The Minnesota Wild shocked the hockey world earlier this week, firing general manager Paul Fenton just slightly over a year into his tenure at the helm of the team. In doing so, they opened up a last-minute gig for all of the funemployed former general managers floating around out there doing freelance scouting work and golfing.
Thanks to his excellent work in scouting and player development with the Nashville Predators, Fenton was a highly-coveted assistant general manager viewed as somebody who could come in an turn a franchise around. He took over the middling Wild and, in just one year, made them substantially worse. He dealt stud winger Nino Niederreiter for the underwhelming Victor Rask, he got poor returns on Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle at the trade deadline, and handed out an absurd contract to Mats Zuccarello in free agency.
Given how things went for Minnesota with their new-school guy, I would venture a guess that they want somebody with experience coming in to mop up the mess. Among the names thrown out for the vacant Wild gig are recently-fired general managers like Garth Snow, Dean Lombardi, Ron Hextall, and our old pal Peter Chiarelli.
Personally, I would love to see Pistol Pete get back in the saddle to run another NHL team into the ground. I think it would be great for the Oilers if one of their Western Conference rivals hired somebody who routinely loses trades and manages the salary cap poorly Wild to bring in somebody with Stanley Cup pedigree to lead the ship.
That brings us to this week’s What Would You Do Wednesday SLOW NEWS DAY, DRINKS BY THE POOLSIDE FUN TIME FRIDAY EDITION! Earlier today on TSN 1260, Dan Tencer and Lieutenant Eric asked fans of the Oilers to give the Wild some reference letters for Chiarelli. How would you pitch Peter Chiarelli to the Minnesota Wild to fill their vacant general manager role? I want to see your best, most detailed ringing endorsements to help get Pistol Pete into a new gig.
Here are some things that I would touch on…
- He’s got Stanley Cup pedigree. Unlike guys like Steve Yzerman, Kyle Dubas, and Doug Wilson who are constantly praised for their ability to put together good regular season teams, Chiarelli’s Boston Bruins got the job done in Boston in 2011.
- He can play three-dimensional chess with his long-term decision making. As a commenter pointed out to the guys on TSN 1260, Chiarelli dealt two draft picks to the New York Islanders for Griffin Reinhart. While people complain the Oilers traded Mat Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier for a player who was clearly a bust, what he actually did was protect himself from the expansion draft. The Golden Knights took Reinhart in the expansion draft, ensuring the Oilers wouldn’t lose Jujhar Khaira, who they had to leave unprotected.
- He helped Connor McDavid face adversity early in his career. McDavid, being a whizkid with generational talent, was never challenged in his youth. He breezed through the OHL like it was a beer league and came into the NHL not understanding what it’s like to struggle. Chiarelli demolished Edmonton’s forward depth, giving McDavid the biggest challenge he had ever faced in his life of carrying around a team by himself. He’ll come out of it stronger.
- He can generate talking points among the fanbase. The Minnesota Wild are the most boring team in all of North American professional sports. They have no identity whatsoever. Can you tell me who their best player is right now? Who their most promising prospect is? Of course you can’t. Chiarelli will come in and rock the ship, whether you like it or not. If not for things like the Milan Lucic signing and Taylor Hall trade, what would we argue about all winter?
What say you, Nation? How would you pitch Pete to the Minnesota Wild? Let’s see your best letter of reference.
Fun fact, Peter Chiarelli is tied with the Calgary Flames franchise in number of Stanley Cup wins.
I wish I could swear here, because this deserves a “Holy f***** sh**!” Funny, with the added benefit of being 100% accurate.
Soooo goood
You’ll get a series of number one draft picks because he is the luckiest lottery GM. At the worst you will be plenty of top three picks to restock the team. He won’t waste years making an aging team competitive. He’ll help you lose now so you can win later.
#Harvard
I can’t fathom a universe where Pete gets another GM job in the NHL. I really hope it happens but I don’t think there is an owner in the league stupid enough to take Pete. Im guessing his next NHL job will be some sort of background role just to get his foot in the door again.
He needs a foot somewhere aĺright.
He had a background role in Edmonton, just was not sold to the fanbase that way. K Lowe and his useless minions were still running the show and that is why the s*itshow continued.
I think Chia was front and centre making those moves, but the OBC was approving it all I’m sure.
It’s really too bad they didn’t have the balls to just fire him last summer instead of giving him until after christmas to make desperation moves. The team would be much better off right now.
True enough, whether it was incompetence or an FU to the OBC we will never know. I would wager the second one.
Trainwreck, you are so dumb. It’s actually embarrassing to think you still believe these conspiracies. I’d love to play poker against you sometime.
LOL, if his last name was Messier or Buchberger he would still have the job. Name one other franchise that has an employee with the title of VP of Player Development, then when pressed on his horrible track record, claims to have nothing to do with player development.At one time we were told Chia was running Bakersfield , and fans were upset because they thought he had too much on his plate, then when Bakersfield does well, TA-DA, about face, Mac-T is actually running Bakersfield and doing a fine job or at least that is what the press release said. This would be the same Mac-T that we were told is not involved in Hockey Ops. Title? VP of Hockey Ops. They cant even spin a lie properly. Lots of more examples available that proves neither Katz or his sacred OBC can be trusted.
Another funny thing is, if Klef and Russel didn’t go down and Reider chipped in a goal or two, Chia would likely still be the GM of the Oilers.
You really think it was Chia who had a hard*n for Rienhart? LOL. Lowe, Green, Howson, Mac-T all had input. Only one of them left, and he was not fired. All should have been and still should.
Wether Chia has no idea how to grade talent or he just trusted his scouts way too much and they failed him I’m not sure? Reinhardt, Reider, Spooner, Manning, Brodziak. Who was telling him these were the guys they need?
At least Howson has been moved into something other than scouting. The guys definitely has nine lives.
He’s actually quite consistent, which can be good. Don’t let a couple of decent trades fool you. Those were outliers.
To be fair, chiarelli reformed the entire scouting system so that it went from the worst in the league to upper tier. This is evidenced by the vast improvement of the condors this past season. He made some good gambles that worked out and some that did not. He stuck to heavy hockey and unfortunately that ended right after the oilers playoff run and the rule and officiating changes.
I think Pete changed the back office and put in place a better management team and personnel behind the scenes that has improved the Oilers. Holland didn’t inheret a total mess like Chiarelli did when he first came here.
You can’t say that Chiarelli improved the Oilers if the on ice product is worse. That’s really the only thing that is important. Most would trade this team for the one they had in 2015 in a heartbeat. More talent and tons of cap space. You can improve a house all you want, but I won’t mean anything if you don’t put a roof on it.
Amature Scouting maybe (mostly Kretzky though),… Pro Scouting definitely not…
I agree and disagree. PC helped improve scouting and drafting without a doubt. But as for heavy hockey ending, that’s a load of crap. The league is a copy cat league. He could have built a big and heavy team that won. But he let go of too much of the skill. Who cares how big and heavy your team is if you don’t finish.
But ask the flames how well a small skilled team is in the playoffs. Colorado ran them out of the rink.
Last year st Louis probably had the largest defensive core in the league and they were no slouches up front either. Big and heavy is great. But only if you can score.
I actually can’t remember a team that skilled their way to a Stanley Cup rings. Even the highest scoring team in history had some dirty and nasty players. If they didn’t, they never would have become the greatest team ever.
Are you serious????? Chiarelli lit the thing on fire and stood around waiting to toast marshmallows.
Big Heavy, no trade……..Marshmallows 🙂
He guided the Oilers to the playoffs in just his second year on the job on the strength of his Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson deal.
He signed Leon Draisatl to a deal that looks like a steal today.
and didn’t he sign Klefbom too
iDrai’s contract is a steal if you look at some of the deals that are being handed out the last 2 years. So bargain for the Oilers.
Remember what they were saying about Torterella after Vancouver? I think Chiarelli will get another chance. Hockey’s a pretty inbred little community.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get a draft pick if Chia signed elsewhere like Oil had to give up. That was a dumb rule, glad it got changed, but Oilers got burned twice with that.
you need to hire an analytics guy asap. These article ideas are getting painful
Dude, it’s August. Give ‘me a break. Plus, I don’t care what anyone says: Pete getting an interview is NEWS.
Well, it wouldn’t be the sexiest hire!
Why do we care, he screwed the Oilers with his bad moves! He’s water under the bridge, let’s move into the future.
If he gets a job, I think the Oilers should get a conditional draft pick back. Stupid f’n rule.
Oilers fired him… he is not an Oiler.
He was pointing out how we had to ship a 2nd round pick to Boston for Chiarelli. They changed the rule since then
I think Chia is sitting there in amazement that Holland was able to trade Lucic, kinda like that scene from the Shawshank Redemption where Morgan freeman is narrating saying how Warden Norton was wondering how Andy Dufrese got the best of him……so maybe Chia is sitting there wondering how Holland got rid of a contract most thought was untradeable..
ON, please, please don’t post anymore of his pictures in Oiler Colours again… please.
I, and I’m sure others are trying to move on… It’s too early, I’m sure at some point we’ll look back and laugh. But right now, this picture make me want to wring the head off my cat…
The Oiler news of late is positive for the most part. We fans have had 12+ years of bad luck, ON is supposed to be their for the fan, not to kill cats… Thanks,
Please find help.
If I am a Wild fan , I would be praying real hard that Chia does not get hired for the job, if Chia gets the Minny Job, wonder how soon he calls up his Twin at Value Village nation about acquiring Looch for 2 first round picks…
Chia has direct and relevant experience working with small-market, winter-city professional sports. After that, I’m stumped.
We need to stop badmouthing Pete for the simple reason that we want him to get another crack at the GM position. We have tons of players who I’m sure Petey would love to loose trades to acquire!
Minnesota are you ready for some heavy hockey!
Are you serious????? Chiarelli lit the thing on fire and stood around waiting to toast marshmallows.
I hate the filter. Wrote what I thought was a great snarky reference, but it won’t post 🙁
I love stories. Here’s my reference for Chiarelli being the GM of Minnesota.
To start off with, he has a unique name in Pistol Pete. If he was back in the Old Wild ( pun) West,
he’d have itchy fingers just thinking about how quickly he can draw that pistol and… shoot himself in the foot, but in a comical, nerdy way.. like Don Knotts, aka Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife. And who doesn’t like to laugh! Minnesota needs laughter.
Minnesota is boring and cold. With Chia, you’d experience 365 days of HEAT. Plenty enough, that you’d think the polar ice caps have melted. That’s great news for frigid Minny winters.
Chia’s favourite movie is Castaway. If left on an Island by himself, he would befriend a soccer ball and call it Wilson. Wilson, I’m sorry, come back Wilson… see how entertaining Chia is? That movie only cost $90M to make. Pretty close to a NHL hockey Cap. I’m sure if we stuck Chia in an Island and set up a movie camera, it would exceed the gross amount of Castaway. We would enjoy his antics whilst he pretends to trade imaginary players on his imaginary roster and use a coconut to make phone calls.. and then we could chuckle some more.
If you really want a successful franchise, you need to dig deep into your WILD imagination, and picture Chia at the helm!
Pete should had been fired.. but I will say this to all who talk about how the team was better before he got it. The Oilers finished in the bottom of the standings and drafted Connor McDavid before Pete got there. The first year they improved slightly and drafted forth over all. Year two of Pete they finished with 103 points and were a play off team. They drafted 10th the 3rd year.. and 8th the year he was fired. There’s no stats to say Pete’s team was worst with him than without him. It’s actually the exact opposite. But it’s hard to think they wouldn’t be better if not for some of the moves he made. The funny part is the biggest Fail most hold against him was the Hall trade. The funny part is that’s the year they sky rocketed in the standings to the playoffs. Just Saying 😂
Ultimately Pete F$&@&$ up ., but to say it was all him is a stretch. Last year when the Strome Manning and Peteovic trades went through they had pressors to which KGretz was pointed to as the guy who orchestrated it. At least led the charge on them. Also when Big Koss was signed it was said to be a organizational decision to do so. These moves were all said by Bobby Nicks to be organization approved moves. This is not a hard story line to follow as how much power would they have givin Pete who was days away from being fired ?? Plus Bob N actually said they were not loan wolf moves. Also Just Saying
I am not picking up for Pete., ultimately he was in charge and was responsible.
You asked for the Pitch to sell Pete.. there it is. The last part feeds the OBC conspiracies.
Imagine if Ken holland slam dunks on chia by signing hall back next summer. Just reverse the war.
Maybe nine million and a fan apology gathering wearing thousands of hall jerseys will do it…
Oh man hall connor Draisaitl sounds like a dynasty type line… sssssssssssssssssigh. Still wanna buy on Pete?