Oilers part ways with VP of Player Personnel Duane Sutter today. Was a large part of their pro scouting operation.
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Oilers continue front office shuffle
The front office exodus continues. About a week after it was announced Craig MacTavish was leaving the organization to coach in the KHL, Duane Sutter, the organization’s Vice President of Player Personnel has been let go.
Duane Sutter joined the Oilers after his brother Darryl Sutter was fired as the general manager of the Flames. Prior to working with the Oilers, Duane worked on Darryl’s staff in Calgary as the Director of Player Personnel. He then spent five years as a pro scout before getting promoted to Vice President of Player Personnel.
Duane Sutter, 58, enters his ninth season with the Oilers and third season as the Vice President of Player Personnel. Sutter was promoted to the position on July 2, 2016.Sutter has over 29 years of hockey experience in coaching, scouting (amateur/professional) and player development. He also spent five seasons as a pro scout for the Oilers. Prior to joining the Oilers, he served as the Director of Player Personnel with the Calgary Flames. He was also the General Manager for the Abbotsford Heat in the American Hockey League (AHL) for their inaugural season in 2013-14. Sutter also served as the Head Western Canadian scout with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992.
Per Stauffer, Oilers pro scouting "department" saw Duane Sutter, Paul Messier & Chris Cichocki each watch 8 teams, while Craig MacTavish, Scott Howson & Bill Scott split the remaining 6 teams; expects that model to change moving forward.
As Ryan Rishaug reports, Sutter was a big part of the Oilers pro scouting department. Given what we know about trades the team made, like Ryan Strome for Ryan Spooner and Drake Caggiula for Brandon Manning, the pro scouting department presumably hasn’t been doing a very good job.
Jim Matheson also reports that Vice President of Player Development Scott Howson will likely remain on with the organization. That would leave Bill Scott, the Director of Salary Cap Management, Bob Green, the Director of Player Personnel, and Keith Gretzky, the Assistant General Manager, as front office staffers with their current roles in the air. We know Ken Holland wants to keep Gretzky in the mix, but we don’t know in what specific capacity that’ll be in.
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