NHL: Edmonton Oilers Sign New Deal With GM Tambellini

Steve Tambellini is staying with the Edmonton Oilers for the foreseeable future. The affable native of Trail, B.C. and star of the “Oil Change” TV miniseries has signed a new contract with the club (length and salary were not disclosed at the time this story was written).

OK, so that’s done. Now what?

First, let’s take a look at the positives of this move. Either team president Kevin Lowe likes having Tambellini around, or else there isn’t really anyone else who would run the team at the terms Tambellini accepted. Regardless, he’ll be working at the pleasure of the club for at least the next year or two, possibly longer, as he has since 2008.

As for the on-ice product: Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have shown they’re the real deal. “Captain Canada” Ryan Smith is still in Alberta’s capital and is there to provide veteran leadership, for all that’s worth. There’s plenty of grit with the likes of Ben Eager, Darcy Hordichuk, Shawn Horcoff and blueline bruisers Andy Sutton and Theo Peckham.

So we’re done, right? If only. The new contract is just one piece of a complicated puzzle. There are so many questions, and some of the important ones surround the plan for the NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh on June 22. Will the management pick talented winger Nail Yakupov first overall? If they do, will they keep him or trade him? If they trade him, what should they get in return? If Yakupov is not selected by them, who should it be? Would that player have the immediate impact the Oilers appear to need?

The depth chart looks rather slim: defense and goaltending are particularly dire. Corey Potter and Jeff Petry show some promise, but they need some time before they develop (if they ever do) into elite two-way players. Nikolai Khabibulin and Devan Dubnyk are not an ideal netminding tandem.

What’s up Steve’s sleeve, other than his arm?

At this point the decision to keep Tambo on the payroll has proved to be less than popular, if a poll on the Edmonton Journal’s website is to be believed. When this story was posted, 53 percent of respondents said “no” to the question: “Should the Oilers have re-signed GM Steve Tambellini?”

Getting him to re-up was the easy part; drafting with the No. 1 pick three years running isn’t that complicated, either. The tough decision awaits — the hiring of a head coach. They also need to come up with answers on defense and in the net. That’s a lot of holes to fill, and it could be a while yet before the long-suffering fans in Oilerland have a team which can get to the playoffs.