Today’s Edmonton Oilers news involves Piero Greco. Meanwhile, the players have hit the ice for the first time, as GM Stan Bowman and a few players spoke on Tuesday for media day.
Oilers fans should be pleased to know this year’s preseason will be much shorter. This will be the first season with only four preseason games. This year, the Oilers will play two games against the Winnipeg Jets, followed by one game against the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.
Edmonton Oilers Hire Former New York Islanders Goaltending Coach For Bakersfield Condors
Earlier on Wednesday, the Oilers organization announced it had hired Greco as the goaltending coach for the Bakersfield Condors.
“The Bakersfield Condors announced today that Piero Greco has been hired as the team’s goaltending coach beginning with the 2026-27 season. He takes over for Kelly Guard,” the team announced. “Greco, 59, served as the New York Islanders goaltending coach from 2018 until last season and helped develop the careers of Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov, Robin Lehner, and Tomas Greiss.”
“In 2019, he helped the organization securing the William Jennings Trophy presented annually to the NHL team which allowed the fewest goals. Twice, Sorokin in 2023 and Lehner in 2019, his goaltenders were Vezina Trophy runners-up, presented annually to the league’s top netminder.”
Outside of the hiring of Mike Babcock, this could be the biggest hire the Oilers make this season. Greco brings a proven track record for developing solid goaltenders, including one of the best in the NHL, Ilya Sorokin.
Piero Greco Hire Should Have Fans Jumping For Joy
The fact that Greco has been hired as the new goalie coach for the Condors should have Oilers fans jumping for joy.
Too long has the organization been critized for how they develop their young prospects. Having someone of Greco’s caliber is exactly the right person for the job.
Looking at the performances of all the goalies that Greco coached at the NHL level, none of them are objectively “bad” goalies. Of the four mentioned in the press release, Greiss is the only goalie that could be seen as average.
This bodes well for the Oilers.
Potential Goalies Who Will Work With Greco
Looking at the Oilers’ potential AHL goalie situation, there are several goalies who could end up working with Greco.
Connor Ungar, Matt Tomkins, Nathaniel Day, and Samuel Jonsson are all under contract but are not ready for NHL action. Not to mention, Devon Levi could fall to the AHL if things don’t go as expected in the big leagues.
There is a lot of potential with Ungar, Day, and Jonsson. Having someone like Greco to provide an assessment of each player would be valuable.
Not to mention the prospect of being coached by him.
Either way, this surprising hire could be the best thing to happen to the organization this year.
Edmonton Oilers Hire Former New York Islanders Goalie Coach