The Edmonton Oilers were in the cellar of the NHL, and they won the lottery for youngster Taylor Hall. I think Pat Quinn, at 68 years old, was a bad fit as head coach of a team looking to rebuild. The Oilers may have solved that problem by firing him and bringing up Tom Renney for his third shot at being a NHL head coach. Now this team has to shake off the bitterness of a last place finish, and work towards developing their young talent. Of course the prize of Hall may help do just that.
Renny comes to this team hoping that the third time is a charm. He is something of a pioneer, and loves to use the technical approach to coaching. The hope is he can teach the young Oilers how to win. One thing we know for sure is he will find out what their strengths are and use them accordingly.
This team’s breakout candidate very well could be C Sam Gagner. In his rookie campaign he racked up 49 points, but as yet to repeat that mark over the last two seasons. He has a ton of speed and talent, and put on a line with Hall he could break out and really have a special season.
Key Additions- D Kurtis Foster, C Alexandre Giroux, C Collin Fraser, LW Steve MacIntyre, D Jim Vandermeer, D Shawn Bells, and LW Gregory Stewart
Key Subtractions- C Patrick O’Sullivan, LW Ethan Moreau, LW Ryan Stone, C Marc Pouliot, and C Chris Minard
Related Links:
•Joshua Lobdell.com
