I’m being honest and I’ll ask you, do you think he’s any better than a no.7 defender in the NHL?

There’s a thought out there that Garrison or Benning could be sent to the minors but personally, and this leans more towards Benning, I think a trade would be more likely and I wonder if a team like the Dallas Stars would be someone worth talking to for the Oilers.

Chiarelli and Hitchcock have obvious connections to Stars GM Jim Nill through Hockey Canada, right? Also, Nill was Hitchcock’s boss last season.

I think that Edmonton is after Radek Faksa. A 6-foot-3 215-pound center who only has 6pts this season.

The folks that I’ve chatted with have said they reckon that Dallas might consider moving him because they’ve got some players in the minors that are pushing and they could use the cap space.

But I’m not so sure a trade between the two teams would be a cap space saver for either of them. Edmonton and Dallas are both slightly overdrawn at the moment.

What was suggested to me was a Benning and the Islanders 3rd round pick this year for Radek Faksa.

I’m not 100% sold on a deal that would see Dallas move a center like Faksa when they’re right in the playoff mix unless Edmonton was overpaying OR Martin Hanzal was close to returning.

The money is near a wash as Faksa makes $2.2M per year and Benning is on a $1.9M per year contract. Both deals expire after next season and so maybe Chiarelli convinces Nill to even out the money a bit there and eat 300k.

Dallas’ defense is in tatters. They’ve got four of their top-6 dmen out of the lineup right now and they’re barely sitting in a wildcard spot. Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen are their top-pairing!

Last season Faksa played in 79 games and racked up 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points. He was also +21. It was the 2nd season in a row where he accrued 33points. This year he’s on pace for around 24 points.

I think the Oilers are looking to solidify that middle six of theirs and if we look at a potential lineup that includes the big Czech center, you can see where Faksa would definitely accomplish that.

Caggiula-McDavid-Draisaitl
Rieder-RNH-Puljujarvi
Spooner-Faksa-Chiasson
Lucic-Brodziak-Kassian

So in this scenario, JJ Khaira and Ty Rattie are out of the lineup. I have a feeling that Spooner might find himself in the doghouse more often than not but the good thing about this roster is its fluidity. Apart from Brodziak, Kassian, and McDavid, the rest of the players can be slotted in anywhere.

Then on defense, you’d have,

Klefbom-Larsson
Nurse-Russell
Gravel-Wideman
Garrison

This isn’t so bad. I can’t see any of the kids coming up anytime soon. Players like Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, and William Lagesson have the greatest chance to get called up but in my opinion, they are better served playing and honing their crafts in Bakersfield this season.

So what do you think? Would you be interested in the Oilers acquiring Radek Faksa? Let us know in the comments below but not before you check out some of our BLH swag!

Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
What a hilarious phrase! Click the pic to get yours today!
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!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Edmonton Oilers: Mclellan’s Out! Hitch’s In! What’s in Store for Chiarelli?

What a week it has been eh? I have been on one proper roller coaster in my life and that was at Canada’s Wonderland during the one and only trip I’ve ever had to Ontario, Canada. Not gonna say that experience was fun for me but it was what it was. But the last few days are the closest I’ve come to that roller coaster experience from an emotional standpoint.

After the Oilers game against Vegas I was near sure that McLellan was gone that night, then I got a message that said he was staying, then I got another one that said hold on. THEN I wake up at 1:30 in the morning here in Taipei and I get the urge to just check my messages real quick and there it was, McLellan out, Hitchcock in.

Shocked. Not so much about the firing but about the hiring. Did anybody have a clue that Ken Hitchcock would even be an option? I sure didn’t. The people I talk to didn’t. I literally had no idea how to take the news that he was going to be the coach of the Oilers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TadZfKr1nL0

When I really got into my stride as a right proper hockey fan, as a kid I only watched the highlights because I thought the rest of the game was boring, the kind of fan that watches the whole game and pays special attention; that was about the time the Oilers were playing the Dallas Stars near every year in the playoffs that Edmonton made the postseason. Ken Hitchcock was coaching that team and I hated them so much. I hated Derian Hatcher and Mike Modano, Jere Lehtinen and Darcy Wakaluk. I couldn’t stand that a team who played in a desert were so good and they won all of the time.

So that was my first exposure to Ken Hitchcock.

Fast forward to two days ago and my tune has changed. I love Ken Hitchcock now! I’m a big fan of coaches who are both clever and wise. Hitch is very sharp in mind and wit and I guess in a way reminds me of how my own grandfather was and that was a man you did not mess around with but boy could he tell a good joke.

The whole story that comes with Hitchcock is fascinating too, right?

Click the pic and grab a 16-bit McDavid tee!

A Local Lad

The new Oilers bench boss is a local lad who worked at United Cycle and during his lunch breaks he’d walk down the street to the University of Alberta’s hockey arena and watch legendary (and how hall-of-fame) coach Clare Drake run practices for the U of A Golden Bears. He was a massively successful midget AAA coach in Sherwood Park and then again in Kamloops of the WHL where he won two Western Hockey League titles in 1986 and 1990.

In 1991, Hitchcock joined the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant and stayed there for three years before moving on the become the head coach of the Kalamazoo Wings of the IHL.

On Jan.6th of 1996, he was named head coach of the Dallas Stars replacing Bob Gainey. The next season he lead the Stars to a first-place finish and a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Speaking of Stanley Cup. The 98/99 season saw his Dallas stars hoist Lord Stanley’s cup over their heads for the first time as they beat the Buffalo Sabres. In ’99/2000, the Stars returned to the Cup final but were beaten by the New Jersey Devils. If I’m not mistaken, the Cups were both won on OT goals by Brett Hull (toe in the crease?) and Jason Arnott.

After Dallas Hitchcock moved on to Philadelphia, Columbus, St.Louis, and then Dallas again.

During that time (about 15 years) he only missed the playoffs with Columbus and Dallas.

So you might’ve known all of that but let’s look at the record of each of those teams in Hitch’s first full season with them.

  • Dallas (1996/97) – 82gp 48w 26l 8t 104pts (1st in Central Division)
  • Philadelphia (2002/03) – 82gp 45w 13l 4t 107pts (2nd in Atlantic Division)
  • Columbus (2006/07) – 62gp 28w 29l 5ot 73pts (4th in Central Division)
  • St.Louis (2011/12) – 69gp 43w 15l 11ot 97pts (1st in Central)
  • Dallas (2017/18) – 82gp 42w 32l 8ot 92pts (6th in Central)

Three out of five debut seasons ended in playoffs and four our of five ended in 90+ point finishes. That’s very encouraging.

Last year Hitchcock’s Stars were only 3pts out of the final wildcard spot. So I guess the only real poor year was the Columbus one and it’s hard to put that on coaching when your starting goalie is Fredrik Norrena and you’ve got 37-year-old Sergei Federov centering your top line and 35-year-old Adam Foote anchoring your defense.


Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers Adidas Practice Player Jersey Royal Jersey–
$119.99 with code: TURKEY20
Offer ends today!
Regular: $149.99
You Save: $30.00

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are ready for game day. Are you? Rep your favorite player with this Practice Player jersey from adidas. His recognizable name and number are emblazoned across the back of this first-rate Edmonton Oilers jersey, which will allow you to show everyone who you’re cheering for.

What About This Year?

I like the odds of the Oilers making the playoffs this year under Hitchcock. Folks covering the team say the players didn’t quit on McLellan but I think if you ask ex-players (aka Marc Savard) not affiliated with the club or its former head coach, I imagine they’d say the players weren’t exactly playing for him if you know what I mean.

I’ve always wondered what a team with such offensive firepower would look like playing for a defensively minded coach. Furthermore, how are these young kids going to cope with having a bench boss who has a reputation for telling it how it is?

One of the most impressive lines on the Oilers against the Sharks was the 3rd line and Hitch was asked why he put Lucic, Brodziak, and Kassian together yesterday.

“An identity line. I believe that you have to have a group of players who set the work standard on your club. If you’re asking your top players to do everything, then you’re not putting players who should play that way in the position to have success.

“I want them to set the tone and the dial for how we want to play. They’re maybe not going to score as many goals as when they were younger, but when you see the way they played some shifts (Tuesday), they set the table for other people to perform. I don’t know who I’m going to put on that line, but whoever is playing with Brodziak has to play that way. They’ve got to grind that team down to where all they’re doing is chipping and changing, and then we’ve got them on the three-quarter ice game, and now we’re rolling.” (source)

I couldn’t be happier with that response. Ken Hitchcock doesn’t care how much Milan Lucic is making, he wants to see the Lucic from his junior days where he was a MASSIVE physical force. He wants to see him regain some of the confidence and soak up what Hitchcock has to give him so that he CAN score again for this team.

I don’t know, maybe I’m just on a high from the win but I feel really good now going into LA and Anaheim whereas before when McLellan was behind the bench, I wasn’t too sure how the Oilers would do in California.

Two more wins and they’ll surely be back in the top-3 in the Pacific.


Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers Autographed JOFA Right Hand Replica Hockey Glove – Upper Deck –  $999.99Ships Free with code: TURKEY20

This glove has been personally hand-signed by Wayne Gretzky. It is officially licensed by the National Hockey League and comes with a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck.

What About Peter Chiarelli?

When Peter Chiarelli says that he hired Ken Hitchcock, he’s not wrong. Technically, as GM/POHO of the Edmonton Oilers, he hired him but he didn’t really. From what I can glean from the situation and what I’ve been passed along, it was “you’re going with Todd or you’re going to hire who you’re told to.”

The one thing I don’t get from the anti-Chiarelli portion of the fanbase is what did they think was going to happen if Edmonton axed Chiarelli? Were the Oilers going to all of a sudden feel that sigh of relief and play better? No, of course not.

They bitch and moan about rebuild after rebuild and the trades but then they want the GM gone and are prepared for another GM to come in and take the time to build the team in his image. Well, how the hell do you think he’s going to do that? He’s going to deal players/picks that are worth something! He’s going to sign UFAs with whatever cap space he can accrue.

So hiring the coach was THE best course of action at that moment. The players will get a performance boost from it and in the short-term, the Oilers will be better for it.

Now, the long-term is a different story.

I’m of the belief that for the rest of the season Peter Chiarelli’s GM duties will get dialed down and passed on to Keith Gretzky with the intentions of having Keith take over the GM duties starting next season. I would think that means Chiarelli will get kicked upstairs and simply hold the title of President of Hockey Operations then.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!
Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
What a hilarious phrase! Click the pic to get yours today!
Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers News: A Decision Was Made, Win in California or You’re Toast

So I’m sure you’ve all come to the conclusion that the meeting between Katz and the brass resulted in a big fat pile of nothing and a hat tip to those of you who said they thought nothing would happen. Me? I was near 100% convinced because the media was ridiculously quiet after the game and not only that but Todd McLellan sounded like a defeated man during his post-game presser.

If you’re interested in the more abbreviated version of this blog, watch TSN’s Insider Trading from last night and you’ll have a good idea of what I’m going to write about today but if you’re gung ho and ready to go, scroll down and let’s get it on!

Click the pic and grab a 16-bit McDavid tee!

**Obligatory disclaimer: Take what you’re about to read with a grain of salt. Things change all of the time at the NHL level. At the very least, this will be a great pub or water cooler banter but by no means am I an insider. I just happen to be friends with people who are close to the club and have been given permission to relay their words online. – BLH**


Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers Upper Deck Deluxe Framed Autographed Blue CCM Jersey – Upper Deck – $2,249.99This jersey has been personally hand-signed by Wayne Gretzky. Each framed jersey comes double matted in a black wood frame, has two photos, and has two engraved team logos. It comes with a certificate of authenticity from Upper Deck. It measures 36″ x 44″ x 2″ and comes ready to hang in your home or office.

I woke up this morning to this message in my inbox,

Everyone on the roster except for RNH, Connor, Leon, Klef, and Lucic (at Chiarelli’s discretion) is available.

I guess the owner is happy to blow things up? He certainly has a lot of trust in Chiarelli to make a trade when the previous blockbusters have had him feeling less than pleased.

I’d have Adam Larsson in that group too if I was the owner. He’s been very solid this year.

Katz said behind closed doors that he’s f*cking tired of the inconsistencies and he’s giving the organization, that includes Nicholson, Chiarelli, Gretzky (Keith), and McLellan, the California trip to turn this around or he’s making changes. 

See, now this is where I get a little bit confused. The owner has given his GM permission to go out and alter the make-up of the roster but in the same meeting has told his management team that if they don’t turn things around in 7 days, changes will be made.

So does that mean as fans, we should expect some big trades to come down the wire in the upcoming 10 days?

The Oilers like Klef but the don’t feel he’s back to what he was in 2016/17. They figure he’d be further along than he is. Klefbom himself is too inconsistent. The major issue with the defense right now is that their not transitioning the puck.

Katz said the biggest issue he sees himself is the inconsistency of the goaltending, doesn’t sound like their bringing Talbot back; it sounds like they’ll try to move him for a prospect or a pick or a younger back-up goalie and Katz wants Chiarelli to try and look at fixing the D from a transitioning standpoint because when you have a player like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on your team and you can’t get them the puck with that defense, it’s a BIG BIG issue. 

I thought Klefbom had been playing very well this year. He’s taken some big hits this year and not fallen apart. I’d have thought he’d be the last guy to get shat on this year. I mean Klef and Larsson have been the best defenders on the squad this year.

Now the goaltending is another story and I imagine when Katz said “goaltending” that he meant Talbot because Koskinen has been nothing short of amazing this year and Cam has been nothing short of disappointing.

As for the poor-puck moving defenders, I don’t really know what to do there apart from cutting bait on them. Can they be trained to move it better? Would any other team be interested in them even?

Personally, I’d have no issues with the team moving away from Matt Benning and I wonder if it’d be possible to maybe bring in a Tony DeAngelo for Benning?

Nicholson tried to sugar coat things with Katz and Katz told him to cut it out (in so many words) and reminded everyone at the meeting that 18 months ago they were a playoff team and now the team is under .500. Something is going on and fix what needs to be fixed and let’s get things going here or else it’s your jobs. 

I wonder how Nicholson took that? These kinds of men are rarely told to shut up but Katz isn’t wrong. These guys need to get off of their asses and do something for those massive paychecks they’re earning.

I asked why the GM and coach couldn’t be fired if their replacements were readily available in-house with Keith Gretzky and Glen Gulutzan and I was told this,

Katz is giving them a chance to turn it around. Quenneville doesn’t want to coach for a while, so he’s off the market for the time being. Katz isn’t paying Gulutzan to he head coach, he was brought in to he an assistant and Keith doesn’t have any GM experience, he’s a tremendous scout. 

Katz believes in Chiarelli. He’s built a Cup winner before and Katz has faith in him that he can build another. 

So we’re back to having Katz in Chiarelli’s corner again. Which is fine but must be confusing to everyone at the meeting including Chiarelli himself.

Something that occurred to me earlier is that the Bakersfield Condors are playing well and so are the Edmonton Oil Kings. Two teams that fall under the OEG umbrella and two teams that Peter Chiarelli has a hand in how they’re run. Chiarelli hired the Oil Kings new GM this year and he also placed Jay Woodcraft in Bakersfield to run that team.

Do you think that Katz looks at that and thinks perhaps that Peter Chiarelli is maybe better suited in the POHO (president of hockey operations) position than the GM’s role?

We’re in year 4 now and there are no excuses this season like there were in years 1-3. This is a team that I believe has the talent to produce better results than they’re doing but they’ve got these mental blocks that they go behind when adversity strikes.

Inconsistency seems to be the buzzword of the day here. You know what kind of players generally don’t have inconsistencies in their game? Veterans.

Had the team just acquired the right veterans, we wouldn’t be hearing about how inconsistent the 2nd youngest team in the NHL is…

So what happens if the team goes 1-1-1 on this trip? Everyone safe? Would 1-2-0 be the final straw? What about 2-1-0? Is THAT enough to save jobs? I mean if they go 3-0-0 and then 2-5-1 right after that, what’s the bloody point?

If the Oilers are out of it and then Chiarelli decides to drop the hammer on McLellan, how does that help?

So in a sense, a decision was made yesterday and the decision was that the brass and coaching will get another 7-10 days. (scroll down, there’s more)

A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!

Here’s the thing with deciding who to fire. You have to ask yourself, would you be prepared to go through another 2-3 years while the new GM builds the team in his vision or would you be happy with the possibility of a performance bump in the short-term if the coach was let go?

Is there a rush to get out from under that Lucic contract? Would you be willing to part with a Jesse Puljujarvi, Tyler Benson, or Kailer Yamamoto to do so? That’s what we’d be looking at if a new GM came in.

Now, conversely, a new coach could come in and say, “Get that Pulju kid back up here. I can use him and I know how to get the best out of him!”

All I’m saying is that we’ve gone through a few fresh voices in the playing personnel, how bad would it be to hear a new voice at head coach?

Darryl Katz should man up and do what needs to be done or be prepared to feel the wrath of not only the Oilers fans but the dozens of articles that will be written by major outlets shaming the club in a very public manner.

It’s getting to the point to where we’ll start seeing billboards rented out and parked in front of the Oilers offices again. Darryl Katz doesn’t want his team to be a national news headline again for the wrong reasons. So he should take action instead of giving the men responsible an earfull.

St.Louis, LA, and Chicago have all done it this year. When will the Oilers hold their coach accountable?

There’s a changing of the guard going on in the coaching ranks, maybe it’s time the Oilers got in touch with the times.

Rasmus Dahlin might turn out to be the best 16-bit defenseman of all time! Grab his likeness today! Click the pic above!
Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
What a hilarious phrase! Click the pic to get yours today!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers News: A Decision Will Be Made

As I sit here, I’m still shocked at what transpired last night. Not only with what happened in the Oilers game (because that was a bloody joke) but with what I was told after it. I was literally on the worst emotional roller coaster possible as it pertains to the Edmonton Oilers.

I do apologize to my followers for having to experience that with me…

**Obligatory disclaimer: Take what you’re about to read with a grain of salt. Very rarely do things come to fruition because things change all of the time at the NHL level. At the very least, this will be a great pub or water cooler banter but by no means am I an insider. I just happen to be friends with people who are close to the club and have been given permission to relay their words online. – BLH**

First it was, McLellan is gone. Then it was, nope, he’s staying. Nicholson thinks they need to stay the course and just ride out this slump. Now I’m hearing that after the game there was a closed-door meeting between Bob Nicholson, Wayne and Keith Gretzky, and Peter Chiarelli and there’ll be another meeting tomorrow between all of them and the owner.

A decision will be made.

I had a feeling something was up when Bob Stauffer didn’t tweet anything out after the game. He’s usually got a thought or two on the result of each Oilers match but nothing last night. To me, that’s the smoking gun. The Oilers media team is getting prepared.

Furthermore, I found the usual barrage of tweets coming from the MSM that covers the Oilers to be less chatty on Twitter after the game. Nothing from Lowetide and nothing from Jason Gregor should speak volumes.

It’s pretty obvious what’s going on here right? The trade has already happened that usually prefaces the firing.

A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!

THE OIL KNIGHT GOES OFF!

My friend SPR (@theoilknight) was spitting fiery hot truths from the pulpit after the game and I’d like to share some of that with you if you haven’t read it yet. Click that link besides his name and give him a follow.

If you don’t think the Oilers need a new voice in the room and on the bench you’re kidding yourself. This team quit on him last year and it’s happening again. Some coaches are doing much more with much less right now around the league. This team is mentally done right now.

*cough* The Islanders *cough* The Canucks *cough* The Sabres *cough* The Rangers *cough*

If u think the Coyotes have more talent than EDM u need ur head checked. Their leading scorer has 12 pts & Raanta has been hurt. McDavid & Drai both have 12 GOALS apiece. EDM had ELEVEN 1st rd picks on team. TMac ran 3 off. Don’t tell me the coach didnt have anything to work with

Man, I’d love to know who suggested the Coyotes have more talent than the Oilers because that is definitely the hot taek of the week. Didn’t they deal their best player to the Habs?

This team quit on their coach last season & are doing it again. Blame his stubbornness, outdated systems, poor adjustments & inability to relate or motivate his players properly. Blame the GM for not firing him sooner. Just don’t tell me this team isn’t talented cuz that’s b.s.

I found an article by Shane Sander that was published nearly to the day from last year (11/22/2017) entitled, “Don’t Fire McLellan, Point Fingers at Players and Chiarelli”. At first, I thought that he’d posted it recently but then I checked the date and had a laugh because nothing has really changed in a calendar year and that is a MASSIVE problem.

SPR even wrote about McLellan in January. A post called, “If This is the End, Now What?”. I think this is a must read given the scenario Oilers fans are facing.

Talbot, Lucic, Strome, Puljujarvi, Yamamoto… all zero confidence. Do all these players actually suck or do they suck under Todd’s system & tutelage? Think about it. Even Eberle was in TMac’s doghouse before he got traded. What is the common denominator? (Ok Strome sucks).

Hall and Schultz as well. Maroon slumped before he was dealt too.

All assistant coaches got fired yet Todd still runs the PP, a ridiculous PP with 5 lefties. All rookies/2nd yr players run off team. Couldn’t get it going under Todd’s system. In game adjustments have been awful. How can anyone still be blind that coach isn’t the root cause here?

For the last couple of weeks, McLellan has had a righty on the 1st unit be that Ty Rattie (a healthy scratch for some reason last night) or Alex Chiasson but he still has them in Lucic’s old role beside the goalie. I’m flabbergasted as to why he won’t like Viveiros do what he was brought in to do and that’s run the friggin’ PP. Just another way that Todd McLellan continues to defy the wishes of his superior.

Truth is whether TMac apologists admit it or not, the players hate playing this system, hate how the coach plays favorites, hate how their team gets outcoached, hate coming to the rink. THEY need a change.

I know Sean and Marty Klinkenberg had a bit of a go on this point and it’s a lot easier for Klinkenberg to say that he goes to the rink every day and the players look fine than it is for SPR but I’d have to agree with Sean here. To add to that, if the players are going to practice every day with smiles on their faces and glee in their eyes, someone needs to slap them and tell them to wake the f*ck up! This isn’t Never Never Land. Wipe that sh*t eating grin off of your face and get to work! Moreover, if you’re eating sh*t and grinning, it’s probably not your day anyhow.

Ask yourself one question. Do you think McLellan could do any better with a “better roster”. I mean, C’mon. LOL. What does that even mean? Are we talking a stacked roster that basically coaches itself? This isn’t a video game. What coach couldnt do better with a better roster? 

Trades are not easy to make in the cap world and Chiarelli is right back to where he was when he was hired. Bent over a barrel because his team is poor. There’s no GM in the NHL that is going to give him a deal that’ll help the Oilers in the short-term that won’t burn them in the long-term.

Is it the Coach’s job to wait to get a stacked roster before he turns it into wins or is it his job to get the most of what he has? Do you think McLellan has gotten the most out of his team? More than the Coyotes, for example?

I think it’s the Coach’s job to get the most out of the squad he has but time and time again we hear about McLellan’s inability to communicate with the players. He’s a “hands-off” sort of coach. He likes to leave the intermission talks to the leadership group and I can only imagine how mind-numbingly quiet it is in there…

At least Chiarelli can point to Bakersfield and the CHL (and Sweden) for reasons why he should stick around. What the hell does McLellan have to show for? 31st PP and PK last year? Ridiculous amount of lethargic efforts over the last 2 seasons?

And this is a HUGE reason why Chiarelli shouldn’t be canned. He’s taken what was one of the emptiest minor league systems and filled it. If he doesn’t trade any of the kids he’s drafted, next year Bakersfield will be overflowing with prospects. A very welcome change.

Best PP QB in EDM- Bouchard. No sniffs on PP1 by coach, sent back. Most skilled players on team other than 97, 93, 29 – Puljujarvi & Yamamoto. Coach shows zero confidence in Jesse despite big camp, puts Yamo with Drai zero chemistry. Both sent down. GM or Coach’s fault there?

Don’t forget about Pontus Aberg. Chiarelli brought him in to provide some skill on the wing and yes, he did make a mistake off the ice but was it fair to punish him to the extent they did? Now he’s in Anaheim and seems to be fitting in nicely there.

The fact of the matter is every coach has a shelf life. Before there was Sullivan in Pittsburgh, there was Bylsma, before Bylsma, there was Therien. Sometimes a team has to go through the motions a bit before they can find their groove.

I for one am tired of Todd McLellan’s style of coaching and his style of hockey. I’m ready for a change on the coaching front and I think the players are as well.

As for that meeting that I’ve been told will take place tomorrow. This is just my personal feeling, no source info here, but I wonder if Katz might just say thank you to both Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan and let Glen Gulutzan and Keith Gretzky ride out the rest of the year as replacements.

Last year, after that Dallas game when Katz wanted McLellan fired then, he was talked out of it by Chiarelli and Nicholson. I don’t think there’ll be a repeat of that this time around and if there is, refer to the paragraph above.

It’s much easier to find a coach and/or a GM in the summertime and if I had my picks I’d probably have a guy like Doug Weight come in but I like Mo Jaber’s suggestion too.

Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
What a hilarious phrase! Click the pic to get yours today!
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!