Edmonton, with an 11.5 percent chance, won the lottery after finishing 28th in the NHL standings. Shortly after NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly revealed the result, major changes took place in the Oilers organization. Two days later, Bob Nicholson was appointed chief executive officer and vice chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group. The former president of Hockey Canada was hired by Edmonton a year earlier to assess all aspects of the operation. Four days after being named CEO, Nicholson hired Peter Chiarelli as president of hockey operations and general manager, replacing Craig MacTavish. Chiarelli was fired by the Boston Bruins nine days earlier after eight years as their GM, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. Chiarelli worked with Nicholson as a member of Canada's management team at the 2013 IIHF World Championship and 2014 Sochi Olympics.
In mid-May, Chiarelli hired Todd McLellan as coach. McLellan spent the previous seven seasons coaching the San Jose Sharks and missed the playoffs for the first time last season. McLellan signed a five-year contract, becoming Edmonton's seventh coach in the past eight seasons. Todd Nelson, who took over from Dallas Eakins 32 games into last season, was considered a candidate to take over permanently, but after the Oilers won the draft lottery and Chiarelli took over, the vacant position became attractive throughout the League.
"The lottery was something everybody was watching," McLellan said. "If you were a coach out of work and was considering a position to attain, everybody had an eyeball on where Connor was going to end up. But he wasn't the only factor that came into play; there were so many other factors that one has to consider. And I only got to make 50 percent of the decision, the other part was made by the Oilers organization."
McLellan brought assistants Jay Woodcroft and Jim Johnson from San Jose; he also hired Ian Herbers away from the University of Alberta. McLellan worked with Herbers in the International Hockey League. With the coaching staff in place, Chiarelli turned his attention to the 2015 NHL Draft, but not before making major changes to the scouting department.
After the Oilers went through the formality of drafting McDavid at No. 1, Chiarelli began augmenting the roster. He traded for goaltender Cam Talbot from the New York Rangers and defenseman Griffin Reinhart from the New York Islanders. The Oilers traded veteran center Boyd Gordon to the ambitious-less Coyotes for Lauri Korpikoski, then signed free agent defenseman Andrej Sekera and center Mark Letestu. The Oilers are hopeful the busy offseason translates into on-ice success in the final season at Rexall Place. They move into a new downtown arena, Rogers Place, for the 2016-17 season.
Reaction to the management shakeup following Edmonton's NHL Draft Lottery win was positive. Many believe the Oilers are heading in the right direction, but to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Oilers need to make up a lot of ground in what is again expected to be a very tough Western Conference. The Oilers are not the only improved team in the conference, and selecting Connor McDavid with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft will not guarantee success. Edmonton has proven that having No. 1 picks in the lineup does not automatically translate into victories. The Oilers believed they turned the corner in the past, only to find themselves back near the bottom of the NHL standings.
Not since Sidney Crosby has a player garnered as much attention entering the NHL as Connor McDavid, who is considered a generational talent, and the focus heading into his rookie season will be on his offensive production. Crosby had 39 goals and 102 points as a rookie with the Penguins, which might be lofty goals for McDavid.
McDavid will have a strong supporting cast, including No. 1 picks Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov, which should take some pressure off him.
Todd McLellan was hired to coach the Oilers into the playoffs, something five previous coaches were unable to do. Since MacTavish was replaced after the 2008-09 season, Edmonton has not been a kind destination for coaches; Pat Quinn, Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger, Dallas Eakins and Todd Nelson did not have much success and were replaced. In fairness to Nelson, he took over from Eakins in December once the playoffs were already out of reach. McLellan signed a five-year contract after leaving the San Jose Sharks and is expected to bring stability to the job and success on the ice.
Edmonton seemed stuck in a never-ending rebuild before winning the right to select McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft. It was a huge boost to the organization, but the Oilers have not played a postseason game since losing Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes. Edmonton finished 35 points out of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference last season, which is a lot to make up in one year.
When the Oilers ended another disappointing season in April, there was little reason for optimism heading toward the next one. Despite three No. 1 draft picks in the lineup, the Oilers were unable to make headway in the standings and finished 13th in the Western Conference, six points ahead of the last-place Coyotes. Edmonton missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, fired coach Dallas Eakins less than a year and a half into a four-year contract, and seemed a long way from respectability. Under general manager Craig MacTavish, the plan was to stay the course and hope the roster would come of age and lift the Oilers into contention. But the Oilers unexpectedly won the NHL Draft Lottery for the fourth time in six years, resulting in a major management shakeup. The pieces all seem to be falling into place with the four below the most important.
Connor McDavid: By virtue of the lottery, the Oilers won the right to select a player considered to be the NHL's next generational star. If McDavid lives up to his potential, he will become the latest in a long list of standouts to play for the Oilers. With McDavid on the way, Edmonton returned as an NHL destination seemingly overnight. The Oilers made changes in management and hired a new coaching staff. McDavid, 18, joins other young talent in Edmonton, including three recent No. 1 picks (Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov) and early first-round selections Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot.
Peter Chiarelli: When the former Boston Bruins general manager became available, the Oilers moved quickly to hire him despite having a GM in place. Chiarelli replaced MacTavish and hired Todd McLellan as coach to replace interim coach Todd Nelson. Chiarelli identified one of the Oilers' weaknesses during their rebuilding process and fired most of the scouting staff. He addressed a need by trading for goalie Cam Talbot, and added depth to the defensemen by signing free agent Andrej Sekera and trading for Eric Gryba. With an experienced GM, the Oilers believe their young, talented players are in good hands.
Todd McLellan: The coaching carousel is likely to stop with the hiring of the experienced and successful former San Jose Sharks coach. McLellan missed the playoffs once in seven seasons with the Sharks. He is the Oilers 14th coach, seventh in the past eight seasons.
Cam Talbot: The Oilers allowed the most goals in the NHL the past two seasons, and goalies Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth struggled last season. In an effort to improve, the Oilers acquired Talbot in a trade with the New York Rangers at the 2015 NHL Draft in June. Talbot had an excellent season behind Henrik Lundqvist, playing an NHL career-high 36 games with a 2.21 goals against average and .926 save percentage. Talbot played particularly well filling in after Lundqvist sustained a vascular injury in his neck, going 17-4-3 with two shutouts while Lundqvist was out. The Oilers believe, given the opportunity, Talbot will be an excellent starting goaltender in the NHL. Cam Talbot is expected to win the starting goaltending job out of training camp, and while the team still has question marks defensively Talbot could end up with sneaky fantasy value. Over the past two seasons with the New York Rangers, Talbot posted a 33-15-5 record with a 2.00 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and eight shutouts in 57 games. He was arguably the best backup goalie in the NHL over the two-year span and was even more impressive when called upon as the everyday starter with Henrik Lundqvist on injured reserve last season. People might point to the Rangers defense as a reason for Talbot's success, but the Rangers allowed 29.5 shots against per game last season which ranked 14th in the NHL. The Oilers allowed 30.0 shots against per game and ranked 20th. Talbot should be Edmonton's No. 1 goalie, but whether he can handle a full workload is still up in the air. Ben Scrivens could end up with 30-plus starts, which would still make him fantasy relevant. Regardless, Talbot is the goalie you want to draft because of his upside, likely after the first 20 starting goalies are selected.
Taylor Hall had arguably the least productive season of his five-year career in 2014-15 with 14 goals and 38 points in 53 games (.72 points/game). A shooting percentage of 8.9 percent could've had something to do with his low goal total, but health continues to be Hall's biggest question mark. If he can avoid injury, Hall has the potential to be one of the better fantasy performers of the future. With the possibility of playing on a line with rookie Connor McDavid and usual suspect Jordan Eberle, Hall should be in line for a big bounce-back season.Including his breakout 34-goal, 76-point season in 2011-12, Eberle has 241 points in 287 games (.84 points/game). Those 241 points are tied for 17th most in the NHL during that stretch, and Eberle has proven to be extremely durable as well, missing seven games. Let's also not forget he had 32 points in his final 32 games last season after a tough start. Target Eberle between rounds five and six with hopes he exceeds that draft position by the end of the season.
Justin Schultz came into the NHL with high expectations prior to the 2012-13 season but has yet to live up to the hype, with last season being the worst of the three (six goals, 25 assists, minus-17). With Andrej Sekera now in the picture on the blue line, Schultz could see a smaller role offensively and on the power play. Schultz is still worth drafting, but I'm not sure he'll ever live up to the expectations placed on him coming out of the University of Wisconsin.
With all the hype surrounding 2015 No. 1 draft pick Connor McDavid, fantasy owners need to remember Edmonton's first-round pick from 2014, Leon Draisaitl (No. 3 pick). The 19-year-old forward could switch to the wing and end up in a top-six role, and that could lead to big things. While his first stint in the NHL didn't go as planned (two goals, seven assists in 37 games), he did have 53 points in 32 games after being sent back to the Western Hockey League. At 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds, Draisaitl has the makeup to contribute right away, it's a matter of finding the right opportunity. Keep an eye on him.
Projected Lines
67 Benoit Pouliot - 93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - 14 Jordan Eberle
4 Taylor Hall - 97 Connor McDavid - 10 Nail Yakupov
28 Lauri Korpikoski - 51 Anton Lander - 16 Teddy Purcell
23 Matt Hendricks - 55 Mark Letestu - 12 Rob Klinkhammer
Luke Gazdic - Leon Draisaitl - Tyler Pitlick
2 Andrej Sekera - 5 Mark Faye
84 Oscar Klefbom - 19 Justin Schultz
21 Andrew Ference - 62 Eric Gryba
Nikita Nikitin - Griffin Reinhart
33 Cam Talbot
30 Ben Scrivens
Prospects
Connor McDavid, C
How acquired: 1st round (No. 1), 2015 NHL Draft
Last season: Erie, OHL: 47 GP, 44-76-120Considered a generational talent, McDavid's arrival has long been anticipated. McDavid (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) joins a roster already with three No. 1 picks: forwards Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov. McDavid, 18, gave Oilers fans a taste of things to come with an impressive performance at development camp, scoring five goals in the scrimmage. The latest piece of a rebuilding puzzle, the Oilers are hoping McDavid can help end a nine-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought, but won't put any added pressure on him.
Darnell Nurse, D
How acquired: 1st round (No. 7), 2013 NHL Draft
Last season: Oilers: 2 GP, 0-0-0; Sault Ste. Marie, OHL: 36 GP, 10-23-33
Nurse, 20, had a solid training camp with the Oilers and was kept through the first week of last season before being sent back to the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenseman had a strong season, which included winning a gold medal at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. Extremely mobile for his size, Nurse seems ready to jump into the Oilers lineup this season, but with a logjam of defensemen, he is likely to start the year with Bakersfield in the American Hockey League. But a strong training camp could force the Oilers hand.
Leon Draisaitl, C
How acquired: 1st round (No. 3), 2014 NHL Draft
Last season: Oilers: 37 GP, 2-7-9; Kelowna, WHL: 32 GP, 19-34-53
A strong training camp and Edmonton's lack of center depth allowed Draisaitl to start last season with the Oilers. Unfortunately, the rookie was exposed defensively by more experienced centers. Draisaitl also struggled offensively, scoring two goals in 37 games. With the playoffs out of reach, the Oilers decided to send him back to junior, where his rights were traded from Prince Albert to Kelowna in the Western Hockey League. Draisaitl joined the Rockets for the second half of the season and helped them win the league and earn a berth in the Memorial Cup. Draisaitl was named Most Valuable Player at the tournament despite an overtime loss to Oshawa in the final. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, the 19-year-old is physically ready to make the jump to the NHL, but his skating speed has been questioned and was considered a reason for his struggles. Draisaitl was able to work on his game in juniors but could be hard-pressed to make the Oilers out of training camp with Edmonton possessing depth down the middle. A move to the wing is a possibility.
Griffin Reinhart, D
How acquired: Trade with New York Islanders
Last season: Islanders: 8 GP, 0-1-1; Bridgeport, AHL: 59 GP, 7-15-22
Reinhart, 21, played junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings, making the defenseman familiar to the Oilers. Reinhart captained the Oil Kings to a Memorial Cup championship in 2014 but struggled to make the jump to the NHL last season. He played eight games for the Islanders, spending most of the season with Bridgeport in the AHL. Edmonton traded the 16th and 33rd picks in the 2015 NHL Draft for Reinhart, who was the No. 4 pick in the 2012 draft. The Oilers believe his shutdown ability at the junior level will translate to the NHL.
Reinhart is physically imposing at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, but his skating has come into question. It's likely he and Nurse will battle for one roster spot at training camp. If Reinhart's skating hasn't improved in the offseason, he probably will start the season in the AHL.
Laurent Brossoit, G
How acquired: Trade with Calgary Flames
Last season: Oilers: 1 GP, 0-1-0, 2.00 GAA, .969 SV%; Oklahoma City, AHL: 53 GP, 25-22-4, 2.56 GAA, .918 SV%
Brossoit, 22, is another player familiar to the Oilers after helping the Oil Kings win the WHL championship in 2012, when he was named playoff MVP.
The 6-foot-3, 202-pound goaltender was acquired by the Oilers from the Flames early in the 2013-14 season; he was selected by Calgary in the sixth round (No. 164) of the 2011 NHL Draft. Brossoit played one game with Edmonton last season, making 49 saves in a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. He is expected to be the starting goaltender for Bakersfield this season, but could be an NHL regular within the two years.
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