If the Oilers were hoping that their young stars would make a good impression on Team Canada Coach Todd McLellan (and visiting coach Mike Babcock) then they got their wish so far. With both men thinking about where they’ll play next season all Taylor Hall has done is lead the tournament in scoring so far with Jordan Eberle just a few spots behind him. Hall sits currently with 4-2-6 in 3 games and Eberle has 1-3-4 in 3 games.
The duo were placed on either side of Matt Duchene on what appeared to be Team Canada’s 3rd line. That’s a lot of speed and quick hands in one trio and they have feasted on the open ice of the IIHF tournament. Hall’s ability to drive on the outside and Eberle’s underrated speed make for a deadly combination and Duchene has a serious set of wheels all his own.
In many ways the young Oilers needed to get results like this at the tournament. They were criticized harshly for turning down team Canada a year ago and it seemed like the kind of move the organization might not forget. They very publicly and loudly accepted the invite this year and from the outside looking in it appeared to be the two of them trying to make amends. Whether that’s the case or not doesn’t matter as much as the perception of the move does.
Showing up puts them back on Canada’s radar. They are once again good soldiers and they are performing. This good performance is really important, in my eye, to remind them what it’s like to Win again. Playing on these last several Oilers teams would drive lesser men crazy. No mandate to win. A new coach every year. No defensemen to pass you the puck. I’m surprised these kids haven’t pickled their livers trying to forget the hardships they’ve already been through.
But here they are playing well and winning games, on track to compete for a Gold Medal at the World Championships on a team that looks more like an Olympic team than a World Championship team. Taylor Hall in particular had a rough end of the year. He lost so much time and effectiveness to that leg injury that when he came back he was playing on a line with Lander and Miller. He was still playing pretty well, mind you, but the top line was playing so well together that they didn’t want to break it up and Hall had to find his way in an unfamiliar place.
As far as first impressions go, the one that Hall and Eberle are making with Todd McLellan is pretty good. The former San Jose bench boss would have a pretty good idea of what the two players can do, having coached against them in the West for their entire careers, but now he’s seeing what they can do when he’s the one giving the instruction. So far, so good.
It’s not just those two at the tournament either. Matt Hendricks and Anton Lander both have 3 points in 3 games for USA and Sweden respectively, and Oscar Klefbom is roaming the blue for Tre Kronor as well. All three are doing a fantastic job and it’s especially lovely to see Lander continue to be an offensive contributor. His breakout this year with the Oilers was a long time coming and it’s beautiful to see him continue playing well.
If coaches McLellan and Babcock are keeping an eye out on players they could potentially be coaching next year then Edmonton is making a good impression at these World Championships. Combined with new leadership at the very top and in Hockey Ops along with the addition of wunderkind Connor McDavid, the Oilers job is looking pretty good from a seat in Prague today.
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