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Report: Chiarelli to join Oilers’ front office

2013 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Media Day

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 11: General Manager Peter Chiarelli of the Boston Bruins answers questions during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup media day at the United Center on June 11, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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Bob Nicholson recently took over as the Edmonton Oilers’ CEO and it looks like he’s wasting no time making some major changes to the team’s front office. Edmonton could announce as soon as tomorrow that former Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli will be joining the club, according to Oilers Nation.

Chiarelli has reportedly been talking with Nicholson for a couple of days. What position he’s been interviewing for isn’t known, but he will likely become the president of hockey operations, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie and CBC’s Elliotte Friedman.

That job currently belongs to Kevin Lowe and it’s not yet clear if this will involve Lowe being demoted, fired or making a lateral move to make room for Chiarelli. It also remains to be seen what this means for GM Craig MacTavish.

The Edmonton Oilers haven’t made the playoffs since 2006, but there’s reason to be optimistic about their future after they won the draft lottery. The presumptive first overall pick, Connor McDavid, is a potential game changer for Edmonton, but at the same time, the Oilers haven’t been lacking young, skilled forwards. Instead, it’s their inability to build around the young talent they already have, or in some cases perhaps deal some of those assets for defensive or goaltending help, that’s been their ongoing issue.

Although Chiarelli’s cap management and some of his moves, like his decision to trade Tyler Seguin to Dallas, came under fire in Boston, he would bring with him an impressive resume of success. The Bruins missed the playoffs this season, but under Chiarelli’s watch they won the Stanley Cup in 2011, reached the Final again in 2013, and claimed the Presidents’ Trophy in 2014.

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So…what do the Oilers do now?

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