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
- On tonight’s game, it’s a wonderful opportunity to start turning this sinking ship around for the Oilers as Anaheim has lost five in a row. Three of those losses where by only one goal and the other two they allowed 5+ goals.
- But as every Oilers fan knows, the club never makes it easy for itself when it comes to these gimme wins.
- So at the end of the night, we’ll either get 2pts or we’ll get some more trade rumors! It’s a win-win for everyone.
From Spector’s Hockey:
Caleb Kerney (The Hockey News) noted recent rumors linked the Oilers to Philadelphia Flyers netminder Carter Hart. He thinks the only way the Flyers would agree to move Hart to Edmonton is if the Oilers sent them Stuart Skinner as part of the return. He suggested adding a first-round pick, a second-round pick, one or two top prospects and a roster player along with Skinner in the deal.
- Sweet Jesus! That’s a whole lot of giving for a goalie, even if he can stop pucks like he’s dodging ex-wives. I’m not saying Flyers GM Daniel Briere is nuts, but he might need to cut back on the hallucinogens. – BLH
In his latest mailbag segment, Eric Duhatschek was asked what he would do if he were the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers and the club missed the playoffs this season.
Duhatschek feels there are three paths here. One is Draisaitl stays long term, the second sees him depart as a UFA in 2025 and the third is moving on after trading him for the best possible return.
If Draisaitl agrees to stay, the goaltending would be the priority.
- Oh, look at these Oilers, figuring out their existential crisis. First off, let’s make Draisaitl feel loved, like he’s the last piece of chocolate in a broke man’s candy jar. If he’s game and Edmonton’s ready to throw cash at him like it’s confetti, then, by all means, let’s assume our goaltending isn’t akin to herding cats on ice.
- Now, if Draisaitl’s giving them the “it’s complicated” status, then let’s turn it into a dramatic breakup. Auction him off to the highest bidder, let potential suitors court him with promises of a brighter future. Because, clearly, the Oilers need more toys – assets, prospects, maybe a genie lamp to fix their ongoing problems. And if this means upsetting McDavid, well, tough love, buddy, it’s the NHL, not a tea party.
- Lastly, there’s the option of blowing it all up. Bye bye Connor, bye bye Leon, Darnell and Nuge, the team is yours. Do as you see fit. Hopefully the boys in charge would be able to secure the services of a top notch goalie in this scenario or they might be looking down the barrel of another handful of 1st overall picks.
The BLH Instagram account is growing like crazy! Three weeks ago when we started to get it back going we were at a shade over 1900 followers and now we’re gunning for 2000. So please, head on over and give us a follow as we’re posting exclusive content over there that won’t be published here or on our Twitter page.
Three Players to Watch for the Bad Guys
- #91 Leo Carlsson (6g 3a 9pts) – Anaheim’s 1st rounder this year had a slow start but he’s picking up steam game-by-game. Carlsson is very smooth offensively, he’s got a good shot, he’s clever with the puck, his IQ at both ends is stellar, and because of all that he’s centering Anaheim’s top line. Not sure how well he’ll down across from McDavid or Draisaitl tonight, but either way he’s somebody you’ll need to keep an eye on even if it’s just for entertainment value.
- #23 Mason MacTavish (10g 11a 21pts) – This freight train has arrived. What an absolute tank MacTavish is. He reminds me of Mark Scheifele in that he’s the kind of pivot that can contribute at both ends of the ice and eventually in all situations. I say eventually because he’s only a couple of years into his career and not getting much time on the PK so far, but he will soon. Three goals and two assists in his last five games FWIW.
- #34 Pavel Mintyukov (1g 10a 11pts) – Man, the kids are alright in Anaheim, eh? The 10th overall pick in 2022 and he’s already playing nearly 19 minutes a night for the Ducks. Not only that but he’s producing very well for a rookie. When I watch him he appears to be a bit of a hybrid dman in that he’s got the skills to be a high-end offensive defender but at the same time he plays the body and gets in the muck. Just the kind of defender that gets under the skin of a Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
Three Players to Watch for the Good Guys
- #18 Zach Hyman (10g 9a 19pts) – I feel like tonight is going to be a good one for Hyman. Kane, Nuge, and Connor hammered the Caps in the last game. I don’t see anybody on Anaheim’s defense that is going to give him a hard time aside from maybe Gudas.
- #37 Warren Foegele (3g 5a 8pts) – This guy has been working his ass off lately. He’s due.
- #28 Connor Brown (0g 0a 0pts) – Oh boy… $3M going right down the drain next season on this gamble. In order for him to make good on that contract he’s going to have to score 40pts in the remaining 62 games. F*ck me… At least he’s a good guy though and he works hard.
The @EdmontonOilers practice today:
RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Draisaitl-Brown
Foegele-McLeod-Ryan
Erne-Hamblin-Janmark/GagnerNurse-Ceci
Ekholm-Bouchard
Kulak-Desharnais
BrobergSkinner
Pickard— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) November 23, 2023
