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Todd McLellan

Edmonton Oilers Hire Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney, Manny Viveiros

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Friday: The Oilers have made the hirings official, and Viveiros is indeed the third assistant coach. Edmonton likely had to wait until his Swift Current Broncos were eliminated from the Memorial Cup, which happened with their Wednesday defeat at the hands of the Regina Pats. Viveiros led Swift Current to a WHL championship this year, after a 48-17-7 season, and will now get his first opportunity to coach in the NHL.

Thursday: The Edmonton Oilers have been on the lookout for new assistant coaches for Todd McLellan, and have apparently settled on some familiar names. John Shannon of Sportsnet and Jason Gregor of TSN are both reporting that Glen Gulutzan and Trent Yawney are expected to be announced in the near future as new assistant coaches, while Manny Viveiros could be the third name.

Gulutzan of course was most recently the head coach of the Calgary Flames, but was fired after just two seasons on the job. Despite his 83-68-14 record while there, the Flames failed to reach the playoffs the season and needed a change. He’ll join Edmonton and attempt to bring the same sort of high possession results he enjoyed in Calgary, though he’ll be working under McLellan.

Yawney had worked with the Anaheim Ducks organization for the last several years, but failed to receive a contract renewal after the team was eliminated early. The former NHL defenseman has worked all over the Western Conference, spending time in Anaheim, San Jose and Chicago over the years. He’ll likely be tasked with improving the production from the blue line for the Oilers, who struggled to find much consistency last season from a talented group. It will be interesting to see if that group stays together through the summer, as there are continual rumors that Edmonton might be interested in acquiring another big-name option.

Edmonton To Make Several Coaching Changes

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1:40pm: The Oilers have confirmed the assignment for Woodcroft, and announced that Johnson and Ian Herbers would both not return to the team. McLellan will indeed remain head coach for the 2018-19 season. No word on who the new assistants will be so far.

8:30am: The Edmonton Oilers are expected to announce several changes to their coaching staff today, starting with the reassignment of Jay Woodcroft from NHL assistant to AHL head coach. Fellow assistant Jim Johnson will also not be back according to John Shannon of Sportsnet. The overwhelming belief is that recently fired Glen Gulutzan (Calgary Flames) and Trent Yawney (Anaheim Ducks) will be added to the NHL staff. If that happens, it likely means Todd McLellan would be staying on as head coach, though no one has confirmed his job yet.

It’s not clear exactly how everything will shake out in Edmonton, but there was clearly a need for some change after an incredibly disappointing season. The club was expected to be Stanley Cup contenders with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way, but despite outstanding offensive performances from both players they found themselves near the bottom of the standings.

Gulutzan was replaced in Calgary after just two seasons, but is still well respected around the league. Working his way up from the ECHL, he’ll have to take a step backwards and wait for another head coaching opportunity to present itself. Yawney has a long history as a coach in the NHL, dating back to 1999-00 when he was an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks. His contract wasn’t renewed by the Ducks, but it isn’t surprising to see him land on his feet quickly.

Black Monday: The Day The Coaches (Could) Disappear

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The NHL looks like it will finish an entire season without seeing a single coach fired for the first time since expansion in 1967, but there could be a dark lining on that stat coming next week. “Black Monday” as it is being termed could be coming after the final game of the regular season this Sunday, with close to a dozen coaches finding themselves on the hot seat.

In last night’s Insider Trading segment on TSN, Bob McKenzie broke down a list of potential firings that looked like this:

Glen Gulutzan, Calgary Flames
Bill Peters, Carolina Hurricanes
Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks
Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings
Todd McLellan, Edmonton Oilers
Doug Weight, New York Islanders
Alain Vigneault, New York Rangers
Guy Boucher, Ottawa Senators
Barry Trotz, Washington Capitals

Some of these names simply don’t have a contract for next season, including Trotz, who also happens to be the only coach on the list heading to the playoffs. The Capitals have won the Metropolitan Division for the third year in a row, but will be judged entirely on their postseason performance. Washington must find some success past the second round, or there could be a shake up in order starting with the man behind the bench.

The rest of the list is a who’s who of disappointing seasons, with Quenneville sticking out like a sore thumb. Arguably one of the best coaches of all-time, Quenneville’s firing could cause what McKenzie terms a ripple effect throughout the league. Though he doesn’t expand on that idea, many have wondered whether another team would fire their incumbent to have the opportunity to hire Quenneville should he become a free agent, much like the Montreal Canadiens did last season when Claude Julien was let go from Boston.

In New York, while both coaches might not be back it would be for very different reasons. Vigneault has had a lot of regular season success with the Rangers, but as they enter into an unfamiliar rebuild they could want to start with a fresh face behind the bench. For Weight and the Islanders, this season was an abject failure as they tried to woo John Tavares with a trip to the postseason. They won’t get there, and now have to worry about whether their captain and superstar will stick around.

There could be many other names you could suggest for the list, and it is extremely unlikely that all of these will get the boot before the start of 2018-19. You can be sure some changes are coming though, even if it does come after a remarkable season of patience by general managers around the league.

Poll: Which Coach Is Least Likely To Be Back Next Season?

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The NHL has gone almost the entire season without seeing a head coach fired, something that hasn’t happened in more than fifty years. Even with that said, it seems unlikely that all 31 head coaches will be back next season, either through expiration of their contract or termination by a frustrated GM.

Barry Trotz, for instance, is on the last year of his current contract and seems tied to the Washington Capitals playoff success this year. Though Washington GM Brian MacLellan was given a contract extension recently, there has been no word on Trotz, who has never advanced past the second round in his 19-year NHL coaching career.

There has been some talk of even the great Joel Quenneville being let go from Chicago, after the disappointing season the Blackhawks have suffered through. Quenneville is one of the greatest of all time, but even he might have to pay the price for underperforming stars and an aging core.

Who do you think is least likely to be brought back by their current team? Which coach won’t be wearing the same colors next season? Make sure to explain your vote in the comment section below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Mark Letestu’s Trade Value Dropping

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Veteran center Mark Letestu has been a hot name on the rumor mill this season. The 32-year-old is an impending free agent coming off a career-high 35 points last season. While not a statistical machine, Letestu has been the definition of reliable in his nine-year NHL career. He can play on the power play and penalty kill, excels at the face-off dot, and is hardly ever found taking a bad penalty. With the Edmonton Oilers struggling this season, it seemed that one silver lining could be the return they could get for the dependable Letestu.

That dream may have slipped away already though, as 2017-18 continues to be just as disappointing for Letestu as it has for the Oilers. Through 48 games, Letestu’s 16 points puts him well off his pace from last season and much of those offensive struggles have come lately. Letestu has not recorded a point in 14 games and his last assist came back on December 12th, as his production has dried up completely. Tack on Letestu’s -15 rating, the worst on the team, and the once-reliable forward has been both an offensive non-factor and defensive liability this season. As a result, his ice time has suffered. Letestu has skated in under 10 minutes in six games this season, including back-to-back eight-minute games last week; he had one such game last season.

Now, coach Todd McLellan has taken the next step. Even with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sidelined with injury, the Oilers’ bench boss has decided he has had enough of Letestu’s lackluster play, making him a healthy scratch for tonight’s big game against their Alberta rivals, the Calgary Flames. Even taking into account the poor play of the entire Oilers team this year, it still does not excuse the drop-off in all around play by Letestu this season. Now, not only has he been objectively bad, but even his team has lost confidence in his ability. Perhaps this benching will jump start Letestu’s season and he can rebuild his trade value over the next month, ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. Otherwise, GM Peter Chiarelli may essentially give away the expiring center, as he won’t come close to the once-promising return he may have gotten earlier in the year.

Edmonton Officially Hires Paul Coffey As Skills Development Coach

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Sunday: Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that the Edmonton Oilers have officially hired Coffey as their Skills Development Coach. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug adds that the hiring of Coffey is not meant to be a quick fix to save the Oilers season or fix their special teams play. Rather the hiring is more about the long-term development of young talent, particularly on defense.

Saturday: It looks like the Edmonton Oilers are looking into digging into the 1980’s well as TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Oilers are talking to Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey to return to the organization. While the details of the role that Coffey might play within the Oilers franchise is sketchy, McKenzie suggests the team could be looking to add him to head coach Todd McLellan’s staff.

McKenzie adds that once an agreement is in place, issues like what role he will play and the degree of Coffey’s involvement will be “a work in progress.” The 56-year-old Coffey finished his career having played in 1,409 games with 396 goals and 1,531 points. A three-time Norris Trophy winner, Coffey played seven years in Edmonton before moving on to play with several other teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins before retiring after the 2000-01 season.

He has little coaching experience as he only coached one year in the Ontario Junior Hockey League for the Pickering Panthers, a team he co-owns. However, many have suggested he might be valuable working with defensemen and could be a good fit in Edmonton with their defensive struggles.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Out Five To Six Weeks

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It wasn’t expected to be a long-term issue, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will now be out for five to six weeks according to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (and Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, who tweeted about three seconds later), who passes along news from Todd McLellan. Nugent-Hopkins has cracked ribs, and will need more than a month to recover.

If news of Kevin Shattenkirk’s knee surgery may push a potential playoff-bound New York Rangers team away from buying at the deadline, you can bet Nugent-Hopkins’ news solidifies the Edmonton Oilers’ position as a seller. Though the Oilers are currently enjoying a two-game win streak including toppling the mighty Vegas Golden Knights, the team remains ten points out of a playoff spot with several teams in between.

Even with the struggles of the team, Nugent-Hopkins is having one of the best individual seasons of his career. With 31 points through 46 games, the 24-year old was on pace to put up another 50+ point season and crack 20 goals for the second time of his career. He’s been easily better in the faceoff circle than ever before in his career, and has often looked like one of the best players on the ice for the Oilers.

The team does have expiring assets like Patrick Maroon, Mark Letestu and Mike Cammalleri, but has also been rumored in the past to be considering a move of Nugent-Hopkins himself. It seems unlikely that would come to pass before the deadline now that he’s injured, though it would have been surprising anyway. Instead, those expiring assets or others could be on the move out of Edmonton as the team tries to figure out how to fix what went wrong this season. With one of the best players in the world about to earn his league-leading salary, fixing the fringes of the roster won’t be easy.

Peter Chiarelli Talks About Direction Of Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers’ season hasn’t gone as expected. After taking the Anaheim Ducks to Game 7 of the second round last year, the Oilers were expected to be a Stanley Cup contender and steamroll over the Pacific Division with a dynamic offense led by Connor McDavid. Instead, Edmonton has just 118 goals on the season and sits 13th in the Western Conference standings with just 39 points through 43 games.

Peter ChiarelliBecause of their struggles, head coach Todd McLellan’s name has been thrown around as a potential scapegoat, while GM Peter Chiarelli has felt some of that heat himself. Chiarelli said as much when speaking with TSN’s Ryan Rishaug today in a long interview that goes in detail on several topics.

Chiarelli once again stated that he would not be firing McLellan this season despite the struggles, and refuses to pin all of the blame on him or his coaching staff. Instead, the GM believes there has been a confluence of issues that have resulted in a poor record and the front office is still working out what exactly has gone wrong. With that, he wouldn’t reveal which direction the team will take at the trade deadline but admitted that a decision would have to be made soon.

Rishaug was quick to mention that McDavid’s entry-level contract is up after this season, at which point his cap hit will balloon to $12.5MM for the next eight years. With Leon Draisaitl already making $8.5MM this season, the Oilers will have trouble adding much in terms of free agency over the coming years. There simply won’t be much money to go around if they’re going to continue to lock up their homegrown talent while paying $21MM to their top two offensive talents.

The Oilers do have expiring assets that could be used as bait as the deadline approaches. Patrick Maroon, Mark Letestu and Mike Cammalleri are all unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and could be interesting additions for various clubs around the league. Beyond that, Ryan Strome, the player acquired in exchange for Jordan Eberle in the offseason (a topic that is broached by Rishaug in the interview) is a restricted free agent that could be viewed as another buy-low candidate for a rebuilding team. Strome is due a $3MM qualifying offer this summer and is arbitration eligible, making it possible that Edmonton can’t even afford him depending on how they view his value going forward.

Looking forward there is quite a number of unknowns in Edmonton. Cam Talbot is only signed through the 2018-19 season and has seen his play drop off this year, while is a trio of veterans with full no-move clauses and big cap hits. Milan Lucic, Andrei Sekera and Kris Russell are all on deals that take them through at least the 2020-21 season, and combine for a $15.5MM cap hit. Though each brings some value to the team, they can only be relied upon as complimentary players at this point in there careers.

It’s unclear which path Chiarelli will take at the deadline, and whether any core pieces will be moved out to try and send the team in a different direction next season. It does seem likely that if there isn’t a marked improvement at this point next year, Chiarelli’s seat might not just be hot, it might be gone.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pacific Notes: Virtanen, Neal, Slepyshev, Sekera

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One preseason game remaining and Jake Virtanen remains with his team. The former sixth overall pick in 2014, has failed to crack the Canucks roster, but a solid training camp has many believing he has a good chance to become a regular in Vancouver this year, according to NBC Sports Cam Tucker.

After getting into 55 games two years ago with Vancouver in an underwhelming season, he managed to make just 10 appearances last year and even struggled with the AHL’s Utica Comets, scoring just 19 points in 65 games. However, his skills are obvious. Canucks GM Jim Benning has stated that his size and speed just need developing. At 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds and only 21 years old, Virtanen is trying to establish himself now, but is also trying not to think about whether he makes the roster this season. He has focused on his play instead and has already notched three preseason goals.

 

NHL Awards Preview

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Caught up in the excitement of the Expansion Draft, it’s easy to forget that there is also an awards show tonight. Yes, the best trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup, has already been presented to the Pittsburgh Penguins, as has the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP to their captain, Sidney Crosby. Crosby also already locked up the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for the most regular season goals. Edmonton Oilers wunderkind Connor McDavid captured the Art Ross Trophy for the most regular season points as well. Braden Holtby locked up the William M. Jennings Trophy already too, as the Washington Capitals allowed the least amount of goals against in the regular season. Yet, all three of these players and many more still have a lot on the line tonight. Here are the nominees for tonight’s NHL Awards:

Hart Trophy – Most Valuable Player

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

  • Star goalie helped to lead the Blue Jackets to their best record in franchise history, all while topping the league in save percentage (.931) and goals against average (2.06)

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

  • The NHL’s leading goal-scorer and back-to-back winner of the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

  • 20-year-old phenom led the league in points and assists and took his team from the draft lottery to the second round of the playoffs

Norris Trophy – Best Defenseman

Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks

  • Not only led all defenseman in scoring with 76 points, but finished ninth overall among some of the league’s most dynamic forwards. Can check with the best of them as well.

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

  • A down year for the Bolts was a career year for Hedman, who finished just four points behind Burns with 72, and led all blue liners with 56 assists

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators

  • If this award had been voted on after the playoffs, it might have been a different result. The NHL’s best puck-mover may still pull it off behind a 71-point campaign and an improved defensive game

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