In the latest rumor chat, The Maven Stan Fischler discusses the Jay Woodcroft firing in Edmonton, which coach is next to get the hook and more.
The Chute was pulled on then-Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft when his Oilers lost to San Jose.
'Til then, the Sharks had beaten nobody, and that prompted the question: How could a Connor McDavid-led team fall to a sextet suffering from Loseritis?
Answers: Lousy goaltending; lousy defense, and lousy predictions.
Jack Campbell has had one good season out of a dozen. What did the Jeff Jackson-Ken Holland brain trust think they were getting this time around -- The China Wall?
The Oiler Blue Liners -- especially Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard -- range somewhere between overrated and awful.
What does new coach Kris Knoblauch have that booted Woodcroft did not?
1. Double K coached Sir McDavid in Erie. A form of nepotism, perhaps? 2. King Connor -- being the world's greatest player --had to put his Good Housekeeping stamp of approval on his buddy. (It's called a "No Brainer." Or, too, too easy to figure.
But here's the joke of all jokes: Knoblauch’s biggest plus is supposed "teaching ability." Really?
What, pray tell, is this rookie bench boss going to "teach" such veterans as Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Warren Foegele? Will he teach them what the blue line is for?
Next Coach To Get The Hook:
Logic dictates that another losing NHL bench boss will get the hook.
With only one victory heading into this evening's home game with Florida, the Sharks' David Quinn figures to be a goner.
But GM Mike Grier might figure one more Quinn season might be the cheapest -- -- if not wisest -- move.
Columbus gets a bye because of the Mike Babcock Follies, which leaves us with Ottawa.
The Sens have missed the playoffs for six straight years. That all hasn't been D.J. Smith's fault, but new owner Michael Andlauer will want a new coach now that the Pierre Dorion fiasco is gone and almost forgotten.
With races tight, east, west, north, and south, owners are going to get antsy if their teams underachieve in the month ahead.
The Mave predicts that the next coach firing will happen before December begins.
Quote Of The Week From A Coach To A Slumping Player:
Devils mentor Lindy Ruff to underachieving right wing Alex Holtz: "If you want to play more, don't get scored against."
Gutsy Journalist Move Of The Week:
After the Oilers were beaten by previously winless San Jose last week, Sportsnet's Mark Spector wrote that management should fire coach Jay Woodcroft. It was a shot in the dark for Spector -- and a bullseye.
Fisching Lures:
* Quinn Hughes was rated 46th out of The Hockey News Top 50 Players in this season's THN Yearbook: A year from now, Quinn could be second; one ahead of Cale Makar.
* Erik Karlsson is rated 25th. But if Pitt makes the playoffs, I'd move him up to tenth.
* Edmonton does not have a number one goalie, but Boston has two -- Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman -- so does that make a Bruins-Oilers deal possible?
* Yes. But only in a Fantasy League.
* Was I Ever Wrong Department: When Toronto acquired Ryan Reaves, Max Domi, and Tyler Bertuzzi, I predicted that the trio's combined toughness would enable the Leafs to win The Cup.
* But after reading Steve Simmons' Toronto Sun column that -- after 14 games --Reaves' line had given up 11 goals, I said to myself, "Error, Maven, ERROR!"
* For the likes of me, I can't figure out why Patrik Elias is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
* What are they waiting for; the cow to jump over the moon?
* This is NOT a guess: It wasn't Darryl Sutter's fault after all in Calgary.
* But how about Jacob Markstrom?
* Kevun Stenlund, Mikko Mikkola, and Uvis Balinskis will never be known for their offensive skills, but they've made major contributions to the Panthers on the defensive side of things.