https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ePIZugahFc
It’s late June, meaning the news cycle in the hockey world has slowed down considerably. There are next to no trades going on, while the free agent market has come to a crawl that compares to an infant, very slow.
That all said, the Oilers aren’t exactly quiet, as news is still trickling out of Oil Country as we enter the tail end of one of the craziest summers in franchise history.
AHL Staff Set:
No shock here, as the Oilers officially named Gerry Fleming as the head coach of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors yesterday. Fleming has been with the organization since 2008, serving as an assistant coach at the AHL level (Springfield 2008-10, OKC 2010-2014) before taking over for Todd Nelson last December.
Fleming led the Barons to a 26-21-3-1 record as coach, and brought them to the post-season. In the playoffs, the Barons won their first round series over the San Antonio Rampage before falling in round two to the Utica Comets in seven games.
Fleming had an undermanned Barons team, but still got results, which likely helped land him the job. He’s been around forever, and has helped guide the Oilers’ top affiliate to on-ice success the last five years.
In terms of development, Fleming has had a hand in the process with a number of promising players, from Anton Lander to Martin Marincin and all those in between.
Tony Borgford will remain with Fleming as an assistant, while JF-Houle joins the staff as an assistant. Houle was the head coach in Bakersfield (ECHL) a year ago.
Personally, I like this move quite a bit. I respect Fleming as a coach, and think he’s a solid teacher. Not only can he win, but he can also develop, which is the biggest thing in the AHL.
Admirals Name Head Coach:
The Oilers also had their ECHL affiliate name their head coach on Tuesday afternoon. The Norfolk Admirals named Eric Veilleux coach. Veilleux served as an assistant last year in Norfolk, who played in the AHL under the Ducks.
Veilleux enjoyed success at the QMJHL level, advancing to the Memorial Cup Finals twice as the head man for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
The full press release by Edmonton’s ECHL affiliate can be read here.
Oilers In On Franson?:
Free agent D Cody Franson was on TSN 1040 in Vancouver on Tuesday. In his interview, he updated the situation surrounding where he will play next year. Franson said he hadn’t had many talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs or Vancouver Canucks, labeling them both as unlikely.
Franson did confirm that he has been in talks with the Boston Bruins, while saying he has talked with a total of “five or six teams.”
Could Edmonton be one of those teams? I believe they absolutely could be. Franson mentioned waiting on teams to clear cap space and other issues. My take? Perhaps he’s also waiting for a team to clear a roster spot in addition to freeing a little cap. Edmonton would fall into that category.
We also know that many respectable hockey insiders listed Edmonton as a team that sniffed around Franson early on July 1st, right before they signed top UFA Andrej Sekera to a long-term deal.
Bob Stauffer speculated early last week that Franson’s deal could come in around the $4 million per year mark, significantly less than first thought.
If Edmonton could add Franson, I’d pick them to be in the playoff race come late March and April. That said, I’ll say Franson ends up in Boston with the new look Bruins.
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