Category Archives: Edmonton Oilers
Could Cooper bring his winning ways to the Oilers?
Jon Cooper used to stand before the bench as a lawyer, now he stands behind one.
And if he used to defend people, nobody has to defend his record as a hockey coach.
Everywhere he coaches, he wins. Midget AAA in Michigan, junior in two different leagues, in the pros with the Norfolk Admirals in the American Hockey League. He’s a rising star.
Would the Edmonton Oilers ever hire Cooper? Who knows?
He grew up in Prince George, went to school in the U.S. on a lacrosse scholarship, worked on Wall Street, then got his law degree and opened his own practice, before hockey took over his life and he decided to do it full-time about nine years ago.
At the least, the Oilers should be interviewing the young bright coach.
The Oilers are keeping their coach search ultra secret, although one of the leading candidates, Brent Sutter, has not had an interview with Oilers since working the bench for Canada at the world championship in May. Oilers team president Kevin Lowe was Canada’s general manager.
Oilers associate coach Ralph Krueger, who could very well be the front-runner because he knows the team and the players, is still waiting for a decision, too.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/Could+Cooper+bring+winning+ways+Oilers/6778109/story.html
Luke Schenn-to-Oilers rumour riles Leafs GM
Brian Burke’s disputes with the Mother Corp just don’t seem to be going away.
The Maple Leaf president/GM was furious on Monday over a Hockey Night in Canada report that suggested there are “rumblings” throughout the NHL that Burke is prepared to trade defenceman Luke Schenn to the Edmonton Oilers for the No. 1 overall pick in this month’s entry draft.
“Typical of Hockey Night,” said Burke. “I have never discussed this trade or any trade involving Luke Schenn to Edmonton.”
The report was part of HNIC reporter Elliotte Friedman’s popular “30 Thoughts” blog on various goings-on around the NHL. Friedman said he doubted the deal would happen, but added that “many teams” think Schenn will be a better player outside of Toronto.
“There are rumblings that Toronto will offer Luke Schenn to Edmonton for a swap of first rounders,” wrote Friedman. “No doubt Brian Burke would like to make a huge draft splash. He loves the big stage. And I do believe the Oilers like Schenn and have discussed his availability before. But I just can’t see it happening for the first overall selection.”
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1209721–luke-schenn-to-oilers-rumour-riles-leafs-gm
Report: Leafs shopping D Luke Schenn
The Toronto Maple Leafs are rumoured to be shopping defenceman Luke Schenn to the Edmonton Oilers as part of a deal where both teams would swap 1st-round draft picks in this month’s NHL Draft, according to Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports.
The trade would allow the Maple Leafs to move up and select consensus first overall selection Nail Yakupov, a 5′ 11” right wing from the Sarnia Sting. In 79 games this season, Schenn matched a career high with 22 points and posted a plus-minus rating of -6. He will entering the second season of a five-year contract worth $18 million. Meanwhile, Yakupov tallied 270 points in 107 games over the past 2 seasons in the OHL.
http://www.thescore.com/home/articles/288965-report-leafs-shopping-d-luke-schenn
Leafs and Oilers talking trade about the 1st pick?
Among the most troubling aspect of the Brian Burke rumours: They are being avidly spread by people he would consider friends and professional colleagues … Apparently, the Maple Leafs want to move up in the draft and Edmonton may want to move its No. 1 pick. A deal, one that could involve Luke Schenn, is not out of the question here. There’s also been talk that Montreal’s new management crew would like to move out of the No. 3 pick, which is an old Rick Dudley trick, and drop back, pick another player, and cash in on the early choice with an additional asset … Would any other team in the NHL come down to a choice between Michel Therrien and Marc Crawford for its head coaching position? Really, two guys coming off unsuccessful runs: has it become that desperate for Les Canadiens? … Television doesn’t show Darryl Sutter at his best. The better you know him, the more you realize what a sensible, grounded, funny, man he is. But about that Dion Phaneuf trade?
Never mind … Sutter, by the way, was slightly troubled/embarrassed by what sat behind him in Game 4 in Los Angeles. The porn lady may have been behind Peter DeBoer, trying to throw off the New Jersey Devils, but Sutter was hoping no TV cameras would close in on him, where a guy dressed up as a woman (for attention only) was flashing behind him. “Someone,” he said, “should have kicked that guy out.” … Devils assistant coach Larry Robinson has been putting on a line-changing clinic with his defence corps in the Stanley Cup Final. And because he’s Larry Robinson, he gets away with more than he should when he doesn’t have last change.
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/10/simmons-devils-keep-chaos-out-of-the-room
Twitter post about Smyth
As I wrote a few weeks ago, Oilers will offer Smyth a one-year deal with bonuses. Unlikely to get a two-year pact. Tambellini said as much.
Oilers’ Tambellini faces growing expectations
Steve Tambellini welcomes the challenge.
Having been put in place to clean up the mess made when new ownership took over of the club and bad contracts were awarded based on an unlikely playoff run, the Edmonton Oilers general manager is ready for the next stage in the team’s evolution.
It’s one that comes with expectations of winning, something the Oilers have not done since Tambellini took over the reins prior to the 2008 season.
“There’s a couple of years now that our young players – with the exception of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – have in experience,” said Tambellini. “Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle have had a couple of years in the league. Jeff Petry is getting more comfortable. Ales Hemsky is probably the healthiest he’s been in some time. He’s a key component. Devan Dubnyk looks like he’s taken a step and we’ve acquired some help on the blue line with Nick Schultz and we look to add to that if possible.”
Until now, there really haven’t been any expectations on Tambellini, other than getting the team out of those bad contracts and rid of underachieving players.
There was little question as to whether the Oilers were going to bring him back for another term, having succeeded in re-stocking the shelves and brining some credibility to their farm system.
The length and condition of the new deal — purported to be three years — where what delayed the announcement until Wednesday.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/06/06/oilers-gamble-on-tambellini
Krueger to be the Oilers next coach?
“Ralph is a great motivator and positive thinker. He may transform a blues party into a samba festival.”
While Krueger has a reputation of being a defensive coach from his time with the Swiss national team, Zaugg said you have to look deeper.
“Ralph is not a defensve-minded coach at all. That’s a legend. As a coach for the Swiss national team, he had to play defensive-defensive hockey to survive. But before that, he coached Feldkirch in Austria, he won five or six championships and in 1998 — for one season (1997-98), he was part-ime coach for Switzerland and Feldkirch — with Feldkirch he won the European Cup, crunching Dynamo Moscow. With the Feldkirch team, Ralph played some kind of fire-wagon hockey.
“Ralph is a great communicator, too, and I am sure he could have made a great career in politics. He can explain everything. He sells his team and his players extremely well to the media and the public.
“He is a pure ‘Alpha-animal’ and I was surprised to see him as an assistant in Edmonton — but after all, I think, it was Ralph’s strategy to become the head coach in the Oilers organization from the day he joined the Oilers.
“But he is too smart to play mind games. He is honest but he has, like all charismatic people, a kind of paranoia and controlling-mania. He is an excellent organizer and that’s also why his teams always played the their style very disciplined.
“I think he fits perfectly in the North American system.”
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/06/03/kreuger-an-alpha-animal
Oilers will be sellers
The Edmonton Oilers are currently sitting 13th in the western confrence with a 25-27-5 win-loss record n there first 57 games with a point total of 55 points.
With an injury plaqued season allready (almost 220 man games lost to injury) you will once again see Oilers gm kevin lowe, throw in the copper and blue towel.
Was trading Smyth a good idea?
Yes they should have traded him. I know i’m going to get critized for this, but why pay 5.5 million for a grinder, even if he is your leader. I would much rather have a very skilled two way player in Richards for 7.8 million then a aguy who stands in front of the net, which almost anyone can do if they have some size, and are willing too. He was the Oiler’s, but if you can get a few good prospects and a draft picks thats good. Smyth is not a good player, or even close to an elite player. He scored goals, and tried hard, but that does not mean your worth 5.5 million. Here’s an few a ideas that I have that would not only replace Smyth, but be a large improvement over him.
Talk In Oil Country
I was watching CTV news today and they had interviewed Kevin Lowe about whats happing with the Oilers trading.
Big Problems in Edmonton
I am a huge Oilers fan, but a realistic one. This team will not make the playoffs with the current roster. They need at least 2 more good d-men.That will make them good enough to get into 8th, and be swept………why bother.
Ethan Moreau Signs 4yr extension
Ethan Moreau of the Edmonton Oilers has signed a 4 year extension through the 2010-2011 season.
Tough Decisions in Oil Town
Craig MacTavish and Kevin Lowe have some tough decisions to make this year.
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