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Evaluating Tambellini, Renney
The contracts of Steve Tambellini, left, and Tom Renney are set to expire after this season.

Mark Spector, Aportsnet.ca, January 11, 2012

EDMONTON — From the outside, the Edmonton Oilers appear to be a disaster.

Thirtieth place two years in a row. Now, halfway into this season, they sit 13th in the West and once again, a lottery team at No. 27 overall.

So, with the contracts of general manager Steve Tambellini, head coach Tom Renney and his coaching staff set to expire at the end of this season — a fact reported by Nick Kypreos on HOCKEY CENTRAL this week — should we be surprised there has been no announcement of contract extensions in Edmonton?

Have Tambellini and Renney earned their second contracts? The standings may say no, but dig a little deeper and you'll find an organization that is far more fundamentally sound this year than last.

In a traditional rebuild like the one going on here in Edmonton, the final step includes a climb in the standings. So the question becomes: How impatient is owner Daryl Katz, and by extension, his right-hand man Kevin Lowe?

Are they happy with the progress in Tambellini's four years, and Renney's three? Or were they expecting more than the basement of this structure to be completed by now?

Katz does not speak to the media. The rest of organization followed suit when approached on the topic this week.

Meanwhile, the second half of the season began Wednesday night at Rexall Place with a full house of Oilers fans not knowing whether the key architects of this rebuild will be back next year.

Should they be? Let us discuss:

In his first season at the helm, Tambellini's Oilers finished 21st overall with 85 points. The next year he fired his first head coaching hire, Pat Quinn. Since then, Edmonton has been 30th twice, and this season is all but over at the halfway point.

Peel back a few layers of the onion however, and you can find clear progress being made here in Edmonton. And the things that haven't worked? Average 347 man games of injuries for the past 3 seasons, and see how well your preseason plans play out.

This season, the Oilers are on pace for 266 man games lost to injury. Against New Jersey, they were missing their top two scoring forwards, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (shoulder) and Jordan Eberle (knee), and their best three defencemen: Ryan Whitney, Tom Gilbert and Cam Barker (all ankles).

None are expected back before February.

Pick a team, and eliminate its top two scoring forwards and No. 1, 2 and 3 d-men. Even mighty Pittsburgh, without its stars, falls from first to eighth. Now think of what it does to a rebuilding lineup with little depth.

Look beyond the standings however, and you'll find tangible signs that a rebuild really is happening.

The farm team: Traditionally a sore spot in this organization, the Oklahoma City Barons have sat atop the American Hockey League standings for much of the season, despite the constant phone calls for replacements from Edmonton.

Special teams: Edmonton's power play ranks fourth this season, while the penalty kill is ninth. Last season they finished 27th and 29th respectively.

Goals for and against: Despite being on pace for just four more points than the 2010-11 season, Edmonton's goals differential sits at minus-6 at the halfway point, putting them 20th in the NHL. Last season it ranked 30th at minus-76, colder than a windy day at Jasper Ave. and 101st.

Look, anyone can get fired at any time. This is the NHL. But it's difficult to look at Tambellini's work and count up the things he's done wrong.

Sure, free agent pickup Eric Belanger hasn't produced offensively. But he was acquired primarily to win faceoffs and at 57.4 per cent, he's sixth in the NHL.

UFA signing Ben Eager's numbers aren't great, but this team sure gets pushed around less than it used to, with both Eager and Andy Sutton in the lineup. Sutton by the way, has been a steadying force on the blue line, and the coach or GM can hardly be blamed for his13-game absence due to suspension.

And how about trading Dustin Penner last year for a young defenceman in Colten Teubert, plus a first-round pick that turned into world junior all-star Oscar Klefbom? That deal looks like sheer larceny today.

As for Renney, he is that patient, teaching head coach, responsible for a foundation of better play that produces more respectable numbers. Yesterday's minus-76 has become today's minus-6, and the Oilers are second only to Columbus in one-goal losses, which means they're getting closer.

We know: none of it matters for fans that haven't seen a playoff game in Edmonton since 2006; that patience is hard to come by, particularly at these ticket prices.

But if the discussion is about whether Tambellini and Renney should continue at the wheel of this rebuild, you have to get past the standings to make an informed decision.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."