Recent days have seen Kevin Lowe's comments raise eyebrows among Oilers faithful. "I would think we could have as many as six to eight new faces on the team next year. We're prepared to do that" was interesting, and the best one of all came in regard to next year's budget: "From our perspective, we've had a re-think in the last couple of months. It's safe to say we'll make a proposal that will allow us to do what we need to do this off-season."Here are some others from the past few weeks and months:
- "We'll get involved in free agency and hope that we can be successful."
- "If we don't acquire the players we think we need to make our team better (through free agency), we'll have to revert to Plan B, making deals for restricted free agents and just trying to improve the hockey club."
- "We feel we can do what we need to do this off-season to get the team to that level. If that's not the case, we won't be far off and we'll be poised to do what we need to do in the upcoming year (08-09)."
- "We're not insensitive to our fans by any breath, but at the same time we have to make decisions that we think can bolster the team and make it eventually win."
I sure as hell hope he's been reading from the book of "Under promise, over deliver" because this sounds like the GM of the Oakland Seals talking.
Dan Tencer apparently spoke with Lowe today and there was more of the same: Ambiguous comments hinting at spending more money than previously stated, doing what ever it takes to "make things happen," etc. It's starting to get the point where one wonders if he's trying to convince the fans or trying to convince himself that he's going to be able to do these things.
ReplyDeletejoninabox: Agreed. He's beginning to sound like a Johnny Cash song: "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise..."
ReplyDeleteIs it just me or did he leave an escape hatch for every one of those comments?
ReplyDeleteThe formula is basically: "We're going to X and if we can't we'll Y."
And like LT is hinting at it's probably: Where X = over promise and Y = under deliver.
I'll be perfectly frank here - Kevin Lowe is full of shit and his interviews are worthless.
I used to chide Dennis about this over at OilFans a few years ago. Sure Lowe doesn't tell the truth. Approximating reality while discussing the past, current or future aspirations of the hockey club is not part of Kevin Lowe's job description. I stopped taking what he says seriously a long time ago.
If you're looking for some semblance of the truth as it relates to the Oilers listen to MacTavish.
Notwithstanding the truthiness of Mr. Lowe's comments
ReplyDeleteI heard a brief slice of them in an interview with Stauffer today.
Here's the plan:
- scout the playoffs like crazy
- analyze results carefully
- make a plan, both hockey and business
- 11:59pm, June 30, 2007 swing into UFAction!
- Failing that [as if] trader Kevin starts knockin' on doors
Shall we begin with The Thrashed? - Havelid, Exelby?, Holik, Slater and, of course, Freddie Brathwaite.
Well, the nice thing about Atlanta is that ownership will clean house after the playoffs. And even if they're not willing to, Waddell will step down rather than face the mess he's made himself. Hopefully new management is willing to part with some of the pieces he's brought into place, maybe Hossa who has largely been invisible for the playoffs. Problems: Plays RW and has 7 million left on his contract for the one year. Other than him there is absolutely nothing of value left under contract there aside from Kovalchuk and Lehtonen, their franchise players. Looking at the roster, Waddell really built this team to go for this year and then self-destruct, as they have around 12 UFAs at season end.
ReplyDeleteRob Schremp and Joffrey Lupul for Marian Hossa?
ReplyDeleteSolve a $7 million dollar problem for Atlanta? The $7 million is only for one year, and we'd be getting rid of two years of Lupul's contract. Hossa would be playing for a new contract.
Do you think Lowe goes after Forsberg again?
Sykora, Forsberg, Hemsky
Moreau, Horcoff, Hossa
Torres, Stoll, Pisani
Thoreson, Pouliot, Stortini
Reasoner, Brodziak
Hemsky and Hossa on the powerplay at the same time would be awesome ^10
ReplyDeleteRQ: Agree completely on the MacT straight-talk and the Lowe nonsense, but these latest quotes seem (to me, anyway) to imply that being competitive anytime soon isn't a priority.
ReplyDeleteEven though it is an X and Y quote(s), the bottom of the elevator shaft is several stories below previous levels.
And even though he is full of shit re: quotes, that's disturbing.
I find that if you cross-reference what they all say - Lowe, MacT, Prendergast, Howson - then match that against certain givens
ReplyDelete[when tossing, a nickel equals a manholecover],
you can usually see the forest in amongst the trees.
As for Hossa and his $7 Million,
the Oilers bring in that Bad Boy & beer prices are going up at least $1 per plastic cup full.
When Lowe said:
ReplyDelete"We feel we can do what we need to do this off-season to get the team to that level. If that's not the case, we won't be far off and we'll be poised to do what we need to do in the upcoming year."
My impression was that he was referring to doing things during the season - '07-08 - not waiting until next year ('08-09) as you said in your post. Given his ego, and the "stain" of this year, I don't think there is any way he lets this team flounder for another year. We might not be Cup contenders next year, but missing the playoffs is a non-starter in my book.
What about Nash? I would love to see Rich Nash in Oilers silks playing on the other side with Hemmer...Throw in a good Centerman (not Horcoff) and you could have on heck of a line...
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about what this guy could possibly do to improve this team I think about two things:
ReplyDelete1: the Journal piece where he glossed over Nilsson, Schremp and annointed Cogs, Chorney and the real kicker, Jeff Petry, as the future. On the one hand Lowe wants us to believe that he has all these chips to improve the team via trades but on the other hand he's admitting in one of the dailies that the current guys aren't anything to get excited about
2: you have Bertuzzi to trade and in return you get Luongo. I have Pronger to trade and in return I get Smid, Lupul and picks.
If that doesn't inspire confidence, I don't know what does
"2: you have Bertuzzi to trade and in return you get Luongo. I have Pronger to trade and in return I get Smid, Lupul and picks."
ReplyDeleteJust for the sake of accuracy, shouldn't it be "You have Bertuzzi, Allen, Auld and a conditional '07 pick to trade and in return you get Luongo, Krajicek and a 6th rounder."
;)
Anyway LT, just my own opinion but I think the timeline Lowe's working with to get this team back on track is actually a fair bit shorter than you obviously think.
Obviously what he actually does will be a truer barometer than anything he says for public consumption, but until the EIG give him a multiyear extension I'm not fully convinced that Lowe's job security isn't on the line.
What Dennis said is very true.
ReplyDeleteIt was said in September when a number of us on HF were saying...we are going into the season with this blueline?
Lowe had what many would consider the best blueliner in the game.
He traded him for futures to a team in his own conference.
And the "We'll be players..." whether at the draft or free agency.
It has never materialized.
The Kansas City Thrashers are a complete mess. Only assets of value are (imo) Exelby & Little. Everything else costs too much.
ReplyDeleteOne UFA I would target from that team however - I actually like DeVries. I really like DeVries. Plays good minutes and would be a nice complement to a guy like Staios.
On my list of under-rated d-men headed into UFA season (I also like Tanabe and Lukowich).
As for Lowe.. well... yay for us.
C.M. said...
ReplyDeleteWhat about Nash? I would love to see Rich Nash in Oilers silks playing on the other side with Hemmer...
Well with the Nasher hovering around the other team's blueline all game long and Hemsky's penchant for turning the puck over at the blueline I think that would be a recipe for disaster.
Hemsky gets much better results at ES than he should by my eye, but I suspect that phenomenon couldn't tolerate a floater like Nash out there.
Throw in a good Centerman (not Horcoff) and you could have on heck of a line...
Not even Horcoff could save that mess. I'd vote for abandoning the centre position on that line. Just ice three defensemen.
I suspect that phenomenon couldn't tolerate a floater like Nash out there.
ReplyDeletePssh. Look at how well the Joffrey Lupul Experience has gone over in Oilerville this season! What could go wrong?
I don't know, Lowes comments make me worried. We've all seen what Atlanta and Nashville have done this year with such bravado.
ReplyDeleteGo big or go home I always say. Which is Lowe likely to do? The answer scares me.