Steve Tambellini's former teammate has been hired by the Oilers to help improve a pro scouting department that lags badly behind the amateur talent scouts.
I'm not certain what to think about this hiring. The guy is clearly qualified, boasting a long resume filled with coaching and scouting stops that mean he's connected and has had some success along the way.
But, it's a Sutter. I mean, doesn't anyone remember the old stories about old man Sutter driving into town in the jalopy to exchange barbs with Walter Gretzky?
It seems....wrong. I'll tell you what, we'll forget all about this if he can help bring a Stanley to town.
I thought the same thing when I saw it. At least it's not Daryl!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good move for the Oil. Sutter has a HISTU around the league and will help tambo get through the next level of the build. Can you call it a rebuild since it is 20 years since the Oil had a strong team?
ReplyDeleteLooks to me that the team is on the right path, not sure I have the patience for it.
and yes, histu is my word verification word.
miltie: the Oilers made it to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals in 2006. I don't need a calculator to figure out that 2011 - 2006 is smaller than 20 (it's one of the advantages of the decimal notation). If you're saying a team that was *that close* to the cup wasn't a strong team then I think you're always going to be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteOilers pro scouting has been brutal. At this point, I'm pretty sure hiring Betty White would be an improvement. I'll take Duane Sutter any day.
ReplyDeleteBetty White I'd be fine with. A real piss cutter.
ReplyDeleteI'm not warmed by this hiring at all. We go and hire another crony of 3.1's.
ReplyDeleteA guy who was part of that great Flames org that always made trades for people they were familiar with in the Sutter era - regardless of whether or not they could still do the job.
For reference, see the series Kent Wilson did back in the Spring in Flames Nation. Amatuer scouting was bad, they got very, very lucky on the Kipper trade and took advantage of the dead-puck era of hockey to make it the cup finals.
This does not inspire hope.
Kent Wilson from Flames Nation did a nice series back in the spring on the whole issue regarding Daryl Sutter's mismanagement of that group
Correct me if I'm wrong but Tamby never hired any of the current pro scouting staff, he inherited them from the past regime.....he and D Sutter go back a real long way to the Isle's organization...looks to me like a plant to {spy} be Tamby's ears and eyes inside the room to weed out, cough, cough incompetence...looks like changes will be made to the pro scouting dept in the not so distant future!
ReplyDeletelol @ delooper..As hard as I cheered for the 2005-2006 Oil, I do not think the regular season record puts them in the class of 2001 team.
ReplyDeleteSplitting hairs maybe..
I do think the first part of the build is happening and the addition of sutter signals that the second part is on its way.
I don't live in the citypo
whoops..brain cramp..that should be 1991 oilers...
ReplyDeleteCan I be quiet now..before I confirm how stupid you think I am..
Sorry everyone for not editing my post before submitting.
ReplyDeleteFrustrating that instead of going for a hire that's either going to be low risk (becuase of a long-track record), or high risk (by fly's, big k's) they go for someone in pro scouting who really is high risk for the wrong reasons.
Not known as a particular fan of Tambellini but I like this move. Sutter knows grit.......in spades and I like our high end skilled forwards. I think we could really use some gritty players that can play like, say a 25 yr old Duane Sutter
ReplyDeleteHe will be a good addition to our pro scouting staff
Tambellini is just grasping at straws and Duane Sutter just happened to be the nearest one available. Has anyone been more lost in a fog since Adrienne Barbeau than Tambellini? I think not.
ReplyDeleteAt least she was easy on the eyes. The Oilers just make me want to rip my eyes out.
Ryan Nugent Hopkins is pretty well set right now in the Oiler's brass eyes to return to Red Deer this season. Hiring a Sutter ensures his safety, just in case that other Sutter who runs that team thinks bad thoughts.
ReplyDeleteTambellini = Machiavelli
Then in case something happens to the golden boy, all the Sutter's start killing each other in retribution until every last one of them is dead.
ReplyDeleteThen we will all be happy.
Adrienne Barbeau, Cannonball Run anyone? Damn.
ReplyDeleteTambellini can't win. The blogosphere has been whining about pro scouting for a couple of years now. Tambellini goes out and does something about it, and people complain that he did something about it.
ReplyDeleteSutter is somebody who has experience who Tambellini knows, but who has had all his NHL employment because of somebody other than Tambellini. This is NOT Daryl Sutter dragging along all his brothers, or Pat Quinn dragging along Rick Ley, or Ron Wilson dragging along Tim Hunter.
godot: You're right. Now that Tambellini has hired Darryl Sutter it's only a matter of time before all the Sutter's arrive.
ReplyDeleteDammit!
Wasn't Sutter in charge of scouting in Calgary?
ReplyDeleteSeems like a decent move. A former director certainly would have the chops for a scouting job. And the Flames actually have been pretty good in the pro procurement end of things (Glencross, Bourque, Babchuk among others).
As long as its not the first step towards a Sutterite Colony in EDM, I like it.
Can't believe this thread got 18 comments long and no one has mentioned that he has 4 Stanley Cups!
ReplyDelete4!!
Seriously, Oiler pro scouting has been a black hole, any help is good, and if he's the snitch then even better.
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ReplyDeleteHow do you evaluate a pro scout? You can't "see a scout good". You can analyze the successes/failures in player acquisition and assign a score to the scouting team as a whole. However, it's near impossible for an outsider to assign individual credit/blame for the outcomes (especially since all the final decisions are made by the general manager). It's even more difficult for a pro scout than an amateur scout... at least the amateur scouts have a clear influence in the draft. No one knows how much influence the pro scouts had on each individual trade / signing.
ReplyDeleteAll this signing tells us is that Tambellini felt the pro scouting department could use another guy and so he hired someone he was familiar with and had a good resume. It's a relatively safe move and it's hard to find fault in the hiring from that perspective. So, well done Tambo.
All we can do now is continue to evaluate the player acquisitions Tambo makes as a proxy for the work of the pro scout department and hope (pray) for the best.
I think Tambo Bambo' (New nickname) suffers from some bad decisions, which make him look like he can't lead the team to glory.
ReplyDeleteBut some glorious teams have made some baaaddd decisions (Wickenheiser). It's the good ones who are important
Has anyone been more lost in a fog since Adrienne Barbeau than Tambellini? I think not.
ReplyDeleteAt least she was easy on the eyes. The Oilers just make me want to rip my eyes out.
That's a 1-2 punch if I ever read one.
If the goal is to acquire truculence, I'm sure Duane can spot it a mile away.
ReplyDeleteTambellini can't win.
ReplyDelete... and he has two 30th place finishes to prove it.
Actually, I agree with your point, Godot, I just couldn't resist a straight line that good.