The Edmonton Oilers haven’t made the playoffs since 2005-06 when they rallied as an underdog team that wound up going to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals before eventually falling to the Carolina Hurricanes. It has been all downhill for the franchise ever since as they have missed the postseason eight years in a row. They’re about to add another season to that total.
Edmonton has lost a season-high 11 straight games and are tied for the worst record in the entire NHL. Needless to say, at the top of our list of the hockey coaches that are squarely on the hot seat is the Oilers bench boss.
Here’s the full details on him and the other two candidates who are most likely to be fired first this NHL season:
Dallas Eakins – Edmonton Oilers
It seemed as though Edmonton might have turned the corner when they put together four straight wins including victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Montreal Canadiens late in October, but they have won just two of 17 games since and have sunk to the bottom of the NHL standings. One of those wins was against equally pathetic Buffalo. Perhaps most concerning is the Oilers complete lack of identity as they have struggled at both ends of the ice. They lack the type of character player that can step up and help pull the team out of their slide. Edmonton ranks 27th in the NHL in scoring with an average of 2.2 goals per game and 28th in the NHL in goals per game allowed with an average of 3.4 against per game. In the game of hockey, you’re pretty much a failure when you can’t score and you can’t stop your opponent from scoring.
Beyond that, the Oilers power play is awful (26th), their penalty kill is average at best (15th) and there doesn’t seem to be a plan in place for how to turn it around both in the short- and long-term future. The Oilers might choose to stick with Eakins and tank the rest of the year in order to secure yet another top draft pick, but that strategy hasn’t worked yet. The only benefit there seems to be the fact that they wouldn’t have to pay the rest of Eakins’ contract out for nothing. But other than the possibility of some dead money, there really seems to be no reason to keep Eakins around.
Todd McLellan – San Jose Sharks
The Sharks lack of playoff success has been well documented and, while management gave McLellan a vote of confidence in the offseason, their recent struggles could force their hand if they decide to shake things up. San Jose has followed up a 4-0-1 start with a 7-10-3 record over its last 20 games. They are just 3-4-2 on their home ice this season.
There is too much offensive talent up front for the Sharks to struggle as much as they have at that end of the ice. They’re averaging just 2.6 goals per game this season. Management has its hands tied with a number of top players, including Joe Thornton, who holds a no-trade clause. That means a move behind the bench is more likely to happen.
Craig Berube – Philadelphia Flyers
As bad as things have been in San Jose, they have been even worse for Philadelphia, who has lost 10 of their last 11 games including a 5-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. The Flyers were embarrassed in a home-and-home series with the Rangers, being outscored 8-2, and it seems like more performances like that are on the horizon.
Ownership and management has called out the players, and though a trade is possible, there is nothing that is imminent at this point. Owner Ed Snider publicly stated he still feels Philadelphia can make the postseason. But if they don’t turn things around soon, they could start heading in a different direction that begins with Berube’s dismissal.
