The Edmonton Oilers appear to be going to the playoffs for the first time in ten years and their head coach is a big reason for the turnaround. While there are a lot of possible candidates for the top coach award, McLellan has done enough to at least warrant discussion.
Todd McLellan came to the Edmonton Oilers as a seasoned head coach in the NHL after plying his trade in San Jose for seven seasons. He finished his tenure in San Jose as the winningest coach in franchise history and took on a new challenge in Edmonton.
Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli knew the team needed continuity to turn their fortunes around, and Todd was just the guy for the job. The first season in Edmonton saw it’s fair shares of trials and tribulations and the Oilers missed the playoffs in ten seasons straight without an appearance, tying an NHL record.
This season, McLellan has coached the Edmonton Oilers to an all but guaranteed playoff spot, finally rewarding the ailing fan base. The most special thing is that the Oilers aren’t just skidding into a playoff spot, but they are winning games at will sometimes.
A lot of credit can go toward Peter Chiarelli acquiring bigger, stronger and more experienced players, but McLellan has been able to get the most out of those players.
In the past five seasons, if the Edmonton Oilers came out flat, they would be out of the game by the end of the first period. Under McLellan however, the team is never out of a game.
Nobody knows what goes on in the dressing room behind closed doors, but only an idiot wouldn’t see that McLellan knows how to stir the pot. He has found what makes his club tick. He knows how to get the most out of his players.
The Oilers have become a team this season, and they have all bought into McLellan’s system. McLellan has gotten players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle to put the team first, and themselves second. Both Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle have struggled offensively this season, on pace to have either the worst or second worst points performance of their careers, but they have developed a two-way game that has led to more wins for the team.
A coaches main job is to win games, and McLellan has done that. He has gotten his players to buy into the system, and take on roles they may not have normally done in their careers. Benoit Pouliot has scoring abilities, but he is settling into a third-line/penalty killing role. Eric Gryba is a strong stay-at-home defender, but he has accepted his role as the seventh d-man. Matt Benning, Drake Caggiula, Jujhar Khaira, Anton Slepyshev, Iiro Pakarinen and Matt Hendricks are all aware that they will be spending time in the pressbox, but they have accepted that.
While John Tortorella is obviously the front-runner for the Jack Adams, having coached the Columbus Blue Jackets from perennial bottom feeder to Stanley Cup contender, Todd McLellan’s work shouldn’t go unnoticed.
It’s not just the Connor McDavid show in Edmonton, no matter how the outside world views it. The Oilers have become a full-fledged NHL team, that lives and fights and breathes together. That’s on Todd.
POTRATZ HOCKEY’S TOP JACK ADAMS CANDIDATES
- John Tortorella, Columbus Blue Jackets (47-18-6, 100pts)
- Todd McLellan, Edmonton Oilers (38-24-9, 85pts)
- Bruce Boudreau, Minnesota Wild (43-22-6, 92pts)
- Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks (47-20-5, 99pts)
- Guy Boucher, Ottawa Senators (39-24-8, 86pts)
- Barry Trotz, Washington Capitals (46-17-8, 100pts)
- Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins (45-17-9, 99pts)
- Alain Vigneault, New York Rangers (45-24-3, 93pts)
- Glen Gulutzan, Calgary Flames (41-27-4, 86pts)
- Peter DeBorer, San Jose Sharks (42-22-7, 91pts)