Now that the Battle of Winterfell has been completed, it’s time for the Edmonton Oilers to name their new GM and I strongly suspect that will take place this week. Thanks to Bob Stauffer for throwing that Game of Thrones spoiler up on Twitter… I didn’t really want to watch that episode as it was.
The timing of this hiring is important for a few reasons:
- The Oilers will send out their season ticket renewals this week and not only will it be of the utmost importance as to who’s named general manager but also, who won’t be returning to the organization.
- I feel as if there are just as many concerns regarding who the new boss will be as there are for which members of the old boys club might be coming back.
- I’d heard rumblings that Scott Howson would be leaving and also Craig MacTavish but then weeks later that MacT would be retained due to his work with the AHL club… So take that for what it is.
- It sounds like the organization is really monitoring social media and other online outlets. They want a real true idea as to who the fans would like brought in and other areas they’d like to see change at.
- We were told that this would be an airtight process. That nothing would be getting out, but every week we hear from hockey pundits about who’s in the running for the Oilers GM position. That’s not an accident. It’s strategic and smart, in my opinion. Get as much intel as possible, right?
- It sounds like the pro scouting department will be getting overhauled as that is a major concern amongst the fans and if OEG wants to have the best chance at getting as many season ticket renewals as possible, bringing in some new pro scouts would go a long way.
- That being said, I wouldn’t expect said turnover right away with some very important meetings set to take place this week.
This whole ordeal is as much about getting the right guy as it is about regaining confidence in the brand. There’s a belief that if Bob Nicholson doesn’t get this choice correct, that it’ll be the end for him and possibly the club’s roster structure as we know it today.
I don’t believe that the club’s major players would want out, but I’m also not sure if they’ve got the same amount of patience as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who’s been with the club for near a decade and has only made the post-season once.
What is going on with Keith Gretzky now? My feeling is that he’s out of the picture because nobody has thrown his name out there for a few weeks. Could that be because he’s out of the running? Could it be because he’s actually the guy getting hired as GM? I don’t think it would be the latter if the Oilers are concerned about season ticket renewals.
Another reason the timing of this decision is key is that, according to Spoiler Stauff, the pro and amateur meetings are being held this week. Hiring the new guy and bringing him right in to meet his new employees makes too much sense. It’d give him a chance to lay down his future plans for the club and to let those who will be staying/going know where they stand.
I truly believe the race is down to three names (in order of club preference):
- Kelly McCrimmon
- Mark Hunter
- Ross Mahoney
Mahoney is the man with the most NHL experience here at 24 years and he’s a good ol’ Saskatchewan boy! So that’s a plus for folks looking for a GM who might be a bit more relatable.
The same could be said about Kelly McCrimmon too though. He’s spent a majority of his hockey career in Brandon, Manitoba. Not quite the same flash as Vegas. His reputation for being a very hard worker, a grinder if you will, precedes him. Typically in junior hockey things going in cycles. You’re good for a few years, then you’re poor. You rebuild for a couple of seasons and then make a run again. Well, Brandon has been on top of the junior seen for a very long time and has never really fallen into that cyclical nature that other teams have. That’s the sign of a manager who can not only plan for the short term but also the long term. Edmonton could use that.
And this also could be said for Mark Hunter, whose London Knights are annual contenders for the OHL championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup. It’s said that he’s a very astute talent evaluator and buys into the mastermind theory. Basically meaning, he puts the smartest and most talented people around him. From what I’ve gathered reading online, he was the eye-test to Kyle Dubas’ analytics during his time in Toronto. Hunter has also been in contact with the Oilers the longest I do believe with regards to this role on the team.
I think there’s a thought going around that there is a fourth candidate competing for the position but it’s different depending on your source.
- Pat Verbeek (McKenzie)
- Dave Nonis (Dreger)
- Mike Futa (Leavins)
- Sean Burke (Rishaug)
- Ken Holland (Friedman)
- Doug Armstrong (LeBrun)
I sure see a lot of Hockey Canada guys there…
I suppose that shouldn’t surprise anybody given the background of the man being tasked to find the new GM. I was just hoping that perhaps the net would be cast a bit further.
If you’d like to know more about these gentlemen and their careers, Kurt Leavins has an informative post up detailing quite a few of them.
Also, if you have a subscription to The Athletic (get one here if you don’t), check out the profiles of the potential GM candidates that Daniel Nugent-Bowman’s been throwing together recently. Outstanding work here.
Anyways, this is sure to be a REALLY exciting week in Edmonton. Buckle up, it’s going down!
