Visiting the Office Of...Gilbert Dubois

Welcome to the the latest instalment of "Visiting the Office Of...", an interview series brought to you by the Elite Hockey Experience.

In this edition, we went behind the curtain with Oilers GM Gilbert Dubois to get his thoughts on many things, including the value of veteran leadership, Edmonton versus the state of California, and why accountants hate Rick DiPietro.

Enjoy!

So Gilbert, let's start off with your experience in sim hockey. Were you into it before you joined the EHE? Are you in currently in any other leagues?

Yes I started being a GM in sim hockey in 2000 and I created my own league using Eastside Hockey Manager freeware (not the Sega one) back in 2001.  That league lasted until 2009 completing 15 seasons.  I am not currently in other leagues.

And when did you join the EHE?

I received the call from Kevin in June 2016, it was an honor to join such a great league.

What did the Oilers look like when you took over?

Not that great, they ended 2015-2016 season with a 36-36-10 record and the 6th place in the Pacific division allowing 225 goals.  The away was abysmal at 11-22-8.  They had just traded away Duchene and their top line was Nugent-Hopkins, Toffoli and Brock Nelson.

How did your first season go as the Oilers GM?

Very well in fact, I did a complete turnover rebuilding quickly the team with a brand new first line of Kunitz-Krejci-Perry in return of Nelson, Hartman, Bjorkstrand, a 1st and a 3rd.  Close to the deadline, we added Bergeron and Steen for the playoffs run.  

Robin Lehner played way above his head with a 49-19-4 record helping us secure the 1st place of Pacific division and 2nd of the conference.  Unfortunately, he went back to normal in the playoffs winning only once.  We totally put the blame on him during the offseason and traded him away for a better goaltender (Jones).

It was the Kings who roughed up Lehner in that series, and the next season you lost to the Ducks in round one. Now it's 2019 and you're battling the Sharks for the second wildcard spot in the West. So the question is, how much do you hate California right now?

Don’t be so hard on California, they do have the advantage of being a few hours away from the fabulous city of Las Vegas, aside from that, meh….

Your trade record is quite short compared to a lot of EHE general managers; are you cautious when making deals, or have you just been happy with the makeup of your team? 

Well, a certain reporter said in an article earlier this season that I didn’t make a single trade last year.  I then asked myself: who’s the biggest fool : the one not trading all year long or the one trading players still on the plane coming in?

To answer the question, I am very careful about trading.  Unless I am really happy with a trade, I won’t pull the trigger or trade only for the sake of trading.  I also like to give myself a good month or two to evaluate the new players coming in and testing them on various lines before throwing the towel on them.

Considering that so many players are available on the trade market and in free agency every year, do you think it's possible to build a championship team in the EHE without a huge focus on draft picks? 

Yes I think so.  I have a background in accounting so I am a very conservative person.  I like to know the value of what I am getting. 

Picks or prospects are projects so who knows what they will turn into (hello Alexandre Daigle, Patrik Stefan, Rick Dipietro and Nail Yakupov!!!).  On the other hand, with players already playing in the EHE, you know exactly what you are getting.

Over the summer you brought aboard Thomas Vanek and Jussi Jokinen as free agents, and just a couple weeks ago also added Alex Goligoski and Loui Eriksson via trade. Were you specifically looking to add some veteran leadership to your locker room? Do you think that might help with getting over the hump in the playoffs?

[Regarding] Vanek and Jokinen, we were targeting players who can play on the wing after losing Marleau, Steen and Iginla in the offseason.  

About our latest trade, I have been talking with Dan for quite a few weeks not finding anything matching my needs until he let me know he could take Perry.  It really opened the discussion from that point.  Perry had some good years in Edmonton but we feel he is declining very fast.  Adding Goligoski to an already impressive top 4 was a no brainer for us but being able to get Nyqvist into the deal as well was really the major factor for me accepting that deal.  We had to work out things a bit to respect the salary cap and we were glad to be able to add a good veteran like Eriksson as well.  

With these changes, we think our attack is now very well balanced on multiples lines With 9 players over 30 in the locker room, we do think we have a lot of leadership to lead us into the playoffs again this season.

Not long after taking over as Oilers GM, you switched your AHL affiliate from the Oklahoma City Barons to the Bakersfield Condors. Was there a particular reason for that change?  

To tell you the truth, no particular reason but the commish was quite happy with the change!

Unfortunately, it looks like the Condors are heading for their third straight season out of the playoffs. Do you think it's important to have a strong farm team, or are you really just focused on a Stanley Cup?

I do think it is important to have a strong farm team.  However, I really am a better pro scout than amateur scout so when it comes to finding the best futures talent, I must say I am lacking a bit on that department and it unfortunately shows on the farm team results.

What do you think is the best trade you've pulled off in the EHE?

This one would have to be a close one between the trade bringing Hayes in [for a 2nd round pick, a 3rd round pick, and Elvis Merzlikins - Ed.] and the one to acquire Gostisbehere [for Ryan-Nugent Hopkins].  I would have to go with the Kevin Hayes one.

I have to say that Martins asking for Hayes back every week helped a bit in choosing that specific trade.

Are there any trades you wish you could take back?

No, I am happy with all the trades I made.

What advice would you give to a GM just starting out in the EHE?

EHE GMs are among the best you can find in any league.  You need to be prepared and make a careful research before accepting any deal.  In doubt, ask a fellow GM advice.

I would also recommend being very careful and patient in allowing franchise tag.  When I came in, I acquired Perry and Krejci and gave them tags.  I had no idea I would be getting Patrice Bergeron later that year and wish I could have given him the tag instead of one of the other two guys.

Looking into the future, how do you predict the Oilers will be doing three years from now?

I think we will keep swapping veteran in the lineup while building around Maatta (24), Gostisbehere (24), Trouba (25), Galchenyuk (25) and Hayes (26).

We do hope that Dal Colle will finally step up his game and can’t wait to have Dellandrea joining our team.  I feel we can be a playoffs team every year.   As for winning the cup, the competition is very fierce but once you get into the big dance, anything can happen.

Excellent stuff Gilbert! Thanks for your time, and good luck this season. 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear in this great series.

Previous entries in the series;

Justin Hill, Tampa Bay Lightning (March 2019)

Travis Fleming, Vancouver Canucks (February 2019)

Duran Size, Montreal Canadiens (January 2019)

Cisco Valle, Detroit Red Wings (January 2019)

Shaun Stephens, St. Louis Blues (December 2018)