NELSON
The Oilers have given Todd Nelson permission to seek a Head Coaching position elsewhere. It’s a damn decent thing to do given how they’ve passed him over for the Head Coaching position 2 times now. At least they gave him an interview this time around but with McLellan accepting a 5 year deal the window for Nelson to earn a job with the Oilers has passed.
Apparently a few people have taken notice of what Nelson did with Nail Yakupov in particular and that’s great news for him. The fact is I don’t think he will get enough credit for turning the Oilers around, but I will go to my grave believing he made a huge difference in a very short amount of time.
I’m not sure if the Oilers are limiting Nelson to just NHL Head Coaching positions or if they would allow him to move to another AHL position too. Selfishly, I would like him to remain with the Oilers franchise in some fashion even if it’s still as the lead man in Bakersfield next year. However, if the team let him go to another AHL club I would understand it because those jobs are generally lead ins to positions at the NHL level.
DRAISATIL
The team’s top prospect (technically because the McJesus hasn’t been drafted yet) is still playing but now in the Memorial Cup. I thought his Rockets team was a completely different club with him on and off the ice. Draisaitl is so smart and so hard to knock off the puck. He’s basically a tank moving up the ice and the opposition can do nothing about the fact that he has the puck.
Draisaitl picked up a goal and a 10 minute misconduct for some after the whistle stuff with fellow Oiler property Marco Roy. Actually, the Rockets were later fined 500 dollars after they reached out to the CHL to make a complaint about the officiating. Draisaitl’s Rockets dropped that first game but they play again tomorrow and on Tuesday.
The German Giant is the skilled size the Oilers have coveted for years. He is the dream. Whether it’s on the Wing or down the middle, he is Edmonton’s answer to the big forwards in the West standing between Edmonton and the Playoffs. The Oil hoped to send him to Kelowna so he could see some success and that’s exactly how it’s played out. He has produced offensively, been a beast defensively, won the WHL title, won the Playoff MVP Award individually, and now plays in the Memorial cup.
Here’s Draisaitl via this Canadian Press article that appeared on Sportsnet:
They gave me a chance to play in the NHL. As an 18 year old kid, what more can you ask than to play in the NHL and be given the chance to prove yourself and play in the best league there is?I’m not disappointed at all. I think getting sent down was not a bad thing at all. I know a lot of people think it’s a step down but a lot of times it’s a step up. It’s sometimes better for your confidence. I’m excited to be here and so far, we’ve had a very successful run and we want to keep that going.
YOUNG STARS
The Oilers have opted in again to the Young Stars Tournament in Penticton. They have the information here on their site. What this should invariably mean is that on September 11th Connor McDavid will make his debut wearing an Oiler uniform.
I personally love the Young Stars tournament as a preview of what these kids might be. Sometimes they lie, like when it gave the impression Magnus Paajarvi was more NHL ready than Hall and Eberle. But at the end of the day it’s just a glimpse into where these kids are in relation to their peers. That’s just the nature of these short tournaments though. September 11th, 12th, and 14th we get to see McDavid et al before main camp begins.
I’m already excited. It’s a wonderful way to get back into hockey mode after such long and hope filled summers. But that’s still 4 months away. Sigh. This might be the longest summer in Oiler history if only because right now everything seems to be breaking Edmonton’s way and I’m ready for a new season to begin (I know they haven’t even awarded the Stanley Cup yet).
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