The Vegas Golden Knights organization is probably still reeling from an incredible loss in game seven to the San Jose Sharks, but before long they’ll have to start thinking about their future. One person who will quickly have interested parties calling on him is assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who has been linked to the GM searches of both the Edmonton Oilers and expansion Seattle team in the past. Today, Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that the Oilers will send a request for permission to speak with McCrimmon in the coming days.
It’s good fortune for the Oilers that the Golden Knights were eliminated by the Sharks last night, given that the team has been open with the fact that they want their front office search done in the next few weeks. The Golden Knights looked like they were sailing straight through to the second round before a five-minute major penalty was assessed to Cody Eakin in the third period. That penalty changed the course of the game and very well could change the course of the Oilers search, given how highly regarded McCrimmon is around the league.
After running the Brandon Wheat Kings organization for decades, McCrimmon came to the Golden Knights as they were preparing for their own expansion draft and has been credited with many of the strategies the team took to build a winner right away. Not only did Vegas put together an excellent NHL team, but their excellent draft class in 2017 allowed them to pull off some of the biggest trades of the last year. Names like Erik Brannstrom and Nick Suzuki were used as bait to land Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, two players who will lead the Golden Knights for some time.
Those kinds of trades may be exactly what the Oilers are looking for. The team can’t wait around to draft and rebuild their team while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are in prime years of production. There needs to be an improvement around them, and whoever is hired as GM will be tasked to start that immediately.
Cody Eakin to Edmonton for prospect defenseman Ethan Bear
Feel bad for Vegas. That was a minor penalty. Refs should be fired
Agreed, I felt bad for them for that terrible call, but they deserve their share of the blame. They could’ve just rolled out an effective PK and yknow, not give up four goals. They also could’ve just won games 5,6, or 7 and not collapsed. And even before that call, the refs allowed Eakin’s goal to count, which was probably the wrong call. They might not have even been in the position to blow a 3 goal lead if it weren’t for those refs.
That’s a fair reply,goat
Vegas missed on way too many wide open passes late in regulation and OT for game 6 and 7. The puck was playing hopscotch on them. An awful way to go out because they were clearly the better team.
If I were Seattle, I’d want McCrimmon, no matter the price. The job that McPhee did with Vegas cannot be overstated and McCrimmon was either a part of it or (at the very least) learned at the feet of the master.
The call was BS. The NHL needs to have replay for majors.
Why Gallant never used his timeout, though…hard to explain.
NO! Edmonton needs to keep all their defense men. They are up to the cap and need to make some changes. How about Eakin for Lucic?
I would have one question . do I get too fire everyone working for team now. I can hire only people that never worked a day in their life for deadmonton oilers. If not say no take seattle or wait till next year for another team.
Vegas don’t need Lucic, two reasons 1) Ryan Reaves 2) salary, would have to retain salary and or one of those elite young goalies, you can keep defenseman, prefer a goalie prospect .