Rob Daum: Oilers housecleaning continues
Robin Brownlee
June 15 2010 09:10AM
The Edmonton Oilers have decided Rob Daum isn't the head coach they want behind the bench when they open up their AHL shop in Oklahoma City next season.
After three years in the organization as a coach, including a one-year stint as an assistant to Craig MacTavish with the Oilers and parts of two seasons as coach of the Springfield Falcons, Daum has been told he's not in the plans.
While Daum, 52, enjoyed nothing but success in a decade with the Alberta Golden Bears before joining the Oilers, he couldn't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse in Springfield.
That inability to get results -- with what was essentially an injury riddled ECHL defensive corps last season and a team without a legit AHL starter in goal this season -- in Springfield has cost him his job.
Or maybe Daum didn't have enough pizzazz or marquee value to sell tickets in Oklahoma City -- I don't know the Oilers thinking behind the move because they have yet to comment or even announce they gave Daum the bad news last week.
Perhaps they'll get around to it this week.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons were 25-39-0-16 under Daum this season after going 8-17-0-5 with the former two-time CIS coach of the year behind the bench in 2008-09, a campaign in which he took over from Jeff Truitt as a late-season replacement.
In an off-season of change, one that has already seen the Oilers sack assistant GM Kevin Prendergast, long-time equipment manager Barrie Stafford, assistant Lyle Kulchisky and athletic therapist Ken Lowe, Daum becomes the latest to be shown the door.
While it's difficult to put a positive spin on Daum's record in Springfield, player development, generally speaking, carries as much weight as wins and losses do at the minor league level. There's no question in my mind that Daum is a proven teacher of the game.
The truth is, Daum, who compiled one of the most successful records in CIS history with an overall slate of 345-79-32 (.792) on the way to three CIS championships and six conference titles, didn't have much to work with in the mire that has been the Oilers farm system.
If the Oilers really want a fresh start in Oklahoma City, they had better address the lack of depth of talented prospects and time-tested minor league veterans that's plagued this organization since they got back into the business of actually operating an AHL team. So far, they haven't been very good at it.
Daum wasn't the problem.
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They wouldn't let Rob go and then hire him with the Oilers. No chance. This decision is based solely on the AHL team. You won't see Daum surface with the Oilers this coming season.
Listen in today at 4:25 and you can hear Daum.
He was under contract until June 30th. He couldn't look for work unless granted permission, and he thought he was going to OKC so he wouldn't have been actively looking to get out of Oiler organization.
@Jason Gregor
Understand he couldn't actively look for a new job, but as you said the coaching fraternity is pretty small and jobs limited so he would likely have an idea of what is out there.
Thus I was more getting at that if June is rolling around and my future is undecided I'd have my ear to the ground. Let management know that you would like to stay with the organization, but if they cannot commit you would like permission to explore other opportunities.
I wonder if the reason for holding off was to see how the GM position went in OKC. Is there a possibility that they are talking to and are coveting a potential GM/Coach for OKC?
I could understand why Daum was left in limbo, maybe the new GM would be happy with Daum, maybe not. If you want to hire the best GM they are probably going to want a say in who they work with... Just a theory anyway.
A fresh start on the Farm is a good thing but it's too bad good people are being shown the door.
Tambo the Jerk? Tambo the mis-understood? Who is Tambellini and what is he all about?
I think he comes across as a hard ass with no sense of humour during interviews. I guess you don't need to be a charismatic guy to GM the team. Maybe Tambo is a guy Edmonton fans will grow to like, and maybe in time we will see that there's a method to his madness. Who knows at this point.
@OB1 Team Yakopov - F.S.T.N.F
I think the MacTavish comparison holds a bit of water because clearly MacTavish wasn't the problem either, but there are 2 key differences by which it made sense to fire MacTavish but not Daum.
1. MacTavish gave up near the end and it was pretty clear nobody was listening anymore.
2. The team seemed to honestly believe they had the roster to perform better. They were obviously wrong, but I believe they were sincere in their belief. (which is what concerns me more than just about anything with the Oilers)
There is no possible way that they could justify that Daum had been dressing a competitive team. Especially given the minutes given to call-ups at the NHL level.
Interesting.. Corvo, Walker and Morrison have been cut by the Caps as per TSN.
Do the Oilers look at Corvo as a #4-5 Dman if he's on the cheap?
You gotta think this version of the 'braintrust' is really counting on the blind-faithers out there - a smattering of present company being included in that list.
Fire a whack of spare parts (also known as the poor working stiffs) to demonstrate 'action'.
Action following up on the forward thinking of hiring a senior citizen as a coach, and a ba-jillion dollar goalie with a bad back and boozy-foot in his Lambourghini (or was it Ferrari? One of those fine, family-values type vehicles that nearly 40-somethings drive).
Oh yeah, and finishing dead-f-ing last.
I must be running short on the Koolaid, because I just ain't seeing it.
@Jodes
I think he'd be worth it on the cheap. I'd rather have him than Chorney right now.
In my opinion there is no way to dress this up. It is a low class stunt, maybe even worse than firing the stick & tape and the band aid guy. If this is an indication of the regard Tambellini/Lowe/Katz have for the people working for them, how do you think they regard the lowly fans. There is 0 chance this decision wasn't made in April, only a complete prick would wait until now to do it. BS like this will ultimately effect attracting quality people to this organization, and by extension will effect this organizations level to succeed.
@Jason Gregor
Sorry, Jason; I may not have made my question clear.
I realize that the Oilers wouldn't be bringing Daum in to coach the NHL team. I think it's clear from what's been said that unlike the training staff, Daum won't be getting cheques signed by the Oilers in any form whatsoever once his contract expires.
I was just curious if perhaps, as a possible scenario, Quinn coming back meant housecleaning and Daum being let go whereas Renney taking the Head Coaching gig instead meant Daum would get a shot in Oklahoma. If something to that effect were in play, then that could be a reason for delaying, could it not?
Really ? What has upper management done in recent two years that leads you to believe they are doing much right on their decisions , or for the accuracy of others on this site ? With Tams and company you soon learn to expect the unexspected and the irrational . It's not like they have never been seen to do something dumb .
Some get highs on drugs and alcohol - i get my adrenaline high from Oiler pride . Is that such a bad thing ?
I think so too.. I'd rather have Cory Cross, Dan Tjarnqvist or Igor Ulanov then Chorney right now!
Chorney needs at least two more years in the AHL before he's ready. If last season wasn't proof enough that he wasn't ready, I don't know what is!
Hmm.. Corvo made $2.6 million this past season, and is now a UFA.
I can't see him asking for that more more after the last season he's had.
Maybe throw out a 2 year, $3.5 million contract and see if he takes it.
Or is 1.75 million an overpayment for him?
@Jodes
Man I miss Igor Ulanov.
Can you imagine both him and Bobo being on the same line together? Nobody would have been able to get through them! lol
Isn't Igor still employed with the Oilers organization though as a European scout? Or am I thinking of another 90s Oilers Dman Frank Musil?
@Jodes
Tried to find out where my man Igor is now, and I guess up until a year or two ago he was still playing in Russia. With all these openings maybe Tambi will bring Igor back into the fold.
Then tell him everything is fine, he's doing a great job and then fire him.. lol
dang
Ya I agree that it was time for a change from both sides (for the reasons you listed). My beef was never with that side of the debate, it was always the (very vocal) side that insisted he was the problem.
@OB1 Team Yakopov - F.S.T.N.F
He was a problem. He just wasnt THE problem.
You're free to that opinion. I'll take a reduction of 23 points as pretty solid proof to the contrary.
So that had nothing to do with the AHL goaltending, defence, and a lack of Hemsky? MacT didnt coach this team last year, but if he did I'm sure it would have been much worse.
He had a bad attitude, ridiculed the players publicly, and missed the playoffs more than he made them over an 8 year period. The veterans on the team gave up on him and he couldnt motivate anyone outside of Reddox. Sorry. He was terrible in his final years here, and the fact that a completely different team failed under different circumstances doesnt change that.
No, it had alot to do with all those things you mentioned. The question is though, were the things you listed severe enough to to reduce the teams success by 27%?
I'd say yes, however I don't think those circumstances would have caused a drop of more then 27% (roughly) .
= the coaching change had zero effect
Which means if MacT is a poor coach, then so is Quinn.
IMO of course
I can't believe that any of you are whining about the timing of this. Tambellini was hiring a new GM, Daum understood that the new GM gets to pick the coach. The new GM has been hired (but not announced) and said he did not want Daum.
Its pretty simple and many of you are just ranting and raving about a non-issue
Robin if they are bringing in the Vancouver Giants GM does that mean Don Hay could be coming to the oilers farm team. On the Oilers if I was Tambo I would be trying to bring in Hitch for some sort of role, as well Bob Bougner if they draft Hall, Bougner has proven himself in the OHL and has proven to work well with kids.
@madjam
If he ever became coach of this team (or any other team in the NHL) will be the last day I even watch a hockey game.
What they did to Daum - an excellent development x and o coach who knows the game and is great with kids is mindboggling and questions may allegance to this organization.
You pitched this take in the other Daum item and the reasons you were wrong then as you are now were spelled out.
Are you just going to keep shovelling it no matter what?
Its pretty simple that the AHL GM doesn't have total say on who the AHL coach is... see, simple.
I think the housecleaning of Daum and the support staff all point to one thing. Tambo is trying to make it apprear like he is making changes to this team. What we will see is that with the exception of adding a Tyler or Taylor next week, this team will look pretty much the same as it does now. Expect to see Souray and Pisani and Moreau and O'Sullivan in an Oiler jersey next year.