Oil On Whyte
Fansided

The Fallout of the Edmonton Oilers Firing Peter Chiarelli

By Phil Gretzky

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 23: General manager Peter Chiarelli of the Edmonton Oilers speaks onstage during Round One of the 2017 NHL Draft at United Center on June 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 23: General manager Peter Chiarelli of the Edmonton Oilers speaks onstage during Round One of the 2017 NHL Draft at United Center on June 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Edmonton Oilers
DALLAS, TX – JUNE 23: Craig MacTavish of the Edmonton Oilers attends the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Rumor #3:  MacT will stay because he’s running Bakersfield and they’re killing it. 

This could be the one rumor I don’t believe.  Bakersfield is killing it mainly because the Oilers’ drafting has gotten better since Chiarelli took over (one of the few positives of his legacy here), not because of what MacT has done.

It’s not hard to look at a guy’s boxcars and say “this guy’s not producing; let’s cut him loose.”

AHL hockey is a lot more cut and dried than NHL hockey.  You’re either succeeding and on your way to the NHL at some point, or you’re an AHL veteran there to provide leadership, or you’re an underperforming AHL player who will be cut loose at the end of the season.

Doesn’t seem to be anything more than that when it comes to AHL teams.

Home/Editorials