Dreger: "This isn't a character assassination of Taylor Hall"

Darren Dreger was on Edmonton’s TSN 1260 on Tuesday morning.

On his well-publicized comments regarding Taylor Hall on Monday, and how they’re making him a lot of friends in Edmonton:

“For the record, if I actually cared what others thought about me or cared about what they say about me, I would have quit my job years ago and would be digging potash in Saskatchewan like the rest of my friends and family, and I mean that respectfully, because it’s a great way to make a living in a small town.

“Lookit, I report what I know, based on inside information; and if certain media or the fan base doesn’t approve, well, that’s up to them.

Share what you shared yesterday, and your thoughts on that moving forward:

“Obviously, the Oilers are we know, are riddled with holes in their roster. From the crease all the way through. And we spend a lot of time articulating what the concerns are. So there’s no real reason to rehash all of that.

“But Craig MacTavish is going on that bench, not because he doesn’t think Todd Nelson is capable of being an NHL head coach. They believes Nelson is. But he needs to get down there. He needs to get into the trenches, as he said yesterday, and figure out exactly what is going on. He has theories. I’m sure some of those have been formed by multiple times a day conversations with Dallas Eakins up until his firing yesterday. And I’m sure that there are other observations. Many of those, I’m sure, formed by what MacTavish has seen from the core of this group.

“And so Taylor Hall shouldn’t be the face of disappointment in Edmonton. But if the culture of the core of that team isn’t as strong as what you had hoped it would be, maybe it isn’t the foundation you thought it was going to be to build a really strong team moving forward – then as general manager, isn’t it your responsibility to identify that? To make sure that’s the case. And if it is the case, then also consider what options you have on the trade front. Probably in offseason. Probably at the draft. And the rate of return that you’re going to get.

“Why is it so easy for us to speculate Jordan Eberle as a piece in play, but yet you throw Hall’s name out there and the world goes bananas? For me, the only player who really should have an untouchable label is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Do you just create a more massive hole at centre? (Laughs)

“... So lookit, this isn’t a character assassination of Taylor Hall. His play on ice is undeniably good. Most times it’s good. Sometimes it’s great. But if he’s part of a culture that isn’t developing the way you thought it was going to, then that has to be addressed. And that’s why Craig MacTavish – or at least, that’s part of the reason MacTavish is going on the bench.”

Source: TSN 1260/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey

Nichols on Hockey

Nichols on Hockey

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Nichols on Hockey

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