Monday Mailbag – Thoughts on the new coaching staff

Welcome, my friends, to another edition of the Monday Mailbag, where we take your questions about the Oilers, or life in general, and dish out some fresh wisdom for you as you start your week. This week, we’re talking a lot about the new Oilers coaches and what they bring to the table, and also some advice for a young man entering the world of dealing with in-laws. If you have a question, and I’m always looking for some, you can always email me or hit me up on Twitter. From there I will slot you in as quickly as possible. Until then, enjoy the free learning.

I like it. They have two coaches who have a lot of NHL experience. Yawney has been an AHL HC for eight years, and NHL assistant for eight years and NHL HC for two. He has worked with Duncan Keith, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brent Burns, Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler, Josh Manson, Brandon Montour, Sami Vatanen and other solid NHL D-men in the AHL and NHL. Glen Gulutzun has been a HC in ECHL, AHL and NHL and an NHL assistant. He has a lot of experience. Maybe he is better suited as NHL AC, we will see, but I wrote an article a few years back about good teams having a coaching staff where one assistant was a former NHL HC and it has advantages. These guys have more HC experience and coaching experience than Woodcroft and Johnson, so I think they will offer different insights. Viveiros is a very smart coach and is has a reputation as an excellent communicator. Often a team needs one AC who is great at talking with and providing positive, upbeat messaging to the players. Viveiros will offer this as well as a good base of Xs and Os.

Very solid group. McLellan has relationships and history with Yawney and Gulutzan, who bring lots of NHL head coaching experience to the mix. Gulutzan also made it pretty clear when we spoke Friday that there’s going to be room for debate and honesty in assessing what needs to be done. McLellan doesn’t need yes-men. He needs different perspectives and he’s going to get that. Getting any two of three would have been really solid work. This is better than that.

I like the experience that has been added to the bench and I think there is some potential in Viveiros to make an immediate impact as well.

My first thought is that the coaching staff is a clear upgrade over McLellan’s old group. All three of the new assistants are qualified to be head coaches somewhere else so McLellan had better hope he can lead the team to success or there will be other people available to take over at a moments notice.

I’m really not sure if the issue with last year’s team was the assistant coaches or the roster, but, objectively speaking, this is a damn strong looking group they’ve put together. Yawney has great pedigree in developing defencemen and Viveiros’ power play was ridiculously good in the WHL. It should help the team rebound, at the very least, on special teams.

Yawney is an interesting addition. He’s had a lot of success in Anaheim and their younger defencemen. I still think assistants only have so much impact so the most change ultimately lands with Todd McLellan and his tactics.

I’m digging the new coaching staff. They will provide fresh thoughts and a different look on the game, and for the most part they all have great aspects about their coaching skill. Looking forward to seeing what they can do!

I like it! The Oilers added two guys with head coaching experience (Yawney, Gulutzan) while also bringing in an up-and-comer that’s known for his offensive ideas. What’s not to like?

I don’t believe the hires were made to make McLellan “be better.” He was the one who hired them. He wants a good staff. Smart people hire good people. He didn’t do it solely for the purpose the Oilers have a backup coaching plan in case they struggle. He is thinking about winning, not getting fired, and believes these hires will make this staff better and ultimately help the players perform better.

Why would it give him anything but confidence? It’s a loser’s approach to worry about your job because there are other qualified people around. Winners surround themselves with the best people possible. That’s what has happened here.

I’m not sure confidence is the right word. I think it gives him a refreshing new look. I don’t think these additions make his seat any hotter. Neither Yawney or Gulutzan have had much success as a head coach.

I guess it adds some heat. However, if he can get everyone pulling in the same direction then he’s got a lot of experience to work with.

I think he just brought in people he thought were good. Gulutzan and Yawney were made available as they were fired by their clubs and I imagine he just saw a chance to strengthen the group.

I don’t think it adds heat but there are two former NHL head coaches beside him if the Oilers start slow and want to replace him.

I think McLellan should feel revitalized with his new coaching staff. He’s beginning on a fresh slate this season and i’m sure he’s excited to improve on last year.

I think probably a little bit of both. Having more experienced coaches around him should make him trust in their ideas. On the other hand, if things go off the rails then the Oilers already have a built in interim head coaching situation.

Florida knew what they were giving up. Marchessault had scored 30 goals and Smith had potted 25 and 50 points, yet they felt protecting four D-men was more important. Pittsburgh has Matt Murray, who had won two Stanley Cups and is much younger, and prior to this year Fleury’s career playoff sv% was .909. Columbus could have the most remorse because they might be thinking they gave up on Karlsson too early. The challenge is knowing if he was capable of producing like this while in Columbus. He didn’t get the ice time he is in Vegas, but would he have been ready and able in Columbus? We will never know, and I’d guess Columbus might have some regret that way.

Right now it has to be Pittsburgh. Fleury has the Golden Knights four wins from the Stanley Cup. He’s been the backbone of this team, especially to this point in the playoffs. Barring a total collapse in the final, he’s the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

I’ve gotta go with Florida. They got creative just to keep an extra d-man around…not wise.

It’s still Florida for me. They KNEW what Smith and Marchessault were when they lost them. Or at least they should have known. With Karlsson this came out of nowhere so I feel like it should hurt less. Tallon is fully responsible for his incompetence.

Florida looks stupid here but Dale Tallon is still fond of saying “defence wins championships” in defense of that move. It was horrendous at the time and it’s even worse looking now. The Blue Jackets one is rough too but nobody saw Karlsson doing what he did and they at the very least dumped a bad contract. Fleury I don’t think is a regret for the Penguins as Matt Murray was their guy of the future. It’s got to be Florida.

Florida. No one saw Karlsson scoring 40 goals and almost anyone would have taken Murray over Fleury long term. Florida gave up two top six players because they didn’t like Smith’s cap hit?

I”m going with Florida. Their strategy for this expansion draft was pretty questionable. And now they’re watching Smith and Marchessault play for the Stanley Cup while they’re in mid season golf form.

I don’t understand what Florida was doing with their asset management here. Really weird. They paid to get rid of good players which is really odd.

Capitals in six. Washington — Determined. Vegas —Passionate.

Las Vegas wins in six. Washington —driven. Vegas —destiny.

Capitals in six. Vegas — Opportunistic Capitals — Unbreakable

I’ll take the Knights. Destiny vs Heartache

Golden Knights in seven. I think “destiny” describes both teams in different ways.

Vegas in 5. Vegas — expansion? Washington — Ovechkin

Capitals in six. Vegas — misfits,  Capitals — motivated

How can I bet against the Golden Knights at this point? I’m going Vegas in six.

Golden Knights — Whaaaaa? Capitals — Finally.

I’d BBQ some chicken and steak. Give them options. Also be sure to grill up some veggies. Healthy eating is wise, plus BBQ veggies are excellent with proper spices.

Read off the parents. If they’re prim and proper, play it straight. If they’re half in the bag an hour into things, get shitfaced with the old man and have a dance with mom and hang around the fire. Either way, don’t be playing grab-ass with the girlfriend in front of them. Her dad will find a garden tool and beat you to death with it. As for grilling, get the dope from your girlfriend about their favorite meat. Buy it. You’re set.

Skip The Dishes, have them deliver to the back door then place the food on the BBQ to make everyone think you did it.

Hey, no pressure, but there’s a decent chance that what you do here will be used to judge your competency as a partner for your girlfriend. Screw this up and you’ll be “That guy who couldn’t even make a hamburger right.” My advice would be to go back to doing something you are comfortable with. Is it steaks? Is it hotdogs and hamburgers? Whatever is in your wheelhouse. Do a test run for yourself this weekend to make sure you remember the grill’s hotspots and such so NEXT weekend goes smoothly. If it’s steaks then make sure you season with kosher salt about one hour before you grill. For burgers, if you’re making your own then making the patties the night before and chilling as much time as possible should help. Alright Mark, don’t screw it up.

You can’t go wrong with steak or burgers and some sort of potatoes. Even the most inept cooks can look competent serving those.

Do what you’re most comfortable with so you’re not second guessing it. Steak and potatoes are a classic. Throw some macaroni salad in their and you can’t go wrong.

Alright, here’s what you do: Go down to a butcher and get some high-end hot dogs, and then go to the Italian Centre and pick up some fresh buns. That’s a BBQ meal that no one in their right mind should ever screw up. Add in a salad kit or something like that, a few beers, and you’re golden! Easy.

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