Evening y’all! It’s morning over here in the land of stinky tofu and bubble tea, so I get the advantage of reading the day’s posts regarding the Edmonton Oilers (or otherwise interesting comings and goings) and commenting on them. To which I’ll do exactly just that!
This is the annual preview of the u18 tournament that our good buddy from Draftgeek.ca, Brayden Sullivan, does up for us. This year’s is especially amazing because Justin Froese from Future Considerations has decided to give us a hand! These are two great up-and-coming hockey minds covering NHL prospects folks!
Joseph Veleno (CAN), Klim Kostin (RUS), Ostap Safin (CZE), Timothy Liljegren (SWE), Michael Pastujov (USA), Nico Hischier (SWI), and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (FIN) are all potential future Edmonton Oilers who’ll look to make waves at this year’s tourney! Click the blue link above to read more on them!
Five question marks. Too many. Seriously. Connor McDavid is a fantastic talent and I do think the defense and goaltending will be better, but why have the Oilers done so little work on the 3 and 4 lines? Comes the answer: Jesse Puljujarvi! I honestly believe Nail Yakupov on the 1 line is a strong option, doubt the Oilers feel that way.
Folks, it isn’t enough, by plenty. It is August, and the only conclusion a reasonable person can reach is that the city of Edmonton is doomed to another winter of cheering for a losing team. At least the seats are nicer and the sight lines for goals against will be clearer.
So LT is a bit bothered by the moves and/or lack thereof from the Oilers. I don’t blame him one bit. I would however cut Chiarelli some slack though. PC has, in fact, changed the fabric of this team in two off-seasons and the days of the soft but skilled forward are soon to be forgotten (once Yak has been dealt that is).
Speaking of Yak, I believe there’s still a way to salvage him and it would be in the vein or the Derek Roy experiment a couple of seasons back. Enter Jiri Hudler.
The 32-yr old Czech is still without a team. Now at this point in the off-season the players that haven’t been signed are either SOL or have handshake agreements with teams but are waiting for those teams to make moves to open up some room under their caps.
But is Hudler not nearly a perfect match for this Oilers team?
He’s a veteran of nearly 700 NHL games.
He’s a centre (left-handed albeit).
He won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008.
Was a Lady Byng Trophy winner in 2014/15 for Most Gentlemanly player.
Accepted the award in his socks… LOLs
Is a high-percentage shooter with career average of 15.1%.
According to stats.hockeyanalysis.com, Hudler’s impact on his most common linemates (Hudler played over 400 min 5×5 w/Gaudreau and Monahan) was very positive.
I think price point could be somewhat of a concern. Hudler made $4M last season but his production fell off nearly 30 points as well.
He did much better in his time with FLA though (6g, 5a, 11pts in 19gp w/ only 2 goals coming on the PP).
So if the Oilers added Hudler at say $3M per year for 2 years, that would fill in the 3C spot and give Yak a skilled veteran centre to try to get his act together with. And Hudler’s skill set is not that far off of Roy’s.
The only issue might be Hendricks on that 4th line but if that line is only getting 6 or 7 minutes of 5×5 TOI per game, how much of an impact might they really have apart from those players getting more minutes on the PK. I think that Iiro Pakarinen, Tyler Pitlick, Jujhar Khaira, or possibly Drake Caggiula could fit that role adequately.
Then again, maybe it’s time to stop sinking money into the rehabilitation of Nail Yakupov’s career but I fear that the Oilers will do what they’ve always done with their high-profile 1st rounders and start Puljujarvi in the majors. I mean that scenario works if it’s Pulju instead of Yak as well.
I’m not as concerned about the defense as Lowetide, maybe I should be if LT is, because there’s depth there; unfortunately its young depth. Inexperienced depth. So we can only hope that the defense stays relatively healthy this year or that someone comes in via free agency as the team is on the brink of having said depth at nearly every position. But they’ll be going into next year by the skin of their asses and if that dirty pirate we call the “injury bug” sails back to port, there could be trouble.
Anyways, let me know what you think about Jiri Hudler or the Ivan Hlinka Memorial in the comments below!
Ciao!
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Tomorrow, the hockey season starts as the latest edition of the u18 international tournament known as the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup begins. If you don’t know much about this tournament, let us get you caught up before previewing the 2016 version.
“The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, formerly known as the Junior World Cup and Pacific Cup, has been held annually since 1991, with the first tournament being held in Japan. Since 1997, the tournament has taken place in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, although only since 2002 has the tournament been held in both countries simultaneously.
Involving players under the age of eighteen, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is the premier showcase for hockey talent from Europe and overseas. The teams that regularly feature in the tournament are: Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. In the past, the tournament has helped introduce the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Steven Stamkos to the international stage.
The most successful nation at the tournament so far has been Canada, who have won gold a staggering eighteen times in twenty-two attempts. Including the Soviet Union’s 1991 victory, Russia have won gold three times, while Sweden and the USA have one gold medal to their credit so far.
The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup bears the name of the deceased Czech hockey legend who died in 2004. The name of the tournament was changed in 2012, whereas before it was called the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka.”
THE 2016 IVAN HLINKA MEMORIAL CUP PREVIEW
I enlisted the services of two ridiculously talented and “in the know” hockey prospect guys to help me with this preview. Brayden Sullivan (@SullyDraftGeek) from Draftgeek.cahas actually taken the time to write the preview you’re about to read and to give us an even better idea of the players we should be watching out for, we’ll be using some individual players reports from Justin Froese (@FroeseFC) from Future Considerations. Those will be italicized to differentiate from Brayden’s comments.
She’s a tad long but I hope you enjoy it!
Will Joe Veleno be the 1st overall pick in 2018?
Coming into this year’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament, Canada will be looking to build off of their dominant display last year where they won their 8th consecutive gold medal. Over the past 8 years Canada has managed to consistently form highly skilled and highly competitive teams that have dominated the tournament. This year is no exception as they will be led by several highly touted prospects that will look to make an immediate impact on their draft eligible year.
Three players named to Canada’s roster are still one year away from beginning their draft year, however the highly touted 2018’s, including Ryan McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads) and Joseph Veleno (Saint John Sea Dogs) will be looking to showcase their high end skill and dynamic playing styles in hopes of impressing the plethora of scouts in attendance.
Joey Veleno, C, St. John (QMJHL)- Exceptional talent is worth the hype. All over the ice making brilliance happen. Top tier awareness keeps him pacing the game when he’s on the ice. Only knock is that he could use his teammates a bit more when the pressure is on.
Ryan McLeod. C, Mississauga (OHL)- Very talented two way player who skates well and shows deception in his ability to shake opponents. Vision is top notch and he can thread a pass through a mine field. Willingness to compete is there.
Outside of those two forwards the lone 2018 draft eligible defender is Evan Bouchard (London Knights), a rangy two-way right-handed blue liner who impressed with his poised play and his crisp first pass. Expect him to anchor the Canadian blue line and be a very impactful player in this tournament.
Evan Bouchard, D, London Knights (OHL)- Big time catalyst on the backend. Shows great anticipation to jump into plays and make a difference. Excellent puck mover who can hold and show off a booming shot. Very sound defender.
Canada’s roster features many highly touted 2017 NHL draft prospects and features a variety of skill sets. Starting with the bigger bodied players in Michael Rasmussen (Tri-City Americans) and Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres), who are both capable of dominating this tournament physically and production-wise. Comtois and Rasmussen will be coming into Slovakia with a lot of confidence after their impressive showing at the summer showcase and will be given key roles in order to win the 9th consecutive gold.
Maxime Comtois, RW, Victoriaville (QMJHL)– Skilled forward who plays a dependable game. Shows up every shift and uses top end puck skill and smarts to create offense.
You’ll find a lot of mobility on the back end with players like Ian Mitchell (Spruce Grove Saints), Elijah Roberts (Kitchener Rangers) and Marcus Phillips (Owen Sound Attack) who all have the ability to impact the game offensively with their top-end skating abilities and offensive instincts with the pucks.
Ian Mitchell, D, Spruce Grove (AJHL)–Smaller puck rushing defenseman who pushes the pace and has good instincts with the puck on his stick. Has quarter back type skills and handles the puck with finesse, manufacturing lanes and chances with his quickness and excellent awareness.
Markus Phillips, D, Owen Sound (OHL)- Steady defender has intelligence to succeed in any situation. Calm nature and has skating ability to get out of trouble or lead a rush.
Look for Elijah Roberts to break out on scouts list and be top defender in this years tournament, as he was highly impressive at the summer showcase and raised a lot of eyebrows with his mobility, puck moving abilities, and defensive awareness.
Another few players who I will be keeping an eye out for is forwards McKenzie Entwistle (Hamilton Bulldogs), Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads), Stelios Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings) and Shane Bowers (Waterloo Blackhawks)., as well as QMJHL defenseman Antoine Crete-Belzile (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada).
Owen Tippett. RW, Mississauga (OHL)-Showed off his ability to execute under pressure. Great offensive ability.
Stellio Mattheos, C/W, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)- Skilled and strong offensive threat plays the game responsibly and with skill. No one has taken a bigger stride forward in the last 2 months. Power game and effectiveness on the rush taking center stage in the playoffs.
Shane Bowers, C, Waterloo (USHL)- 200 foot guy that works well with the puck. Great speed and natural skill. Plays with a lot of gumption and makes life hard for opponents.
While Tippett and Mattheos are two highly-touted forwards who have been on scouts’ watch lists for months, Entwistle and Crete-Belzile are two players I look forward to watching because of their notable performances at the summer showcase.
In net, I expect Michael DiPietro (Windsor Spitfires) to take the reins in net for Canada and play most of the tournament, but I do believe that Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders) will get the opportunity to show what he has and will strive in that moment.
Other Notable Players
The following players will grab your attention almost immediately if you get a chance to watch their games.
Nico Hischier (Switzerland): My current #2 ranked prospect going into the 2017 entry draft, Nico will have an opportunity to dominate this tournament and lead in the scoring department. He finished last year with 6PTS (3G-3A) in just 4 games and was arguably the most valuable player for the Swiss. Hischier is a highly skilled playmaker that plays the game at a high tempo and with loads of compete. He possesses elite vision and makes his linemates better by finding them on the ice in a consistent manner. Recently Hischier has followed in the footsteps of Swiss product Timo Meier and will join the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.
Timothy Liljegren (Sweden): A top-end defensive prospect going into this years NHL entry draft, Timothy Liljegren will be looking to show scouts that he can challenge Nolan Patrick for that #1 spot in the draft. Currently ranked #3 on my personal rankings, Liljegren is a mobile offensive defender that has the potential to put up big time numbers in this tournament. He possesses a deadly wrister from the point and a laser-like first pass that NHL scouts are in awe about. A right-handed shot, Liljegren has already played in the SHL as a 16 year old and already posted a solid 5PTS (1G-4A) in 19 games. Look for Liljegren to get big time minutes for Sweden and rack up some major stats on the score sheet.
Timothy Liljegren, D, Rogle (SWE J20 Elite)-While there needs to be some defensive work he is a rangy and excellent puck rushing defenceman who loves getting involved offensively.
Urho Vaakanainen (Finland): Another solid Finnish draft eligible who knows how to move the puck, Vaakanainen will be looking to proves to scouts that he should be treated as a top-10 pick. Going into his 2nd season in the Finnish elite league, Urho’s passing abilities have impressed on all stages of hockey he has played at. Look for Vaakanainen to eat up a lot of minutes for Finland and more importantly produce at a high-end level.
Urho Vaakanainen, D, Blues (Liiga)- Intelligent two way defender is great at turning the puck up ice. Very little risk and does a good job boxing out and managing the defensive zone.
Ostap Safin (Czech Republic): My current #10 ranked player in this year NHL draft, Ostap Safin will be looking to lead the Czech Republic into the medal stages. Another big power forward, Safin put up very impressive numbers in the Czech U20 league last year and I believed he would have came over the NA this upcoming season. I fully expect that Safin will be in the run for MVP since this is his opportunity to show NA fans what he can do.
Ostap Safin, RW, HC Sparta Praha (Czech U20)- Large and offensively gifted. Builds momentum to overcome adversity. High IQ and creates chances with skilled passes or individual sequences.
Klim Kostin (Russia) : The 1st overall pick in the 2016 import draft, Klim Kostin is a big bodied power forward who has amazing offensive scoring abilities. He will most likely be the Captain for Russia and will be given the biggest responsibility in this tournament, to lead Russia to a medal. A player who may play against men in the KHL next year, I’m looking for Klim Kostin to make a huge impact in this tournament physically and production wise. A player who I believe will be in the run for tournament MVP alongside Safin and Hischier.
Klim Kostin, RW, Dynamo Moskva (Russia U17)- Man sized guy who can dominate for stretches with the puck. Works his tail off and leads by example. Could be top Russian off the board.
Isac Lundestrom (Sweden) : Not eligible till the 2018 NHL Draft, the Swedish forward will be looking to make his mark at this tournament as an underage. A top end puck handler who protects the puck well, Lundestrom has the talents to shine at this tournament. Also, he has already played in the SHL but was unable to put up any points. I fully expect that Lundestrom will be a crucial part to the Swedish roster and will be hassle to deal with as a defender, thanks to his NHL caliber speed.
Isaac Lundestrom, C, Lulea HF J20 (Super Elit)- Poised puck handler is capable of leading a play and makes quick decisions when he is flying. Puts himself in the right spot to execute consistently.
Filip Zadina (Czech Republic) : A high-end dynamic offensive threat, Zadina will also be going into this years Ivan Hlinka tournament as an underage player, not being eligible until the 2018 NHL draft. Coming off of a solid year in the Czech U20 league, Zadina will suit up this upcoming season with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL and will be looking to showcase his talents to the North American fan. Personally I love his offensive game and I feel he will be able to produce big time numbers at this tournament alongside Ostap Safin, but will struggle against much faster teams and will need to get over that in order to be successful here. Expect a big time tournament out of Filip Zadina.
Filip Zadina, F, HC Pardubice (Czech U-20)– Absolutely dynamic skillset and a premier puckhandler. Has blazing speed and the thought process to think 3 steps ahead. Conscious efforts to defend. Capable of domination.
Michael Pastujov (USA) : Once highly regarded as a 1st round pick in this years upcoming NHL draft, Pastujov will be looking to show scouts that he is still capable of playing at that level. The University of Michigan commit is coming off of an injury riddled season that saw him only play 14 games with the USNDTP of the USHL. I expect we’ll see a heavily motivated Pastujov.
Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden) : As one of the lone 2000 players in this year tournament, Dahlin will be pushing for ice time and responsibilities on a stacked Swedish blue line. A player to remember for the 2018 NHL draft, Dahlin possesses similar offensive abilities to teammate Timothy Liljegren and will hopefully be able to produce at this tournament. Currently ranked #6 on my list of 2018 draft eligible, this will be Dahlin’s chance to lock his name into scout’s rankings.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Finland): One of the only highly-regarded goaltenders going into this years Ivan Hlinka tournament, Luukkonen will be batting with Canadian goalie Michael DiPietro to prove that he is the #1 goalie in this year’s NHL draft. Coming off of a season with HPK U20 where he posted a 1.98 GAA and a .924 SV%, Luukkonen is looking to carry those top end number into the tournament and be named the top goalie of the tournament. At 6’3 196lbs, Luukkonen is certainly NHL goalie size.
Nando Eggenberger (Switzerland): A late ’99, Eggenberger will be coming into his 2nd Ivan Hlinka tournament looking to improve on last year’s performance. Last year Eggenberger finished the tournament without a point and at a brutal minus-5, he was very under-utilized and will be looking towards being a more impactful player this time around. Not being eligible until the 2018 draft, Eggenberger will have a head start on all the other eligibles. Eggenberger is a solid 6’2 power forward who has a solid drive to go to the net and battle for his points. He plays hard in all 3 zones and has a reliable defensive game that scouts will be looking for.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the tournament! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!
Yesterday the alumni rosters were announced for the 2016 Heritage Classic game on Oct.23rd between the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets, which I will say, are on par with the jersey unveils. Meaning that the Oilers seriously missed a perfect opportunity to raise some more skrilla to pay for their new arena and that the Jets roster is left wanting. Whilst the Oilers alumni roster is always amazing and the Jets unis are f*cking gorgeous. I’ll never buy one because they belong to the Jets but great looking nonetheless. Let’s talk about it below.
Defensemen: Paul Coffey, Randy Gregg, Charlie Huddy, *Kevin Lowe, Marty McSorley
Forwards: Glenn Anderson, Kelly Buchberger, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Ken Linseman, Blair MacDonald, *Craig MacTavish, Mark Messier, Dave Semenko, Craig Simpson, Ryan Smyth, Esa Tikkanen
Also, according to the article on NHL.com,
Grant Fuhr will be attending but not player.
Kevin Lowe will be on the bench as an assistant coach.
Craig MacTavish will also be on the bench as an assistant coach.
More players are expected to be added later. Personally I’m hoping to see a whole whack of ex-players like Todd Marchant, Doug Weight, Jason Arnott, Bill Guerin, Roman Hamrlik, Boris Mironov, or Curtis Joseph make an appearance on the Oilers side of the ice.
But how on Earth are the Oilers going to win this game with so many left-handed dmen?…
JETS ALUMNI
Coaches: Tom McVie, Serge Savard
Goaltenders: Bob Essensa… (Yup just Bobby here… No Pokey Reddick or Daniel Berthiaume.)
Defencemen: Dave Babych, Dave Ellett, Mike Ford, Jim Kyte, Mario Marois, Moe Mantha, Teppo Numminen, Tim Watters
Forwards: Laurie Boschman, Mike Eagles, Dale Hawerchuk, Kris King, Morris Lukowich, Andrew McBain, Brian Mullen, Teemu Selanne, Darrin Shannon, Doug Smail, Thomas Steen, Ron Wilson
Surprised Dallas Eakins didn’t get the call here. Surely there are no other reasons to play, right? He’d love to be on the ice for another Teemu Selanne shotgun goal celebration, no? I think he could Nail down catching that glove again.
But more seriously, where’s Dave Christian and Keith Tkachuk? If Dave Hunter can get a pair of skates on, Tkachuk should have no problem. Randy Carlyle how about? For the love of Christ, can I get a Phil Housley? Mark Messier was still playing in the NHL when he played in the alumni game versus the Habs back in 2003… I mean Tie Domi would at least make it interesting.
Anyways, If you’re really bored you can read our alumni roster predictions we made back in March here.
Until then we wait…
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I was really excited today because the Heritage Classic rosters were being released and the possibility of a new Oilers jersey as well but it wasn’t to be, instead today’s focus is on two former Edmonton Oilers… Crikey man, it’s almost daily where I wake up over here and there’s some more bullshizzle going on regarding the Oilers on Twitter. But this one today could very well be the stake to the heart of the Hall-ogists. Let’s move on with the satire…
Ben Scrivens on Klefbom's comment on Hall: 'He would know pretty well, he played with him for a while, and I can't say he's wrong' #Oilers
It was hard and I had to find an English translator in the middle of the night to get it done but I have translated the comments Ben Scrivens made about the Klefbom/Hall incident. Let’s break it down.
“He would know pretty well,”
Okay, right here we’ve got Ben saying Klefbom know’s someone named “Pretty Well” or that Oscar would know if and when Hall played his best because…
“he played with him for a while,”
Now, this is pretty cryptic and I had a hard time finding a true translation for it but I reckon it’s pointing to the “fact” that Klefbom and Hall were teammates for three years. I could be wrong, English is a finicky language.
“and I can’t say he’s wrong.”
Well this is where we get into the business end. I’ll be honest though, was he talking about Hall being the team’s best player or Hall not giving his best against the harder teams? I guess we’ll never truly know because of the language barrier.
We’ll have to wait until he can get back overseas and speak OUR language, that way we’ll know for sure if something was or wasn’t lost in translation.
Until then… We wait for the Oilers PR guy to call Scrivens in Russia and do what he can to twist the former netminder’s arm into issuing a follow-up interview to clarify what he “really” meant.
If you’re angry after reading that, you should be. If you found it funny, mission accomplished on my part. If you’re sad because everyone is shitting on Taylor Hall these days, maybe consider that these rumors are starting to set in stone.
This is the 2nd time Scrivens has commented on Hall in the last 30 days.
Now before you get all over Ben Scrivens and lambaste the guy for agreeing with Klefbom. This guy is an asshole like PK Subban was an asshole in Montreal. Case in point:
Scrivens was a team-first player in Edmonton. He probably sealed his fate with Hall when he agreed to join Team Ference in the locker room though. But he did things like:
Would’ve been nice to see one of the Oilers young “leaders” throw that jersey back into the crowd.
He also did things like this:
You might still say that for a guy who was buried in the minors due to poor performance (probably would be a good idea to take a look at the team in front of him during his tenure) and finally ended up in the KHL, he shouldn’t say anything at all or that his opinion holds no water… But you’re wrong, in fact it holds more water. Why?
Because he was in the dressing room…
Maybe, just maybe, Hall had an absolute shit attitude in the locker-room. Maybe his teammates respected the HELL out of his on-ice talent but grew tired of his off-ice attitude. Maybe he thought that what was working for him when Renney, Eakins, Nelson, Quinn, and MacTavish were coaches, would work with McLellan and Chiarelli… Ouch!
If you’ve played hockey at any level, you’ve probably played with a guy/girl that was so good but your personality clashed with theirs. Not anybody’s problem really unless it impacts the rest of the team in a negative fashion. The kicker is, if the team is one that is a perennial loser and said player still harbours that same attitude and behaviour, the novelty runs out fast. It starts looking very selfish and the rest of the team resents it.
I think we can all agree the lack of success is not to be laid at Hall’s feet solely but yet he should be held responsible to a certain extent. Being the best player on the team and a guy with a letter on his chest, means being consistent on the ice in terms of effort and production and that’s not just in the eyes of the stats men in the stands and the fans. It means, most importantly, you’ve got the backing of your teammates no matter what. Not just a few that are the same age as your or want to ride your coattails either, All of them!
If you’re still wondering why he never made Team Canada for a meaningful tournament or was never named captain of the Oilers… You might very well take that mystery to your grave.
Unfortunately for Hall, he never had that in Edmonton. Tough break kid! Hopefully he gets his ducks in a row in New Jersey.
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Okay, before you beat me up and take my lunch money for that pun that doesn’t even really work if you read it out loud, let’s just talk about a few things. A recap, if you will, of a rather eventful few days at a point in the offseason not really close to any major events, when we as hockey writers have to just take it upon ourselves to manufacture controversy wherever we can. I will gladly shoulder that burden.
Oh hey, Sexbom
By now, we’re all painfully aware of the comments made by Klefbom in regard to Hall and his play against tough competition, and how it was in all likelihood someone in the Oilers organization who made him “clarify” those comments the next morning, when they became a whole lot more politically correct and a whole lot less about Hall
Got an Klefbom update for you: Talked with Oscar again and he wanted to add to his previous statements.. (1/3) #Oilers
Tyson Barrie is going to be an Avalanche… Avalancher?.. for the foreseeable future and not, in fact, an Oiler. Boo-urns.
Jacob Trouba and Winnipeg management are “far apart on money, term, and usage”, according to comments made by TSN’s Gary Lawless on “That’s Hockey” on Tuesday
But what does it all mean, man?
Well, a few things, maybe:
The Cubs are still not going to win the World Series
If one more goddamn Pidgey breaks out of one of my pokeballs, I’m deleting Pokémon Go for good
Maybe Klefbom gets traded to Winnipeg for Trouba?
I know, I know, that’s ridiculous. I’ll never delete Pokémon Go. So let’s talk about why the Oilers and the Jets do this trade.
Anyone who’s been paying attention the last few years knows that Peter Chiarelli absolutely does not care at all about your opinion when it comes to who he gets rid of from an organization. Phil Kessel, Tyler Seguin, and Taylor Hall can all attest to that. He also has no time for guys who he feels are sources of “character problems” inside or outside the locker room. Do Klef’s comments put him firmly on Chia’s shit list? Who knows. But if the rumours are true that he was the one who got on the phone and laid down the law, you’ve got to think there’s tension there.
Enter, the Winnipeg Jets and their inability to retain young talent long-term. There’s an argument to be made that the Jets are under-utilizing one of their best defensive assets, and it’s probably pissing him off, especially if they’re trying to lowball him on his well-earned bridge contract. Jacob is watching Dustin “The Brandon Davidson Killer” Byfuglien lumber around with a $7.6M contract until 2021 and he wants to get his, too. I reckon he’s asking for something like a $6Mx4 and guaranteed PP minutes, and the Jets don’t want to pony up just yet, on term or price.
I hate this guy
Maybe a guy like Klefbom, locked in at under $4.2M for the next 6 seasons looks pretty appealing to Winnipeg right now. Maybe the Oilers take a shot on Trouba (who is pretty much a known quantity at this point, who stays healthier than poor Klef has historically) and give him the $6M he wants for a few years. We’ll be shedding some anchors soon with all the money tied up in Ference and Nikitin, and we have almost $8.5M in cap space left as it is. Woodguy (one half of the very cool WoodMoney stat co-created by BLH’s own G Money) loves the guy, and he’s a lot smarter than me and has the fancystats to prove what an asset Trouba would be. The Oilers so desperately need defencemen who consistently maintain possession and drive offense, which is Jacob’s specialty. Now, that’s not to say the numbers indicate that Klefbom doesn’t do that — because he definitely does — but what I’m saying is that we wouldn’t necessarily miss him all that much. (I mean, I would miss just looking at him at the very least, and these top Google suggestions would seem to indicate the Edmonton area would share my pain.)
But we’ll plop BDavey on the top line on Larsson’s wing and let them just be awesome and rock solid together and out-Corsi everyone in the Pacific. Look at what it does to our defensive lineups:
Holy smokes, right? That’s an objectively awesome defensive lineup. And cheap, too! Dare I say it, that’s a playoff d-core.
And all because Klefbom shot his mouth off a bit to the Swedish press. It sure is nice here in perpetual optimism land, where the glass is always half full and this year is always our year!
Dig skateboarding? Click the pic and grab this new “Thrasher Magazine” inspired tee!Click on the pic and grab a new 16-bit Fighting Looch tee!If you’re a fan of Lowetide, you need this shirt! Click the pic and get yours today!
Click the pic and grab a 16-bit McDavid tee for the summer!
