Dr. Drai didn't exactly tear up the AHL before he came up for good.
- Reveen.

Nope, that he did not.

Then there’s the opposite case of Brad Hunt. Tears up the AHL but can’t crack the NHL.

Nope, that he did not.

Then there’s the opposite case of Brad Hunt. Tears up the AHL but can’t crack the NHL.
- Wildschwein

Brad Hunt didn't have draft pedigree either.

Nope, that he did not.

Then there’s the opposite case of Brad Hunt. Tears up the AHL but can’t crack the NHL.
- Wildschwein

He does have 7 points in 8 games for Vegas

He does have 7 points in 8 games for Vegas
- Reveen.

Does he now? Good for him, forgot Vegas took a chance with him.

1) Everyone was ready to suck Slepy's Richard after his play in the playoffs.
2) Strome was supposed to be somewhat of a replacement for Eberle.
3) Puju was always going to start the year in the minors unless he really earned it.
- Reveen.

That’s not what chiarelli said.
Think it was the summer that he flat out stated he saw puju making an impact with the big club. Add to that moving out eberle on an already thin right side and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out his strategy.

He was wrong about strome if he thought that.

Even if slep played reasonably well (i was a huge fan) still doesn’t change the fact that assuming he was ready for top 6 mins wasn’t a miss.

Considering the Reinhart deal, strome, Hall, russel contract, looch contract, jokinen (even if he was cheap) I’m totally hesitant to say his acumen on judging talent is anything but suspect.

I generally defend coaching/management as there’s so much nuance in judging their performance. But Other than maroon, what has he done to really make this club better?
If one of puju/yam turn out, his reputation probably gets a reprieve. But it might not matter if we miss the playoffs this year. I’d fire him if we did

Chia gets more than two drafts to replenish the prospect pool and Mac-T / Lowe / Tambellini built.
- Reveen.

Chia ruined our rw depth. Not Mact or anyone else.

Chia ruined our rw depth. Not Mact or anyone else.
- ghostofRC

This is the more immediate issue this season, with Yamamoto, Puljujarvi, and to a point Benson the Oil have some decent prospects up front. Combined with Bear and Jones on defense. The action NHL ready depth has been depleted this season.

The fact that this team is in a panic because Slepeshev and Caggiula are injured?! Are you kidding me?!

This is the more immediate issue this season, with Yamamoto, Puljujarvi, and to a point Benson the Oil have some decent prospects up front. Combined with Bear and Jones on defense. The action NHL ready depth has been depleted this season.

The fact that this team is in a panic because Slepeshev and Caggiula are injured?! Are you kidding me?!
- freelancer

Some are quick to point to past management as the issue and say Chia gets time to fix it...

Yet past management gave Chia McDavid, Drai, Eberle, Nuge, Hall, Yak, Shultz, Klef, Nurse, Talbot, Jujhar, Slepy to work with and he has decimated that in no time...

Some are quick to point to past management as the issue and say Chia gets time to fix it...

Yet past management gave Chia McDavid, Drai, Eberle, Nuge, Hall, Yak, Shultz, Klef, Nurse, Talbot, Jujhar, Slepy to work with and he has decimated that in no time...
- ghostofRC

Let's not sit here and suggest Yakupov was an asset. Don't think you can blame him for Schultz, either as he was clearly and desperately in need of a new look.

A fair trade for both sides!
- DuranDuran

I see Leafs fans being really excited for it... Not so sure about Oiler fans. Toronto will probably have to add a 2nd.

Puljujarvi needs to lay off the pizza!

Let's not sit here and suggest Yakupov was an asset. Don't think you can blame him for Schultz, either as he was clearly and desperately in need of a new look.
- MaximumBone

Point is: he came in and got gifted McDavid and a team that had a few holes to fill.

Here we are two and a half years later and we have a team with McDavid and a few holes to fill...still.

Chia ruined our rw depth. Not Mact or anyone else.
- ghostofRC

What depth did we have >?

Some are quick to point to past management as the issue and say Chia gets time to fix it...

Yet past management gave Chia McDavid, Drai, Eberle, Nuge, Hall, Yak, Shultz, Klef, Nurse, Talbot, Jujhar, Slepy to work with and he has decimated that in no time...
- ghostofRC

Past management pissed away Schultz and Dubnyk and ruined Yakupov (who seems to be saving his career with the Avs).

Point is: he came in and got gifted McDavid and a team that had a few holes to fill.

Here we are two and a half years later and we have a team with McDavid and a few holes to fill...still.
- ghostofRC

What's maddening for me and why I now have big issues with Chia. I liked a fair amount of the moves and smaller deals he made. Last season a whole bunch of things went right but overall the roster had balance and depth it hadn't had for a decade. Then, instead of building on that he depleted the RW depth by trading Eberle and did not replace Eberle on the wing, and made no moves to bolster what was still a fairly average D core with Sekera and looks awful without him.

Some people will say he had to do this because of the cap but currently the Oilers have over 8 million in cap space for... reasons?

Point is: he came in and got gifted McDavid and a team that had a few holes to fill.

Here we are two and a half years later and we have a team with McDavid and a few holes to fill...still.
- ghostofRC

He had no organisational depth to work with... he had to rob Peter to pay Paul. Any assets he had like Jultz or Yak had pretty much zero value.

Puljujarvi needs to lay off the pizza!
- laughs2907

What's maddening for me and why I now have big issues with Chia. I liked a fair amount of the moves and smaller deals he made. Last season a whole bunch of things went right but overall the roster had balance and depth it hadn't had for a decade. Then, instead of building on that he depleted the RW depth by trading Eberle and did not replace Eberle on the wing, and made no moves to bolster what was still a fairly average D core with Sekera and looks awful without him.

Some people will say he had to do this because of the cap but currently the Oilers have over 8 million in cap space for... reasons?
- freelancer

This I agree with and he didn't have to move Eberle he did so because the coach lost confidence in him.

Past management pissed away Schultz and Dubnyk and ruined Yakupov (who seems to be saving his career with the Avs).
- Reveen.

How did past management piss away Shultz? He started great and went south under Eakins and TMac. A new coach seems to be able to utilize him pretty well.

And past management didn’t do anything to Dubnyk. He did it to himself. He hasn’t admitted his focus wasn’t where it needed to be after his wife had their first kid and was suffering from post partum and it effected his prep and play. He went to two other organizations and still struggled. It wasn’t until he got to Minny that he got his mojo back and he thanked Burke in part for helping him refocus. But I guess that’s all managements fault. Never blame the players.

How did past management piss away Shultz? He started great and went south under Eakins and TMac. A new coach seems to be able to utilize him pretty well.

And past management didn’t do anything to Dubnyk. He did it to himself. He hasn’t admitted his focus wasn’t where it needed to be after his wife had their first kid and was suffering from post partum and it effected his prep and play. He went to two other organizations and still struggled. It wasn’t until he got to Minny that he got his mojo back and he thanked Burke in part for helping him refocus. But I guess that’s all managements fault. Never blame the players.
- ghostofRC

The players didn't hire Eakins

The players didn't hire Eakins
- Reveen.

They didn’t hire TMac either. Yet he couldn’t do anything with Shultz either. I guess they are equally poopty coaches.

How did past management piss away Shultz? He started great and went south under Eakins and TMac. A new coach seems to be able to utilize him pretty well.

And past management didn’t do anything to Dubnyk. He did it to himself. He hasn’t admitted his focus wasn’t where it needed to be after his wife had their first kid and was suffering from post partum and it effected his prep and play. He went to two other organizations and still struggled. It wasn’t until he got to Minny that he got his mojo back and he thanked Burke in part for helping him refocus. But I guess that’s all managements fault. Never blame the players.
- ghostofRC

Mac-T had a hate on for Dubnyk from day one and Dubnyk knew it. That killed his confidence and it took a real goalie coach to salvage his career.

Management was too retarded to fix the defense and tossed Jultz into the fire. No poop he would turn it around on a defense that could shelter him.

- EdmHockeyMan

I forgot about that Puljujarvi pizza shirt I was going to order. Gonna have to do that tonight

They didn’t hire TMac either. Yet he couldn’t do anything with Shultz either. I guess they are equally poopty coaches.
- ghostofRC

How could T-Mac shelter Schultz the way Pittsburgh did ? He was still working with Mac-T's dumpster fire blue line.

This is the only one left on the site...