As another disappointing regular season draws to a close for the Edmonton Oilers players, the work is just beginning for the front office staff. They'll spend the coming weeks looking for a new full-time general manager and head coach as Peter Chiarelli was fired as GM in January, replaced on an interim basis with assistant GM Keith Gretzky, and Ken Hitchcock took over as interim bench boss last November after Todd McLellan's firing.
The search will now begin in earnest for Chiarelli's full-time successor who will have a say in selecting the next head coach.
Speculation over the Oilers next GM began almost as soon as Chiarelli received his walking papers. A month ago, The Score cited TSN's Darren Dreger reporting Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson narrowed the list of potential candidates.
The notables under consideration could include former Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Vegas Golden Knights assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon, Montreal Canadiens pro scout Sean Burke, Anaheim Ducks consultant (and former Vancouver Canucks GM) Dave Nonis and Los Angeles Kings assistant GM Mike Futa.
McCrimmon is said to be coveted by the Oilers but he's not the only team interested in hiring him. David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports McCrimmon's near the top of the wish list of Seattle's expansion team as well.
Sportsnet's Mark Spector also mentioned Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Pat Verbeek and Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland as possible options. He admits, however, Holland is unlikely to leave Detroit.
Gretzky could also be in the running, and not because of his famous brother. He built up a solid resume as a director of pro scouting with the Arizona Coyotes and Boston Bruins prior to joining Edmonton. Among the players he had a hand in drafting were Oliver Ekman-Larsson, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Jake DeBrusk.
However, the main knock against Gretzky is he served as Chiarelli's assistant for the last three seasons. Despite his record with the Coyotes and Bruins, ownership could decide on a clean sweep of the previous management.
The next Oilers GM faces the formidable task of turning around a franchise mired in mediocrity since its last run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006. They've reached the playoffs just once (2017) over the last 14 seasons.
Despite landing the first overall pick four times since 2010, and selecting superstars such as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Taylor Hall in the first round, the Oilers failed to build around their best players.
Among their recent blunders was swapping Hall for Adam Larsson, trading Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome, giving away Justin Schultz to Pittsburgh for a third-round pick, and signing left wing Milan Lucic to a seven-year, $42-million contract.
The Oilers also need a coach who can bring a measure of stability and end the revolving door behind the bench. They've gone through eight coaches since 2009, including such luminaries as Hitchcock, McLellan and Hall of Famer Pat Quinn.
Former Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is available. He's got a long and impressive coaching resume, including guiding the Hawks to three Stanley Cups. Alain Vigneault, former head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, is another. He guided the Canucks and Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final and won the Jack Adams Award in 2007. Whether the Oilers can woo one of them remains to be seen.
The roster also needs plenty of work. Apart from superstars McDavid and Draisaitl, the Oilers have a good two-way center in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, two top-four defensemen in Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom; however, not much else.
#SportsnetStat 📊 With his two helpers last night against the Colorado Avalanche, #Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has now set career highs in goals (28), assists (39) & points (67) this season. pic.twitter.com/xgUZ5MPVeD
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 3, 2019
Questionable goaltending plus the lack of secondary scoring punch and a true top-two defenseman are some of the biggest issues. Signing goaltender Mikko Koskinen to a three-year contract was Chiarelli's last act as GM. The netminder has yet to establish himself as a reliable NHL starter.
Veteran defenseman Andrej Sekera provides experienced skill to the blueline but missed most of the past two seasons with serious injuries. Up front, Lucic is past his prime as an effective power forward and promising winger Jesse Puljujarvi struggled to reach his potential as a scorer before season-ending hip surgery.
Efforts to overhaul the roster will be hindered by the team's current salary-cap constraints. With over $71.7 million tied up in 16 players for 2019-20, the Oilers will have around $12 million to work with should the cap reach $83 million as projected.
Given all these factors and how much work is needed to reverse the Oilers long-sagging fortunes, it could take at least a couple of years before real improvement is seen under a new GM and head coach.
With McDavid and Draisaitl in their early twenties, and with years remaining on their long-term contracts, the Oilers do have some time to rebuild around their two superstars. The pair are willing to be patient and be part of the process, but this club must avoid the pitfalls of previous management. Otherwise, they risk wasting the best years of their best two players.