10-16-2018, 11:02 AM(This post was last modified: 10-17-2018, 12:19 PM by Keygan.)
Newest management in the league Connor Tanner takes the podium for the first time since being named Co-GM of the Edmonton Blizzard
Many people saw your time as a manager in the SMJHL as a failure, as over the course of seven seasons you never managed to win a cup, despite two finals appearances. What do you have to say in regards to that?
Well to be honest with you, while I was both Co-GM and Head GM the last thing on the mind in the juniors league was winning. Did I want to win? Of course. But ultimately it is a development league first and foremost and I wanted to give my players an active locker room and fun times before anything else, isn’t that why we all play this game? To have fun? When it comes down to it at the end of the day I did not have the heart to trade away my team’s future for a chance to win now, I wanted to win a cup with a primarily home grown squad and I think the turnover in the SMJHL makes it a little too difficult to do that, and my goal is a little more obtainable here in the SHL.
Before you could be named, obviously a name had to leave and those names were Erik Chisling and his client Tigole Bitties, those are some pretty big shoes to fill and some think it can not be done. Can you break down the thought process that went in to deciding the return for Tigole Bitties when he was forced out by league management?
When we heard we had to trade Tigole Bitties to the New England Wolfpack there was one player that we refused to budge from and that player was Piotr Czerkawski, we knew there was no player currently under contract with the Wolfpack that would present equal value to Bitties, but Czerkawski is darn close, but we still needed to add value somewhere. When we asked for Seattle’s first round pick we knew we were getting a top tier young player, but we weren’t sure how a third player in this coming draft would fit into the long term plan, but we decided to throw caution to the wind and take the chance of this pick becoming an elite player. Who knows who that player becomes but we have high hopes that they will end up a top tier talent. Finally we asked for the free agent rights to Oisin Fletcher, knowing that he would be signing her after the acquisition of Piotr Czerkawski, the free agent rights were more of a formality than anything, allowing us to sign an extension before he hits the open market.
What kind of state is the team currently in? Edmonton was well known for its documented rebuild from seasons 35 to 40 or so. Where do you see this team landing in this upcoming season in the standings, are you the team from the first half or are you truly the team from the second half?
A bit of a ridiculous question if you ask me, where do you think I think we will land? We are a great team with a core of fantastic players and you dare to ask where I think we will land? I think we are a Challenge Cup team. I think we have a proper shot at the President’s trophy this season, I have always thought we had a good chance at all these things, Lady Luck just decided to show us that we are not always in control, and sometimes we lose the dice roll. I do not think it will happen again for a long time, we are a phenomenal team and you’ll see how well we produce come the season open.
How did your management stint in Montreal impact Karlssens decision to hire you as Co-GM?
While I cannot say for absolute certain, I think my resume was fairly good, I built a relationship with players in my time in Montreal and I think it showed on the ice, my players lived, breathed and bleed maroon and gold, they laid their all out on the line for me and I hope to bring that passion to Edmonton. I think my knack for scouting will come in handy especially in a draft where we have three of the top nine picks and we need to nail them especially pick number nine if we are to come out the Chisling era with any semblance of a team.
That is all my questions for today, we here in Edmonton hope you have an excellent stretch of career here and bring the Challenge Cup home once again.
Thanks Esteban.
The floor is now open to questions from the floor, I'll be here the majority of the day answering you guys if you wanna ask me anything
The next step is simple for the Blizzard, sign the simmer in free agency and then rig their way to a Challenge Cup. But in reality the next step is really the only step left in the "rebuild" and that is to win the Cup by any means necessary. I cannot afford to manage a rebuild that does not end in some sort of championship run. We have faltered off that destination with missing the playoffs last season, but in reality I think we are one or two moves away from a Challenge Cup and we are one of the youngest teams in that position to do so.
Could we have some insider trade secrets as to what is being considered for the draft?
Well to show my hand would be a dangerous thing, but we are looking at a defensemen and a forward with pick 3 and 4, and then to either move 9 or to draft a high ceiling low floor prospect, boom or bust.
The Blizzard lost their first line center, what's the plan to replace him? Do you think it will make a difference?
I am hoping for follow the Bergevin method, trade a center for a winger and then make the winger play center. In reality though I think Oisin Fletcher is a shoe in for top line center, I have confidence in his new found ability on the draw and think he will fit in seamlessly in the offence we run in Edmonton. The biggest difference will be the Oisin Fletcher will not get ejected out of game 7 in a playoffs matchup for fighting, and ultimately that could be the reason we finally win it all.
What do you think of the Tuck Curse?
Well Tor is a phenomenal player, only getting better as the seasons progress, but Tommy is an interesting case. Many say that he laid a curse on the franchise after he was acquired at last seasons deadline as the Blizzard proceeded to go 2-14-1 to end the regular season. While you can blame the "Tuck Curse" I think it is more the fact that the players coasted towards the end thinking we were a shoe in for the playoffs and we got outted by hungrier teams and by the time we realized what was happening it was too late and we had missed the playoffs, and you can bet your life savings we will never go on a skid like that ever again.
With a defense as stacked as Edmonton, why do you think the Blizzard struggled so much last season to keep the puck out of the net?
This is a hill I am willing to die on, I will go on the record as saying I do not think the Edmonton Blizzard's problem was keeping the puck out of the net, but much more so putting the puck in the back of the net. We were on par with teams like West Kendall and Los Angeles with goals allowed, but also on par with teams like the Minnesota Chiefs and the Buffalo Stampede for goals scored. That is no knock on the Chiefs or Stampede either, but the Stampede relied heavily on outlandish goaltending by Jordin FourFour Jr.
Can you elaborate a bit on the reasoning for the Cormier-Hale trade? Why did it happen? Why give up the better player for a player that fell out of grace with his previous locker room?
Yeah absolutely. The question as to why? We felt like we were parting with a defensemen who wasn't actively training while on quite the annual salary for a young defensemen who I managed in Montreal who fell out of grace for questionable reasons. In a vacuum we traded a top line defensemen, who realistically is interchangeable for three other strong defensemen on our lines, who is in the backend of their career for a up and coming defensemen who is actively training, and who in my opinion did not deserve to fall out of graces in Seattle. I think what he called his teammate on was fair, it is not much of a joking matter in my books. We gave up the better player in the current, but in two seasons Kalju ( @jRuutu ) will still be under contract, for much less and equal ability.
All in all I would say it was more of a salary dump while gaining a young talent in return.
Are you looking forward to this upcoming S44 SHL draft? How would you classify this draft class?
I really am, it will be my first draft as a general manager in the SHL and with the picks we have I truly believe I can make a lasting impression on the culture in Edmonton if I play my cards correctly. I would classify it similarily to my own draft class of season 37. Very top heavy, we're looking at maybe 20-24 picks being made in this draft, and I'd say about half will make an impact on the SHL. But I truly believe those that make an impact will make a real impact and be franchise players.
You happened to be my general manager again, why do you keep following me?
Because I love you, I did not want you to leave Montreal so when you left I left, and when you came back I came back. I plan on following you to the end of the earth and beyond Majesiu my love.
Without the possibility of being the sixth seed, how do plan on winning in the SHL playoffs if you are without your Montreal VooDoo magic?
Simply put I will do as Michael Jordan did in Space Jam and pretend that I do have the Montreal VooDoo magic, just like Michael pretended to give all the Looney Toons "Michael's Secret Stuff" but in reality it was just water. Placebo magic goes a long way, and I think the SHL should be very afraid of my VooDoo Magic.
In your opinion, what is Ensio Kalju´s biggest weakness and biggest strength as a player?
His biggest weakness would have to be his strength, you would think as a behemoth six foot three, two hundred and twenty pounds and he would be top tier at handling the puck and making sure to keep the puck on his stick through a check but clearly the muscle isn't there yet, I'd hope to see Kalju put on 20 pounds of lean muscle to finish out the offseason, maybe more.
His biggest strength is found in his ability to backcheck the opponents on the ice, he has an eye keen for blocking shots and just playing a strong two-way game is crucial in the SHL. I'd like to see him shore up his passing and his defense but ultimately his game is pretty well rounded.
How important it is for defenders especially to be able to pass well in todays SHL?
I think passing is both under and overrated if you are so inclined as to believe me. I think it is crucial to be able to quarterback the power play but being able to get in close with a wrist shot over even a clap from the blue line on the power play is crucial. Ultimately it comes down to team philosophy and I know we have a very diverse skillset in Edmonton.
Edmonton has quite few players with Montreal background, just good luck or should the Tuck curse be named Montreal curse if another 2-14-1 run happens?
I do not believe in curses, just unfortunate timing and bad coaching, we will be fine this upcoming season and I truly believe we will be contenders for the Challenge Cup this coming season.
Bitties has been Edmonton's biggest point producer the last few seasons. With him gone, who steps up and why?
I think a combination of both Oisin Fletcher and Cory Knouse ( @Evok / @ckroyal92 ) will both up their game slightly to make the top line absolutely lethal. We signed a reigning MVP, he will produce and he will produce at a high rate. Cory is what, a season or two removed from an MVP nomination himself. We do not lack talent whatsoever with Bitties leaving, we might even have too much.
Can we expect a bounce back season from Connor Tanner who struggled in S43 after a stellar S42?
I'd say the absolute floor on Tanner this season is 45 points with the potential for 55 if some breaks go his way, only time can tell. ( @Beaver )
Any immediate changes you'd like to make to the management style in Edmonton? any long term?
Not really, Edmonton's management style has always been similar to my own in the hive mind mentaltiy. We have five or six guys running scouting reports on players going into any draft, or watching games before we trade for a player. I think we have something good going on in Edmonton management, now it is just time to produce a cup.
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@Cpetrella :
The Bitties-Cuddles duo has been broken up for the first time in their entire careers. How do you think losing such a big piece will effect Cuddles, a player who Bitties had pretty good chemistry with.
I think Cukurs, Bitties and whoever else jumps up to line two will have to create their own chemistry and we will be able to do that during pre-season and the first little bit of the regular season. I think Cuddles will be just fine though, and I expect him to return to his Jeff Dar nomination year where he had 45+ Points and nearly 200 hits.
We have had a few necessary downgrades TPE wise this season, do you still see the Blizzard as a contender this season?
The necessary downgrades in talent are not as severe as a lot of people make them out to be, it is not like we traded Cormier-Hale and now need Kalju to take top pairing minutes, we had a lot of great in house candidates to fill that gap on the top pairing, most notably Tor Tuck. I think Brady McIntyre is in store for some huge minutes this season too.
What do you think of the goalie situation in Edmonton?
I think we are in a pretty enviable situation, there are teams struggling to find a talented goalie and we just so happen to have two of them. Aleistar Cain is a top tier goalie prospect and will be phenomenal in the coming seasons down in the SMJHL, and will be ready to take the reigns from Tommy should he need to, but for now Tommy is our guy and I think the end of the season last year was not a true testement to his ability as a goaltender, and he is much closer to his IIHF form than his end of season form.
Newest management in the league Connor Tanner takes the podium for the first time since being named Co-GM of the Edmonton Blizzard
Many people saw your time as a manager in the SMJHL as a failure, as over the course of seven seasons you never managed to win a cup, despite two finals appearances. What do you have to say in regards to that?
Well to be honest with you, while I was both Co-GM and Head GM the last thing on the mind in the juniors league was winning. Did I want to win? Of course. But ultimately it is a development league first and foremost and I wanted to give my players an active locker room and fun times before anything else, isn’t that why we all play this game? To have fun? When it comes down to it at the end of the day I did not have the heart to trade away my team’s future for a chance to win now, I wanted to win a cup with a primarily home grown squad and I think the turnover in the SMJHL makes it a little too difficult to do that, and my goal is a little more obtainable here in the SHL.
Before you could be named, obviously a name had to leave and those names were Erik Chisling and his client Tigole Bitties, those are some pretty big shoes to fill and some think it can not be done. Can you break down the thought process that went in to deciding the return for Tigole Bitties when he was forced out by league management?
When we heard we had to trade Tigole Bitties to the New England Wolfpack there was one player that we refused to budge from and that player was Piotr Czerkawski, we knew there was no player currently under contract with the Wolfpack that would present equal value to Bitties, but Czerkawski is darn close, but we still needed to add value somewhere. When we asked for Seattle’s first round pick we knew we were getting a top tier young player, but we weren’t sure how a third player in this coming draft would fit into the long term plan, but we decided to throw caution to the wind and take the chance of this pick becoming an elite player. Who knows who that player becomes but we have high hopes that they will end up a top tier talent. Finally we asked for the free agent rights to Oisin Fletcher, knowing that he would be signing her after the acquisition of Piotr Czerkawski, the free agent rights were more of a formality than anything, allowing us to sign an extension before he hits the open market.
What kind of state is the team currently in? Edmonton was well known for its documented rebuild from seasons 35 to 40 or so. Where do you see this team landing in this upcoming season in the standings, are you the team from the first half or are you truly the team from the second half?
A bit of a ridiculous question if you ask me, where do you think I think we will land? We are a great team with a core of fantastic players and you dare to ask where I think we will land? I think we are a Challenge Cup team. I think we have a proper shot at the President’s trophy this season, I have always thought we had a good chance at all these things, Lady Luck just decided to show us that we are not always in control, and sometimes we lose the dice roll. I do not think it will happen again for a long time, we are a phenomenal team and you’ll see how well we produce come the season open.
How did your management stint in Montreal impact Karlssens decision to hire you as Co-GM?
While I cannot say for absolute certain, I think my resume was fairly good, I built a relationship with players in my time in Montreal and I think it showed on the ice, my players lived, breathed and bleed maroon and gold, they laid their all out on the line for me and I hope to bring that passion to Edmonton. I think my knack for scouting will come in handy especially in a draft where we have three of the top nine picks and we need to nail them especially pick number nine if we are to come out the Chisling era with any semblance of a team.
That is all my questions for today, we here in Edmonton hope you have an excellent stretch of career here and bring the Challenge Cup home once again.
Thanks Esteban.
The floor is now open to questions from the floor, I'll be here the majority of the day answering you guys if you wanna ask me anything
can you change the font color, it look truly awfull on light skin
Now that i can read the text here's my questions :
What's the next step for the Blizzard?
Could we have some insider of what's concidered for the draft?
The Blizzard lost their first line center, what's the plan to replace him? Do you think it will make a difference?
What do you think of the Tuck Curse?
First off, congratulations Keygs. You'll do great.
1) With a defense as stacked as Edmonton, why do you think the Blizzard struggled so much last season to keep the puck out of the net?
2) Can you elaborate a bit on the reasoning for the Cormier-Hale trade? Why did it happen? Why give up the better player for a player that fell out of grace with his previous locker room?
You happened to be my general manager again, why do you keep following me?
Because I love you, I did not want you to leave Montreal so when you left I left, and when you came back I came back. I plan on following you to the end of the earth and beyond Majesiu my love.
-----
How dare you transform my gibberish of a question into humanly readable and pleasant form...
Also, that was a borderline stalker and creepy and I have no choice but to leave the league and get as far away as possible from @Keygan GM/co-GM
In your opinion, what is Ensio Kalju´s biggest weakness and biggest strength as a player?
How important it is for defenders especially to be able to pass well in todays SHL?
Edmonton has quite few players with Montreal background, just good luck or should the Tuck curse be named Montreal curse if another 2-14-1 run happens?
The Bitties-Cuddles duo has been broken up for the first time in their entire careers. How do you think losing such a big piece will effect Cuddles, a player who Bitties had pretty good chemistry with?
We have had a few necessary downgrades TPE wise this season, do you still see the Blizzard as a contender this season?
Keygan![[Image: image0.jpg]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/446154411920850955/500688497544396822/image0.jpg)
Many people saw your time as a manager in the SMJHL as a failure, as over the course of seven seasons you never managed to win a cup, despite two finals appearances. What do you have to say in regards to that?
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