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Time for Oilers and Canadiens to Fire their General Managers (and Coaches)

November 23, 2017, 9:46 AM ET [164 Comments]
James Tanner
Washington Capitals Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT


A lot of people attribute the definition of insanity to Albert Einstein. This is incorrect. Not only is the cliche I am referring to not the definition of insanity, at all, it wasn't said by Einstein, but it actually comes from a 1970s Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet.

Regardless, it's a somewhat apt cliche for two of the NHL's premier franchises and how they are run. Both Marc Bergevin and Peter Chiarelli have been allowed to continue making trades and "building" their teams long past the point where it's become obvious that neither knows what they are doing.

They both need to be removed from their jobs before they can do any more damage. In retrospect, it seems like Subban for Hall was being discussed and one of the GMs got frustrated and turned around and made the move he was threatening to make in a previous attempt for leverage.

I have no idea if that's what actually happened, but given the fact that these trades happened at the same time, and that they were both so poorly thought out, and that there is hardly ever a trade in the NHL, let alone two at the same time, it seems like likely.....to me at least.

Had they not been stubborn and had they figured out a way to make the Subban for Hall swap, both teams would likely be in much better positions today.

Considering the signature move of both GMs has backfired so spectacularly - Nashville in the Stanley Cup Final must have damn near traumatized the city of Montreal last year - and considering how bad both teams have been so far this year, the best move either franchise could make is to fire their GMs (and also their awful coaches).



For the Canadiens, it's been obvious for quite some time that Bergevin has to go. He signed Karl Alzner !!! . He traded the NHL's best rookie defenseman for a winger with the plan to convert him to centre. He traded the city's most popular player.

For the Oilers, the returns on Eberle and Hall were pathetic. Yakupov was wasted and a #1 overall pick returned zero value. Kris Russell and Lucic were over-payed.

Honestly, it's hard to even find a single positive for either GM.

But the main thing is this: Ever since the day when each team traded a franchise player in moves widely panned by 100% of informed people it has been clear that both teams were on the wrong path and that each GM was never going to live their respective blunders down.

We've seen what anyone could have predicted come to fruition: each subsequent trade has been a panicky move designed to compensate for previous errors.

The Oilers don't sign Lucic if they don't trade Hall, and they don't trade Eberle if Lucic's contract doesn't put them in cap-crunch.

The Canadiens don't move their only blue-chip prospect in a 'win now' move for Drouin if they hadn't accelerated their competitive window by trading for Weber at the end of his prime.

The fans of each city deserve better.

There is no reason to let these guys burn another coach or make another roster move. They each sealed their fate on the same day with an incredibly stupid trade, and it'd be poetic if they were both fired on the same day.

That day should be today.
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