Hall of Famer Paul Coffey, who took a test drive and became Edmonton Oilers’ defence coach when Kris Knoblauch was hired last November, will likely give it another whirl after talking things over with CEO Jeff Jackson this week.
Coffey, also an advisor to Oiler owner Daryl Katz, maybe had his arm twisted by Jackson to go behind the bench when Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft but while a few other opposition coaches may have asked him “So how’s the grind?” that was the farthest thing from that for Coffey.
Being close to the action was a labour of love for Coffey, who has successful businesses back in Toronto but he’ll almost surely be back for a second season, or longer, returning with Glen Gulutzan, who looks after the NHL’s most dangerous power play and Mark Stuart, who handled the smothering penalty-kill that was 65-for-69 in their 25 playoff games.
“I enjoyed it. The defence is awesome, they’re all good. Were there ups and downs in player’s games? Absolutely. As a coach you have to be there for them, good or bad. I think they enjoyed a different approach,” said Coffey, who wanted to get his guys got moving the puck quicker, trying to make plays by getting the puck into the hands of the forwards.
“The coaching was fun. I’ve always loved Edmonton. Like Gretz, like Mess. Who wouldn’t want to watch Connor McDavid up close and personal every day?” said Coffey. “This team has a chance to win every single game.”
Managing pairings
Coffey worked well with his defence crew, moving people around. He likes a defence group where the minutes are fairly evenly distributed. He’s not a big fan of one guy playing way more than others in games like, say, Drew Doughty in LA or Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo or Charlie McAvoy in Boston, the top three ice-time D. Even as good as they are
“When crunch time comes in a game where one guy maybe isn’t playing so well, a player can’t move up because he hasn’t been playing enough. I like competition,” said Coffey, who also changed up his pairings with the only tandem that stayed together being Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm.
“I remember changing up the partners after our streak ended (16 straight wins) in Vegas. Everybody’s up in arms. I told the guys ‘If you’re not comfortable with this, come and talk to me.’ This is why it’s fun (NHL game). I think guys should challenge each other. I can’t stand things staying the same. You get bored. I’m interested in seeing how Cody Ceci looks with Brett Kulak or Vinny (Desharnais) looks with Darnell Nurse,” said Coffey.
Nurse has to play much better than he did this past season. When he’s at his best, he’s intimidating, mean, playing a simple, move-the-puck game. But, as a veteran of 640 games, there were nights when he lost his defensive awareness.
“I’m a fan because of the tools he (Nurse) has,” said Coffey, who has had heart-to-heart chats with Nurse and knows he has to be better.
“He knows. He will tell you that.”
Building confidence
Going down to the farm in Bakersfield rather than being on the Oilers roster but sitting out, was clearly the best thing for Philip Broberg, who was good when recalled late in the season, then very solid in the playoff cauldron.
“One day (when Broberg wasn’t going to play), I just skated around with Brobie and said ‘Let’s just talk. I told him you’re probably not going to want to hear this but as the seventh defenceman, I can’t get you into the lineup,’’’ said Coffey. “I told him ‘You may not like it but I think going down is the right move for you. So trust me.’’’
Coffey can’t understand the venom some Oiler fans have for Ceci. He became the whipping boy for a vocal minority.
“I have all the time in the world for Cody Ceci. He trusts me. I trust him,” said Coffey.
“You saw that pass (to Mattias Janmark for the breakaway goal) in game 7 (Florida). He wouldn’t have made that play before, but he had the confidence to do that. Same with shooting the puck. You saw that in the Vancouver series. These guys are NHL players, the best of the best. They’re here for a reason. So show me.”
“What player doesn’t want to hear that?”
This ‘n that: When former Oiler bench boss Jay Woodcroft lost out to Dean Evason for the Columbus head job that closed the door on possibilities before this season starts. He’s a good coach, and first-time NHL head coaches learn a few things when fired and are usually better their second kick at the can but there were eight jobs theoretically open and he didn’t get one, strange stuff. LA (Jim Hiller) and St. Louis (Drew Bannister) stayed with their interim guys, and Seattle brought up their AHL coach Dan Byslma. Ottawa hired Travis Green, Leafs got Craig Berube, Sheldon Keefe went to Jersey and Lindy Ruff back to Buffalo. Ryan Warsofsky, the Sharks assistant coach, got the head job in San Jose….Kudos to former Oiler coach/GM/captain and multiple Stanley Cup winner Craig MacTavish for being inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in Red Deer this past weekend. MacTavish has a strong shot at the Oiler Wall of Fame when voting takes place this fall…Craig Button scouting report on new Oiler winger Roby Jarventie, who came to the Oilers from Ottawa for Xavier Bourgault: “If he uses his strength, his skill will follow.” Button thinks he’s a better skater than Raphael Lavoie, but Lavoie is a better shooter…One of the reasons 0ttawa took Bourgault: Sens’ GM Steve Staios had the same job with Hamilton’s junior team at the Memorial Cup in 2022, when Bourgault was starring for rival Shawinigan.