Ken Hitchcock has the Edmonton Oilers back where they belong

Ken Hitchcock has the Edmonton Oilers finally looking like the team they were supposed to be – a Stanley Cup contender.

The Edmonton Oilers have had a roller coaster ride over the past three seasons. In 2016-17, they nearly took down the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Semifinals. Going into the 2017-18 season, everyone saw them as Stanley Cup contender. But they still finished out of the postseason. A slow start this season had the Oilers thinking “here we go again”. Head coach Ken Hitchcock has changed that thinking.

When he took over, Edmonton had a 9-10-1 record. Since Hitchcock starting leading the team behind the bench, the Oilers are an outstanding 7-2-1. This is especially impressive if you consider where the other teams who have made changes behind the bench are.

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Since firing John Stevens, the Los Angeles Kings have continued their descent towards the bottom of the standings. The St. Louis Blues have done the same since firing Mike Yeo. So have the Chicago Blackhawks since firing Joel Quenneville.

Hitchcock has quickly inserted his two-way style into the Oilers’ system. It certainly helps that his team is buying in. Hitchcock has shown a lot of faith in certain players and those players are rewarding him for his faith in them.

Take Jesse Puljujarvi, for example. He needed a huge confidence booster after the way he was handled by general manager Peter Chiarelli and former head coach Todd McLellan.

One of Hitchcock’s first moves as a coach was insisting Puljujarvi be on the NHL roster. Though he still has just two goals on the season, his play under his new coach has been noticeably better. Perhaps it’s because Hitchcock’s allowing Puljujarvi, a young player, to grow into a role.

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Oscar Klefbom has been another terrific example. Again, his scoring isn’t improving. But by the eye test and the analytics test, Klefbom has been a more efficient player under Hitchcock. The production ought to come. And even it doesn’t, Klefbom’s playing impressive two-way hockey and being the top defenseman the team has been searching for.

The best examples of this, however, have been his goaltenders. When the Oilers signed Mikko Koskinen this summer, they caught a lot of flack. They gave him a $2.5 million deal and a no-movement clause. The Oilers might have looked bad then, but they’re the ones laughing now, with Koskinen posting a .929 save percentage.

Everywhere Hitchcock has gone, he’s made his goalies look better. Koskinen and Cam Talbot have continued that proud tradition. Especially the former, who has an unbelievable 6-0-0 record with a .970 save percentage at home. Koskinen has emerged as Hitchcock’s favorite, as he’s started six of the nine games under him. Talbot has been very solid in a backup role, winning two of his three games.

That said, Hitchcock still has to fix the Oilers’ offense. There is no reason a team that has the best player in the world should be in the bottom 10 in the league in scoring goals. But at least now the Oilers have stopped bleeding goals. That’s one objective complete. Now Hitchcock has to fix the offense. He’s got some very nice pieces to work with, so he’s got that going for him.

As of Monday, Dec. 10, Edmonton is still on the outside looking in when you look at the playoff picture. However, considering the struggles of the Pacific Division, the Oilers could easily emerge as a top three team in the division. Which, by the way, would give them an optimal path to the Western Conference Final.

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Hitchcock’s success in Edmonton is a wonderful story. He got his start locally, coaching in the rinks all over Edmonton. Oilers fans have long desired Hitchcock to come on home to the place he’s always wanted to go. Not only has Hitchcock done that, he has his team right where they belong – in the postseason hunt.

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