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I am made to believe that Dave Tippett will lead an almost entirely new staff behind the bench. Look forTrent Yawney, who joined the Oilers last year as a defensive core specialist, to join Todd McLellan in Los Angeles. What exactly this means for Glen Gulutzan and Manny Viveiros is not clear, although I don’t expect both of them to be back, at least not in their present roles.

Look for some fresh blood on either of Tippett’s flanks, though. The two main candidates:

–Jim Playfair spent 6 years as an Assistant Coach for the Coyotes and is a former Oilers draft pick (20th over-all in 1982). In fact he is a one-time Fort Saskatchewan Trader (AJHL). Playfair spent one full (winning) season as Head Coach of the Calgary Flames. I expect him to be added. A strong structure guy.

-I first met Mark Lambin Swift Current in the 70’s. He spent 10 years playing in the NHL, parts of 5 of those in Edmonton. Mark was an assistant in Dallas almost the entire time that Tippett was Head Coach there. Great guy, smart hockey man. Both he and his new G.M. are Medicine Hat Tigers alumnus.

Bob Boughner is recently fired in Florida. At one point it was thought he may be in the mix for a support job here as well. But that does not seem to be coming to pass. Either way, Holland is leaning on experience, experience and more experience.

In related News, it looks as if Bakersfield Condors Head Coach Jay Woodcroft will choose to stay with the club. It is tough to put much of the disappointing result of last year on the support coaching staff. And the one man in the organization who truly enjoyed success was Woodcroft. Despite some assumed loyalties to McLellan I am told that Woodcroft is expected back. I think most would view that as a positive.