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
“There’s anywhere between 4 or 5 teams… that have interest in Corey Perry… I know there’s been some talk about Toronto – I don’t see that as a fit…Keep your eye on a team like Edmonton. I think that they..will certainly have some interest.” – Chris Johnston
- Perry’s on his way to the Oilers. It’s only a matter of time and man, do they need him in their bottom six because those boys have fizzled right the f*ck out. I would assume that’s why the games have been a lot closer as of recent.
“The Oilers are actively exploring the possibility of adding veteran forward Corey Perry to their roster, according to insider reports. Bob Stauffer, host of Oilers Now, has revealed that the team is diligently assessing the potential acquisition of Perry.”
Would be really surprised at this point if Perry isnt an Oiler and have felt this way since Stauffer's knowing grin last week https://t.co/MqeCCyg7O3
— Dennis King (@DKingBH) January 15, 2024
“TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes that the Oilers have been in pursuit of Perry for several weeks and are expressing genuine interest in securing his services. Perry, who is reportedly considering various options, is said to have Edmonton high on his list of preferred destinations.”
- I don’t always believe what Seravalli says but I do think he’s an entertaining guest on Stauffer’s show because he sticks it to Bob every now and then and doesn’t give stock answers.
- Now, what I’m afraid of is the Oilers considering Perry to be their “top-six” winger addition that Holland was speaking to recently. That won’t work. The former Duck is way to old to be getting that kind of TOI and he’s been way better down the lineup.
- One thing that could materialize out of a possible Perry addition is that Warren Foegele gets moved. He’s got ten points in his last ten games and seems to be a good winger for Leon but I could foresee a scenario where Draisaitl gets pissy due to the lack of finish out of McLovin’.
- Perry could replace Foegele in the bottom six easily and #37 could be used in a deal to bring in somebody like Vladdy Tarasenko out of Ottawa. We know the Sens and Oilers have been talking and the Staios connection is there…
- Just as an aside, do you think there’s a chance Edmonton moves Evander Kane? I’ve not heard anything and he’s been a lot better than some projected him to be (on and off the ice) when Holland brought him in, but I just wonder if the Oilers cut bait on him before he gets into Milan Lucic territory.
Quotes come from NHL Trade Talk
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Three Players to Watch for the Bad Guys
- #34 Auston Matthews (33g 15a 48pts) – There is something to be said with regards to scoring goals at nearly a goal-per-game pace but if you’re one of those hockey people who are saying Matthews should be in contention for the Hart, you’re kidding yourself. He’s not even the MVP of his own team this year. The next guy on the list is…
- #88 William Nylander (21g 36a 58pts) – I think he’s the best player on the Leafs but there’s an argument to be made there. He’s definitely the most entertaining and that’s not even close. He’s scored five goals and seven assists in his last ten games played.
- #16 Mitch Marner (18g 28a 46pts) – Surprisingly enough, Marner is the team’s hottest player in their last five games with four goals and three assists in that time. Now, I don’t watch the team enough but at the moment, Sheldon Keefe has him lining up on his 3rd line RW for some reason alongside Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi. That line could be problematic if they’re on their game.
Three Players to Watch for the Good Guys
- #18 Zach Hyman (14g 10a 24pts) – Is this stat true? According to hockey-reference, Hyman has only played against the Maple Leafs three times. He’s got one goal and one assist in those games. Anyways, he’s still trucking along in the goal-scoring department with five goals in his last five games.
- #97 Connor McDavid 0g 3a 3pts) – 16 points in his last ten games and historically versus the Leafs he has 31pts in 21 games. Now Careful with him though, January seems to be one of the months where Connor slows down a bit.
- #74 Stu Skinner (9g 30a 39pts) – He’s 4-0-0 with a 1.24 GAA and a SV% of 0.957 in his last five starts. They’ll need him on his game tonight because Toronto has enough firepower to blow it wide open if Skinner shits the bed in the tiniest of fashions. That said, so much for his sophomore slump I was pitching earlier in the season. He’s now made it so that the co-GMs Holland and Jackson don’t need to stump up for a starting goalie. All they need now is a 1B.
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