Edmonton has canned their coach; Could GM MacTavish deal Taylor Hall? ... Abbotsford's Virtanen trying out for Canadian World Junior team
*Bullet points from the rink, December 15, 2014...
The Edmonton Oilers have fired Dallas Eakins. It's a significant announcement, since this is a franchise that seems to have a hard time admitting it's trotting down the wrong path, even though the stats say the team hasn't made the playoffs in eight years. (Confirmation. That's true.)Craig MacTavish is still the general manager, which is fair since he just started there. But Kevin Lowe's still the Oilers' president/conductor on a train to Hell. And firing Eakins won't redo the Yakupov draft or the epically dysfunctional mishandling of several elite young assets since 2010.And apparently, Taylor Hall might be the guy the Oil want to move... which is shocking, really. (Story via Yahoo's Puck Daddy/TSN's Darren Dreger)Is it a coincidence that the Oilers canned their coach on the same day Connor McDavid was cleared for contact? Destiny, meet the mirror.I think RNH is most untouchable Oiler because he's No. 1 centre, unless they somehow got Connor McDavid.#oilers.
— Jim Matheson (@NHLbyMatty) December 15, 2014
World Juniors: Connor McDavid wants Canada gold, 10 years after Crosby's (VIDEO) http://t.co/l2l43clBVw pic.twitter.com/h2rcB0IQrE
— Black Press BC (@BlackPressMedia) December 12, 2014
It seems Abbotsford kid Jake Virtanen has done enough to earn himself a spot on Canada's World Junior team – or, at least, he's done everything he could or was expected to. (Story via AbbyNews.com)In case you're wondering whether it's a bad sign for the Canucks that their sixth overall pick from last year's draft is a bubble pick for Canada's junior team, don't worry... it's not.Several players who have been stars at the U20 level have failed to transition to the NHL – Nail Yakupov and Cody Hodgson (remember him?) so far, for example, plus Shawn Belle or Justin Pogge. And others have been disrespected by Canada and have then turned into stars – take 2009, when Jamie Benn and Evander Kane were fourth liners on Canada's gold medal-winning team, and Kane only made the roster as an injury replacement.Other players who didn't make that team? Nazem Kadri, Travis Hamonic, Brayden Schenn, a 16-year-old Taylor Hall, and even Matt Duchene. And Tyler Seguin, who didn't make the 2010 team, currently leads the NHL with 23 goals in 29 games.Hockey fans: Is there a better player Canadian player in the last 20 years who never played in the World Juniors than Tyler Seguin? #NHL
Jake Virtanen, Brayden Point stand out for Canada at World Juniors camp – http://t.co/SjYlWJ4vja pic.twitter.com/QEHI7AEYOb
— Black Press BC (@BlackPressMedia) December 15, 2014
Some new details on the Slava Voynov case:"Slava Voynov's wife told police the Los Angeles Kings defenceman hit, choked and pushed her into a television in their bedroom during a fight in October, an officer testified Monday." (Story via Canadian Press/Surrey Leader)
Voynov is currently serving an indefinite suspension and hasn't played since he was arrested in October.On Monday, a Redondo Beach Police Officer Gregory Wiist gave his testimony: "She was crying, sobbing... I saw tears streaming down her face. She was an emotional wreck."Story via Deadspin: 'Slava Voynov's Domestic Violence Arrest Was A Bloody Scene'