NHL: The Search Is On For the Next Oilers' Head Coach

Whom should the Oilers hire as their next head coach? Some names have already been bandied around, Brent Sutter being the most prominent. But you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been, so let’s take a look back at the recent past.

General manager Steve Tambellini — whose own position on the club is the subject of some conjecture — hired Tom Renney as an associate coach in 2009, promoted him to replace Pat Quinn, then effectively fired him two seasons later when the club announced his contract would not be renewed.

With 57 wins, 85 losses and 22 “loser points,” Renney’s record is hardly the stuff of legend, but that’s probably not going to hurt him that much in his next job search. Renney addressed the media over his dismissal, expressing disappointment that he won’t be around to help them improve.

This is a team which many observers like to say is either on the upswing, or will be soon enough. There’s definitely an enviable wealth of young talent — Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle — but there are at least two huge holes to fill: they need a top-line goaltender, and an offensive defenseman who can quarterback the power play. Without those two elements, the Oilers could hire Scotty Bowman and they would be hard-pressed to come up with a winning record.

A poll on the Edmonton Sun’s website says a majority favor hiring Brent Sutter, but Edmonton president Kevin Lowe has said the position has not been discussed with the former Calgary Flames bench boss and Team Canada head coach; technically, Sutter is still under contract to the Flames, and Lowe wisely wants to avoid being accused of tampering.

What about giving Craig MacTavish another whirl? Apparently not, if this blog posting on the Edmonton Journal website is correct. They can also forget about considering Alain Vigneault while they’re at it: at the time this story was posted, the Vancouver Canucks had just extended the contract of their head coach (no terms were immediately disclosed).

So who else is out there? There is a laundry list of suspects including current TSN analyst Marc Crawford, Oilers associate coach Ralph Kruger, and Oklahoma City Barons head coach Todd Nelson.

Here’s a thought: why not Kelly Buchberger? It’s true that the onetime Oilers captain has no head-coaching experience, but he’s been an assistant with the team for awhile. This is a young squad: why not a young head coach, especially one who knows the team and the young stars on it? As the team improves, Buchberger can grow along with them. At the very least, he would be a big bargain on the salary they would likely have to pay to someone of the stature of Sutter or Crawford.

At this point, no one appears to have asked Buchberger if he wants the job, and it seems like he’s waiting for Lowe, Tambellini and the rest of the Oilers’ brain trust to outline their direction. It would be a bit of a gamble, but if Buchberger can get some of them to play the hard-nosed style he employed as a player, that could create room for their young guns to hone their talents. However, Tambellini is now under the gun to make the right decision, and it would be no surprise to see him entrust the next level of the Oilers’ development to an experienced hand like Crawford or Sutter.