New-Look Oilers – Part One

As we sit late in July, the moves that the Oilers are going to make are just about all done. The organization is decidedly in a better place than this time last year, and a much better place than two years ago at this exact same time. While things are not ideal, they are improved, and better results will be expected.

In the next few days, we will be looking at each area of the team and how it has changed. Tonight, we’ll look at coaching, which will be followed by the front office, the forwards, the defense and goaltending, and will conclude with an overview piece.

The Head Coach:

Dallas Eakins returns for a second season behind the Oilers bench, which in my mind is a good choice. Many dislike Eakins, and it is easy to understand why. There was a lot of frustration, and it appeared that he confused the players with new systems early on in the year. He and his staff also ruined the power-play unit and hurt the possession numbers of many of the Oilers’ top-guns with new strategy.

As aggravating as it was, the first year was a learning process, and Eakins started to get a better feel for his team as the season wore on. He still has work to do, but he’s seemingly learned a lot, and while he comes off as stubborn, he is certainly a smart guy that knows the sport.

He’s had success at other levels, and I’d imagine the experience of his first season in Edmonton will only help him. Coaches historically show better in year two, and it would be foolish to think that Eakins won’t follow this trend. There will be improvement here simply through experience and the additions elsewhere on the staff.

That being said, the pressure is on Eakins this year. He can’t have another bottom three finish and a disaster season like he did this year. If Edmonton gets off to a similar start this year, Eakins could be the one taking the fall.

The Assistants:

This is where the heavy lifting occurred for the Oilers behind the bench this season. Both Steve Smith and Kelly Buchberger, both relatively inexperienced coaches who had proven nothing over the last few years in Edmonton, were let go. Smith went to Carolina, while Buchberger entered the Oilers’ player development department.

Neither guy was particularly good at teaching the fundamentals of the game and helping develop younger players into solid NHL’ers. It was clear the Oilers couldn’t grasp the simple concepts of defensive play at the NHL level, and struggled learning new systems. Part of that is on the assistants, and it was the right move to let both of them move on.

The additions were very strong, and make Edmonton a more experienced group. Craig Ramsay is the big get, and is one of the best teachers in the game today. He’ll be a huge asset for the players, and the other coaches to lean on. Like Eakins, Ramsay comes from the Roger Neilson coaching tree and has the same philosophy as Dallas.

Ramsay excels in communicating with players and getting the message across, and is excellent at teaching the fundamentals and little tricks needed to be successful in the NHL. He’s a smart guy, and has had a positive impact everywhere he has gone. He was a key part of the staff that turned the Bruins around in the late 2000’s, and helped turn Atlanta on the right path in his one year there.

He’ll help the defenders better grasp how to play the right way, and will be a huge help with the special teams units. Ramsay is a great hire for the Oil, and on his own makes the staff that much better.

The other hire, Rocky Thompson, adds quite a bit as well. Thompson will take the role of the “Eye in the sky”, something the Oilers have not used for a few seasons now. He’ll give the staff a different perspective from upstairs, helping them see things they might have missed on the bench and helping with in-game adjustments.

Thompson is also extremely good at breaking down video, as he was the main man in charge of that in Oklahoma City for the Barons this past season. He’s a solid teacher as well, and focuses on simulating game situations during practice to help teach guys what they should be doing.

He’s more of a player’s coach as well, and is young enough to be able to connect with the guys, as he is only 36 years old, and most recently played during the 2006-07 season.

Keith Acton, more of an old-school guy and a long-time member of Dallas Eakins’ entourage at the coaching level, remains on board as an associate coach, which should come as no surprise. He’s got some experience at the level and should be better the second time around with the Oil.

Overview:

The Oilers, for the first time since the days when Craig MacTavish patrolled the bench, have a solid coaching staff that is capable of teaching players and helping guys develop and learn the game. That’s been a huge issue in Edmonton, and a major reason why the club has been so bad.

Dallas Eakins should be better with Craig Ramsay to lean on and a better understanding of how it works at the NHL level, along with a full year of getting to know his players. Ditto for Keith Acton, who enters his second year behind the Oiler bench.

The additions of Ramsay and Thompson give the Oilers a different dynamic and focus in more on teaching, which is a huge aspect of the game. The Oilers’ play defensively and on special teams must improve, and coaching is a big part of that.

This was an underrated item on the list for Craig MacTavish this summer, but he found a way to get it done and he should be recognized for that. The Oilers are much improved in this area, and will be better on the ice for it.