A Proven Method

When Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan announced he was splitting training camp into groups of two, I couldn’t help but admire the new and experienced coach’s method.

For those who have been living under a rock by not following the Oiler’s training camp progress (guys, I’m just joking with ya haha), Todd McLellan has split the players into two groups; an NHL group and an AHL group. To get you all on the same page I was at this point, i’ll point out which players are in which groups.

GROUP A (“NHL GROUP”)

Pouliot-Nugent-Hopkins-Eberle
Hall-McDavid-Purcell
Draisaitl-Lander-Yakupov
Hendricks-Letestu-Korkpikoski
Gazdic-Miller-Pitlick
Klinkhammer

Sekera-Fayne
Klefbom-Schultz
Ference-Gryba
Nikitin-Reinhart

Talbot, Scrivens, Nilsson

GROUP B (“AHL GROUP”)

Slepyshev-Yakimov-Pakarinen
Hamilton-Platzer-Chase
Kessy-Khaira-Ford
Christoffer-Winquist-Moroz

Davidson-Nurse
Oesterle-LaLeggia
Musil-Hunt
Gernat-Simpson

Brossoit, Laurikainen

ANALYSIS

Todd McLellan said in a press conference that the players knew this was coming. He also stated that these groups, while they may stay the same, anything is subject to change. If a player like Darnell Nurse wants to make the team, and he shows it on the nice, McLellan will switch him out with another player.

It’s kind of like a message to the guys in Group B, that if they want to make the team, they are going to have to impress. I can almost guarantee that a player like Iiro Pakarinen is going to come out like a fired bullet to get himself on group A.

Another positive is that players in Group A may feel safe, but they know that they could find themselves practicing with Group B if they don’t keep up their good play. Nikita Nikitin and Tyler Pitlick are the best examples of those types of players.

However, the greatest positive to come out of this method is that the players will be practicing and gelling as a team and therefore won’t come out flat footed like the Dallas Eakins version of the Edmonton Oilers.

The NHL guys will be used to their linemates and teammates when the puck drops on October 8 against the St. Louis Blues, rather than still trying to develop chemistry with guys they haven’t played more than a full game with. The same bodes for the AHL club.

Todd McLellan’s clubs in San Jose, normally got off to hot starts in the first month of the season;

2008-09: 9-2-0
2009-10: 9-4-1
2010-11: 4-3-1
2011-12: 6-4-0
2012-13: 7-0-0
2013-14: 10-1-2
2014-15: 6-4-2

In every season McLellan coached the San Jose Sharks, the team had a winning record in the first month, with the worst being 2010-11. It’s proven that the system works and gives the team a jump on the standings. Let’s look at the Oiler’s opening month records over the same period of time (keep in mind, MacTavish, Quinn, Renney, Krueger and Eakins all ran very different versions of training camp, but this particular system has never been implemented).

2008-09: 4-4-1
2009-10: 7-6-1
2010-11: 3-4-2
2011-12: 7-2-2
2012-13: 4-2-1
2013-14: 3-9-2
2014-15: 4-5-1

As you can see, the Oilers, while historically worse than the San Jose Sharks in the last decade, stuggled out of the gate. Pat Quinn’s Oilers actually started hot but faded away before Daryl Katz uttered that “R” word that started this downward spiral. Tom Renney’s first camp should note that he had an alarming amount of AHL tweeners going for their last shot to make the team that was forced upon him, so his second camp should be the one we focus on and it was the one time the Oilers had a dominating opening month. Ralph Krueger stayed very consistent and had a short period of time to chose his and ready his team, but it was Dallas Eakins clueless approach that started the Oilers behind the 8-ball.

THE ROSTER IS TAKING SHAPE

Looking at “Group NHL” it’s getting easier to piece together the players that will be wearing the orange and blue in St.Louis.

While I liked Tyler Pitlick’s game from what I saw, I just don’t see him making the club right away, as I believe Andrew Miller is the front runner, despite his small stature. I’m not going to quote myself making a BOLD statement, but here’s how I see the final roster turning out:

Pouliot-RNH-Eberle
Hall-McDavid-Purcell
Draisaitl-Lander-Yakupov
Hendricks-Letetstu-Korpikoski
Gazdic-Miller

Sekera-Fayne
Klefbom-Schultz
Ference-Gryba
Nikitin

Talbot/Nilsson

Obviously this puts Tyler Pitlick and Rob Klinkhammer on waivers, and Griffin Reinhart will start on a young D pairing with Darnell Nurse, but that’s the club i’d be happy to run with to start the season.

Poor Ben Scrivens, he just flat out got outplayed by Anders Nilsson, and that coupled with the fact that Peter Chiarelli brought in Nilsson as well as attempted to sign Karri Ramo/Michal Neuvirth doesn’t bode well for #TheProfessor

CONCLUSION

McLellan is a smart coach, and an absolute joy to be evaluating after the mess we have all watched for the past few seasons, and his experience is bleeding through every breath out of his mouth. At the very least his club will be completely prepared and should be able to get off to a good start.

The first puck drop can’t come fast enough.