Edmonton Oilers
Analyst Hints at Potential “Mutiny” If Oilers Hire Former Cup-Winning Coach
The Edmonton Oilers need a new head coach, but one analyst warns that if they hire Peter Laviolette, there could be a real problem.
Peter Laviolette is on the radar of the Edmonton Oilers as a candidate to be the next head coach. He’s got a strong resume and has won a Stanley Cup, meeting some of the criteria the Oilers are looking for. However, there’s a potential snag, one that could lead to a “mutiny.” It’s the kind of thing that has happened before in places Laviolette has coached, and one NHL analyst thinks it could happen again if the ex-Rangers and Capitals bench boss doesn’t change his style.
Washington Capitals’ analyst Alan May appeared on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer and suggested buyer beware with Laviolette.
“Lavy, when he was coaching here, he lost the team after the first season,” said May. The Capitals analyst added, “I think his defensive system is outdated when his team doesn’t have the puck, the 1-3-1 stands inside the neutral zone, you know, all the players are flat-footed. After a while, you start to point fingers. That system really collapses, and the players don’t want to play it because they’re made to look so bad.”
He added that Laviolette has many great qualities, including being an excellent motivator. “But at the same time, I think he needs to ditch that defensive system. His neutral zone puts so much stress on the team inside the defensive zone, and it always seems to crumble after that first year.”
Even though he had a great year in New York and with the Rangers after he was fired in Washington, May said, “Then what did he do? All of a sudden, no one wanted to play the system; guys were getting pointed out because they didn’t have the playoffs they wanted. When you look at that, the players will quit playing it in the second year.”
He went on to say, “All of a sudden, there are stress markers everywhere, and the guys don’t like it, so you end up having somewhat of a mutiny. It costs players points, and points are how you make dollars, and I’ve seen it now multiple times with what that system has done. It won a Stanley Cup in ’06, but that was ’06, and the game was a lot different back then.”
What Does This Mean for the Oilers?
Edmonton isn’t exactly chock-full of players who will follow every rule if it doesn’t make sense. They’re willing to be coached, but up to a point. When they stop believing in a system or philosophy, people tend to lose their jobs.
With two of the best and most talented players in the world, if Laviolette were to come in and introduce a system that the players didn’t want to play and wasn’t working, you can bet Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl would do what they want and need to. They respect the coach, but neither are afraid to make noise. They’ve called out coaches in the past, and won’t be afraid to do so again. Both are aware that their opinion carries more weight.
What Edmonton needs is a system the players believe in and want to play. Without it, any new coach coming in would be a waste of time. So, if Laviolette is hired and he brings with him a system that has proven to be ineffective, or stresses an already sensitive defense, the Oilers may struggle.
Perhaps it works for part of a year, but when the armor shows cracks, this Oilers team may not adjust like it needs to before falling apart.
Next: Scribe Argues Oilers Know What They Need—Getting It Is the Hard Part
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