WWYDW: The Nelson Conundrum

Limbo is a popular dance contest that originated on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, where contestants try to dance their way underneath a horizontal bar. Limbo is also a state in which Todd Nelson finds himself in, currently still under contract by the Oilers, but kicked out of the captains chair in favour of Todd McLellan. 

I feel like it’s safe to say we all fell in love with Uncle Todd last season. He was basically the opposite of Dallas Eakins, and has characteristics that go over REALLY well in Edmonton (Dad Bod, 90’s goatee, ill-fitting suits, rides a hog, etc). He did a great job with the Oklahoma City Barons, and finally got a chance to step up to the big leagues after being passed over for the Oilers skipper job twice. And by all indications he seems to be a “players coach”, a guy that may not be the most tactically advanced, but who can bring the best out of his players. 

As Todd McLellan said yesterday during his introductory press conference he (obviously) hasn’t had much time to sit down with the current members of the coaching staff to get a feel of what he potentially has at his disposal.  

I’ve always been of the opinion that while Todd Nelson did a fine job with the tire fire of a roster he inherited last December, he seems better suited for an assistant coach job; the good cop to the head coaches bad cop. In my ideal world I would love if McLellan kept Nelson on, and we spent all season making hilarious Todd puns (Eg. Two T’s In A Todd). However New Todd mentioned that this was a chance for both he and Chiarelli to start fresh. It would not surprise me at all if McLellan brought in an entire staff of his own, rather than hanging onto some of the current Oiler assistants currently suffering from PMSD (Post MacTavish Stress Disorder). 

What say you Nation? Do you think McLellan will keep Nelson on the staff, as he’s already familiar with the players and has done a great job helping a number of players make the jump from the AHL to the NHL? Would YOU keep him on if you had the choice? Send him back down to keep developing players on the farm? LET’S ARGUE ABOUT IT IN THE COMMENTS! GO!