This past weekend, the Edmonton Oilers relieved Ralph Kreuger of his head coaching duties. It didn't take them long to find a new man, as Dallas Eakins, the hot name in first-time NHL coaches, was given the job of turning a young, talented team into a playoff contender. Eakins was a journeyman player who found success as coach in the AHL, as he led the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup final appearance in 2012, and was responsible for the development of the likes of James Reimer and Nazem Kadri. The hire is seen as an outside-the-box move by the Oilers, who have traditionally hired people with some kind of tie to the organization. Eakins' biggest challenge will be identifying a number one defenseman, as the Oilers are sorely lacking in that catagory.
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