Edmonton Oilers: A Look At Todd McLellan
For the Edmonton Oilers, they’re relying on the Mickey-D’s to help out the team. We’re not talking burgers and nuggets, folks. We mean Connor McDavid. And there’s actually another Mc that’s going to help our team, and that is one of our biggest moves this offseason: the addition of new head coach Todd McLellan.
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McLellan served as the head coach for the San Jose Sharks, and before that he was an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings. He worked his way through the ranks and handled many teams from behind the bench before he came to Edmonton. With the Wings, McLellan captured a Stanley Cup, and with the Sharks, three division titles and a President’s Trophy, as well as many playoff appearances.
So why was McLellan sent packing? It’s not because he’s a terrible coach. He’s a fantastic coach and a great leader behind the bench, as that is more than easy to see given his experience and his influence on players.
It’s because of a factor that I will give a name tonight. Let’s call it the “Fatigue Phenomenon.” In NHL Hockey, this is what happens when an NHL coach has been behind the bench of the same team for too long. The same message is being sent each year, but when the team stops performing and can’t quite reach the next level, the players grow tired and don’t give in or buy in anymore. When this happens, they do not respond well to the coach, who is trying to tell the players what they need to do to succeed. Messages are miscommunicated, communication declines and eventually, to send a ultimate message to the team, the coach needs to go.
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That was the case with the Sharks. The players weren’t listening to McLellan when he was telling them what they needed to give him to succeed. Along with broken relationships in the locker room between coaches, general managers and players, as well as problems with Joe Thornton and widespread negativity, someone had to go, and it was McLellan.
Now the Oilers have a new coach, and I am almost absolutely positive that he will help this team escape this funk that they’ve been in. Why?
First off, he knows what he’s doing. He’s not just some new coach, or a former player-turned-coach, who goes behind the bench and tries to see what’s going on. He knows exactly what he is doing and what the team is good at, as well as what the team must improve on to win.
Second, let’s take a minute to realize how young this team is. With Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, Hall and company, these players are young former first-round picks who are just chomping at the bit to perform to their fullest potential. They will listen to McLellan, because he builds great interpersonal relationships and works well with young players. These young guns are willing and ready to learn, so he will surely help the team flourish.
Lastly, McLellan has no tolerance for fooling around. He will be strict when it comes to improving defensively, and he will coach and develop the young offense to make this squad the perfect team. The talent is there, we just need someone to come put it all together.
McLellan is ready to bring the team back to its glory days, ladies and gents. Start lovin’ it.
Next: Edmonton Oilers Centers: Nugent-Hopkins vs. McDavid?