It looks like the Oilers aren’t playing around this season.
Edmonton announced new hockey operations staff members for the 2022-23 season on Friday. Duncan Keith will serve as Player Development Consultant and Milan Tichy will serve as Director of Amateur European Scouting.
Keith, a former defenseman, retired from the Chicago Blackhawks this past July after 16 seasons. He won the Norris Trophy twice (2009-10, 2013-14), the Conn Smythe Trophy once (2014-15) and was part of three Hawks Stanley Cup championship teams (2010, 2013, 2015).
Tichy is a Czech former defenseman who was drafted 153rd overall by the Blackhawks in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft and played 13 games for the Hawks during the 1992-93 NHL season.
It’s no surprise the Oilers are carefully preparing for the franchise’s 44th season in the NHL, especially considering their last three playoff runs ended earlier than they would have hoped.
The Oilers made the playoffs for the third consecutive year during the 2020-21 season, but lost in the Western Conference final to the Colorado Avalanche. Previously, the Oilers lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2021 and in the qualifying round in 2020 against the Blackhawks.
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Their last Stanley Cup Final appearance was in 2006, and with the last three seasons being so close, it’s clear Jay Woodcroft needs to bring in the big guns.
So far this season, the Oilers are fourth in the Pacific Division with a record of 1-0-0. They will play the Calgary Flames Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.