Pierre McGuire (the real one) has said that the bog dogs in Edmonton don’t want to commit to a 2-way game, and the rest of the team follows. McDavid is as much to blame as anyone else.
Pierre McGuire wrote: ↑14 May 2026 11:44 am
They should give Hitch another crack at it. They need structure…he can provide it
Honestly, i like that idea
While the idea is sound, McDavid runs that room. Won't happen.
Wouldn't be surprised if the new coach has to be interviewed by McDavid, in fact. He has that much power.
They’ve got nothing to lose at this point..McDavid is gonna bolt in another year. Hitch is right there in their backyard, he’s probably got a ton of notes on how he would turn it around for them.
Pierre McGuire wrote: ↑14 May 2026 11:44 am
They should give Hitch another crack at it. They need structure…he can provide it
Honestly, i like that idea
Me too, since it’d kill 2 birds with 1 stone not named Mark…
1. It gets Hitch off the Blues payroll and him no longer talkin in the ears of the coaches…”Monty, if you’ll just concentrate approximately 86.39% more on Deeeeeefense, and fixate on the Prevent Defense, we can have multiple successful seasons of 1 and Done playoff hockey. You do NOT want to open that O door!”
2. I hate Edmonton, and have severe McDavid exhaustion and this move would ensure they’ll continue to do ok while flopping in the playoffs some more, so win-win.
Pierre McGuire wrote: ↑14 May 2026 11:44 am
They should give Hitch another crack at it. They need structure…he can provide it
Honestly, i like that idea
Edmonton native and HOFer Hitchcock is 74 years old and probably not up for the daily grind of being an NHL head coach at this point. But I could see him get asked by Edmonton for his recommendations on coaching candidates. He has spoken highly of Berube in the past, saying he is better on structure and x's/o's than he is sometimes given credit for. Steve Ott has worked for Hitch and could get a recommendation.
Structure is fine but that means nothing when you are missing key and depth and above all competent nhl goal tending. They have nearly 8 million in their cap allocated next year to tristan jarry and jack campbell. They cannot afford a jordan binnington even if he agreed to waive without shedding salary.
Not surprising. They're desperate to get something done before McDavid leaves. I think their window closed after last season. They just couldn't find the right goalie and made some really, really bad decisions via depth over the past few years. Holloway Broberg McCleod being let go made absolutely zero sense for that team. I don't think Hitch at 74 is what he or they need. Hitch in his 60s would have been perfect for them the last three seasons.
Frank Underwood wrote: ↑14 May 2026 08:58 am
I don't have strong feelings about Knoblauch, good or bad, but they fired the wrong guy. Chiarelli replaced with Ken Holland, who was then replaced with Stan Bowman! My God, whoever is calling the shots, whether it is the owner or Jeff Jackson, they need to throw away the Toronto Maple Leaf playbook and bring in a good GM.
The Edmonton Oilers are an absolute clusterf.... from the owner on down. Katz looks on the Oilers team as a fan not a business man. The PHO was McDavid's former agent, not someone who has any experience running an organization. The GM is only where he is at because of who his dad was. The head coach was hired because he was McDavid's junior coach....
I hope they never win a thing. Horribly run organization that let a star player dictate coaching and roster management. Colorado tradee one of their big stars and are about to win a cup.
HighStick wrote: ↑14 May 2026 10:36 am
I remember a couple months ago I called the Oil a trash organization and said I liked watching them fail and people came out of the woodwork to remind of their 2 consecutive Cup appearances. 2 of the best hockey players in the league and their greatest accomplishments are failures.
99.8 percent in attendance, 18K-plus average, back-to-back finals is "trash." Only one other team won more finals and playoff games than Oilers.
Panthers "trash" because they missed playoffs?
"Their greatest accomplishments are failures" is a self-evident contradiction.
HighStick wrote: ↑14 May 2026 10:36 am
I remember a couple months ago I called the Oil a trash organization and said I liked watching them fail and people came out of the woodwork to remind of their 2 consecutive Cup appearances. 2 of the best hockey players in the league and their greatest accomplishments are failures.
99.8 percent in attendance, 18K-plus average, back-to-back finals is "trash." Only one other team won more finals and playoff games than Oilers.
Panthers "trash" because they missed playoffs?
"Their greatest accomplishments are failures" is a self-evident contradiction.
HighStick wrote: ↑14 May 2026 10:36 am
I remember a couple months ago I called the Oil a trash organization and said I liked watching them fail and people came out of the woodwork to remind of their 2 consecutive Cup appearances. 2 of the best hockey players in the league and their greatest accomplishments are failures.
99.8 percent in attendance, 18K-plus average, back-to-back finals is "trash." Only one other team won more finals and playoff games than Oilers.
Panthers "trash" because they missed playoffs?
"Their greatest accomplishments are failures" is a self-evident contradiction.