More Coaching Moves

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The off season coaching changes just keep on coming. Last week TPS first told you about Willy Desjardins landing a gig with the Dallas Stars, which didn't surprise us as Guy and I talked about it last Tuesday. Desjardins was very close to getting the head coaching job with San Antonio of the AHL last year.

Now we are hearing Brad McEwen will take over the G.M. duties that Desjardins has left vacant, while Shaun Clouston will be the next head coach in Medicine Hat. McEwen had been the director of scouting for Tigers, and was largely responsible for attracting high level American players recently. He's also worked with the Lethbridge Hurricanes in a similar role and was the head coach in Swift Current earlier in the new Millennium.

Clouston meanwhile had held the post of assistant or associate coach with Medicine Hat for the past 7 years.

Also from around the dub, TPS has been told that Jeff Truitt will be joining the San Antonino Rampage of the AHL as an assistant coach. Ray Edwards and Mike Pelino are currently listed as interim head coach and assistant coach on the Coyotes farm team web site.

We had reported a while back that Truitt was thinking of inserting himself as head coach replacing Dave Hunchack with the Tribe, but that move is obviously not happening now.

Ex Oiler farm coach Jeff Truitt back behind the bench?

Both Gregg Drinnan and Rod Pedersen who both have their fingers on the pulse of the WHL are reporting that former Springfield Falcons head coach Jeff Truitt will be the next G.M. for the Moose Jaw Warriors. The tribe didn't renew the contract of Chad Lang for this year and Truitt's hiring is expected Monday morning. A WHL source of mine also mentioned Truitt as head coach in MJ. Gregg Drinnan reported that current Warriors head coach Dave Hunchak might also have a contract that won't be renewed for next year, paving the way for Truitt to step behind the bench once again in the WHL.

Truitt was an assistant and a head coach in Kelowna before the Oilers hired him to coach their AHL team. However he failed to last the whole season.

Meanwhile Pat Siedlecki is reporting that the Hurricanes have had 8 applicants for their vacant G.M. position, one of them being Rich Sutter. Rich along brother Ron have reportedly been trying to buy the Canes for a few years, and a former WHL manager recently told me that with the G.M. spot open, Rich Sutter might just be content with being the G.M. instead of the owner. It would be a lot cheaper and he'd still get to run the team.

Truitt Dismissal Creates Stir

A few days have passed since the coaching change was made in Springfield that saw Jeff Truitt replaced by Rob Daum. Since that time I've had the chance to speak with a small number of Falcons players for some reaction and have gotten pretty much the same feelings in response from all of them - regret and guilt.

On Tuesday I chatted for a few minutes with center Ryan O'Marra who, despite his place down the depth chart (when not a healthy scratch), had nothing but positive things to say in regards to Truitt. O'Marra described Truitt as a player's coach and made it clear that even though the team has struggled mightily for the last couple of months, there was no dissention and that the coach had not lost the room.

That was pretty much the same story we received from Rob Schremp during his appearance on The Pipeline Show in January.

On Tuesday night we spoke with Ryan Stone, an interview that was set up before the coaching change was made, and he described the team's reaction as being "pretty upset over it because it's usually never the coach's fault."

Stone went on to say that the team "let [Truitt] down and he took the fall for it."

Yesterday morning I had a casual conversation with Liam Reddox at the Oilers morning skate. I asked Reddox if it was fair to say that Truitt was indeed liked by everyone and that he felt the Falcons coach was 'a player's coach'. Reddox echoed what O'Marra had told me in that Truitt had the respect of all of the players and that the team was taking responsibility for the poor play upon themselves rather than looking to pass blame to the coaches.

I asked Reddox if he was suprised that Truitt was let go considering all of those things and he spelled it out as plainly as it can be said - that it's a results driven business and the team wasn't getting the results. The old cliche is that it's easier to fire the coach than to replace the entire roster and obviously that's true.

Reddox described Truitt as being incredibly dedicated to making the team better. Over the All-Star break when Reddox was back on the farm he said he would always show up early at the rink (as Reddox is known to do) and Truitt would be there before him going over video.

This really does appear to be a case of, as Ryan Stone described, the coach taking the fall for the team's lack of performance rather than because he himself isn't a good coach. The fact that some of the players are taking the firing to heart is a good thing - a kick in the ass is exactly the reason the move was made. It's just unfortunate that a good guy lost his job in the process.

Notes & Thoughts:

With both Lubomir Visnovsky and Denis Grebeshkov out of action and both being contributors to the Oielrs power play, is there any chance that Mathieu Roy gets consideration for a recall? Corey Graham posed the question to me last night during the TEAM 1260 Post Game Show and while at first I sort of scoffed at the idea it actually does make a bit of sense - Roy does have some NHL experience and he does have a big shot from the point. He'd have to clear re-entry waivers but I'm really thinking that's not much of a concern for the Oilers who aren't likely considering resigning him this summer anyway. Theo Peckham is definitely on the way up but would it really be crazy to consider Roy as well?

Speaking of Corey Graham, props to him for something he said last night in the press box. After watching Liam Reddox killing a penalty and winning a battle for a loose puck against two Canadiens along the wall right at the Oiler bench, Graham suggested that Reddox is starting to look more and more like he belongs. "He reminds me of Rudy" said Graham in reference to the movie about the Notre Dame football player who was told all his life he would never realize his dream but proved everyone wrong. I think you could make a case for Steve MacIntyre being Edmonton's Rudy but Reddox is starting to make believers out of more and more people too.

Really off topic for a second - so I'm in the dressing room yesterday morning and I happen to be wearing my Hamilton Mustangs T-Shirt (if you don't know who they are, shame on you). Of all the players who not only recognized it but struck up a conversation with me over it... Ladislav Smid was the last one I expected.

"Hey, nice!" he said pointing at the red logo, "That's a great movie!"

I wonder if Smid ever had tea with Miss McGill? I'll have to ask him next time.

It's About DAUM Time!

With the Springfield Falcons mired in next-to-dead-last in the American Hockey League standings, the Edmonton Oilers have gunned head coach Jeff Truitt and replaced him with Rob Daum.

You can hear from the new Falcons bench boss tonight as he appears on The Pipeline Show with Dean and I.

Daum has long been a favorite of TPS and now assumes the role we believe he should have had at the start of the season. I've spoken with coach Daum a few times this year and so I know how anxious he has been to get back behind the bench - not because he disliked what he was doing but because he is first and foremost a coach.

The success that Daum had while leading the ship for the Alberta Golden Bears is well documented. He was also very successful behind the bench in his first season with Houston of the AHL where he had a .662 winning percentage. The next year Daum's club was a shadow of its former self having lost starting netminder Josh Harding to the NHL (for much of the year), Patrick O'Sullivan to the L.A. Kings and leading scorers Erik Westrum and Kirby Law.

I want to make one thing clear about this coaching change though - Dean and I have spoken with a lot of the Falcons this year and to a man, no one has expressed frustration with the coaching staff or with Jeff Truitt in particular. The same cannot be said for the previous year under Kelly Buchberger even though they had a better record in 2007-08.

While the players this year are clearly frustrated with the team's dismal performance, not one I have spoken with has suggested that their failure on the ice should be hung on the neck of Truitt.

It's unfortunate that the coaching carousel last summer worked out the way it did because Rob Daum should have been the bench boss last fall with Truitt on his staff - not the way it's worked out now.

Truitt's junior track record is strong and I'm sure he'll bounce back with another WHL opportunity before long. He's a good guy and I personally wish him well.

That said, I fully expect the Falcons to play much different under Daum who has always had a strong offensive style. Can he get the birds into the playoff picture this year? Doubtful because of how far back Springfield is but hopefully they show some improvement down the stretch and give the fans down there some reason to look forward to next year.

The Farm Almanac

As I mentioned in the Springfield update on Friday afternoon, I spoke with Falcons Head Coach Jeff Truitt at length earlier that day and got a synopsis of how things have been going thus far in the early season.

First off, an update on the status of Gilbert Brule who was hurt a week ago in a game against the Providence Bruins. The Vancouver native, (born in Edmonton, raised in B.C.), was involved in what coach Truitt described as not being a dirty hit.

"We reviewed the tapes, there was a hit but it wasn't a dirty play at all," the coach said, "It just caught him in a bad spot just below the knee cap so it's bruised but no structural damage."

"He's got a bruised knee and he skated yesterday and today just lightly and we'll see how it reacts," said Truitt, "He's going to skate again tomorrow and then with the rest of the week here we think we'll get him back again next weekend."

The Falcons played on Friday night, the first of a back-to-back weekend set but are then off until Halloween so Brule (pictured in CLB last year) will have plenty of time to rest, especially considering the fact that the team has several healthy scratches able to take his spot.

I asked Truitt if he was able to tell what the strength of his team was this year even though the schedule had only a handful of games ticked off of it.

"It's our speed and our skill," he stated, "I'll put our character on top of that too because in our first two games we had to come up with big second halves or big third periods to get the wins. We got the win in Hartford and then had to come from behind to get an overtime point in Providence. Our guys never gave up and that was a great sign of our character and we've been building off of that."

In speaking with Rob Schremp earlier in the week, he made a point of how key the recent victory over Manchester was and Truitt also points to the Hartford win as being important for the same reason; both divisional opponents posed major problems for the Falcons last year.

"To go in there and get the two points on opening night in Hartford really sets the tone for the year," agreed Truitt.

The road win in Manchester this year was something the Falcons failed to accomplish at all in 2007-08.

Line combinations have been juggled as is the case normally in an AHL season, especially early on as the coach seeks to find chemistry and rotate as many players through as possible. Rookies will often play every third or fourth game unless they have immediate success simply for the fact that others have paid their dues by going through the same thing in previous years.

Kyle Brodziak barely played in the first half of his rookie AHL season, Liam Reddox spent all of his in the ECHL and even Rob Schremp was a healthy scratch at times in Wilkes-Barre.

"We're getting closer [to set lines] but we still have juggled lines to try and find the right fits," Truitt said. "We really like our Guillaume Lefebvre, Tim Sestito and Carl Corazzini line as our all-purpose line; Tim's got a couple of goals for us already this year so not only can they provide a good defensive game but offensively they can get something done too. They've all good good speed and grit on that line which is good, and that's been a constant here for the last few games."

Last season Slava Trukhno got out of the gate very slowly and it wasn't until late February that he started to pack on the points. Once he got on a roll he was hard to stop and put together a 3-week stretch that raised serious expectations for this new year. So far, Trukhno has delivered.

"He's very strong on his skates, he's more confident in his abilities and of course his skill has always been there but how he uses that skill in tight around the net and his willingness to take a defenceman wide and things like that have really come to the forefront," Truitt explained, "You can see that he's really taken a step forward; he's wanting to get inside of a defenceman to the front of the net and he's been rewarded this year by a lot of good plays in tight to the net."

There is no question that Trukhno (left) will be a fixture in the top 6 for Springfield from now on unless something unexpected and dramatic occurs to his performance level.

Colin McDonald has been bumped back to the fourth line for the last couple of games but Truitt insists that fans of the former Providence Friar shouldn't read too much into that.

"It's nothing against Colin that he's playing there it's just that the other night [in Manchester] we decided to put Stephane Goulet up there on a scoring line and he responded really well," the coach explained, "Colin is a really big part of everything and he'll get his opportunities as well. He's been there before in the early part of the season, the only time he hasn't been is in Manchester, and that line flourished the other night and in practice that line has been pretty good so we just wanted to keep that going."

The line combination in question saw Ryan Potulny in between Schremp on the left side and Goulet on the right wing.

The continual line mixing can be tough on players but I asked the coach if it's also tough on he and his staff knowing that it's often a delicate balance trying to keep everyone happy and morale up.

"What it does is add a healthy competition, not only in games but in practices and that makes everybody better," he countered, "There are a lot of bodies here and that's fine because it creates a good atmosphere for guys to perform in practice. We flip flop things in practice as we start firming up line for when games get closer and that competition is good for everybody."

Cody Wild, who was scratched to make room for Josef Hrabal's AHL debut on Friday, has been good but is not immune to rookie mistakes.

"You can just tell that he's got an offensive flair, he likes to jump into the rush and he's certainly been a contributor with the team," said Truitt, "It's a learning process no doubt and coming out of college to the American League is obviously an adjustment for him. We've had him in to watch tape and he's learning, it's part of the education and the process a first year player has to go through but he's been a good student so far."

I asked Truitt if he'd offer up a couple names of players he'd consider to be pleasant surprises thus far but those he chose he admitted aren't really shocking choices.

"I wouldn't say that I'm surprised but Taylor Chorney has been really good," he began, "His confidence with the puck and his all around game, he's obviously a highly touted guy and deservedly so. He works extremely hard, sees the ice, moves pucks really quick but having him in rookie camp for a bit he's not really a surprise because he's a great player. We've had him with Theo [Peckham] or Jake Taylor and he's been really good every night."

"Devan Dubnyk has come up big for us in a couple of games and has taken the work load and run with it here," Truitt mentioned.

"It's nice to have a guy like Brule here... Schremp, who has bought in right away and has done a great job... Corzazzini and Lefebvre who have added a really workman like attitude and professionalism, Spurgeon has been great and Reddox pretty good too..."

Last year was a growing year for Ryan O'Marra who didn't initially adjust well to the minor leagues but according to his new head coach, he's been a much different player in the early going this season.

"With Ryan, the games that he's played, he came up with a big shot block for us against Providence one night and is doing an outstanding job for us," Truitt praised, "We're seeing little things along the way that are adding to him. He's another great student of the game, always asking questions to get better. I've been really impressed with Ryan and how he's appraoched things to this point and I don't expect anything different. He's going to be a big part of this club and we're going to give him that ice time to develop and get better. He's stronger this year, you can see that in the make up of his body, I just think it will take a little bit of repetition for him before he takes off this year but he'll get that opportunity here for sure."

Some fans have been wondering where Mathieu Roy has disappered to. His name doesn't appear on the game notes the Falcons release as either an injury or a healthy scratch but it appears that has just been an over sight. According to Truitt, Roy is with the team but simply can't play right now.

"Matty hasn't played yet because of his wrist [injured in the NHL pre-season fight against Calgary]," Truitt updated, "He's here but he's still sore and with so many defencemen here there is no use rushing it so... I think it'll be another week."

Finally I had to address the outright snubbing of my recent on air suggestion to Truitt that Tyler Spurgeon should be named as his captain. In fact it was Tim Sestito who got the nod with Ryan Potulny and Jake Taylor getting the A's... I demanded an explanation.

"Well..." he chuckled, "[Spurgeon] is a young player. There is no doubt that Tim Sestito, just by his nature, has grabbed this team with its identity and has done a great job. Jake Taylor is an older defenceman for us although he's not a veteran of the league he can still help our younger guys on the back end. Ryan Potulny has won championships and that's what we want out of our leaders."

"There were lots of guys... like Reddox, McDonald or Spurgeon who could all be a part of that as well, " Truitt added, "[Spurgeon] is a natural leader anyway, I know he's well respected in the room, and we're not expecting just three guys to lead. Spurgeon is infectious because of his work ethic and enthusiasm for the game. It wasn't a matter of his character flaws because there are none."

The choice was made by Truitt and his coaching staff and as I quoted him saying earlier, leadership and character are not qualities that the farm team is lacking so it would have been extremely hard to make poor choices for the lettermen.

Farm Fodder: The Falcons will now play three consecutive games agaisnt the Lowell Devils (NJ) beginning Saturday and ending with back to back games next weekend... The Springfield power play (15.2%) ranks 20th, the PK (77.5%) is 27th in the 29 team league... G Devan Dubnyk's 3.20 GAA ranks 27th in the AHL while his .906 save percentage is 21st on the list... LW Slava Trukhno had 5 points in the first three games but has just 1 point in the last three... LW Rob Schremp has 5 points in 4 games, hitting the score sheet in each game he's appeared in so far... C Ryan Potulny has 5 points so far, all of them goals... D Theo Peckham, born November 10th 1987, is the youngest player on Springfield's current roster... D Josef Hrabal recorded an assist in his first official game in North America... The Falcons have been outshot in every one of their first 6 games by a collective total of 198-154, an average of just over 7 shots per game...

Friday Farm Report: Hrabal Ready to Go

I just got off the phone with Springfield Falcons Head Coach Jeff Truitt and learned that injured import blueliner Josef Hrabal will make his North American debut tonight when the AHL club takes on the Albany River Rats.

Hrabal has not played a game since the opening period of the Oilers/Flames tilt in Camrose suring the rookie tournament. Initial reports suggested he could be out much longer but the shoulder responded to treatments and he is good to go.

"We're going to get him into the line up and see what he's got," Truitt told me, "He's been practicing hard and our trainer has said that he's as close as he's ever going to be and he certainly wants to play so it's time for him to get his feet wet."

Cody Wild will be the one getting the short straw making way for Hrabal.

Rob Schremp, Stephane Goulet and Ryan Potulny will play together again tonight after a successful game against Hartford last week. Hanz Benson, Ryan O'Marra and Colin McDonald will be another trio. Liam Reddox, Tyler Spurgeon and leading scorer Slava Trukhno have played very well. Gullaume Lefebrve, captain Tim Sestito and Carl Corazzini appear to be entrenched as the shutdown line with the way they have performed thus far.

Theo Peckham will also play tonight after his one-day recall to the NHL.

More on the farm later.

Falcons Pick Captain

OK so clearly head coach Jeff Truitt has it in for me. Despite my blatant suggestion that Tyler Spurgeon would make for a perfect captain in Springfield this year the AHL club announced today that the 'C' will be worn by Tim Sestito.

I made the not-so-subliminal suggestion last night during Truitt's appearance on the show.

Not that there's anything wrong with that because Sestito, like Spurgeon, is a heart and soul grinding player that says what he means and means what he says. Throw all the cliches out there, Sestito is a good choice.

He's justs not the one I expected.

See I thought, as a rookie head coach in the league, that Truitt might lean towards Spurgeon who was captain of the Kelowna Rockets back when Truitt was the bench boss there. To me that fit was perfect.

Anyway, Sestito will do a fine job I'm sure.

Getting the 'A's as alternates are Jake Taylor and Ryan Potulny. So again... I think Truitt has it out for me!

Fun On The Farm

After watching training camp and 2 pre season games, I have come to one conclusion; Life in Springfield will be extremely entertaining this year.

While the Oilers should be able to compete for the Northwest Division in the big show, the Falcons could fly high in the AHL as well. Springfield basically bought property at the .500mark last year and finished with an even steven record of 35-35-5-5, they were 8 points out of a playoff spot. That shouldn't happen this season with the amount of tools at the disposal of new head coach Jeff Truitt.


Players like Colin McDonald (pictured), Slava Trukhno and Ryan O'Marra up front will be entering their second pro season and should be ready to play more of a roll on the team. Factor in Rob Schremp and/or Gilbert Brule should they be sent down to the farm and add in Bryan Lerg who's impressed at Oilers camp, and the Falcons will boast an impressive first 2 lines. Big Geoff Paukovich and versatile Davild Rohlfs may also factor in for the Falcons.

What Springfield didn't have last year, was a mobile defence. That won't be a problem this season. Taylor Chorney and Theo Peckham will be the top pairing, which will be blend of stay at home toughness from Peckham, and the smooth skating, heads up play of Chorney. Cody Wild, Josef Hrabl - when healthy - and Rob Bina will also be able to move the puck, meaning the Falcons won't have to employ the "chip it off the glass and out" breakout they used for most of last year. The increase of puck movers on the back end will add to the offence and should prevent Springfield from getting outshot by a large margin, something that happened way to often last year.


Lastly, this team will not be fun to play against. With old school body checkers Theo Peckham and Bryan Young as well as a tough AHL veteran in Jake Taylor on the back end, crossing the blueline into the Falcons zone will require some courage. And don't expect opposing players to take liberties with the birds top gunners. That's where body guards, Hans Benson, Guillaume Lefebrve, and Sean McMorrow will be cracking their knuckles in anticipation.

Lefebvre came to Oilers camp without a contract, and told me after Wednesday's game against Florida that he wasn't sure how many games he would get in so he knew that he had to make an impression. Mission accomplished - he fought twice and dished out some big checks. Anyone that's watched Hans Benson in camp thus far knows he's a decent skater and is willing to scrap anyone. The great thing about the pugilists is they are ready to start fights, and stick up for their teammates as has been proven so far in the pre season.

On a side note, I think the Oilers have to be leading the league in inviting players to camp who played in the infamous Ligue Nord Americaine de Hockey (LNAH). Or simply put the "Quebec fighting league." Both Lefebvre (pictured) and McMorrow played there last year and neither are shy about shedding their gear and throwing the skin hammers... a refreshing sight for skilled players in the Oilers system.

Put all the tools together, and it gives the head Carpenter, Jeff Truitt a good foundation to build upon, and Truitt should open things up a little on the farm and let his horses run. If he does, the Falcons and the Oilers might be playing well into the spring this year.

Rumblings, Bumblings and Stuff...

It's funny how the off-season often produces some of the best stories out there but I guess when you consider that it's during the summer that most changes in the hockey world take place... it shouldn't be that surprising.

There are bunch of things circulating, some no more than speculation while others are pretty sound. One such item that appears to be pretty solid has to do with Springfield where the AHL Falcons have called a press conference for Tuesday afternoon. I'm still looking for official Oiler confirmation but a source out East has indicated to me that it is regarding the coaching position. If that is the case (and not another season ticket sales update) then expect Jeff Truitt to be formally announced that day as the new bench boss on the farm. I do know that Kevin Prendergast will be in Springfield for the presser so it certainly appears to be lining up that way.



Wondering what is going to happen with Rob Daum since it's but a formality that Kelly Buchberger moves up to the NHL for next season? I ran into Daum at Oilers prospect camp last week, a pleasant surprise to see a him there despite the way he's been cast aside. I also talked with him on Tuesday during the TEAM 1260 golf tournament. He's obviously pretty tight-lipped about what he and the Oilers are talking about but I can confirm that the position offered to Daum is that of a pro scout. I'm also hearing that he'd have the greenlight to pursue a coaching opportunity elsewhere if one came his way and if you've been listening to Total Sports with Bob Stauffer... doesn't Detroit make sense with Mike Babcock now in need of a new assistant?



Regan Bartel is one of the most respected guys around the WHL so when he speculates on something, it's probably more than just idle chit-chat. On May 26th he blogged an interesting tidbit on Kelowna Rockets' forward Milan Kytnar suggesting he might be in tough for a spot on the roster next season. Here's the original post by Bartel who you should know is also the voice of the Rockets on their broadcasts. I wonder if there is a WHL team that would has room for an import, a need to upgrade penalty killing and their ability to keep goals against down? The Edmonton Oil Kings fit the bill but with a high pick in the CHL Import Draft later this month they might have their eyes on a more offensive player to help in that department. The fact that Kytnar is also an Oiler prospect makes it even more interesting but far from a sure thing.



It was a good month for Alex Plante who impressed the brass at prospect camp after a 3-week stint of training in California with Chad Moreau. Plante needs to improve his mobility and his strength and while the former will be a longer process it is simple to see how the 19-year-old has matured physically. Thicker in the neck, through his upper body and defnitely stronger in his legs, Plante has dedicated himself to getting back on the right track after a tough year in Calgary.

And speaking of Plante and the Hitmen, rumors are swirling that the 19-year-old might be available this summer as Calgary heads towards a rebuild. One source told me that Plante's camp were disappointed with the way he'd lost his spot last year due to injury and another source described the situation to me by saying "he became a whipping boy for [head coach Kelly] Kisio". IF the rumor is true that Plante is available, expect his hometown Brandon Wheat Kings to be front runners in trying to nab him from Calgary.

Draft tidbits

As Dean mentioned on our last show, the Toronto Maple Leafs seem to be extremely interested in Kyle Beach of the Everett Silvertips. Would a team in such disarray really roll the dice on a player who some believe is a ticking timebomb? Well both Millard and I are believers that Beach's upside outweighs his troubled past and we both have him going in the top 11 in our mock draft although neither of us have him going to the Leafs...



Another interesting one, and you might have to file this under 'C' for 'Conspiracy Theory'... Zac Dalpe was drafted as an overager by the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL. But why? He's already publicly committed to the NCAA program with the Ohio State Buckeyes right? Well, and here's the conspiracy theory, what would happen if the Carolina Hurricanes drafted him with the 14th overall pick (or moved down and did it)? Some have suggested that Dalpe would then bolt for the OHL and play with Plymouth. What's the connection? Peter Karmanos owns the Hurricanes and the Whalers. Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm...

Two players who seem to be getting some momentum as the draft gets closer are Colin Wilson and John Carlson. Wilson wowed the NHL onlookers at the combines where his dedication to personal training paid off. His team interviews also went well as TPS expected after he was a homerun interview on our show a couple weeks back. He's got the bloodline going for him, a great attitude and is considered one of the guys who could be closest to NHL ready. He'll be gone in the top 12.

Carlson's stock went up when he made it public that he was jumping ship from the NCAA to the OHL; instead of playing at UMass next year he's headed for the London Knights. Now I've had plenty of hockey people express concern about the way players develop in London (stellar junior success, not so much on the preperation for the next level) but it's seen as a step up from the Hockey East program which takes a back seat to Maine, Boston College, Boston Univesity and New Hampshire in that conference. Carlson was considered a late first rounder before but looks more like a mid round pick now.

One last one... in case you haven't heard yet, Nikita Filatov granted The Pipeline Show with the first North American radio interview of his career. Dean and I spoke with the future star for about 12 minutes and you'll be able to hear that interview in its entirety on Tuesday's show. Who does he think will draft him? How much are teams in Russia's new Kontinental Hockey League trying to keep him at home? Would he play in the CHL next year? Hear it from the man himself next week.

Coaching Carousel

Seeing as Kevin Lowe has come out and said Rob Daum won't be back with the Oilers in his assistant coaching position, I figured I would throw my 2 cents on the situation.

It seems pretty obvious to me (and likely many others as well) that the Oilers will bring Kelly Buchberger up to the big club as an assistant coach next season. I think this was decided before last season. Rob Daum's one year contract tells me that, and so have some other people in the last couple of weeks.

Where that leaves Rob Daum is the million dollar question. I have heard from more than one person that with Buchberger leaving Springfield, the job was going to Jeff Truitt, an assistant coach in Springfield this year. That is until Daum threw his hat in the ring. Daum should likely get the job if he wants it, which I'm told he does. Truitt is a good young up and coming coach. He spent 5 years as an assistant coach in the WHL before getting the head coaching job in Kelowna and guiding the Rockets to a Memorial Cup berth in 2005. His time will come, but it might not be now if Daum is in the running.

Rob Daum has coached at the WHL level and has excelled at the CIS level. He also won 50 games as the bench boss for the Houston Aeros. But all of these credentials makes me think he won't be coaching in Springfield. I think Rob Daum might get scooped up by an NHL team. After all, it happened to Geoff Ward last summer (joining the Boston Bruins as an assistant coach) and he only has one more year of head coaching experience at the AHL level than Daum. I know it's all about connections, but I find it hard to believe that Rob Daum doesn't know enough people in the league to atleast warrant a few phone calls or an interview.

What puzzles me is how the Oilers did this. On August 1st, 2007, Geoff Ward joined the Bruins, saying goodbye to his job as head coach in Springfield. 2 Days later the Oilers handed Ward's old job to Buchberger. Then on August 13th, they hired Daum as an assistant coach. If their plan all along was to bring Buchy up to the big club, why not do it then, offer Daum the minor league position and you don't have to make an awkward switch this year?

In a sense, Daum was a lame duck coach this year, possibly knowing when he was hired that he wouldn't be back next year and that this was Craig Mactavish's plan all along. MacTavish is the head coach, and he should get to choose his staff, but it still seems odd that he would bring a guy knowing he wouldn't be around the next season.

In the bigger picture, I think Rob Daum will be the best thing for the Oilers prospects on the farm, if he makes it there. If not, then Truitt will likely get the gig and probably to a great job, but the Oilers will lose a brilliant mind in Rob Daum should another NHL team snap him up.

Future Coach for Edmonton

First and foremost, let me make this clear that what you are about to read is pure speculation on my part. It's hypothetical. It's more of a "Hmmm... I wonder if this could actually make sense and work out like this" sort of a thing.

It started with listening to Total Sports (local radio show that airs on TEAM 1260 daily from 3-6 PM). Last Friday TS was guest hosted by Corey Graham and Ryan Rishaug from TSN. A caller asked why the Oilers don't hire a young up-and-coming coach, groom him and have him step in to replace MacT who he felt had overstayed his welcome (the caller's opinion, not mine or the show's hosts).

That got me thinking... Edmonton actually has such a guy in the system RIGHT NOW.

Edmonton's coaching staff consists of Craig MacTavish, Billy Moores, Charlie Huddy, Rob Daum and Brian Ross (video). On the farm the organization has Kelly Buchberger, Jeff Truitt and David Bell.

The Oilers hired Bucky to take over the bench of the AHL squad when Geoff Ward was hired away by the Boston Bruins. Bucky had just 1 year of experience behind the bench, that one spent during the lockout with the Edmonton Road Runners. The decision raised some eyebrows and had critics citing "he old boy's club" getting their man in a former blood-and-guts Oiler.

For the most part, those I speak with about the farm like the job Bucky has done with the Falcons. There are some who feel the systems are a little restrictive and lack offensive creativity but credit where it's due... Bucky has his club in a playoff position despite the "simplistic" strategies he has instilled.

On the NHL side, the Oilers are heading to an early golf season again and some fans are screaming for a change. I personally don't believe that Craig MacTavish is headed anywhere unless it's higher in the organization and that with the new ownership and the injury situation killing the team for the second year in a row, he probably doesn't get fingered as the reason for the team's futility in the standings.

In my opinion, Huddy has done a fantastic job with the blueliners on the team. Gilbert has surpassed expectations, Greene continues to get better and better, Smid and Grebeshkov still have flaws but show steady improvement. Huddy is a keeper.

I'm far from an insider as to which coach is responsible for what but my impression is that Billy Moores is a tactics guy. He's incredibly personable and has a wealth of accolades from his pre-Oiler days at the UofA. I see no reason to question his value to the Oilers.

I really like Rob Daum as well but I wonder why it was a 1-year deal for him though. He's basically scouting the opposition, devising ways to pick apart their systems and I have no reason to think he's anything but good at that job although to me, it seems like a bit like taking a racehorse for a leisurely trot; he's got more to offer than that.

And the 1-year deal bugs me like that itch in the middle of your back that you can never reach. Why 1 year?

Is it a temporary thing? Are they test driving Daum or is he just a stop-gap until someone on the farm is ready for a promotion?

What if... and here's the specualtion... WHAT IF Kelly Buchberger is promoted to the NHL bench next year? I know, it's been speculated before so I know I'm not the first guy. BUT, thinking back to the caller's comment on Total Sports, Bucky is NOT the young "hotshot coach" I wonder about being on the fast track. What if promoting Bucky clears the path for the real coach of the future?

I wonder if it's actually Jeff Truitt.

Here's Truitt's bio from the Falcon's official website: "Truitt joins the Falcons following an outstanding junior coaching career with the Kelowna Rockets... after seven seasons on the coaching staff, including the last three as head coach. Truitt joined the Rockets in 2000-01 as an assistant coach with former Oiler Marc Habscheid before becoming the head coach in 2004-05.

During his seven seasons on the Rockets coaching staff, Truitt helped guide Kelowna to two WHL championships (2003, 2005), two WHL regular season titles (2003, 2004), three consecutive trips to the Memorial Cup tournament (2003, 2004, 2005) and one Memorial Cup championship (2004). In 2004 the Rockets were a perfect 4-0 at the Memorial Cup, winning their first CHL title before a sellout crowd of home fans at Prospera Place with a 2-1 win over Gatineau.

Prior to joining Kelowna, he served as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes and was the head coach of the Camrose Kodiaks for their first three seasons in the AJHL. While with Camrose, he was co-coach of the AJHL All-Star Selects, finishing second at the 2000 Viking Cup tournament.

Truitt also has international coaching experience with Team Canada. He served as video coach for the silver medal winning 2004 Canadian National Junior Team, was an assistant coach with Canada’s gold medal winning Under-18 Team in August 2006 in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and most recently, he was an assistant coach with Canada’s World Under-18 team that placed fourth at the 2007 world tournament in Finland."

If you want a young up-and-coming coach... who better than a guy with a resume like that? Truitt is 42-years-old and I think could be the AHL coach next year and quite possibly, the guy to replace Craig MacTavish when his current contract runs out in a couple of seasons.

Am I crazy or does that make sense... and would Oiler fans be OK with that?