How does one convince a veteran NHL head coach to audition for a job his prospective employer may ultimately give to someone else? That is the question facing Edmonton Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman as the team's coaching search continues. This and more in this edition of 9 Things.
9. Adam Henrique's Footspeed a Concern
I admired what Adam Henrique brought to the Oilers. However, there is no escaping that his footspeed became an issue this year. Could the UFA still be a serviceable 4C/13F/PK guy in Edmonton on a $1 million contract? Sure. But you do not need both Henrique and Curtis Lazar.
8. Oilers Must Solve Goaltending Puzzle
The Oilers must figure out what to do in goal. I agree with the effort to rehabilitate Tristan Jarry. It is reasonable to think injury was a significant cause for his fall-off. And you have already spent assets on him. Way better if you can “fix” him rather than a buy-out or try to demote your way out of the problem.
7. Larkin Drama a Sobering Reminder
The whole Dylan Larkin drama playing out in Detroit is a sobering reminder that really good players are usually not okay remaining a bridesmaid forever. But before you make too strong a comparison between Larkin and McDavid, Connor is a far superior player. And the Oilers have been to the finals two out of the last three years. Perspective!
6. Rooting for Taylor Hall
I am not really for the Carolina Hurricanes or the Vegas Golden Knights in The Stanley Cup Finals. But I do hope success finds Taylor Hall. Maybe it’s a weird form of Stockholm Syndrome from The Decade of Darkness in my part, but I never stopped cheering for those three kids: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle or Hall, wherever they have landed.
5. Bruce Cassidy the Top Target
This, from David Pagnotta in The DFO Rundown, on Bruce Cassidy: “He’s their (the Oilers) guy. He’s the guy they want. They’re willing to pay him a very handsome salary and a term contract, I believe around five years in order to do that.” Pagnotta surmised that could mean a $30 million contract. More on Edmonton’s uncertain coaching situation coming up.
4. Remembering Cliff Fletcher
Cliff Fletcher passed away on Friday. He was 90. For Oilers fans, he was the guy running the Flames while Edmonton was winning Cups in the Eighties. Of course, the Flames won a title in that time as well. My time around Mr. Fletcher came later, after he moved to Toronto. I was covering his team at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. My lasting impressions of him were formed by how his players and coaches clearly respected him, and also by what a gentleman he was in person to even the youngest beat reporter on the scene at the time.
3. Jake Walman's Potential in Top Four
I can foresee Jake Walman opening the season for the Oilers in their top four. With a cap hit of $7 million, you really need him to be able to contribute past a third pairing guy. But I have seen enough out of Walman come playoff time to believe he is capable of that. It feels like a lot of folks are perhaps forgetting that an injury-turned-conditioning issue is what largely eroded his play last season. If you want to be worried about Walman’s ability to stay in the lineup? Fair enough. But I otherwise see a guy who can potentially thrive on a second pairing on a good team, especially alongside, say, pending UFA Connor Murphy.
