Monday Mailbag – September 28th

Can you believe the regular season starts next week? With the pre-season in full swing it seems like the days are flying past but it’s still not fast enough. I want regular season McDavid and I want him now. Despite my impatience there are no time machines on Amazon. We have to act like adults and wait. Luckily the Mailbag is here to kill some company time and get you a few minutes closer to McDavid. I always need questions so if you have something to ask you can email me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.comam or hit me up on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk. 

1) Alvin E. asks – Why do some head coaches seem to have a shorter shelf life than others? (John Tortorella as an example) 

Lots of reasons. If I had a really good team but couldn’t get over the top (winning Stanley) Tortorella might be a good fit because he’s driven and focused and short term could have a positive impact. Long term the team probably quits on you (see Mike Modano, Dallas Stars and Ken Hitchcock). Depends on expectations too, and a GM who knows what the hell he’s doing.

Being a coach is all about winning. Period. The NHL is a results-driven business and if you can’t win then you’ll have a short shelf life. Alongside that, some people are just completely horrible people to be around, but if they’re winning then it’s ok. They stop winning and those funny quirks become a lot less tolerable.

I think there are a couple factors. First and foremost is personality. Torts is the perfect example of a coach who comes off as no-nonsense and super intense. I’m sure we’ve all worked with someone who never seems to have a good day, and those people are obviously less than ideal to work with. If the coach is constantly yelling at you for everything you do wrong the relationship between the coach and the players is going to wear thin very quickly (see Eakins, Dallas). 

Whereas a coach like Todd Nelson, who by all accounts endeared himself to the players immediately and tried to reenforce the positives rather than constantly harp on the negatives, and has a much more personal and friendly relationship with the players, a “players coach” as it were, is generally going to have a much longer shelf life, depending on the team’s success on the ice, obviously. 

I also think that sometimes coaches just aren’t the right fit for a team. Whether they try and force a roster to play a style of game they are not built for (Eakins again), or favour tactics and players that are outdated compared to the rest of the league (Randy Carlyle comes to mind), sometimes things just don’t mesh (this can also be said of every romantic relationship I’ve ever had). 

I think that narrative tends to be overblown. Tortorella, to use your example, spent 11 seasons between two teams; in the modern NHL that’s really not a bad track record. For the most part, I’d say if a coach has a really limited shelf life it’s probably because he’s not a good coach.

Very demanding coaches, those who seldom let up,  tend to wear thin with players in a shorter period of time. Mike Keenan. Marc Crawford. Tortorella.

Tortorella is very demanding and often I was told by players his message and antics could get old quickly. Highly emotional coaches are the ones who seem to wear out their welcome quickly.

Some coaches grind so hard on the players that the players tune out. Coaches that last have the ability to mix it up by changing the way their message is delivered.

Imagine a guy yelling at you day in, day out. Wouldn’t you get tired of that? Of course you would. The same thing goes for NHL players. If you’re a guy like Torts and you’re known for being an angry dude it’s only natural that the players would get tired of it. Not getting yelled at > getting yelled at. 

I don’t know the entire story so can’t really give an opinion but will guess this was one of many infractions. Suspect this is an attempted wake up call (sorry).

No, I actually don’t think it was too harsh of a penalty. Ho-Sang has a history of behaviour that has been undesirable for his various teams. The head coach of his previous junior team basically said the team was better off without him than with him in the long run. The Islanders took a chance drafting this talented kid in the first round and they wanted the same level of investment shown going their way from Ho-Sang. It’s a wake up call to a teenager that needed one literally and figuratively.

I’m obviously not privy to any of the behind-the-scenes things that have happened throughout Josh Ho-Sang’s hockey career thus far, but by all accounts there have been plenty of “behavioural issue” type things that have followed him around his entire junior career. His own former junior coach Bob Boughner BURIED him in the press after he was traded last season, and I can’t see that just coming out of thin air. I definitely take a lot of these type of rumours and stories with a grain of salt, but where there’s smoke there’s fire, as they say. I’m 100% for players with swagger and big personalities, but Ho-Sang seems to have a knack for constantly shoving both feet in his mouth, and just generally coming off as more of a loudmouth than a guy with tons of confidence. So no, I don’t think it was too harsh to send him home. You’re trying to become a professional hockey player, and on your FIRST DAY OF PRO CAMP you can’t even wake yourself up on time? How does that even happen? As someone who seemingly always needs to learn things the hard way I think the Islanders were more than right to take somewhat extreme measures to try and correct this immediately. If I’m Ho-Sang I’m showing up to everything 40 minutes early for the rest of my life!

It’s hard to comment without having a full understanding of the history between the Islanders and Ho-Sang; it’s a safe bet that New York’s decision was based not just on a single incident but the entire track record leading up to it. Speaking generally, I’ve always found hockey’s obsessiveness about punctuality to be a bit silly, but that doesn’t means the Isles were wrong in this specific instance.

No. It’s the first day of training camp. Expecting  a player to show up on time is too much to ask? Not in my world.

Not at all. He was an hour late for the first day of training camp. There has to be consequences for your actions, and being late is unprofessional. It sent a good message to him and the entire team.

It was the right move. They are actually doing him a favour by teaching him this hard lesson. As a pro you are expected to be on time and ready to go.

Josh Ho-Sang literally had one job to do. All he had to do was get up, get to think rink, and play some hockey. That’s it. He couldn’t set an alarm? Have the hotel call his room? Sleep at the rink? I think the Islanders sending him home is absolutely justified. He’s blowing an opportunity that most people would kill to have and I applaud the accountability.

Probably something to do with Oil, maybe call him Drip. Hell if I know.

I want the Burger Baron guy from Twitter to be the Mascot. Why not? There’s one close to Rexall Place. It works.

If you were to ask me this question any time during 2008 to this past spring I would have said something like this guy:

BUT NOW It would be a 200 foot tall, muscly Connor McDavid with the city of Edmonton on his shoulders, that breathes fire and shoots lasers out of his eyes. THE KIDS WOULD LOVE IT!

I think step one is to find somebody with crazy good credentials to design the mascot – someone like Stan Lee. Fortunately, he’s already done that, giving us the best possible answer to that question:

According to his official bio, the Oiler is “a modern day Cain constantly searching for the wisdom that he’s certain the frozen north has to offer” who spends his time “blasting bad guys with torrents of energized oil.” I don’t even want to live in a world where the mascot is anything other than a 10′-tall, brother-murdering, oil-shooting roughneck.

I think you’re wrong. No mascot ideas here.

I don’t see the need for a mascot.

No mascot for this cat. I couldn’t disagree with you more!

There is only one mascot option and it’s obviously the moose. No, I’m not talking about an animal. I’m talking about a caricature of a pissed off Mark Messier. It would be the greatest mascot of all time. He could walk through the concourse throwing elbows at opposing fans. It would be beautiful.  

Hmmm. Damn, that’s a tough question. I’ll say Oilers but the Leafs play in the beer league conference so it’ll be closer than it should be.

Good question! I’m going with the Oilers because I’m a hopeless romantic. I’m not sure Babcock knows how to lose very well though, plus the Leafs play in the East. Nope. Not backing down. Oilers finish higher.

The Oilers because they are the best and the Leafs are hot dog farts. 

Seriously though, I see a lot of people expecting the Leafs to be fine because they have god’s gift to hockey Mike Babcock as coach, and the crypt keeper himself as their GM. This is probably a good time to note that Babcock won one cup seven years ago, while Lamorellio hasn’t had someone help hoist the cup for him since 2003. Now that’s not to say that these aren’t great hockey minds, they are, but PLEASE take a look at what is being projected as the Leaf’s opening night lineup. If I’m a Leafs fan that DOES NOT inspire confidence. For the last few seasons we have “joked” that even in-his-prime Scotty Bowman couldn’t find success with those Oiler rosters, and as far as I’m concerned the same thing applies to Mike Babcock and this current instalment of the Leafs.

They couldn’t get rid of Phil Kessel, far and away their best player over the last six years, any faster than they did this summer. Nazem Kadri is still a question mark when it comes to being a top line centre, and if he fails they have to rely on Tyler “OH GOD WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT KESSEL” Bozak as their first line pivot! That is an amazing lack of depth! Their big acquisition this offseason was Michael Grabner, who hasn’t had a good season since 2010. And literally as I’m writing this stories are popping up saying Lou is interested in trading for Travis Zajac, who, once again, had his career best season in 2010. First off, someone PLEASE replace Lamorellio’s calendar with a 2015 one, and secondly have the Leafs not yet learned NOT to trade for New Jersey Devils that had one good year?? 

And in favour of the Oilers they have Connor McDavid. CASE CLOSED!

I’m going to say the Oilers, because I think there’s a commitment in Edmonton toward getting better immediately while in Toronto I’m not convinced that need is felt as strongly. Will the Leafs really be hurting long-term if they finish bottom five this season?

The Oilers. The addition of Connor McDavid and McLellan (and his coaching staff) closes what was already a very narrow gap. 

The Oilers have added better players. McDavid > Roy. Talbot > Fasth. Letestu > Gordon. Korpikoski >  Klinkhammer. Lander > Arcobello. And the Oilers depth chart has improved. 

The Leafs moved their best forward, Phil Kessel, and replaced him with Grabner and Matthias. 

I don’t see either team making the playoffs, but the Oilers will finish with more points.

Good question. I think they will both improve from last year. The Oilers are further ahead so they will have more wins in April when the season wraps up.

Oilers. Easy. Next question. Mike Babcock can’t score goals and I don’t expect many players on the Leafs to be able to either. 

I think you’re both right. McDavid will help the winning and that will help the FA stream. Can’t have one without the other. We’ll know next summer. I’m looking at you, Seabrook.

Free agents have already come to the Oilers because of McDavid. I don’t think they will be flocking here though until the Oilers prove they are on the cusp. They don’t have to already be winners, but they have to show they WILL be winners. Honestly, though, how many high end UFAs do the Oilers need? Maybe one more on defense?

I think it’s a combination of both your points, but I’d put more stock into your argument. Obviously the chance to play on a team with the soon-to-be best player on the planet would be very enticing to a lot of players, along with going to work at a brand new, world class facility. HOWEVER, none of that will matter if, by some cruel, horrible twist of fate, the Oilers continue to finish at the bottom of the league for the foreseeable future. I guarantee that if the Anaheim Ducks or the LA Kings were wallowing at the bottom of a dumpster like the last decade of Oiler teams have, that we wouldn’t be looking at them as premiere destinations for players, and all the year round surfing and beautiful actresses to have sex scandals with wouldn’t really change that. Look at Atlanta: warm weather year-round, the chance to do your job while still living in relative obscurity, and is classified as a “Global city” with a highly regarded cultural scene. I can’t remember ANY big free agents signing there when the Thrashers existed, because they were more like the TRASHERS AMIRIGHT?

I’ve been saying it since we were all arguing whether or not the city should be involved at all in building the arena district *checks Twitter, sees argument still raging on*; it’s not the weather, it’s not Tambellini or Lowe, and it’s not the fear of Mike Comrie sleeping with your wife or someone burning your child’s crib that is keeping free agents away. It’s the “only winning 25 games a year” thing that makes Edmonton a toxic environment to most free agents. If you build it (a winning team) they (free agents) will come (sign with the Oilers).

You both are. I know that’s a lousy answer, but it’s true. Free agents make their decisions based on a host of different items, and one of them obviously is there belief in which teams will be competitive over the term of their contracts. So, for instance, a free agent might look at Peter Chiarelli, Todd McLellan and Connor McDavid and say ‘this team is on its way up, I want to get in now.’ Another free agent might look at the club and say ‘I’ve seen this young talent routine before, I’m going to wait until they start winning before I bet on them.’ Some will be sold based on potential; others won’t be sold until that potential starts getting realized.

Winning is the most important factor in attracting free agents.

I’d say your friend is right — consider that Sekera has already signed here. But good teams don’t build through free agency, and if the Oilers continue to develop young players like McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse, Klefbom and Reinhart, I don’t see them grabbing multiple UFAs. You are also on point with needing to win. The Oilers will finally improve, because they have better players, and a more experienced GM and coach, and that will also make the team a more attractive landing spot for UFAs and likely fewer players with no trade clauses will have Edmonton on their list.

I think it is more realistic to say that in the future the Oilers will have a better chance of landing UFAs without having to grossly overpay them.

Lets cut to the chase — you are both right. The off season changes will improve the team so free agents will take a longer look at the Oilers. Why can’t you both be happy and enjoy a rebirth (although I don’t think they make the playoffs this year) of the Oilers?

Winning cures all and I think if the Oilers were annual contenders that UFAs would flock here. Connor McDavid is a huge piece of the puzzle of getting the Oilers back to the playoffs, so the two arguments go hand in hand