Paul Coffey could become one of the great coaches in the NHL
Heading into the highly anticipated NHL season, Paul Coffey has his work cut out for him.
When looking at the Oilers top 6, there's no question that the team possesses the most elite offensive core in the NHL. But when analyzing the Oilers defensive core, it's a different story entirely.
Paul Coffey joined the team last season after the team got off to a nightmare 3-9-1 start. The Oilers poor performance ultimately led to the demise of former head coach Jay Woodcroft which prompted a seismic culture shift. Among the new hires last year were new head coach Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey, and the results were almost instant.
Paul Coffey was able to work alongside Evan Bouchard, transforming his game into a top 10 calibre blue-liner. Coffey was also able to transition Vincent Desharnais - a semi pro D-man at best into a certified NHL player. With that being said, the Oilers face huge concerns regarding their defence again, and Paul Coffey could etch his name into the history books.
According to Edmonton Journal's David Staples, If Coffey can find a solution to his second pairing dilemma, it won't be much of a chore to find two d-men who can get it done in more limited roles on the third-pairing. One of Emberson or Kulak will lead the pairing, with Brown and Stecher next in line.
If Coffey can take one of these newcomers and turn him into a solid Top 4 option in the next few months, his reputation as an elite defensive coach at the NHL level will be secured.
There's no doubt in my mind that Coffey has one of the best defensive coaching minds in the NHL. If he can replicate his success from last year, Coffey will be considered one of the best assistant bench bosses in the game.
source: Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Oilers defence is both terrific and terrible. Can Paul Coffey make sense of it?
| POLL | ||
Is Paul Coffey a great coach? | ||
| Yes | 50 | 98 % |
| No | 1 | 2 % |
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