Hitchcock wants to help in any way he can
Ken Hitchcock can’t do the limbo but he can see the state he’s in.
Or province, since we’re in Canada.
These might be the last five Edmonton Oilers games he coaches if they don’t make the playoffs, with an extensive search on for a new GM who may want his own guy behind the bench.
The Oilers reportedly took on Hitchcock’s advisory/consultant contract from Dallas, which was what he was doing for the Stars before Peter Chiarelli hired him to try to save his job back in November. The consultant role is apparently for two more years, so if he doesn’t coach, he’ll be around. But Hitchcock is a coach at heart. “This is a very unique situation for all of us (assistants Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney, Manny Viveiros) … we’re going to work our butts off until the end of the year, then it’ll be 100 per cent in somebody else’s court,” Hitchcock said. “They’ll make a decision from a general manager’s standpoint on where they want to go and the pecking order is the general manager gets to hire who he wants.”
Hitchcock has coached 1,593 NHL games in Dallas (twice), Philadelphia, St. Louis, Columbus and here. When he quit coaching in Dallas after the 2017-18 season and Jim Montgomery was hired, Hitchcock had a three-year consultant’s deal, looking at their prospects and helping wherever.
“I just want to help the Oilers. I came here for the right reasons and the more I stay here, the more I want to help. Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do it,” said Hitchcock. “Wherever they think I fit, I’m more than willing to do that.”
Tobias Rieder hasn’t scored in 63 ■ games this season and while Connor McDavid has been trying to get his left-winger Leon Draisaitl to 50 goals, is there any thought to giving Rieder a shot with the captain?
Hitchcock wouldn’t say he’d throw Rieder that lifeline but he’s pulling for him.
“I find myself getting more and more anxious because I want it (a goal) for Toby so badly,” Hitchcock said. “I’ve never seen a guy who can’t score get so many scoring chances (countless breakaways early in the year). He had four shots on goal against Dallas and three missed shots (wide). We’re not talking a guy getting one shot … that’s seven shot attempts. One has to go off his butt and let’s get on with it.”
Ken Hitchcock has been more fan than bench boss as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each hit 100 points this season.
“As a coach I don’t look at that (numbers) but what they’ve given us since I’ve been here is competitive direction to follow,” said the Edmonton Oilers coach.
“Points are points but when you’re playing the game the right way and the way they get their points … the lead horses checking to get the puck back, creating offence from a defensive position, that’s an easy sell for the coach. It’s become easier and easier for the coach to sell that to the rest of the group.”
McDavid entered Friday night’s slate of games second in NHL scoring with 114 points, Draisaitl fourth with 101.
“The points come and go, give them an odd-man rush and they’ll score, but it’s about winning hockey games for me. And they give us a chance every game and they’re impacting the rest of the group with how they’re playing.”
Draisaitl has 47 goals, second to Alex Ovechkin’s 49. McDavid has 40, which puts him in a tie for sixth with Alex DeBrincat and Brayden Point. John Tavares has 45 for third and Steve Stamkos and Patrick Kane 41 for fourth.