Monday Mailbag – Should Jay Woodcroft stay in Bakersfield or join McLellan in LA?

Welcome, my friends, to a long weekend edition of the mailbag where I’ve dragged the writers out of their weekend getaways to share a little bit of wisdom with you about all things Oilers. As we do every week, we’re back with another round of questions and answers to help you get through your day. As always, I need you guys for this feature so email me your questions to baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or hit me up on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk. Now sit back, relax, and pretend to look busy for as long as possible. Have a good week, everybody.

I had heard last year MacTavish was missing coaching, but I think he knew it was time for a change, just like he did when he stepped down as HC. I think it is a bit of both. He knew it was time to go, but also wanted to get back in coaching.

MacTavish saw the writing on the wall and made his own call rather than be pushed out. He’s the one who informed Holland he had an opportunity and might pursue it. Not surprised.

I was still half asleep when I read the tweet on my phone so I didn’t really believe that it was real life. I’m happy that the old guard is moving on and Ken Holland is flexing his full autonomy (I refuse to believe that he didn’t nudge MacT out the door) but at the same time, he did some really good for this organization and was no doubt the best coach they’ve had in the last decade plus. He was a lifelong Oiler so it is a little bittersweet to see him go, but his time to step away from the organization was long overdue. Wish him all the best in Russia as I’m sure most Oilers fans do.

About time. Probably a bit of both. MacTavish was a good coach but he wasn’t good in management and there needs to be changes. It’s encouraging, whether it’s because of the Holland hire or not, that some of these legacy guys are finally leaving.

Absolutely. I’m sure Holland had a conversation with MacT and told him to find a new job this summer. Out of all places to go coach in the world… he chose Russia? It seems like he was forced to make a quick decision because not a lot of guys like to go there for hockey.

I think it was probably a little bit of both. When MacT saw that a new regime was coming in, he probably started looking for options just in case, which, in my opinion, is the smart move to do in any business.

Take the best player. Always. Drafting for position can backfire, because by the time this player will be ready to make an impact in the NHL (two maybe three of four years) the wing position might be fixed via trade or free agency.

This comes down to the last minutes before the pick. Is there a team that really covets a player still on the board who they can get with the eighth pick? If so, what are they willing to give up? If they can’t make a deal, take the best player available.

I’d be really interested in dropping from #8 to the #11-14 range if it means either adding 20-goal scorer or dumping off a contract like Milan Lucic. If a deal like that does happen, I think it would involve a lot of different pieces though so its kind of hard to predict what it would look like. If the Oilers do end up picking at eight, I think you do have to just take the best available player though. Drafting by position usually isn’t a smart strategy.

I’m not sure trading the pick for a winger is the right move. It has to be a really good player since expansion complicated things more. History shows you have to add something in addition to the pick to get a good player. Can the Oilers afford to give up more assets? I’m a big fan of going with the best player available. Look what Nashville did with Seth Jones or Tampa did with Jonathan Drouin.

I would love to see the Oilers trade the pick. HOWEVER, this is a very deep draft so the smart move would be to not trade it.

Always take the best player available. Always. You may not need the guy now, but there could come a time in the future when the kid is exactly what you need.

USDP is mainly American players, while CHL has highest % of Canadians. Each league has positive reasons to play there. I can’t say one is clearly better since much of it has to do with the country you live in.

Varies by year, but I still go with the CHL because of the schedule and travel. It’s more along the lines of an NHL model.

People who work in the CHL will always tell you that’s the best route, but I don’t buy it. It really doesn’t matter if you go through the CHL, CJHL (junior A) then NCAA, of the USDP, or if you come from Europe. If you’re good, teams will find you, and if you’re talented/driven, you’ll develop just fine. Scouts with bias’ aren’t scouts I would want in my organization. Take the best player regardless of where they were born or where they’re currently playing.

I don’t have any data or anything to back it up but it feels like the USDP and college route is really producing a lot more players recently. It has to be fairly enticing to get a degree and potentially choose your own team as a free agent.

I think they both have their strengths. I always have a bias for Canadian based development programs, however, the USDP produces a lot of good players. I have a hard time saying that one is better than the other.

Depends how patriotic you are, I guess. Personally, and I’m really only guessing/giving my two cents here, is that both leagues produce some fine prospects and that I don’t know if there’s as big of a difference between the two leagues as one might think. As I said, I really have no idea.

If he wants to be an NHL head coach I’d stay in Bakersfield. I expect him to stay there. He liked running his own bench and being a head coach

Depends a bit on who Holland brings in here. If Woodcroft senses he will most likely spend years waiting for a chance to move up, he might look to a familiar friend in McLellan. I suspect he would in that circumstance. Familiarity matters.

Yes, it absolutely is. He’s been an assistant with Todd for over a decade now and if he wants to become an NHL Head Coach one day then he needs to show that he can run his own bench at the AHL level. He had an incredible first season with Bakersfield and while I understand that riding the bus in the AHL isn’t the sexiest lifestyle, it would do a lot more for his coaching career than just going back to being Todd’s right-hand man.

It depends. If he wants to live the NHL lifestyle then being McLellan’s assistant is a better idea. I’d personally rather stay as a head coach in the AHL and try and make my own path as a head coach in the NHL eventually.

If I’m Woodcroft I would want control of my own team. I’m sure they have an excellent relationship, and it would be nice to get back to the NHL level, however, if Woodcroft sticks this out, it won’t be long before he’s the head coach of his own NHL team soon.

To me, if his goal in life is to be an NHL head coach then I don’t know why he would run back to McLellan in LA. Woodcroft made some major headway with the Condors this year and if that kept up for another year or two, then he could get the call up to the NHL to run his own bench. I know that can happen by being an assistant too, but I’d imagine multiple years as an AHL head coach would look pretty good on the ol’ resume.

He got a huge contract because his speed scares defenders and puts them in bad positions. I would not ask him to change. He picks his spots more. Both were freak injuries in my eyes.

He doesn’t throw caution to the wind. He plays at high speed. When you have the puck as often as McDavid does and play at the speed he does, there’s always a potential for injury. You don’t take away what makes a player as good as McDavid is to try to prevent an injury. You can’t play scared.

No. I would never ask Connor McDavid to change the way he plays. End of answer.

I think McDavid’s done a good job of not significantly altering his game while eliminating more reckless play. You obviously don’t want McDavid to change much but you don’t want McDavid getting hurt. I’m not as worried about McDavid as much as I was with Taylor Hall. Those two injuries were pretty unlucky. I’m not as concerned, but I’d tell McDavid he doesn’t have to try and burn Mark Giordano in game 82, although I don’t think that would go over well.

McDavid put it best in his postseason interview when he said “they pay me 100 million dollars to go hard to the net.” Obviously, I wish McDavid would play safer out there, however for that kind of money, he should absolutely be doing everything he can to get to the net first. Unfortunately, that’s the direction this game is going with the increased speed of play.

I wouldn’t change anything about how Connor plays. The dude is a war machine and the way he got hurt in Calgary was a freak injury. I doubt anything changes going forward.

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