Edmonton Oilers president and general manager Peter Chiarelli will return next season.
Oilers CEO and vice-chairman Bob Nicholson told reporters Thursday that he would not be making any changes at the top of the team’s hockey operations.
Nicholson said this past season the organization experienced underachievement at multiple levels including players, management and coaches all of whom are currently under review.
The CEO told reporters that an evaluation led by Chiarelli of the coaching staff, hockey operations and Oilers Entertainment Group staff is taking place but didn’t provide a timeline or many details.
After surviving the “decade of darkness,” an exciting playoff run last year set expectations high coming into this season, but the team struggled with a 36-40-6 record, failing to make the post-season.
Many of the questions at the press conference directed at Nicholson were about Chiarelli, and how he had been evaluated after another disappointing year.
“A lot of it you don’t see,” Nicholson said in Thursdays press conference. “Starts with wins and losses, but also starts with what you’re doing with your scouting group, how you’re handling the scouts and how you’re handling your development, and in all of that Peter has done a very good job of how he’s organized that. I feel the information that we’re getting and going into this year’s draft and what we’re doing on the development side is very good.”
He also said the organization understands the frustration from fans, but wants to focus on the future and making it back to playoffs next year is top priority. He stated a one, two and three-year plan has been put in place and he feels good about where the team is headed.
When asked about the coaching staff, Nicholson was reluctant to share details but did say Todd McLellan’s resume speaks for itself, adding that more information would be shared once the review is completed.
“We have very, very good pieces,” said Nicholson. “We just have to make sure we evaluate all of those pieces and make sure we put the right pieces in place to get into the playoffs which is very difficult, but we have one goal and that’s to make sure that we’re back in there.”
