from David Staples of the Edmonton Journal,

Paul Coffey has his defensive brigade playing like, well, their own newly-minuted versions of Paul Coffey.

Since Coffey took over in mid-November as coach of the Oil d-men, this group has been transformed from plodders into puck movers.

They have got their feet moving. They have got their eyes up, searching to bomb away with stretch passes. And they are moving and probing at the offensive blueline to launch hard shots on net.

All this has played out with Edmonton’s d-men crushing it at even strength, cutting down slightly on their individual major mistakes on Grade A shots against, dropping from 1.53 per game before Coffey to 1.31 per game per player with Coffey.

They have taken an even bigger jump on the attack, where they’re making a higher rate of major contributions to Grade A shots for, going from 1.06 per game to 1.34 per game.

That kind of statistical improvement represents the difference between a d-man who is playing solid hockey to one who is playing at an all-star level, which Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse are all doing under Coffey’s guidance.

This is the same Coffey whose promotion to Asst. Coach was met with no end of scoffing from some loud factions of fans in Oil Country.

You know may have heard the complaints if you logged onto social media for a moment after Coffey was signed up: Coffey is a member of the OBC (Old Boys Club). Coffey has never coached at the pro, college or major junior level. Coffey is special assistant to owner Daryl Katz, which is sure to cause dissension. What does Coffey know about modern players anyway?

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