A new sheriff in town in Edmonton
A new, ambitious GM takes the reigns, promises to return the Oilers to glory
EDMONTON, AB - It's been four distant years since the Edmonton Oilers embarked on a magical Cinderella run that ended in heartbreak in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. Since then, the Oilers have seen their roster almost completely turn over, and with the exodus they have fallen into the cellar of the NHL. The bright side of that is a slow but steady collection of extremely promising young talent. The beginning of a very solid nucleus can be seen on the Oilers' roster in the form of 20 year old Jordan Eberle, 19 year old Magnus Pääjärvi, 20 year old Sam Gagner, 20 year old Colten Teubert (acquired from the LA Kings in the Dustin Penner trade), and of course, 18 year old phenom Taylor Hall, the franchise's foundation player for the future.
But now, there's going to be a new man calling the shots in the Edmonton front office, as the Oilers have made a change in leadership at the general manager position essentially on the eve of the NHL Draft. Steve Tambellini has been let go, and in his place, Edmonton President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe has tapped Brian Kudron to lead the Oilers into the future.
Kudron is a relative unknown to the everyday fan, but he's built quite a reputation for his charisma and decision-making in his assistant role in the front office of the Detroit Red Wings. He becomes the youngest general manager in the National Hockey League, and with that youth comes a brashness that he hopes will energize the entire organization.
"This place, it's one of the sacred grounds of hockey," Kudron said at his introductory press conference. "Growing up, I had to put up with my Red Wings being stonewalled in the late 1980s by the dynasty Oilers, and throughout the years, as I've made my way through the system, I've been able to observe venues around the league, and Edmonton is second to none. Even when we've fallen on hard times here lately, the fans never stop coming, because this is a special, special place, and the wonderful fans of Edmonton deserve a winner. And I'm going to give it to them, no matter what it takes."
Although the enthusiasm is definitely something Oiler fans can attach themselves to, one aspect of Kudron's approach to hockey may give the fanbase in central Alberta pause. Given his deep connections to the Red Wings organization and his time spent as an assistant in the Detroit front office, Kudron has developed an affinity for the European style of play the Red Wings have deployed the last 20 years en route to four Stanley Cups. That's always a source of a certain amount of trepidation among the Canadian fanbases in the NHL. The majority of hockey fans north of the border not only cherish hockey as their own, they believe it should be played a certain way, and the emphasis on skill and finesse in Detroit is the opposite of the bruising physical style Canadian fans generally prefer.
"I'm well aware of the stigma Detroit's style of hockey has in Canada," Kudron said at the press conference. "All throughout the years, the Red Wings were viewed as too 'soft' and too 'European' to win in the playoffs. Everybody always assumed the increased physicality of the postseason would ultimately win out over the skill of the Red Wings - until 2008 when Detroit won their 4th Cup in 11 years. I'm pretty confident that the great fans of Edmonton won't be complaining too much about the style of play or the nationality of the players if the championships start rolling in like I expect them to."
His own words spell out his plan: Edmonton's new GM plans to inject a European flavor into the Oilers' roster and slowly adjust their style to mirror what the Red Wings have used for the past 20 years. In fact, the rumors behind the scenes says that Kudron isn't focused on the upcoming draft at all, instead planning to use those draft picks as trade bait for young, talented prospects already in farm systems in the NHL. Also, unconfirmed reports say that the new general manager has already begun the process of increasing Edmonton's scouting in Europe, especially the Nordic countries of Sweden and Finland, and also Russia.
The future appears to be bright for the Oilers, as Kudron clearly has a plan in place to bring the Oilers back amongst the NHL's elite.
I'm really excited about this one, it'll be a totally different approach than my Kings one where I traded whatever prospects and picks I needed to to acquire veterans I thought could help right away - essentially a "win now" mentality. Totally opposite with the Oilers; should be fun.
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