Smyth on Oilers' Eakins: "I believe in Dallas"

Ryan Smyth was on Toronto’s Sportsnet 590 on Thursday morning.

On retirement:

"Mentally, it’s tough. There’s no question. You go from a profession and a job that you’ve done since you were a kid and you come to a halt right at it, and nothing going on after, from that side of it is really mentally tough. But physically, my body feels great. I’m thankful I don’t have to go on these long road trips and deal with the wins and losses all the time and just focus on my family.”

On the media firestorm surrounding the Oilers now, and if his stomach turns a little bit thinking things could be better, or that he could help:

“Yeah, obviously it’s a tough time for the Oilers organization right now. There’s no question my stomach turns because once an Oiler, always an Oiler. You know, I came back here for that reason – is because I believe in this organization. I believe in the direction it can go. Unfortunately it’s not going the way they’re liking, or even the fans are liking for that matter. It’s frustrating watching, just like everybody else.

“But at the end of the day, there’s some good players in the locker room and it’s a matter of coming together and gelling together and doing the right things the coaches lay out for you. Buying into the system, because the system will always protect you. Sometimes guy deviate away from that and it turns and it’s unfortunate that things are going this way for the organization right now.”

Related: The Frustration Tracker: NHL Insiders on the Edmonton Oilers

On the lack of coaching continuity in Edmonton and if Tom Renney or Ralph Kruger deserved more time:

“Well, I look at these young players and I’ve been fortunate to been in the league for some time and understand coaches or what different coaches can bring to the organization or to the team and I just feel for the guys. They’ve had four coaches in the last five years. Sometimes they’re wondering which is up and which is down. And what do I do? Where’s my role? If they just identify what they can be an asset for the team, I think that will really help going forward, instead of worrying about this coach is or or why isn’t he or all of the excuses, if that’s what you want to call them.

“But I believe in Dallas. I believe in what he can bring to the team. It’s just a matter of every single guy buying in and building some chemistry and building bit by bit, so that they can get better.”

Source: Sportsnet 590/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey