All posts by Beer League Hero

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!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: Barrie, Bouchard, Varlamov, Chara, and DeBrusk

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

The Athletic

Tyson Barrie’s contract and skill set make his Oilers future uncertain
  • The possible issues for him as an Oilers player are twofold:
    • A less expensive player (Evan Bouchard) duplicates his skill set
    • Barrie’s cap hit ($4.5 million) may be needed elsewhere on the roster beginning next year.
  • Bouchard is already playing more at even strength and it would seem it’s only a matter of time before he takes over the power play role from Barrie if the current results hold.
  •  …it’s likely Bouchard will take over as the full-time right-handed defenceman on the top pairing before the playoffs. 
  • Barrie is expensive but also good at what he does and a player with trade value. That makes him vulnerable.
  • The play here is Barrie out, Puljujarvi signed and Bouchard manning the power play, penalty kill and on the top pair with Nurse in 2022-23.

BLH’s Thoughts: Considering who the GM and coach (for now) are, I don’t think Bouchard will be a top-pairing defender on this Oilers team full-time until next year regardless of what publicly available metrics say. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that the Oilers probably have some private statistics on Bouchard telling them to slow play that stud. I mean, how many 22 year old defensemen are true top-pairing blueliners in their first real NHL season and of that number, how many actually end up staying there?

Here’s the thing, elite NHL forwards aren’t going to let him get past first base. He’s got to be given some time to get to know the league before he tries to lay down some track. National Hockey League snipers aren’t going to make it easy for him, they’re going to want some nice dinners first and they’ll want him to meet the family before the good stuff begins. Luckily for him, he can speak fluid Francais, and that’ll soften up any suitor.

I think it makes a ton of sense to keep the depth on that side of the defense and take advantage of it until Bouchard’s current deal expires at the end of next season. 

So in a way, I agree with LT and notice how I said depth and not any specific player… 

The Hockey Writers

Oilers’ Trade Targets on the New York Islanders
  • …the Oilers could use an experienced goaltender with playoff experience and past success that is signed through until the end of next season. Semyon Varlamov fits that bill, and with Ilya Sorokin guarding the crease full-time for the Islanders, they wouldn’t be too opposed to trading Varlamov.
  • If the Oilers look into acquiring someone like Zach Parise, it would be for his experience and what he could bring to the bottom-six, most likely the bottom line.
  • Andy Greene could be seen as an upgrade or a sideways move from Kris Russell, except larger and more experience, during the regular season and playoffs.
  • (Zdeno) Chara is a cheap option, the only problem would be his lack of speed. He is efficient on the penalty kill, and wouldn’t take too much ice time away from the other defencemen. Neither would cost too much, most likely a late draft pick.

BLH’s Thoughts: Phase two of Project Greybeard, engage!

My feeling is that the Oilers will try to find a defenseman that can force Duncan Keith down the ladder a tad and Greene is not that guy. But Big Z isn’t that guy either anymore. I wouldn’t be opposed to adding either defender for the playoffs, but I’m also not sure that they don’t have some unspoken agreements with Lou Lamoriello about where they’d like to be traded to. 

Would Parise beat out Yamamoto at this point? He hasn’t scored all year and actually only has 4pts, all assists… I’m thinking he might be past his best before date and Edmonton already has a handful of those.

Varlamov is an interesting case though. He’s not having a good season, but he’s definitely got a great track record when it comes to post-season play. He holds a career playoff SV% of .919 and a GAA of 2.42 in 60 games. 

NHLRumors.com

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Gameday Reviews: B’s Hand Oilers Another “L” Despite Being Badly Outplayed

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Cult of Hockey

Player grades: Leon Draisaitl drives hard but Edmonton Oilers fail to comeback in loss to Boston
  • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 3. Not his best game. One of his worst, in fact… The team had four shots four, 15 against at even strength with him on the ice.
  • Zack Kassian, 3 . The quiet member of this line, which isn’t what you want from a forward.
  • Zach Hyman, 4. Not his night, even as the hustle was there.
  • Tyson Barrie, 4. Turned over the puck, then got beat on the breakaway on Marchand’s goal in the first, making him the culprit on Edmonton’s first power play goal against all season.
  • Jesse Puljujarvi, 7. Solid game, with his feet moving. He got a Grade A shot in the first period off a tip, a second off a hard slot wrister in the second period, then a third on a dangerous slot tip off of Nurse’s shot a moment later. He came down the wing and ripped a Bobby Hull of a slapper on net in the third.
  • Leon Draisaitl, 8. Great game. Solid in his own zone, fantastic on the attack. He got a terrible penalty call against him early in the second on a Marchand dive…
  • Kailer Yamamoto, 6. He drew a key penalty in the third with his hard work on the boards.
  • Warren Foegele, 7. More of this, please. He tied with Draisaitl for a team high six shots on net. Two Grade A shots came off his hard-hard driving ways. He charged hard in the third, ripped a high slot wrister, then almost put in his own rebound. A moment later he almost scored again on another hard rush into the slot.
  • Cody Ceci, 6. He made sharp and smart defensive plays all game.
  • Stuart Skinner, 6. Fought off Brad Marchand’s power play one-timer early on, but could not stop his short-handed breakaway rush. Incredible save on Pastrnak’s one-timer in the third, just when the Oil need one… On the winning goal, he was screened.

BLH’s Thoughts: What was that thing Jason Gregor said the other day? Usually when teams play well and still lose, that’s a sign they’re coming out of their slump. Well, what happens when they play well two times in a row and still lose? Does that mean you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t? Maybe everybody just needs to cut down their sticks a bit or adjust the lie or flex… 

The effort was there, but the execution was not. Simple as that. And do you wanna know how I know the effort was there? Derek Ryan had himself a really decent 6:35 of TOI. There was some pep in his step for sure and it’s almost a shame his line didn’t get another shift or two. 

With that said, if they continue to play like this, the slump will end. 

However, do they want to take this style into a game with a high-octane team like Toronto or Carolina?

Sportsnet

Slumping Oilers need more from guys not named McDavid, Draisaitl
  • It is the Homestand from Hell. But it is telling us everything we need to know — or perhaps feared — about these Edmonton Oilers.
  • To our eye, and those of a prominent scout who attended Thursday’s game, Connor McDavid looks whipped.
  • Draisaitl averages 22:59 per game, McDavid 22:32 — and carrying this team is already taking its toll, just 25 games in.
  • There simply isn’t enough support among this forward group underneath the two superstars. So when they tire, and the Oilers trail the way they have of late, the coach goes to the whip on Draisaitl and McDavid — because they represent his best chance to win, by a large margin.
  • Zack Kassian continues to check in with a crippling defensive miscue every second night, this time missing his check that began the sequence that ended in Matt Grzelcyk’s game-winner with less than three minutes left.
  • You want to talk about this team’s playoff hopes? Until that gets solved, there are no lengthy playoff runs in this club’s future.
  • There is no cavalry in Edmonton. This team is waiting around for their two superstars to dig them out of this slump. Other than a nice game by Warren Foegele, there is no virtually no offensive threat that does not begin with or involve Nos. 29 and 97.
  • GM Ken Holland, has to find more players who can help McDavid and Draisaitl find a way to win.

BLH’s Thoughts: Edmonton’s stars are feeling exhausted, eh? Can anybody tell me whose idea it is to play them for half of the game? That’s a coaching decision, right? Okay, just checking in on that.

I’m curious if anybody has considered the notion that maybe the other forwards see McDavid and Draisaitl as crutches. Meaning, if the rest of the roster goes dry, they’ve always got The Hart Foundation who could swing the game. 

I think a hockey player has to feel trusted in order to do his best work on the ice. When the coach plays two guys half the game, I don’t imagine that makes anybody else (especially those whose minutes are getting cut), feel trusted. 

Consider how well the third line has looked from the start of the game these last two matches. Tippett trusted them to get his team off on the right foot and they responded in kind. 

The fact of the matter is, Tippett running 97 and 29 into the ground has been a failing tactic the last 15 games because the club is 7-8-0. So not only has the team given away 16pts in the standings, their stars are getting worn down and if they continue to go down that road, their next stop is on the IR. 

To nobody’s surprise, the Oilers fanbase is reeling after this loss, but nobody is taking it harder than this guy. Somebody, give that guy a hug and a fist bump (that’s what the Dude Broguys do, right?) and possibly pass along what the definition of defamation is in case he needs to lawyer up. 

Now, back to the game from last night.

I’ve loved the effort from the team in these two losses to Minnesota and Boston, the puck just isn’t going in for them 5v5, but they were playing a tired Bruins team that was on the hind end of a b2b and to add to that, the first game of that back-to-back was in Vancouver and it went to overtime. Ullmark was having trouble sealing the puck all night and Tippett’s boys, for whatever reason, couldn’t capitalize on that.

Serenity now…

Look, I can handle the club losing when the effort is there and I don’t imagine I’m alone in that sentiment and did you know that the Tampa Bay Lightning lost four games in a row in 2019-20 before went on to win the Stanley Cup? 

Was Taylor Hall playing in this game? You would’ve never known because usually there’s a massive faction of fans on Oilers Twitter who get to throw their Viagra away for the night when he comes to town, but last night it was all crickets from his fans.

Do you know who was in the game? McLovin’! Warren Foegele made Boston’s night a living hell in the muck. His forecheck was on point and to be honest, that 3rd line were really decent again. They do a fantastic job of ragging the puck down low so they can send it high for a point shot. The defenders should work on their one-timers or something because when they receive that pass from the corner, they’re always taking too long and it allows the other team’s defending forward the time to fill the lane.

Pulju almost scored on that clapper off the flank, eh? Fack! That would’ve been nice if it’d gone in. Nobody takes shots like that anymore. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6EBZOmCJBo

The Hockey Writers Rumors

  • According to Elliotte Friedman on The Jeff Marek Show, there are a number of names already getting serious consideration to take over as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. He notes, “I think some other names you’re potentially going to hear are going to be [Rick] Tocchet, [John] Tortorella, Jim Montgomery, maybe Travis Green and Dave Quinn, I think those are some of the names that are kind of circulating around.”
  • As per Emily Kaplan of ESPN, “Two teams that believe they have legitimate chances to win it all this year: the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. I’ve been told that both teams are looking to add to their blue line.” She goes on to write that two sources have speculated that the Oilers and Marc-Andre Fleury make a lot of sense, but that Fleury would have to be on board with the move and be excited by the idea of trying to chase a Stanley Cup in Canada with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
  • In addition to Dylan Strome still being available, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period noted during an interview with the NHL Network that Calvin de Haan’s name has come up in trade rumors because the defenseman is in the final year of his current deal with the club.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: What Do You Think About These Five Bottom-Six Centers?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Edmonton Sun

Oilers need more from supporting cast like Minnesota Wild
  • Markus Niemelainen’s stock has gone up in his four games since his recall because he’s a hitter (15 since he left Bakersfield), he gets in the way with his six-foot-five frame… Niemelainen needs work on his puck-moving but you can coach that.
  • They could really use a two-way centre with some major checking chops, and also some offensive pop like Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek.
  • The Oilers power play, which could be counted on for a goal a game through the first 20 games, often a tide-turner or a comeback into games after a bad start, hasn’t looked quite so lethal the last four…  It’s become a tad predictable, looking for the one-time shot — pass, pass, pass with their pitch and catch skill…
  • The Wild, poster boys for running four lines, do not have a regular forward who plays less than 10 minutes a game. The Oilers have five — Devin Shore, Kyle Turris, Brendan Perlini, Colton Sceviour and Tyler Benson.
  • Evan Bouchard had an up-and-down game against the Wild, but he’s gone from a guy who was an after-thought last season with 14 games, mostly taxi-squad, to a clear top 4 D… He should be getting more PP work. His shots get through.
  • Kailer Yamamoto has to do more to stay in the top six…  In his last three games, no points, no shots. In his last seven games, five shots on goal. High marks for his ability to steal pucks and survive at his size but you can’t play on a second line when there’s no offence.

BLH’s Thoughts: If the Oilers are going to get the ideal third line center, they’re going to have to pay for it as Eriksson-Ek is making $5.25M/yr.

Here are some names I don’t mind for 3C, but they’d cost.

  • Nazem Kadri is making $4.5M/yr (expiring this summer btw)
  • Radek Faksa makes $3.25M/yr
  • Scott Laughton makes $3M/yr

Bob Stauffer’s independent researcher, Woodguy aka Darcy McLeod, likes Arizona’s Johan Larsson and he’s on an expiring contract that pays him $1.4M. He might fit what the Oilers are looking for exactly. 

Speaking of Bob, he mentioned Bouchard and the PP on his radio show recently, so I do wonder if that means we might see Uncle Evan finally get his chance considering he’s outproducing Tyson Barrie with little to no PP time and quite a bit less TOI/game.

How many times have you read here recently that unpredictability made Edmonton’s PP so lethal? Now it’s mired in 1/16 funk because they’re looking for the one-timer or the bank shot off a skate or Hyman’s stick net front… 

To get back in the groove, I think the PP should institute an internal rule that sees each player get a chance on net. So Barrie gets a shot, Leon, Nuge, Connor, and Hyman/Pulju, because they can’t keep looking for that cross-seam pass every time.

If I was the coach of the other team, I would simply put my bravest four skaters out as penalty killers and ask them to just collapse on the net. It would force Edmonton’s shooters to simply shoot through them, would it not? Those teams who’ve blocked a lot of shots haven’t done too shabby against the Oilers this year and how frustrating is it for Leon or Connor to get all your shots stopped before they even hit the net? It’s just one more way to get into the heads of the Oilers’ stars. 

Tough times continue for Yamo… Is Tippett helping or hurting him by refusing to move him out of the top-six and do you think there are any other top-six wingers out there who can also steal pucks and feature on the PK?

Oilersnation

Random Thoughts on Losing Streaks
  • …consistent teams rarely swim in the gutter of losses very often.
  • …losing three games in a row isn’t devastating, if they can stop the losing tomorrow against Boston.
  • Last year the Oilers only lost three in a row once. It was a tough three-game losing streak at home with all three losses against Toronto.
  • Many believe that when you play well and lose that is often a sign the losing streak is coming to an end.
  • The Oilers recent dip is not ideal, but it is far from catastrophic just yet. But they are inching closer to it becoming a problem. They need to build off of last night’s effort. They put more pucks on net, although they didn’t generate many super high-quality chances. At least it was a step in the right direction.

BLH’s Thoughts: What do you mean “recent dip” the Oilers are one loss from being a sub-.500 team in their last 15 games… I’d say the dip goes back a bit farther than “recent”. It’s just compounded with back-to-back-to-back losses to teams that shouldn’t be beating them. 

The Oilers might get lucky here though. Stauffer made it sound like Charlie McAvoy is questionable for tonight’s game and he’s one guy who could make the evening difficult for McDavid and Draisaitl, Toronto’s missing Mitch Marner because his teammate smoked him in practise and buggered up his shoulder, and Carolina’s franchise defenseman, Ethan Bear, is coming off a bout with The ‘Vid. 

Is all that enough for the Oilers to grab opportunity by the balls and hang on for dear life? We’ll find out, won’t we?

The Daily Goal Horn

TSN Trade Bait Board
  1. Ben Chariot, D (MTL)
  2. Anton Khudobin, G (DAL)
  3. Jake DeBrusk, F (BOS)
  4. Mark Giordano, D (SEA) – #5 on DGH
  5. Tomas Hertl, F (SJS) – #4 on DGH
  6. Nick Leddy, D (DET)
  7. Vitali Kravtsov, F (NYR) – #9 on DGH
  8. Kevin Fiala , F (MIN) – #7 on DGH
  9. Phil Kessel, F (ARI) – #2 on DGH
  10. Evander Kane, F (SJS)

*DGH = Daily Goal Horn

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “The Habs would love him.”

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Lowetide.ca

  • Unless Niemelainen falters, I think all of William Lagesson, Philip Broberg and Slater Koekkoek are going to be well behind, with Kris Russell No. 7 on the depth chart. When the dust settles, we may be looking at this:
    • Darnell Nurse-Evan Bouchard
    • Duncan Keith-Cody Ceci
    • Markus Niemelainen-Tyson Barrie
  • Where does that place Broberg? Back in Bakersfield until injuries hit again or the trade deadline. Where does that place Dmitri Samorukov? Somewhere between the moon and New York City after the deadline is my guess. Habs would love him. Just saying. Niemelainen is turning the established order on its head.

BLH’s Thoughts: The smart thing to do would be to get Samorukov on Bakersfield’s top pair consistently (if he isn’t already) while Neemo and Broberg are in Edmonton and then make it known to him that he’s going to be the first call-up next time around and then obviously follow through on that promise. Maybe Dima gets more time on the right side for the Condors so he can offer more to his coaches presently and in the future. 

You never know what might happen with Niemelainen. If he gets dinged up, you’re going to want somebody with the same sort of on-ice demeanor to step up and slot right in, no? Samorukov can do that. I think Holland could sell the Tanky Russian defenseman on this and besides, it appears as if Broberg could use the year in Bakersfield if not another one after this season. 

However, what would be your ask for Samorukov if Montreal came calling? Keep in mind, Dima makes 825k/yr. So you’re a tad limited when it comes to adding veterans. 

Cult of Hockey

How is Ken Holland’s “Greybeards” strategy working out for Edmonton Oilers so far?
  • Mike Smith: He had a good start but promptly got hurt in Game 3. Originally listed as “day to day” he’s now “week to week” with no indication of an imminent return. 
  • Duncan Keith: He ranks in the middle of the pack among Oilers defenders in shot and goal shares at  5v5, his +14/-16=47% in the latter being exactly on par with the team as a whole (+49/-56=47%).
  • Derek Ryan:  His 5v5 goal differential of +3/-16=16% is difficult to believe… After starting out at 3C, he has since been reassigned to the fourth line and being given the opportunity to stabilize his game there. He’ll turn 35 towards the end of this month.
  • Mikko Koskinen: Thrust into the starter’s role, among the league’s 32 most-active netminders (13+ GP) Koskinen ranks in the top quarter in wins but the bottom quarter in goals-against average and save percentage. The jury remains out.
  • Kris Russell: Indeed his 5v5 goal share of +11/-9=55% is the best of any regular defenceman, though as usual his goal results outstrip his flow-of-play tendencies (41% shot share).
  • Colton Sceviour: He’s a competent checker and penalty killer, though his boxcars of 15 GP, 0-1-1 are modest enough. So too are his 5v5 goal results of +1/-7=13%.
  • Kyle Turris: In the current season he’s played 15 games with 1-1-2 with 5v5 goal results of +2/-7=22%. He’s become a press box regular in recent times, having essentially lost the 4RW battle to Sceviour due to the latter’s added value as a penalty killer.
  • Zack Kassian: Overall he’s posted a respectable 4-5-9 in 19 games, but he’s been firing blanks in the bottom six since mid-October. His on-ice goal differential of +11/-14=44% is moderately close to break even, but specific to the bottom six he’s been +6/-13=32% and a low return on value a third of the way into that big contract.
  • Tyson Barrie:  At even strength he’s split times between the first and third pairings, enjoying modest success when playing with Nurse but under the gun when paired with the likes of Russell, Slater Koekkoek or  Markus Niemelainen , with shot shares at or below 40% with each. His 5v5 goal share of +17/-19=47% is on par with the team…

BLH’s Thoughts: I was not aware that Kassian had 9pts. Prorated, that’s around 36pts. That’s pretty decent if you ask me. Maybe we’re being kinda hard on the guy. 

So I suppose with that said, Ryan and Turris, the apparent answers to the third line center problem, are the only real disappointments so far. Everybody else on this list you could find some point in the current campaign where they’ve played extremely well. 

So is the Project Greybeard a success? I can’t tell you. The team started 9-1-0 and now are 7-7-0 with the Bruins, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Blue Jackets coming up next. If you needed an answer, I’d have to say yes and no. Early on, they stabilized the club but as the season carried on injuries and knocks have slowed them right down. 

FWIW, if the Oilers go 0-4-0 in the next week, that’ll effectively take them out of a playoff spot should the teams sitting around them win even two games. 

Tick Tock Mr. Tippett… Prominent pundits around the team might not think there’s some heat beginning to rise under your butt, but that’s not what I’m hearing according to my sources. The guillotine has dropped on two coaches in the past week and you know what they say about things happening in threes… 

Then again, what kind of GM would fire his coach before Christmas?

Spector’s Hockey

  • THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun wondered if Daniel and Henrik Sedin will be taking on larger roles within the Vancouver Canucks organization.
  • NYI HOCKEY NOW: Christian Arnold cited NHL insider Darren Dreger telling TSN 1200 he could see New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello attempting to improve his club before all hope of reaching the 2022 playoffs are lost.
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Gameday Reviews: Former Oilers Wild on Oilers

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Cult of Hockey

Edmonton Oilers summon up a better effort, but not a better result in 4-1 loss to Wild: Cult of Hockey Player Grades
  • PHILIP BROBERG. 3. Was too passive and allowed too much gap on the 2-0. Caught in no-man’s land in front on the 3-1. That leaves him -2 in 10:18.
  • MIKKO KOSKINEN . 4. That 1-0 goal can’t go in. Yes, his D-man was guilty of soft coverage on the play. But if Koskinen is on his post that puck doesn’t cross the line.
  • DARNELL NURSE . 4. The shot-shares suggested Nurse had a terrific game, 38-12 All-Events, CF 76%… But in the end 2 of his own errors resulted in Minnesota goals.
  • KAILER YAMAMOTO . 4. 0 shots. 0 hits. 0 points. Not near enough impact on the game for a 2 nd line RW riding shotgun with the league’s leading scorer.
  • DEVIN SHORE. 5. A good 2 nd period back-check. A couple hits. Looked rusty but effort apparent.
  • MARCUS NIEMALAINEN . 5. Solid performance. 3 hits. A block. Was beat once for a dangerous 1 st period chance.
  • RYAN McLEOD . 6. The 3 rd line performed quite well, on-balance. Got the puck deep and created some effective zone time. Had 3 shots.
  • RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS . 6.  Nuge set up Draisaitl for a point-blank chance. Maybe the best player on his line. But also shoulders some of the blame for the sputtering PP on which he played 8:02!
  • JESSE PULJUJARVI . 7. The best Oilers skater. Puljujarvi potted his 8 th by smartly backing higher into the slot and then hammering home the pass from McDavid for the 2-1. Had 4 shots in all.

BLH’s Thoughts: I have to say, that’s the most energy I’ve seen this team come out of the gates with in a long time. Somebody would probably have to remind me the last time the Oilers start was that hot. It’s a shame that Darnell Nurse, one of the strongest players in the league, couldn’t outmuscled the Wild forward and I’m still wondering what Koskinen was doing? Who sprayed his pads with Pam cooking spray? The guy damned near slid into the corner trying to cover that post. 

The third line was all over it last night. A really great game from them as they finally provided the speed, energy, and power we’ve been looking for. I’d love to know what the motivation was so we can get that every game!

What did I say about Pulju? I said he was finding the soft ice and getting chances, but they simply weren’t going in. I also noted that his effort never waivers and he nabbed himself a gorgeous Gino from the slot. Brett Hull would’ve been proud of that one. 

A caller called into Reid Wilkins’ post-game show and talked about the Oilers bottom-six lacking some hunger, some desperation, and I look at Kurt Leavins’ grade for Kailer Yamamoto and wonder to myself, “How does a guy who can’t produce any points on a line with the league’s leading scorer stay hungry?”

But it’s not only for Killer, he’s just the most obvious because Tippett won’t move him off that line. For the rest of the team though, what’s it going to take to get some urgency in their games?

Don’t get me wrong, I was really impressed with the amount of pressure Edmonton put on the Wild last night. THAT’S the kind of game plan I’m talking about! It was a really fast game, back and forth, but I don’t know how many teams are going to play the Oilers like that… Regardless, it should be Edmonton that is dictating the style of game that will be played on a nightly basis. They shouldn’t be feeling their way into games and then making a plan from there… 

Sportsnet

  • A 9-1 start followed by a 7-7 stretch. A lull that is inevitable in any 82-game season, yet one that makes you wonder: Which record is the real Edmonton Oilers, the 9-1 or the 7-7?
  • Leon Draisaitl, once on a 50-goals-in-50-games pace, has now gone five games with just one goal.
  • Edmonton is trying to prove it isn’t a two-man team, but the Oilers are not convincing anyone of late. McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for just (2-3-5) points in the past three games, and Edmonton has five goals to show their efforts.
  • The Oilers are mired in a funk. Now we learn how — and behind who — they manage to dig themselves out.

BLH’s Thoughts: We know who’s going to dig this team out of this funk… His name rhymes with Bonner McSavit… 

Actually, just watch the team turn it around once Ceci comes back to stabilize the defense. 

The Hockey Writers Rumors

  • According to Nick Kypreos, “Sounding like Marner could be out of the @Leafs line up longer than expected.” Both Marner and defenseman Rasmus Sandin have been added to injured reserve. The team has called up Alex Steeves, Kristiāns Rubīns, and Alex Biega from the Marlies.
  • As per a report by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion talked to goaltender Matt Murray and his agent Rob Hooper over the phone on Friday. While Dorion wouldn’t talk about the details of that conversation, he did say that Murray would eventually be back with the Senators at some point this season.
  • NHL insider Frank Seravalli has Joonas Korpisalo at the top of his trade bait board and writes with Elvis Merzlikins on a five-year contract extension, it’s just a matter of time before Korpisalo is moved.
  • At the end of this season, the Montreal Canadiens will have 10 players as part of the roster who will have contracts that are valid for at least three more seasons. According to Jonathan Bernier of TVA Sports, those are the players to watch if the Canadiens choose to undergo a rebuild.
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