debateable. maybe though. i'm a big fan of mcdonagh actually. very solid. mighta overlooked him abit when I made that list

but I think letangs defensive deficiencies are abit exaggerated though. hes an offensive guy first of course, but he plays pk and a lot of tough minutes too. he's an adequate defender
- hugefemale dog77

letang is the 2nd best offensive defenseman behind karlsson no doubt. he's a superstar talent.

but as an all-around defenseman, i'd pick mcdonagh. mcdonagh in the bruins series was -1, 0, +1, 0, 0 with 2 assists and a goal. letang was 0, 0, -3, -2, +2 with 2 assists and a goal.

letang directly led to a lot of scoring chances against. as good as he is offensively, mcdonagh matched him in production with a lesser talented offensive team and all of letang's points came in 1 game.

in addition to that, mcdonagh is younger and only 22 years old. while letang certainly isn't old...imagine how good mcdonagh will be at 26 when he's JUST entering his prime. mcdonagh is an excellent skater just like letang, has speed, and is starting to develop his offensive game really well. he won't be a letang or a karlsson offensively but he is becoming a serious threat offensively and is our new PP QB. not to mention the kid is just a beast. he's 22 and holds the NHL record for most time on the ice in 1 game and can log 25-30 mins a night easily.

yea i sound like a total homer but mcdonagh is our little secret. just wait and see guys...just wait and see.

even after that debacle I still think Letang is one of those A+ players... Mcdunaugh an A.
- ChrisMS

fair enough and i understand. it's just that mcdonagh is at an A at only 22 years old which is why it's difficult to consider trading him for anyone. letang is certainly an A+ defender but the amount letang is better than mcdonagh offensively is equivalent to the amount mcdonagh is better than letang defensively.

It sounds like firing Kruger wasn't the original plan, and somewhere along the road, MacTavish figured out that he had the inside track on Dallas Eakins. It's the only explanation for the sudden firing and quick hire of a guy that interviewed with multiple teams.
- buffalofan19

Listen to what he says. He said that during the process he found himself more interested in the guys who shared his pholosophy than the guys who could best serve Kruger. He just kinda realised that he wanted a different kind of coach.

Listen to what he says. He said that during the process he found himself more interested in the guys who shared his pholosophy than the guys who could best serve Kruger. He just kinda realised that he wanted a different kind of coach.
- Jeropotato

He also said Buchberger and Smith's futures with the team are up to Eakins. I hope he gets rid of them. We need new blood

Yeah but even if its 99% likely to happen, its still technically unofficial.
- Jack-artist

You get the (frank)ing point

He also said Buchberger and Smith's futures with the team are up to Eakins. I hope he gets rid of them. We need new blood
- Ihatebrianburke

I wish we would have kept Krueger as an assistant though.. Special teams specialist

Listen to what he says. He said that during the process he found himself more interested in the guys who shared his pholosophy than the guys who could best serve Kruger. He just kinda realised that he wanted a different kind of coach.
- Jeropotato

I heard what he said, and it's hard to discern the "media speak" from what was genuinely on his mind. The fact is Dallas Eakins was the most sought after candidate this offseason, or at least the media made him out to be anyway. The fact that the Oilers fired their guy randomly and then ended up with the coaching prize of the offseason 24 hours later screams of some backdoor dealing. It's more likely that for whatever reason, Eakins fell into MacTavish's lap than this being a sudden epiphany.

sather certainly has his flaws (UFA signings) but he has a knack for fixing his mistakes extremely well.
- rangerdanger94

Nobody can swap players like Slats. Aside from blowing up the dynasty in the early nineties mainly for financial reasons, has he ever lost a pure hockey trade?

-Esa Tikkanen for Doug Weight
-Craig MacTavish for Todd Marchant
-Two 1st round picks (Marty Reasoner and Matt Zultek) for Curtis Joseph and Mike Grier
-Dan McGillis for Janne Ninnimaa
-Boris Mironov,Jonas Elofson and Dean McAmmond for Dan Cleary,Ethan Moreau and Chad Kilger
Jason Bonsignore,Steve Kelly and Bryan Marchment for Paul Comrie and Roman Hamrlik
-Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir For Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin
-Mats Lingren and an 8th (Radek Martinek) for Tommy Salo
-Roman Hamrlik for Eric Brewer,Josh Green and a 2nd (Winchester).

Man ,I miss those days. The only time we see a big multi player trade anymore is when Slats in involved.

fair enough and i understand. it's just that mcdonagh is at an A at only 22 years old which is why it's difficult to consider trading him for anyone. letang is certainly an A+ defender but the amount letang is better than mcdonagh offensively is equivalent to the amount mcdonagh is better than letang defensively.
- rangerdanger94

I heart Ryan M and envy the grand larceny that brought you him. One of the greatest trades in nhl history

Nobody can swap players like Slats. Aside from blowing up the dynasty in the early nineties mainly for financial reasons, has he ever lost a pure hockey trade?

-Esa Tikkanen for Doug Weight
-Craig MacTavish for Todd Marchant
-Two 1st round picks (Marty Reasoner and Matt Zultek) for Curtis Joseph and Mike Grier
-Dan McGillis for Janne Ninnimaa
-Boris Mironov,Jonas Elofson and Dean McAmmond for Dan Cleary,Ethan Moreau and Chad Kilger
Jason Bonsignore,Steve Kelly and Bryan Marchment for Paul Comrie and Roman Hamrlik
-Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir For Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin
-Mats Lingren and an 8th (Radek Martinek) for Tommy Salo
-Roman Hamrlik for Eric Brewer,Josh Green and a 2nd (Winchester).

Man ,I miss those days. The only time we see a big multi player trade anymore is when Slats in involved.
- Jeropotato

from a pens perspective? Kovalov for Nedved was a pens win... but yeah... if it wasn't for some of the free agent signings he would be tops

I heard what he said, and it's hard to discern the "media speak" from what was genuinely on his mind. The fact is Dallas Eakins was the most sought after candidate this offseason, or at least the media made him out to be anyway. The fact that the Oilers fired their guy randomly and then ended up with the coaching prize of the offseason 24 hours later screams of some backdoor dealing. It's more likely that for whatever reason, Eakins fell into MacTavish's lap than this being a sudden epiphany.
- buffalofan19

Not really hard to figure it out.Mac T doesn't really do "media speak". I see like this:
If you think I nice girl you meet would get along really well with your girlfriend, and you are thinking about introducing the two,and then start to realize you want them to be friends because you really dig her and want her around,and that you have way more in common with her then your GF and you get along even better,what do you do?
You make the switch.
I know the analogy is a bit out there, but thats how it went down,I think.

It had nothing to do with anyone falling in his lap. If Eakins didnt have the same philosophies as Mac T,and didn't convince him of that,Kruger would be the guy.

I heart Ryan M and envy the grand larceny that brought you him. One of the greatest trades in nhl history
- ChrisMS

If I were a GM I would be afraid everytime Slats number showed up on call display.

I wish we would have kept Krueger as an assistant though.. Special teams specialist
- OilerFanFromBC

Nah, best to cut ties in most cases.

I wish we would have kept Krueger as an assistant though.. Special teams specialist
- OilerFanFromBC

Best quote ever from a coach who got fired:

""The conversation was short and I didn't really dig deep because I believed it wasn't worth burning any brain cells thinking about why," Krueger continued."

I like him just for that.

Does everyone forget that Krueger was the best signing ever last year. This was a lockout year and the guy didn't even get a training camp. It's a crime. Eakins is on the hottest of hot seats and if Mac T doesn't give him goaltending, defense and bottom 6 help, he might have the shortest GM tenure in history.

The problem with that franchise, IMO, is Lowe. At least Mac T seems to have some balls. I think he's going to surprise some people and end up with the 1st overall pick.

Best quote ever from a coach who got fired:

""The conversation was short and I didn't really dig deep because I believed it wasn't worth burning any brain cells thinking about why," Krueger continued."

I like him just for that.

Does everyone forget that Krueger was the best signing ever last year. This was a lockout year and the guy didn't even get a training camp. It's a crime. Eakins is on the hottest of hot seats and if Mac T doesn't give him goaltending, defense and bottom 6 help, he might have the shortest GM tenure in history.

The problem with that franchise, IMO, is Lowe. At least Mac T seems to have some balls. I think he's going to surprise some people and end up with the 1st overall pick.
- therealagent

Lowe,Blah blah Lowe,blah, blah, Lowe

Lowe did an okay job as GM until after the run to the playoff's,where he tried to do a patch up job that didn't work, but as president he has done pretty well. All the Lowe haters need to relax, he has sweet (frank) all to do with Hockey decisions aside from lending an ear or ofeering some advice.It would make no difference if Scotty Bowman was president at this point.

If I were a GM I would be afraid everytime Slats number showed up on call display.
- Jeropotato

word on the street is sather might step down this week.

word on the street is sather might step down this week.
- rangerdanger94

And do what? He don't do nothing else.

And do what? He don't do nothing else.
- Jeropotato

he'll remain president but gorton will probably become GM and messier will take over goton's role as assistant GM. then in a few more years when sather retired from being president, gorton will probably take over that role and messier will become GM.

he'll remain president but gorton will probably become GM and messier will take over goton's role as assistant GM. then in a few more years when sather retired from being president, gorton will probably take over that role and messier will become GM.
- rangerdanger94

I just read all that on the Rangers thread. To be honest, Sather is the reason I cheer the Rangers.Always wanted to see him succeed again without all the cash problems that pushed him out of Edmonton.

Best quote ever from a coach who got fired:

""The conversation was short and I didn't really dig deep because I believed it wasn't worth burning any brain cells thinking about why," Krueger continued."

I like him just for that.

Does everyone forget that Krueger was the best signing ever last year. This was a lockout year and the guy didn't even get a training camp. It's a crime. Eakins is on the hottest of hot seats and if Mac T doesn't give him goaltending, defense and bottom 6 help, he might have the shortest GM tenure in history.

The problem with that franchise, IMO, is Lowe. At least Mac T seems to have some balls. I think he's going to surprise some people and end up with the 1st overall pick.
- therealagent

do you mean by moving up? or sucking Richard next year?

I wish we would have kept Krueger as an assistant though.. Special teams specialist
- OilerFanFromBC

What self respecting man would accept a demotion like that?

He also said Buchberger and Smith's futures with the team are up to Eakins. I hope he gets rid of them. We need new blood
- Ihatebrianburke

Please God yes!!! Can those 2 clowns...

What self respecting man would accept a demotion like that?
- Ihatebrianburke

I heard once about a dude who's wife left him for another man. For the sake of the kids he let her keep the house to live in with her new fella, under the condition that he got to move into the basement. That is a man with no self respect.

I wish we would have kept Krueger as an assistant though.. Special teams specialist
- OilerFanFromBC

For what exactly? Its hard to get demoted once you were top dog... Unless your president and GM and cant find a suitable coach in the interim...

Please God yes!!! Can those 2 clowns...
- saskoil21

I suppose you have the inside scoop on their job performances? I'm all for letting the coach hire his own staff, but I haven't heard that Bucky and Smith were poopty assistants.