More and more signs point to Oilers hire another member of the “Old Boys Club.”

The Oilers doing more of the same.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
More and more signs point to Oilers hire another member of the “Old Boys Club.”
Sportsnet

In one of the rare moves that received near universal acclaim from the members of their fan base, the media, and from even the most casual of observers the Edmonton Oilers fired general manager Peter Chiarelli earlier in the season. It was a move that many felt was long overdue when it was made but it is also one that has led to farm more questions that it has answers. 

The Oilers are now, based on all available reports, in the midst of one of the most intense management searches in the history of their franchise with vice chairman of the Oilers Entertainment Group Bob Nicholson leading the charge. There has been some criticism suggesting that Nicholson being put in charge of such a hire would result in more of the same, but in defense of Nicholson he was technically hired a few months after Chiarelli was put in place as the Oilers general manager so this would in theory be his first hire in his role as vice chairman. 

The main concern appears to be that the Oilers, a team that many feel have a management group that is an "Old Boys Club," will once again make a similar hire that will only continue their now long standing tradition of failures. Unfortunately for the Oilers fans is that there are indeed some strong signs now that they are once again moving in a similar direction and that a member of the "Old Boys Club" may indeed be coming in, but perhaps not as general manager.

 Earlier this week Sportsnet's National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman touched on the fact that Nicholson could reach out to Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland should the rumors of his departure from the Red Wings at the end of the season prove to be true. From Friedman: 

For example, depending on what happens in Detroit, I could see Nicholson asking old friend Ken Holland what his future plans will be.

What makes this comment so interesting is that there have been strong rumors suggesting that Oilers as an organization have been very happy with the work of interim general manager Keith Gretzky. Well Friedman has since made it clear that he feels Nicholson would be very content with both Holland and Gretzky on the payroll, with Holland acting in oversight over Gretzky and even training him in the role. 

So not only would the Oilers maintain the same internal management group that has run their franchise into the ground, but it sounds like they would also add a highly respected general manager who has severely tarnished his reputation with some very bad contracts in his later years in Detroit.

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