When Dallas Eakins was fired in December of 2014, most Oiler fans began looking forward to the expected free agent coaches this summer. At the same time, it was determined that Edmonton needed a veteran. After a strong finish under rookie NHL coach Todd Nelson in 2015, the Oilers elected to make that change.
After months of speculation, the Oilers will finally make it official later Tuesday afternoon. Todd McLellan, the former coach of the San Jose Sharks, has been named the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.
We opened the off-season targets series with a look at McLellan, and we went in-depth on him previous to that as well. No doubt, Todd McLellan was the most talked about candidate, and today Edmonton will place him behind the bench.
I’ve said it for months, I think this is a perfect move. I know I’ve criticized the organization for their moves over the last few seasons, but I’m singing praises for this one. Todd McLellan is a veteran coach at the NHL level, and is a guy who has had success at this level.
McLellan has his positives as a coach. He’s accumulated a 311-163-66 record as a head man in the NHL, and has made the post-season in six of the seven seasons he has coached. On top of that, he’s already won a President’s Trophy (2008-09) and been to the West Finals twice (2010 and 2011).
In addition to his solid NHL resume, McLellan also has a pair of rings on his hand. One he got in 2008, a Stanley Cup ring, as an assistant in Detroit where he learned under Mike Babcock. The other? A Calder Cup ring from winning the AHL title as the head coach of the Houston Aeros in 2003.
McLellan is a great coach on special teams as well, as the Shark routinely have one of the best power-play units in the league. This success was also mirrored in Detroit when McLellan ran that unit, and his AHL teams were always good on the man advantage.
He’s coached a lot of skill too in his day (Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, etc.) and knows how to get those players to play the right way. He’ll being that experience to Edmonton where he’ll work with Connor McDavid, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
This is also a guy known for playing a very structured system and for having his guys always prepared. Jordan Eberle echoed that when asked about McLellan’s coaching at the World Championships, and Taylor Hall also sang praises for Canada’s head man. Preparation and systems won’t be an issue like they seemed to be under Eakins.
While I think Mike Babcock is the best coach in the NHL and top guy on the market, I think McLellan is a top-tier coach as well, and that he is far and away the second best option on the market. He’s a proven guy with a winning track record and a system that fits perfectly with this roster. Puck possession with these forwards will be deadly.
With McLellan on board, that means other dominoes need to fall, the first being interim coach Todd Nelson. What happens with Nelly now that McLellan moves into the head spot? Many people, myself included, were rooting for Nelson to get an associate coaching job under McLellan, but that looks unlikely.
While nothing is confirmed, and I stress nothing is confirmed, it looks like Nelson will not be apart of the new coaching staff. The Edmonton Sun’s Derek Van Diest reported it on Monday evening.
@SUNdvandiest:
#Oilers expected to announce Todd McLellan as new head coach tomorrow. I don’t believe Todd Nelson will be part of the coaching staff.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s also totally understandable. Nelson as an associate coach would have been awesome for Edmonton, he knows the players well, but it is a step-down no doubt. Nelly will probably resurface as an AHL head man with another organization.
@TSNAaronWard: Further to
@DarrenDreger report, expect Jay Woodcroft to be also named to the Edmonton Oilers staff.#TSN
This is also to be expected. While in Prague, McLellan told Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun that Woodcroft would be going with him whenever he went. Todd stuck to his word, and is bringing the veteran assistant with him.
This is a guy that McLellan trusts and thinks highly of, and is a guy that contributed to Todd’s success in San Jose. I think it’s a good sign McLellan was allowed to bring an assistant of his choosing with him, and think it shows a sign of a change in philosophy.
As for Keith Acton, Rocky Thompson and Craig Ramsay, we’ll probably find out about them soon, if not today. I think Acton is as good as gone, as Eakins brought him in, and I think Thompson might walk away too.
Ramsay, on the other hand, could stick around and fill the role that Larry Robinson filled for McLellan in San Jose, running the defense and providing a veteran voice.
The Bottom Line:
The Edmonton Oilers got it right today. They got it right with Peter Chiarelli as GM, somehow got it right (with luck) in securing a franchise player via a terrible season, and now got it right with an established, veteran coach.
I’ve been a fan of Todd McLellan’s for a long time, and think he is a terrific fit. Edmonton’s power-play will dominate under his style, while preparation and the system won’t be issues anymore. Outside of Babcock, this is the best possible result for Edmonton.
McLellan will bring a winning mentality to the Oilers and will bring respect to an organization that has been in the gutter for nine seasons. Today, just like lottery day and the day Chiarelli was hired, is a clear cut win.
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