December 19, 2023 /

2023/24 Edmonton Oilers GM29: Oilers @ Islanders – 3P2W – Merzlikins to the Oilers About to Pick Up Steam?

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

“Number one, would you like to do things to make your team better? Absolutely. Now, you have to factor in that you have to find a trading partner. Trading partners you usually find in February, you know, the two to four weeks prior to the trade deadline.” – Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland on his approach to upgrading his roster this season.

  • Holland’s always done most of his business around that time but Jason Gregor is out there making proclamations about how “In the next 50 days Holland needs to make a trade and if they don’t it’ll be inexcusable!”
  • Well, 50 days from now is when? Who can tell me? The first week of February and the trade deadline is on March 8th.
  • So I don’t really get the point about focusing on the next 50 days as if it’s some revelation considering that’s exactly what Holland laid out.
  • However, Gregor does make a solid observation about Edmonton’s schedule. It gets considerably more difficult after Feb.1st. The opponents are better and I count five back-to-backs. Edmonton can’t be going into that stretch relying on Skinner and Pickard.
  • I’d argue they can’t go into those games with any sort of question mark in goal. Meaning the guy they bring in has to be somebody of note. I don’t know if Merzlikins is going to be enough even though there’s some smoke to that fire around the Oilers.
  • I don’t know if Tristan Jarry or Jake Allen would be enough. Are there folks out there that think MacKenzie Blackwood or Marc-Andre Fleury would be enough? John Gibson?
  • Karel Vejmelka? Why would the Coyotes move him if they’ve got the opportunity to have a really good tandem in net for a few years to come at under $5M/yr? On top of that, the Coyotes are competing with the Oilers for that final wildcard spot…
  • And here’s the rub, Gretzky and Chaulk and all the boys down in Bakersfield have absolutely erased any value Edmonton’s prospects had before the season started PLUS if the Oilers don’t make the playoffs, they’re going to need the draft picks.
  • This club has gone 8-2-0 in their last ten and every single blog and media outlet is losing its shit about how the Oilers need this, that, and the first born child of whoever they’re trading with. 
  • They might lose three more here in New York and then ring off another eight or nine game winning streak before the rubber hits the road in February but there still needs to be a bit of patience as other teams are going to fall off and trade opps are going to emerge.
  • Dylan Holloway will be back after Xmas to offer some more forward depth too. Will he be an Oiler after March 8th? Only time will tell on that front… I hope he is. Healthy, he’s the kind of guy you want to go into the post-season with.
  • Here’s what they cannot do under any circumstances, make a panic trade.

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Three Players to Watch for the Bad Guys

  • #14 Bo Horvat (12g 18a 30pts) – Sixteen points in his last ten games. He’s not taken any sort of step back since leaving Vancouver. I wonder how much consideration he gets for Team Canada as the next World Cup is approaching?
  • #29 Brock Nelson (15g 12a 27pts) – four goals and three assists in his last half dozen minus one. Nelson is cruising right now.
  • #8 Noah Dobson (5g 27a 32pts) – He has NINE assists in his last five games. He and Bouchard were the big debate at their draft as to who the Oilers should pick and the argument continues today.

Three Players to Watch for the Good Guys

  • #91 Evander Kane (12g 10a 22pts) – Kane’s getting a little push here but I’m not sure if that’s what he or McDavid’s line needs because he’s clearly dealing with some sort of injury. That said, I like Connor’s flanks to be players with size and physicality.
  • #29 Leon Draisaitl (12g 21a 23pts) – He’s getting Nuge back and RNH has 10pts in his last 5 games. So I’m hoping that translates to some points on the board for Der Kaiser. Foegele will offer a bit of blitzkrieg and I’m a fan of that. It’s just unfortunate that he’s got hands of stone.
  • #74 Stu Skinner (11-8-1, 3.04 GAA, 0.886 SV%) – The Islanders forwards are running pretty hot scoring 18 goals in their last five (3-2-0), so Edmonton will need to see some Calder candidate Skinner tonight.

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CategoriesArmchair GM Beer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL Rumors

TagsEdmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers Game day Edmonton Oilers News Edmonton Oilers Rumors New York Islanders NHL NHL News NHL Rumors

Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!