Hey y’all! Welcome back for another season of Edmonton Oilers hockey! I’m BLH and I’ll be giving you the skinny on today’s game!
If you’re new here and are wondering what 3P2W means, well, it stands for Three Players to Watch and seeing I’m as lazy as I am, I figured we’d shorten it to 3P2W.
So with that out of the way, let’s talk a little bit about what’s been going on lately in the Oilogospehere and then get into the player’s I’ve put under the spotlight for today’s matchup!
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Random Pontifications
Reid Wilkins reports the #LetsGoOilers are actively interested in #STLBlues goaltender Jordan Binnington
— Jesse Courville-Lynch (@JCourvilleLynch) November 8, 2023
- Add that to Saros in Nashville, Jake Allen in MTL, Linus Ullmark in Boston, Vladar in Calgary.
- Let’s get real here. Trotz has already said that their blue-chip netminding prospect Yaroslav Askarov isn’t ready, so why would they move a very good young goalie in Saros for anything less than a Draisaitl package.
- Now, with that in mind, what about making a move on Askarov? He played 45 games for Milwaukee (AHL) last year and had a .911 sv% to go with a 2.69 GAA. This year he’s started off very well too. In five games he’s sporting a 1.60 GAA and a .935 SV% and he’s only 21 to boot.
- Making a deal for Askarov might wash away some of that bad taste the organization put in their fans mouths when they passed on Jesper Wallstedt.
- Binnington would be a riot. Having him, Kane, and Draisaitl on the same team… Woof! The post-gamers would be must-see TV.
- I wouldn’t be opposed to having a guy like that on the team. He’d keep guys accountable I think and between Skinner and Campbell, I don’t believe there’s an angry bone in either of those two. Mike Smith knew how to do it and the team played differently when he was in net.
- Even though Edmonton sniffed around Ullmark and Allen in previous offseasons, I’d be shocked if either of those two landed in Edmonton via trade.
“Elliotte Friedman, the NHL’s premier insider, and host of the 32 Thoughts podcast, has suggested the Oilers could show interest in a trio of Calgary Flames defencemen if they are looking to bring in a fresh face and change things up a bit. Those three defencemen are Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov, who all could be beneficial upgrades.” – The Hockey Writers (Insider Suggests Oilers Interested in Calgary Trio, 11/8/2023)
- The only one out of that trio I think Edmonton would benefit from would be Zadorov. He’s a throwback dman but at the same time he’s not under any illusions. Meaning he knows and plays to his strengths. That said, he can skate for a big man, he’s got one of the hardest shots in the league, and he might be one of the best big bodied hitters in the league.
- Is that what Edmonton needs though? I think they could use some more bite but they could use a better passer or two on that blue line too and I’m not sure you’d mistake him for Nicklas Lidstrom at any point.
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Three Players to Watch for the (team)
- #72 William Eklund (1g 1a 2pts) – He’s their best young player until the 2024 draft is over. He’s got a very sneaky release and he likes to shoot along the ice. A lot of his goals in the AHL last season were scored in the Draisaitl spot. He’s kind of magnetic in that the puck seems to find him a lot and on top of that he’s quite slippery. Meaning he has a tendency to get away from his checks and reappear in the soft ice for tap-ins or one-timers.
- #11 Luke Kunin (1g 11a 2pts) – He’s got 19 shots on the season so far but only a single goal to show for it. I like this player because he’s not afraid to get in the muck and he shoots the puck quite a bit. He’ll stick up for teammates and he blocks shots too (nine on the year). If there’s one player in SJ’s bottom-six that could be trouble for Edmonton, I think it’s Kunin.
- #38 Mario Ferraro (0g 2a 2pts) – THIRTY-EIGHT blocked shots so far this season. Sweet Jesus, is this the new Kris Russell? Nah, he’s got 26 shots on net too!
Three Players to Watch for the Oilers
- #2 Evan Bouchard (3g 7a 10pts) – I think Bouch will get his name on the scoresheet if Edmonton scores tonight. He’s been taking a lot of shit this season and for good reason. I mean, you can’t cover your check for 75% of the way back to the net and then coast for that last 25%. So I don’t really understand that part of his game. To me, that’s a lack of will to finish the defensive play because it takes ZERO thinking to do.
- #91 Evander Kane (0g 0a 0pts) – Back to the Shark Tank for Kane… Maybe some old pent up emotions will arise and we’ll see him summon his inner Wendel Clark.
- #97/#29 Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl – It’s time for these two to light somebody up and what better team than the 2023/24 San Jose Sharks? This is getting a little bit ridiculous.
The Next Twelve Games (#2-#13)
- 10/14 vs. Canucks – I think the Oilers will take 2/2 vs. Vancouver to start the year. (W)
- (4-3 LOSS)
- 10/17 @. Predators – The Preds don’t scare me. Their roster is in shambles. Poor Jusse Saros and Roman Josi. (W)
- (6-1 WIN)
- 10/19 @ Flyers – Their forward group looks entertaining but they’ve got nobody on defense. (W)
- (4-1 LOSS)
- 10/21 vs. Winnipeg – The Jets are always a tough out. I like their chances. (L)
- (3-2 OTL)
- 10/24 @ Wild – Minny isn’t as good as they used to be but still very solid. (W)
- (7-4 LOSS)
- 10/26 vs. Rangers – I like NY’s defense and goaltending here. (L)
- (3-0 LOSS)
- 10/29 vs.Flames – Calgary is going to surprise a few this year. (L)
- (5-2 WIN)
- 11/2 vs. Stars – This will be a very tight game. (W)
- (4-3 LOSS)
- 11/4 vs. Predators – Leon will continue to light the Preds up. (W)
- (5-2 LOSS)
- 11/6 @ Canucks – I’ll take Edmonton for a third time here, Alex. (W)
- (6-2 LOSS)
- 11/9 @ Sharks – I don’t even recognize half the names on SJ’s roster… (W)
- 11/11 @ Kraken – I like Seattle’s roster. Well-rounded. (L)
(predictions made 10/11/2023)
