LEDUC, Alta. — Todd McLellan stood high in the slot, skating slowly backwards as four Edmonton Oilers advanced in slow motion out of their own zone. It was a pre-drill rehearsal for a powerplay breakout, and the lesson was to come out four abreast — not staggered — so the passes could be short and the targets available.
It looked a bit like a Pee Wee practice, but if you’d seen these Oilers try to exit their own zone over the past few seasons, well, you’d get it. This was just one thing that has to change in Northern Alberta. One of many.
“I’ve had five different coaches now, and everyone runs camp their different way,” Taylor Hall said after Day 1 of Edmonton Oilers training camp. “There are things that we have no choice but to change for this year, and that’s what he’s bringing in.
“Everyone is sick of what’s been going on for the last five years, right? You don’t want to be part of that again. You want to be a part of something successful. There’s no point not buying in.”
It’s not all up to the new coach, however. Early in the session, during a drill meant to steel the battle level in front of the net, McLellan looked into the corner where he expected to see his players grouped into twos of the same coloured jersey, ready to jump into the drill when it was their turn.
Instead he saw a jumble of orange, white and blue. “Tweeeeeet!”
“This is going to drive me crazy all year,” he shouted in full earshot of several hundred fans in attendance. “This is detail! This is being f—ing alert! You’re responsible for this,” he said to the players. “Not us (coaches)!”
“We have to bark a little bit,” McLellan calmly said afterwards. “They have to understand what’s acceptable and unacceptable, and the first thing is being organized and being ready to go in a drill situation. We were a little bit sloppy there, it took one bark and they were prepared. That’s a detail, I think, that’s real important.”
If you had to use one word to describe what has plagued this organization for lo these many years, detail is as good as any. Details like teaching young forwards to play with an NHL level of defensive responsibility. Details, under head coach Dallas Eakins, like practising at a pace that allows you to duplicate those skills at game speed later that night.
Drafting after the first round. Stopping pucks from the non-danger areas. Accountability, from the top of the roster to the bottom.
All are details that have been neglected by this franchise over the past decade, and thus, the Oilers are on the verge of tying an NHL record with their 10th consecutive playoff miss.
“We were too inconsistent last year. Too many excuses and not enough changes,” said winger Ted Purcell, who found himself on the right side of Hall and centre Connor McDavid as camp opened here at the Leduc Recreation Centre. “Todd’s coming in with accountability right away. There’ll be no off days and no beating around the bushes.
“There’s no cruising the line and asking your buddy what’s going on. If you’re screwing up (at practice) you’re going to stand out pretty good, and no one wants that.”
Yes, you’ve likely heard this one before. Let’s face it: a new coach comes in and players line up to comment on how much better things are than when the last guy was here.
But this is different, in that the last three coaches here were coaching their first ever NHL game. McLellan is proven, and accepted as a coach who’ll identify the issues here, teach the proper way to play and coach this lineup to somewhere other than another No. 1 draft pick.
“There’s a demand for a much higher work ethic in practice, that’s going to carry over into the games. That’s exciting,” said Hall, who has played 299 NHL games, yet not one in the post-season. “You want to be a part of a team that’s hard working, and goes into other team’s buildings and they know there’s going to be a big game ahead.”
A big game past Nov. 15 would be a start for these Oilers. Somehow, it feels like fans here might get a few of those this season.