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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
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• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

The Athletic

How promising is the Oilers’ Russian prospect pool? What does Ken Holland’s history reveal about timelines?

• Yakupov’s 252 games with Edmonton remains the outer marker for Oilers draft picks from Russia.
• Success with Russians for Holland mostly involved being patient. There are two things about Datsyuk that Oilers fans may not know: He was 23 when making his NHL debut, and he didn’t spend a day in Detroit’s minor league system.
• Swedish centre Henrik Zetterberg was handled the same way, coming to North America at age 22 and being inserted directly into the lineup.
• The takeaway from Holland’s history with Russian prospects is a familiar one: Once drafted, prospects play a lot, moving up the chain in predictable and established time lines. Once they show a real spike, as was the case with Datsyuk, they are fast tracked.
• Samorukov has shutdown ability and size (6.03, 197), plus Edmonton needs inexpensive contributors who can potentially move up the depth chart… he is close to a lock for NHL employment this time next season.
• Konovalov is a fine goaltender who had a great deal of KHL success. He signed with the Oilers and is currently playing in Bakersfield, auditioning with Oliver Rodrigue for the starting job in goal for the Condors.
  • On the surface, that looks like a situation that has no pressure on it, but if Konovalov spends the entire year in Bakersfield, things could change.
• For Denezhkin and Berezkin, the next several years are likely to be spent in Russia, and if a deal with Edmonton is signed, they’re likely close to NHL-ready.
• Perhaps the hockey Gods are about to make things right. Petrov is trending like a rocket.

BLH’s Thoughts: “Once they show a real spike… they’re fast-tracked.” 

If you’re going to remember one thing about how the Oilers are going to run their player development system with Holland and Tyler Wright at the helm, it’s that sentence.

Niklas Lidstrom didn’t come over to NA until he was 21 and he scored 60pts in his rookie year and that landed him 2nd to Pavel Bure in the Calder Trophy voting. Funny, despite scoring 60 points from the blueline, he didn’t get one vote for the Norris. I suppose that pales in comparison to Brian Leetch who scored 102pts that year though.

Getting back to Edmonton, were the Oilers just waiting for Broberg to get his timing down before setting their sights on graduating him because he’s looked fantastic so far. He won’t be 21 until next summer, and I’ll say it again though, the game against Vegas should tell us a little more about his readiness or not.

With Holloway, who just turned 20, surely Holland will get him some games in Bakersfield before letting him loose on the NHL. Even if it’s only five or ten games (ideally, you’d like 30-40), he should get some time against that level of competition to see how his wrist handles things.

I’m guessing Holloway’s graduation will come down to how Benson, Perlini, or whoever else is on Edmonton’s 4th line is performing and where the former AJHL MVP’s form sits after the Olympics. 

Cult of Hockey

Leon Draisaitl’s scoring feats continue to draw comparisons to some of the game’s all-time greats

• The German star has raced from the starting gate to score 20 goals and add 20 helpers through the first 19 games of the season.
• Only one other NHLer (Aside from McDavid), the ageless wonder Alex Ovechkin (15-18-33), is within FIFTEEN points of Draisaitl not a quarter of the way into the campaign.
• 20 goals+ & 20+ assists in a season before a player’s 20th team game:
  • Leon Draisaitl (20-20 in 2021-22)
  • Mario Lemieux (22-28 in ’92-93 + 21-30 in ’88-89)
  • Bernie Nicholls (21-22 in ’88-89)
  • Mike Bossy (22-24 in ’84-85)
  • Wayne Gretzky (24-30 in ’84-85)
  • Phil Esposito (21-22 in ’73-74)
• …making Leon the first player this century to accomplish a feat that has only ever been accomplished during the high-scoring years of the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s.
• Earlier this month we noted that Draisaitl was the first NHLer since Lemieux in 2002 to score 20 points in fewer than 10 games.
• Two years ago we pointed out he was the first to score 25 points in October since Gretzky in 1993.
• And as last season wound down we confirmed Draisaitl and McDavid to be the first pair of teammates to finish 1-2 in scoring in consecutive years since Esposito and Bobby Orr in 1973-75.
• Emerging sniper Andrew Mangiapane of Calgary Flames is the only player with even half of Draisaitl’s number of multi-goal games, with exactly 4.
• Make it 9 of 19 games with 3+ points for Draisaitl, well ahead of McDavid and Ovechkin who have 5 each.
• He’s scored 6 of the club’s 12 game-winning goals (none awarded in 2 shootout wins), and chipped in the primary assist on 2 more.
• He’s become more lethal than ever on Edmonton’s peerless powerplay, hammering home 10 man-advantage snipes to this early point, already halfway to the Oilers’ club record of 20 shared by Wayne Gretzky and Ryan Smyth.
• He remains the Oilers primary faceoff man, averaging nearly 20 draws a game and winning over 55% of them.
•  So far Draisaitl has played about 46% of his 320 5v5 minutes paired with McDavid and primarily playing wing, during which time the Oilers have outscored their opponents 11-7.
• During the other 54% he’s been a full-time pivot, and the Oilers have enjoyed an 11-5 advantage.
• Overall it’s been an impressive goal share a shade under 65% for Draisaitl at 5v5, a step forward from last season’s excellent 62.5%.

BLH’s Thoughts: What can you say, really? This is beyond impressive. I suppose the only thing you worry about is an injury (auf Holz klopfen) or he burns out down the stretch. 

That said, in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy this heater. 

NHLTradeRumor.com

• NHL rumors were floating around last week that the New York Rangers are looking to trade for a forward, they might want to add a backup goalie to their trade shopping list.
  • Leafs goalie Petr Mrazek could be another option for the Rangers if he becomes available.
• With the Habs continuing to lose and the likelihood of the team making the playoffs very slim, is it time for the team to tank, trade some assets and hope the NHL draft lottery balls fall the Habs way so they can draft Shane Wright?
  • Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports the Habs have already taken a step towards Wright with their start… Engels went on to say, Bergevin can gauge the market on Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin and try to move one or both, tell any player playing through injury to rest and heal and anyone in need of surgery to do it now before the Habs hurt their chances at Wright.

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

The Athletic

Projecting the Oilers roster through 2025

• Returning: forwards Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jesse Puljujarvi, Dylan Holloway, Kailer Yamamoto, Ryan McLeod, Xavier Bourgault and Raphael Lavoie; defencemen Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, Cody Ceci, Dmitri Samorukov and Philip Kemp; goalie Stuart Skinner.
• Restricted free agents: forward Dylan Holloway; defenceman Philip Broberg
• Unrestricted free agents: forwards Warren Foegele, Zack Kassian and (possibly) Jesse Puljujarvi; defenceman Tyson Barrie

• Twelve players currently on the Oilers roster are still slated to be under team control come 2024-25. Seven of those have contracts stretching over the next three-and-a-half years. The other five are restricted free agents who won’t qualify for the open market during this span.
• …a lot of long-term pieces are locked in place for the Oilers, and although the prospect depth chart isn’t overly rich it should steadily develop a player or two every year for the foreseeable future. Even beyond the superstar duo at centre, Edmonton has a lot of valuable players to work with as it seeks its first title of the McDavid era.
• When we look at Nurse, Puljujarvi, Bouchard, Yamamoto and McLeod, all will be playing through their mid-20s during this three-season span. Even the greybeards aren’t especially grey, with players like Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins just entering their 30s.

BLH’s Thoughts: Tell ya what, I don’t see any young Russians coming over to play 4th line center for the Edmonton Oilers nor do I see a snipe show like Carter Savoie on any clubs 4th line. Either they’ll get moved, not sign with Edmonton, or somebody else up the lineup will be playing elsewhere. 

On a Cup challenging team, there are going to be some serious greybeards taking up the “character” spots on the team aka the 4th line and bottom-pairing on defense. You could argue the backup job belongs to an older vet too. 

I will say this though, I do like the idea of Samorukov and Kemp running that 3rd pair. They’re a couple of tough defense-first SOBs who can break up the cycle and clear the front of the net, two jobs that hold a significant amount of importance in the playoffs. 

The one thing I’m not worried about is the forward group. That top-nine looks fantastic, doesn’t it. As long as Bourgault and Holloway turn out as we’re all expecting, we talk about this year’s team having the most depth since the early 90s teams, these 12 forwards would provide the kind of depth the 80s Oilers showed us and we all know what happened then… 

Edmonton Sun

OILER NOTES: Draisaitl and McDavid a sight for sore eyes in Arizona

• Oilers coach Dave Tippett didn’t like how McDavid got worked over by Coyotes defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin on his first-period goal in the crease. The blue-liner sent him flying into the cross-bar.
• Draisaitl has 14 game-winning goals in 75 Oilers games over the COVID-19 season and the first five weeks of this campaign.
• The Oilers will see winger Max Pacioretty in the Vegas line-up Saturday. He was back Wednesday, playing 17 minutes, with a goal and an assist in their 5-2 win over Nashville.
• Oilers farmhand winger Raphael Lavoie has had a disappointing start in Bakersfield… Lavoie has no goals and only three assists in 13 games and is minus-5. He has 20 shots on goal. That’s no way to win over the NHL team.

BLH’s Thoughts: The Oilers are going to have to wait until March 28th to get revenge for that hit on McDavid and by then, unless somebody is called up to do the dirty deed, they probably will have their concerns set on something more important. 

Know this about Rafa Lavoie, he runs hot and cold, he did it through junior and he did it when he played in Sweden too. Once he starts putting in a few, they’ll come in bunches. That said, Matheson is right, the Oilers aren’t going to have time for a temperamental winger with the likes of Xavier Bourgault and Matty Petrov coming up right behind Lavoie. 

The Oilers have the NHL depth to allow the Quebec-native the time he needs to work out the kinks and patience is part of Holland’s modus operandi… 

However, considering how Ken Holland has set his sights on the Stanley Cup, one has to wonder if Lavoie is slowly moving himself into the “Trade Assets” pile on the Oilers GM’s desk. 

NHLRumors.com

• Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: There is growing concern about the NHL’s Olympic participation.
  • Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin isn’t going to trade Kevin Fiala just because he’s in a slump.
  • The Buffalo Sabres are looking for a goaltender.
• Mark Lazerus of The Athletic: Which direction do the Chicago Blackhawks go in?… Two potential trade assets in Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome have low trade value at the moment. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is another trade candidate and he may not want to be moved.
  • Next year will be the final season of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane eight-year contracts. They are eligible to sign extensions on July 13th. Will they finish their careers in Chicago?
• Dan Rosen of NHL.com: (mailbag) The New York Islanders when healthy still don’t have enough speed on their blue line and their lack of mobility is hurting them.
  • Believe the New York Rangers will look to add a forward on an expiring contract at some point.
  • Pending UFAs that might interest the Rangers include Calle Jarnkrok (Seattle), Andreas Athanasiou (Los Angeles) and Zach Sanford (Ottawa).
• Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic: (mailbag) St. Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella has two years left on his four-year, $13.1 million deal. His play should be a concern for the Blues.
  • Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic: (mailbag) Things are quiet on the Vladimir Tarasenko trade front… The Philadelphia Flyers are a team that is on Tarasenko’s trade list. The Flyers head of pro scouting was at the Blues-Sharks game and Blues GM Doug Armstrong and VP of hockey ops Peter Chiarelli were at a Flyers-Lightning game last week.

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Edmonton Sun

Edmonton Oilers pipeline flowing like never before

• Stuart Skinner stepped in and is playing very well in the wake of Mike Smith’s injury and Mikko Koskinen’s inconsistency.
• Philip Broberg, still in the first week of his NHL career, is earning strong reviews from his coach and teammates.
• Centre Ryan McLeod is making the best of this latest look, scoring three times in five games and, more importantly, getting a sense that he’s good enough to be a full time Oiler.
• Half of Edmonton’s blue line and six of their top nine forwards in Wednesday’s game against Arizona are from the draft. And before Skinner, Broberg and McLeod, the previous wave of Kailer Yamamoto, Evan Bouchard, Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones began making its mark.
• The coaching staff down in Bakersfield, where head coach Jay Woodcroft has been churning out NHL-ready players since he arrived, deserves much of the credit. Dave Manson is bringing the young defencemen along nicely and Skinner can’t say enough about how he’s been developed.
• It’s also an easier making the jump to this Oilers team Edmonton used to be a very shaky landing place, even for first overall picks like Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov, so it’s no wonder most of the call ups during the decade of darkness were back in the minors before they even finished their first cup of coffee.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ll be honest, all of the guys who’ve graduated from Bakersfield this year have impressed me. I suppose I’m so used to seeing prospects come up from the AHL and get the asses handed to them because the club has thrown them to the wolves from the get-go. 

We’ve got young players, aside from Broberg, that are coming up after one, two, or three years in the minors. They’re marinated. They’re clued in to how the Oilers want their young players playing and they’re not getting tossed into the deep end from the onset, aside from Broberg. 

Broberg is a special case though and he’s coming through with flying colors. He looks like he’s been playing NHL hockey for a half-decade. He’s very poised with the puck and has the confidence to take it on his own if he feels that’s the right play. He’s been physical too, and I love that! 

I do wonder if Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson will be behind Edmonton’s bench next year as Dave Tippett’s contract is about to expire. 

The Score

Gretzky: Leafs, Oilers much closer to winning Stanley Cup than people think

• Wayne Gretzky knows a thing or two about winning the Stanley Cup, and he likes what he’s seeing from the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
• “I went for lunch with Leon Draisaitl, Connor (McDavid), and Darnell Nurse and it reminded me so much of me, Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey having lunch together,” Gretzky said Wednesday on Sportsnet 590 The Fan’s “Real Kyper and Bourne show.” “That they were teasing each other; Leon was disappointed that Connor’s passes weren’t as good as he thought they should be. And you know what? That’s what makes teams successful. That they can tease each other and be on the same page and that ultimately they want to win a championship.”
• “I remember I left lunch and I said to my wife, ‘You know what? This team is so much closer to winning than people understand because these guys are so close and they want to win so badly for each other and I love that,'” Gretzky said. “To me, that’s even better when in the locker room these guys are all on the same page. And I feel watching the Leafs play that they have that same camaraderie. It’s us, and we’re together, and we don’t care who scores.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Well, you know what they say, “It takes one to know one.” 

That said, after this week’s performances against Dallas and Arizona, I might be willing to question Edmonton’s championship pedigree. This team still plays to its opponents and Cup challengers do not do that. There are still some issues that this team needs to work on, injuries or not. 

The Hockey Writers Rumors

• When asked what the latest in Vancouver is with the Canucks and possible moves, TSN’s Darren Dreger responded, “Well, more from an angry fan base that there’s a strong appetite for change, be it change in management, change in coaching, just some form of change, that’s what we continue to hear.”
• Thomas Drance of The Athletic listed a number of names that could be on the move if things don’t get fixed. J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Jaroslav Halak and Tyler Motte (both pending UFAs), plus Travis Hamonic, Jason Dickinson and Tanner Pearson.
• There’s been some speculation in recent weeks that Tarasenko might have had a change of heart and that the Blues are aware of that. But that has not been confirmed, and the last word I received from a source with knowledge of the situation was that Tarasenko was standing by the trade request he made last offseason.” – Jeremy Rutherford, The Athletic
• According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, there is growing concern that the NHL All-Star Weekend and the Olympics being so close together will create issues for both experiences. Because players are chartering from Las Vegas to Beijing no one wants any sort of outbreak coming from Vegas, and that means stricter protocols during All-Star weekend. Of course, that sort of makes it pointless to hold the All-Star Game in Vegas.

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Lowetide.ca

PULJUJARVI

• The big man is on the third line, but I don’t feel it will be for a long time. It’s tough to play on a line where two of the three players are elite, and Zack Kassian’s defensive acumen (or lack thereof) will eventually force a trip down the depth chart. Years of blown coverages tell me so, and Kassian, at 30, is what he is. He has value, but isn’t a long-term solution for the No. 1 line.
• On the other hand, I’ve been curious to see if JP could drive a line from the wing. It’s rare, recent examples are Taylor Hall, Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone. The Oilers were 5-1 shots at five-on-five when Puljujarvi was on the ice, 1-0 HDSC and he had a fantastic chance on the power play.
• Dave Tippett moved Kassian to the top line against the Coyotes and Kassian had a big night. If he can play on the top line without making mistakes Saturday, perhaps the Draisaitl-McDavid-Kassian line has legs. History tells us it is a fleeting thing. It does give us a chance to see what Puljujarvi can bring, and last night was impressive if somewhat overshadowed.

BLH’s Thoughts: Vegas is up next for the Oilers and they are more than a one line team. Reckon it would behoove the Oilers coaching staff to comprise a plan that might spread out the offense a little bit on their own team seeing as the club’s GM went out and made it a point to find players to increase Edmonton’s forward depth?

The Athletic

Could Leon Draisaitl score 50 goals in 50 games?

• When Draisaitl plays centre, Gulutzan likens him to former Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk or Kings captain Anze Kopitar — two-way forces and Selke Trophy winners for their defensive prowess in their primes.

“When he’s on the wing, he’s Ovie,” said the coach, referring to Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time.” – Glen Gulutzan, Oilers asst. coach

• Only one Oiler reached 20 goals faster and that was Wayne Gretzky in 1983-84 — a season in which he hit the 50-goal mark in 42 games, had 61 tallies in 50 games, and finished the campaign by scoring 87 times.
• The NHL only recognizes the accomplishment if a player turns the trick in his team’s first 50 games. Time missed isn’t given any consideration.
• By the time Draisaitl could be zeroing in on the deed, it would be 26 years in an unofficial capacity and 30 years since (Brett) Hull did it for real.
• Draisaitl leads the NHL with 40 points, four more than McDavid. The last players to get 40 points in their team’s first 19 games were Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m trying to wrap my head around somebody from my generation who was the ultimate duel threat like Leon is. With the way that Draisaitl is running the scoring charts, maybe Mario Lemieux and Jagr are the only true comps in both playing style and production-wise. 

Either way, what our German superstar is doing is out of this world. In fact, this whole season across the entire league is nuts. Did you see that Ovechkin has 33pts in 20 games and is scoring goals like he did in his early 20s and what in Sam’s Hell is Nazem Kadri doing sitting at 4th in league scoring? Detroit’s super rookie Lucas Raymond has 20pts in 21 games and nobody is talking about Tony DeAngelo’s resurgence as he’s racked up 17pts in 18 games. 

Spector’s Hockey

• THE ATHLETIC: With trade rumors swirling about the Vancouver Canucks, Thomas Drance looked at which players are likely to become trade candidates if management decides to shake things up or being overhauling the roster.
• THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Matthew DeFranks recently observed promising goaltender Jake Oettinger is giving Stars management something to think about… With three goalies on the roster, the Stars don’t have enough cap space to call up any extra forwards or defensemen. DeFranks indicated they could trade Holtby ($2 million) or Khudobin ($3.33 million)…

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Cult of Hockey

Edmonton Oilers overcome slow start, nervous finish for 5-3 win in the desert: Cult of Hockey Player Grades

• CONNOR McDAVID . 8. 6 shots. 3 hits. Was 36-16, 69% in All Events CF. His first assist was the 400 ^th of his career. Named the game’s 2 ^nd Star.
• ZACK KASSIAN . 8. Elevated to the 1 ^st Line and made his coach look like a genius with an excellent, 3 ^rd Star performance. Had 5 shots on net.
• LEON DRAISAITL . 9. Dominant… Named the game’s 1st Star. Leads the NHL in goals and points with a remarkable 20-20-40 in 19 games.
• CODY CECI . 8. Ken Holland sure got a lot of heat when he signed Cody Ceci to the contract in the off-season. But 19 games in, the bet has paid off handsomely.
• KRIS RUSSELL . 8. The veteran was thrust into the #1 D-man role due to injured to Darnell Nurse and Duncan Keith and delivered in spades. Led the blue line crew in TOI with 22:56. High Danger chances were 7-1 in the Oilers’ favor with Russell on the ice. 3 hits, 3 blocks…
• TYSON BARRIE . 8. Earned his first assist on the 1-1 goal and is 2 ^nd on the 4-2. Had 2 shots of his own and added a hit in 22:07.
• KAILER YAMAMOTO . 4. The least effective of the trio on the 2 ^nd line. Was on the ice for 4 High Danger scoring chances against and just 2 For. 1 shot, a give-away and -1 in 16:04.
• WILLIAM LAGESSON . 4. William Lagesson’s 5-alarm turnover off a soft clearing attempt resulted in the 4-3 goal.
• TYLER BENSON . 6. 8:16 of ice-time is actually one of his busiest evenings in the NHL so far this season.
• PHILIP BROBERG . 7. The kid looks like he has always played in this league. A shot and a hit in 21:29.

BLH’s Thoughts: Broberg continues to look very solid, so I’ll give him that. Big test is in the next game when Edmonton takes on Vegas. The Golden Knights have some very talented forwards and I believe Max Pacioretty is coming back after his long layoff. 

I didn’t like this game for the Oilers. They started off like shite AGAIN and the PP saved the day again… This club cannot continue to rely on the man advantage to save its ass so much and it also has to find a way to get the wingers scoring or else Connor and Leon are going to end the year with 200pts a piece and the rest of the roster will be scraping by. 

Arizona’s physical game plan, I get it. The roster doesn’t have a lot going for it, so why not get bangin’? Well, I wish the Oilers would find the time to give that back. McDavid getting smoked from behind into a post, that’s unacceptable from a team perspective and a league one. Can somebody step in and do the NHL a favor and save itself from making a terrible mistake? 

Speaking of doing something, Bouchard almost threw hands with Phil Kessel. The NHL’s current Iron Man was digging around on Stu Skinner’s glove after the whistle, so Uncle Evan gave him a shove to which Kessel responded with a cheeky, some might consider dangerous, trip that sent Bouch to the ice. He did not take kindly to that and the scrum ensued. 

Is that the guy we want punching his way out of scrums? One of the team’s best young defenders? Come on… This team is lacking a certain something in my opinion. 

Edmonton Sun

Draisaitl and McDavid take bite out of Coyotes who didn’t roll over

• Draisaitl did just as much with his 19th and 20th goals and two feeds, so he has a league-leading 40 points in 19 games. Only Gretzky has ever reached 40 in less than the first 20 Oiler games, so the company doesn’t get any better than that.
• Kassian, who moved onto the line with Draisaitl and McDavid, also had two assists to go with his goal in his best game of the season.
• … in a rough-house game that had a fair bit of nastiness with McDavid driven clavicle to crossbar by defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin after his first-period power play goal-mouth score.
• On the whole, much more engaged physically than against the Stars.
• …with the win, they’re now 7-5 when allowing the first snipe. They got their usual production from McDavid and Draisaitl (blast that squeezed past Wedgewood) but this was more grind and grit than entertainment with Kassian amplifying the blue-collar work with some nice hands.
• They got through the game with Russell, playing his 889th, William Lagesson (28th but first this season) and Philip Broberg (third career) just fine on the left side.
• Because Keith is only day-to-day (upper body), the Oilers didn’t recall another left-shot prospect defenceman from Bakersfield for the road trip which ends in Vegas Saturday.
• Kessel played his 920th straight game… Kessel, in the last year of his contract, will be traded at the deadline, for a draft pick and likely a prospect. The Rangers would definitely be interested; maybe the Oilers, too.

BLH’s Thoughts: That last little tidbit is interesting, isnt’ it… What would Phil Kessel look like on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid? That kind of trade sure fits Ken Holland’s style of trade deadline work. Reckon ol’ Kenny can get Kessel to waive his modified no-trade to go to the frozen tundra of Northern Alberta if the American has his sights set on sunny Las Vegas though?

The Daily Goal Horn

NHL Trade Bait Tracker