Oilers shuffle hockey operations, hire Keith Gretzky

Jordan Eberle downplayed the notion of him wearing the 'C' for the Edmonton Oilers next year, but feels that if not now, but in the future, that Connor McDavid will be the team's leader if not the NHL's.

The Edmonton Oilers announced a number of hirings on Tuesday as part of their efforts to restructure the team’s hockey operations department.

Keith Gretzky will join the team as assistant general manager, where he’ll once again be working with GM Peter Chiarelli. The two also worked together in Boston, where Chiarelli was GM prior to joining the Oilers in 2015.

Gretzky has been part of the Bruins organization for the past five years, spending part of that time as the team’s director of amateur scouting. Prior to that, he was part of the Arizona Coyotes‘ scouting staff. The 49-year-old hockey executive is the younger brother of Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky.

The front-office shuffle will see previous assistant GM, Bill Scott, stay with the team as director of salary cap management and assistant to the president of hockey operations.

Other announcements include Kelly Buchberger as VP of player development and Duane Sutter as VP of player personnel. Frank Jay and P.J. Fenton have been added as amateur scouts.

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