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!

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• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
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The Athletic

Should the Oilers move Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the 3rd line?

• Edmonton’s five-on-five goal differential on the third line has been a problem for many years, and the early positive signs this season did not last.
• Nugent-Hopkins plays big minutes in all situations (averaging 20:52 a night, almost 14 minutes five-on-five) but would sacrifice even-strength time moving to the third line. That’s a big consideration for Tippett: Is Nugent-Hopkins playing fewer minutes a night at even strength worth it?
• The key to moving Nugent-Hopkins to No. 3 centre is five-on-five outscoring, and that means an ability to produce goals without McDavid and Draisaitl.
• The numbers since Nugent-Hopkins arrived (and that’s a decade) confirm over and over again the gifted forward cannot push offence against the other team’s best. As a complementary player, he’s brilliant (as shown against the Blues on Sunday)…
• If Nugent-Hopkins were to become the No. 3 centre, he would need plenty of support to make it successful. He is a more talented player than Derek Ryan or Ryan McLeod, but that won’t turn Edmonton’s depth wingers into outscorers.
• A third line featuring Foegele and Jesse Puljujarvi would have a great chance to succeed, but that’s borrowing a tremendous amount from the feature line for a trio that by definition will be the third option most nights.
• …as tempting as it might be to move Nugent-Hopkins, as much as fans might want to see it, he’s in the right spot.

BLH’s Thoughts: The other thing is, Dave Tippett cannot help himself but throw Draisaitl and McDavid out together when the waters are choppy. That would mean everybody moves up a slot and the Hart Foundation’s TOI rockets to the moon. The other team simply has to endure the minutes that McDavid and Draisaitl are on the ice for and lay the pressure on thick when the rest of the team gets their ice. 

It’ll be a lot easier to tinker with the bottom-six than to muck about with the top-six, I reckon. Acquisition costs are much lower as you go down the roster and teams are more apt to move 3rd and 4th liners.

That said, in the not too distant future, the Oilers 3rd line is going to feature Zach Hyman and RNH as their careers wind down. Maybe by then Edmonton has some legit top-six wingers to replace those vets with.

Now, what kind of boost will the 3rd line get when Zack Kassian returns this week. It sounds like he’ll be coming in on Tuesday against the Jets, a really heavy team that works extremely hard in the muck. 

Oilersnation

Monday Mailbag

Mike Smith was sent back to Edmonton after a setback in his recovery and my question is how long does he have to be out before Ken Holland goes looking for help? Would Marc-Andre Fleury actually be a fit?

• “When I think of Marc-Andre Fleury, I just don’t even know how the Oilers would be able to make the math work unless Chicago is retaining half and they’re sending Koskinen/Kassian/something like that the other way. And if you’re the Blackhawks, would you want to make that trade anyway?” – Baggedmilk

BLH’s Thoughts: Unless Smith is out for the year, Holland will stick with the current duo. The one caveat being another injury. 

Oilers fans have to keep in mind that Ken Holland is one of the most patient GMs in the league and there’s a reason he’s mentored some very famous execs in the league, because he’s one of the best at his job, ever. 

Darnell Nurse signed two bridge deals before eventually signing his monster contract this past summer. Knowing that, do you think they should take a different approach when it comes to Jesse Puljujarvi who will be needing a new deal when the season is over?

• “Puljujarvi likely won’t sign a long-term deal for what the Oilers would want to sign him for. I don’t see Edmonton giving him a $6m deal on a long-term, and he and his camp likely feel he can become that type of player, so a bridge makes the most sense. Also in two years Duncan Keith, Milan Lucic and Andrej Sekera are off the books. The only Oilers who could garner big raises then are Evan Bouchard and Puljujarvi.” – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: From the whispers I’m hearing through the grapevine, it sounds like the AAV on Pulju’s next deal will start with a five… Most think it won’t be a max-term deal, but I’m also wary of those saying it’ll be a short bridge contract too. If the agents work for the player and the player wants a four or five year deal, then in theory, that’s what he’ll likely end up getting. 

Will Ken Holland want JP’s next contract expiring in two year as Gregor points to? I don’t know that he will. 

Pulju might still be rep’d by Markus Lehto but Wasserman (McDavid’s agent’s agency) is overseeing things too and I wonder if that fact alone might change the outlook a bit.

What can the Oilers do about the refs refusing to call penalties in favour of Connor McDavid?

• “It is a league-wide issue. It is a bigger problem than just McDavid, but I understand why Oilers fans are frustrated because a lot goes uncalled on McDavid. At the very least the Oilers brass should be calling the league privately.” – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: #TaketheFine…

I don’t think after playing two seasons without fans and incurring THAT financial difficulty that a itty bitty fine from the NHL for expressing some concern for the quality of officiating with regards to the league’s best players is a deal breaker for the Edmonton Oilers organization…

C’mon… 

I mean, in the event that it is a deal breaker, why doesn’t the team simply go out and hire some of the hockey community’s most powerful online influencers and get the message out that way? 

I suppose another thing they could do is hit the league in its wallet and refuse to make their stars available for certain league events like the all-star game or charity outings. The Winter Olympics is a massive global advertisement for the NHL and nobody watches it if the stars aren’t playing. Although in those scenarios, the players and their agents would have to go along as well, but I’m just saying, there are ways to protest without going the Brian Burke route…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XBXJtiQw-o

Assuming the Oilers will be buyers at the trade deadline, where do you see upgrade opportunities in their lineup through the first 14 games?

• “This team isn’t even settled in and set yet in the bottom six forward mix and the defensive pairings, so it’s a bit early… it’s worth keeping an eye on the left side of the defensive group. Right now, the Oilers are outscoring some of their question marks on the back end.” – Brownlee

BLH’s Thoughts: A lot of people talking about upgrading the left side of the defense… Makes sense, but I don’t see it being touched until March at the earliest IF it gets addressed at all via trade. 

NHLTradeRumor.com

• Jonas Siegel of The Athletic writes, “If GM Kyle Dubas can somehow swing it — with cap space still at a premium — the Leafs could certainly use another legitimate threat in their top six.”… Siegel went on to say, there are not many guys on the Leafs roster that can pot 20 goals besides Matthews, Tavares, Nylander and Marner.
• James O’Brien of NBC Sports states with GM Bob Murray stepping down, maybe the Ducks can finally truly embrace a rebuild… O’Brien went on to say, the Ducks should consider this in their rebuild: whether Gibson is elite or not, he’s most likely to serve the team best in a well-timed, sell-high trade.
  • The Colorado Avalanche could make a move closer to the NHL trade deadline. The Penguins have shown interest in the past and the team that would make the most sense but lacks salary cap space is the Edmonton Oilers.
• Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is looking to bolster his blueline and could target the Leafs Dermott as Dermott’s cap hit works for the Islanders… The only way Dermott stays with the Leafs is if the Leafs receive an offer they can’t refuse for Justin Holl.

BLH’s Thoughts: It’s been said that if the Oilers want to get in on John Gibson it’ll take a 5-piece offer consisting of Philip Broberg, Mikko Koskinen, Kailer Yamamoto, a 2022 first-round pick, and another draft pick. 

That be a hefty price for the Oilers to pay right now and there’s no guarantee Gibson would waive his 10-team NTC to play in Northern Alberta…

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
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• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Lowetide.ca

• Much of the verbal you’ll read today from Oilers observers is about what the Oilers aren’t doing well, and that’s fine. However, the goal differential for the five regular defensemen is either 50 percent or above, the team save percentage (.914) is No. 14 across the league and the special teams are absolute fire.
• One of the problems with the Oilers having an analytics-driven fanbase is that the expectation is perfection.
• So. Are the Oilers good? Yes. Are they competitive in the Pacific Division? Yes. Is the Pacific Division better than expected?… Are the Oilers flawed? Of course. Is this team successful?
• Arguing for the sake of arguing. It’s a thing.

BLH’s Thoughts: What?! Oilers fans “arguing”? Analytics ultras vs. Eye-test mob? That’s not the fanbase I know… I mean, expecting Connor McDavid’s “against” metrics to be as good as his “for” stats? That’s completely reasonable. 

The Hockey Writers

4 Oilers Who Could Play at World Juniors

• Luca Munzenberger: At World Juniors 2021, Munzenberger helped Team Germany finish third in Pool A to qualify for the quarterfinals, where they were defeated 2-1 by Russia.
• Xavier Bourgault: The Shawinigan Cataractes forward is tied for the QMJHL lead in both goals (15) and points (30), in 16 games. The 19-year-old also had a league-best eight power-play goals, and was tied for first with four game-winning goals.
• Matvey Petrov: …his explosive Ontario Hockey League (OHL) debut with the North Bay Battalion has surely put the winger into serious contention for Team Russia. The 18-year-old has played 16 games, racking up 12 goals (third in the OHL), 21 points (10^th in the OHL) and 62 shots (fifth in the OHL).
• Tyler Tullio: He leads the OHL with 19 assists, and also has five goals, giving the 19-year-old 24 points in 15 games, to sit in a tie for third in the league.

BLH’s Thoughts: My feeling is that Munzenberger is probably the only lock for his country’s national junior team. As good as Bourgault and Tullio are playing, Team Canada is bloody deep and they tend to take skaters with World Junior experience, older players, and potential first overall picks like Shane Wright or Connor Bedard, for example. 

Now, there is one scenario where one or both of Bourgault and Tullio could make the team and that’s the one where the NHL teams refuse to release their WJHC-eligible players for the tournament. 

Cole Perfetti (WPG), Quinton Byfield (LA), Seth Jarvis (CAR), Cole Sillinger (CBJ), Mason McTavish (ANA), Hendrix Lapierre (WAS), and Tyson Foerster (PHI) are all playing in the NHL or the AHL. 

Reckon all of those players will be released? I don’t and maybe, just maybe Bourgault and Tullio’s chances are a lot higher than I expect. 

The Daily Goal Horn

NHL Free Agents likely to be available

John Klingberg (D): Klingberg, 29, scored 36 points in 53 games last year for Dallas, and is headed towards UFA status. 

Phil Kessel (F): Kessel, 34, can still produce and has asked to be traded out of Arizona. 

Ryan Strome (F): The 28 year-old is still in his prime and has 8 points in 11 games this year. Cap issues will make it difficult for NY to re-sign him.

Marc-Andre Fleury (G): The reigning Vezina winner is probably wishing he choose retirement before agreeing to play for the Blackhawks. That may be the case after this season for the 37 year-old netminder. But if Vegas or Pittsburgh are interested in a 1 year deal, I’d think he’d stick around.

Possible NHL Free Agents

Johnny Gaudreau (F): Gaudreau, 28, earns $6.75 million against the cap and is in the final year of his contract… but with 15 points in 15 games, his demands are likely climbing.

Evgeni Malkin (F): The 35 year-old has yet to play this season. Will Malkin eventually take his career 1104 points to another city? 

Kris Letang (D): It appears with 9 points in 10 games, the Penguins may want to extend him.

Claude Giroux (F): He has 12 points in 13 games this season and I find it hard to see him anywhere else.

Tomas Hertl (F): With 10 points in 14 games, the Sharks have said they’d like to keep him but we’ll see come the trade deadline where they are.

Filip Forsberg (F): This season, he has 7 points in 9 games and is currently week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The Preds already have big contracts on the books and Forsberg could be a casualty.

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

Sportsnet

Draisaitl, Oilers continue dominance in big win over Blues

• These days, Draisaitl is THE top player, leading the NHL with an obscene 31 points in 14 games, the latest a lovely set-up for Kailer Yamamoto, who blasted home the game-winner with 28 seconds remaining in a 5-4 Oilers win in St. Louis.
• How good has the big German been this seasons? Check out these stats:
  • On Sunday, Draisaitl had a power-play goal from his favorite spot to the goalie’s left and two primary assists, the eighth time in 14 games this season where he has notched three or more points.
  • He leads the league in points (31) and goals (15), is one back of the lead in assists with 16. He is tied for third in the NHL at plus-12, and sits 15th in the league among regular faceoff men in faceoff percentage (55.1%). 
  • In his last seven games, Draisaitl has had three points in five games and two points in another, for 18 points.
• It was a win that had many contributors, and we’d observe that we’ve perhaps never seen a goalie play so well as Miko Koskinen did, and still allow four goals.
• The Oilers are the only team in the NHL that is averaging more than four goals scored per game (4.14), and their goals against per game of 3.00 put them right in the middle of the pack.

BLH’s Thoughts: If not for Mikko Koskinen, the Oilers would’ve had their asses handed to them royally and one might argue they still did but were lucky that Jordan Binnington was doing his best impression of Hardy Astrom on the evening. Although, that was a damn fine little wrister from Killer on the GWG. 

When Draisaitl scores from his büro, do you also wonder how the hell he manages to find an opening nearly every time? I mean, I’ve never seen him as an Ovechkin or Brett Hull-type at all but for the love of Pete, Leon sure scores goals like those guys… 

Cult of Hockey

Player grades: Kailer Yamamoto fires the last shot as Oilers top Blues in barnburner

• #18 Zach Hyman, 7. A strange game where the puck was bouncing on him a lot, with a couple of scoring chances lost in the process. Didn’t muster a single shot on net, but was instrumental in the first 2 Oilers goals, earning assists on both.
• #19 Mikko Koskinen, 8. He was the only reason the Oilers were in the game at 1-1 after the first period, turning aside 8 of 9 Grade A shots…  39 shots, 35 saves, and a truly non-representative .897 save percentage. Koskinen won’t even get credited with a quality start but he sure as heck delivered one.
• #29 Leon Draisaitl, 9. Another outstanding game in all facets. His line with RNH and Yamamoto was Edmonton’s best both by eye and on paper, producing outstanding shot shares on a night their mates were largely in chase mode.
• #56 Kailer Yamamoto, 8. His big moment came in the game’s final minute when he burst into the slot, accepted Drai’s centring pass and did indeed fire an effective one-timer that overpowered Craig Billington.
• #71 Ryan McLeod, 7. Has come alive on this road trip and was rewarded in St. Louis with his first NHL goal, when he jumped on Foegele’s “pass” and fired a one-timer off the backhand side that found the top of the net behind Binnington.
• #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 8. All over the puck all night. Appeared determined to break his season-long goal drought, and finally got rewarded when he converted a Draisaitl feed with a quick shot through both defender and goaltender to put the Oilers in front 3-2.
• #75 Evan Bouchard, 4. Had his struggles defensively, finding himself on the wrong side of more than one Blues attacker. Played 23:46 to lead all Oilers (1 second more than Nurse!), and also topped all penalty killers with 4:16, contributing some good clears to that effort.
• #25 Darnell Nurse, 4. Among the defensive culprits on 2 Blues goals, beaten by key passes on both the 1-0 and the 4-4.
• #22 Tyson Barrie, 4. Had a complete clean sheet on the event summary, not so much as an official shot attempt (though we at CoH rated him for one jam shot after a McLeod wraparound attempt).
• #2 Duncan Keith, 4. Oilers defenders were under the gun all night, and the Keith-Ceci pairing were no exception with some difficult moments at both even strength and on the penalty kill… Keith was victimized on 4 Grade A looks at even strength and 5 more on the PK.

BLH’s Thoughts: Three players had “it” from start to end last night, Draisaitl, Yamamoto, and Puljujarvi. You could tell just from how they were skating that all three were going to have decent games. 

In the last two games, Ryan McLeod has been Leon-like on faceoffs winning 19/24. He’s starting to find his groove and if he can continue to do this, he’ll take a weight off of Ken Holland’s back the size of Ryan Getzlaf. I hope he can spark some bottom-six scoring… 

The Hockey Writers Rumors

• During this week’s episode of The Jeff Marek Show, Mike Chambers of The Denver Post said he believes Samuel Girard was “the big piece” the Colorado Avalanche were offering up to Buffalo in an attempt to get into the Jack Eichel trade conversation. Even though the trade didn’t go down and Eichel went to Vegas, Chambers still thinks Girard could be traded.
• Ron McLean asked Jeff Marek during Saturday’s 32 Thoughts segment what he felt was going on in Dallas where John Stevens was removed from the bench for the first time since he joined the organization as an assistant coach.
• Oilers Sign Matvey Petrov to Entry-Level Deal… The fact that Matvey Petrov didn’t appear early in the OHL season might have been a win for the Oilers as it appears they’ve grabbed one of the better young players late in the draft. Fewer scouts watched him play and he is exceeding expectations.

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 Hockey Writers

Oilers’ Prospect Depth Makes Kailer Yamamoto Potential Trade Piece

• When you factor in the fact the Oilers have some incredibly skilled and high-end forwards coming up through the system, all of this might equal the exit of Kailer Yamamoto this season, a player who could be an attractive addition for a rebuilding team looking for young pieces.
• …the focus will be on extending Jesse Puljuarvi this offseason and because the team’s window to compete for the Stanley Cup with this core is about four-five seasons long…
• The list of players that insiders believe might help will vary, but Phil Kessel, Alexander Radulov, Joe Pavelski, Dustin Brown, Vladislav Namestnikov are pending UFAs on teams that aren’t likely looking like playoff contenders this season.
• The Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Detroit Red Wings might all take an interest in Yamamoto if he becomes available.
• …letting Yamamoto go for immediate help, then not retaining that help is an option because the likes of Matvei Petrov, Dylan Holloway, Xavier Bourgault, and others are working their way through the Oilers system and a couple of years from potentially being players ready for NHL duty.
• Should the Oilers elect not to move Yamamoto for another forward, he’s likely got enough cache around the NHL that he could be used as a piece to acquire what the Oilers need — a goaltender or a left-shot defenseman.
• If another 12 games go by and Yamamoto’s point totals haven’t improved, expect to hear his name brought up in trade talks.

BLH’s Thoughts: Yamo’s started to pick things up here recently, his role on the club’s PK, and Leon Draisaitl’s apparent affinity for playing with him might keep him on the team, but Jim Parsons is right about one thing; should Killer go back into scoring hibernation, he’s a tasty trade piece going into this year’s deadline because he has shown that he can score at the NHL level amongst other things. 

As I’ve said multiple times before, with his toolbox, I think Yamo is an elite 3rd liner and the ideal Edmonton Oilers roster would have him on the 3rd line and somebody with a bit more scoring touch on the 2nd line. 

If I’m reading the tea leaves right, Edmonton’s first rounder will be in play and I believe they may use that on a defenseman. I just hope it’s not used to bring in somebody like Marc Staal (no offense)… 

Oilersnation

Off the Top of My Head

• It’s a good sign that after playing poorly enough to make Dustin Tokarski look like an actual NHL goaltender and allowing the Buffalo Sabres to end a 0-4-1 winless streak with a 3-2 victory Friday, the Edmonton Oilers resisted the urge to make excuses.
• …back-to-back shouldn’t have been a factor… losing this game isn’t one of those learning curve lessons – this team should have learned those lessons long ago. These Oilers should be closer to graduation than kindergarten here, folks.

BLH’s Thoughts: Even after watching Edmonton snatch a guaranteed point away from St. Louis last night, the team is still relying on its offense to win games for them. I mean, that’s fine, if you’ve got the guns to do it, but do you think Koskinen, Smith, and Skinner are going to play that good every time the Oilers take their foot off of the pedal? It’s not like they’ve got Patrick Roy or Curtis Joseph in net or every team they play will be on the hind end of a back-to-back… They MUST clean up the puck management, puck distribution, and overall 5v5 defense or it’s going to be another short post-season. 

Koekkoek and Russell aren’t knocking it out of the ballpark this year, if I were GM, I might look at trying to acquire somebody with more of a defensive touch in my own zone. I just remember watching the Blues run Edmonton’s show in the Oilers’ zone for long stretches and getting multiple scoring chances last night and thinking they need someone to stifle that… 

Spector’s Hockey

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz still believes there is a 50-50 chance Tomas Hertl signs a contract extension with the San Jose Sharks. While the 28-year-old center seems happier this season, that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to finish his career in San Jose or the Sharks want to sign him to a long, expensive contract.

NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien believes the Anaheim Ducks should embrace a true roster rebuild following Bob Murray’s resignation as general manager. He suggested attempting to move John Gibson in a well-timed, sell-high trade.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski wondered if the Penguins will be shopping for a reliable backup as Casey DeSmith has allowed four or more goals in seven of his last 10 starts dating back to last March.

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

Oilersnation

Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid scores career point 600

• A few weeks after scoring career goal 200, McDavid has notched his 600th point. It came in the dying seconds of Sunday night’s game against the St. Louis Blues, when he banged in a puck in front of the Blues net.
• For McDavid, he becomes the sixth-fastest player to hit the 600 point mark doing it in his 421st career game. The five players to do it faster? Jari Kuri (419), Mike Bossy (400), Peter Stastny (394), Mario Lemieux (323) and Wayne Gretzky (274).

BLH’s Thoughts: Good for Connor, just imagine how much quicker he would’ve gotten to 600pts had he not been injured in seasons prior. 

Did you happen to see that graphic during the game that showed how fast Connor’s point totals have gone from 0-100, 100-200, 200-300, etc. If I recall correctly, every 100 points has seen him accrue that total in fewer and fewer games. Do you know what I mean? What I’m trying to say is, point 500-600 was done in 52 games. How quick will he be to 700?

Now, with the way that Leon Draisaitl is going, there’s a solid chance that he gets his 600th point as well. He’s got 68 games to go from point 537 to that magical mark though, reckon he can do it? I think if he stays healthy, there’s a really solid chance he does. 

Speaking of career milestones,

• RNH is 4pts from 500
• Puljujarvi is 24pts from 100
• Nurse is 33pts from 200

Sportsnet

Sportsnet’s 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: November Edition

• 1. Shane Wright, C, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL): Don’t be concerned about point totals (eight points in eight games), focus on the details, and you see a first overall pick all day long.

• 2. Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW, Omsk (VHL): Extremely strong and powerful skater who possesses a deadly shot and the know-how to get into position to use it.

• 3. Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS Turku (Liiga): Has a number of weapons he can use to score, be it off the rush, with the one-timer or getting to the net front.

• 4. Joakim Kemell, LW, JYP (Liiga): Is on pace to put forth one of the best U18 seasons in the history of Finland’s top pro league.

• 5. Logan Cooley, C, USNTDP: Nice little six-game goal streak featured markers against both USHL and NCAA competition.

• *6. David Jiricek, D, HC Plzen (Extraliiga): As a defenceman, he will have added value in this draft class that’s full of high-end forwards.
• 7. Conor Geekie, C, Winnipeg Ice (WHL): Even when not producing, can still impact the game by either playing physically or matching up against the opposition’s best.

• 8. Matthew Savoie, C, Winnipeg Ice (WHL): There’s no denying the puck skills and amazing playmaking ability. The creativity is what will allow him to overcome any issues regarding size (5-foot-9, 178 pounds).

• *9. Danila Yurov, RW, Magnitogorsk (KHL): A new-aged Russian player who competes hard all over the ice and doesn’t sacrifice offence to do so.

• 10. Isaac Howard, LW, USNTDP: Has ability to find open ice to utilize his array of finishing skills.
• *11. Brad Lambert, LW, JYP (Liiga): Looks like a classic case of the draft year blues. Being left off the Finnish roster for the upcoming U20 event in Europe is rather curious.

• 12. Simon Nemec, C, HK Nitra (Slovakia): A good skater with above average puck skills who makes plays to evade the forecheck and uses those same skills to be an effective producer.
• 13. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgarden (SWE U20): Is really adept manipulating the blade to deceive defenders and goalkeepers alike. Will release the puck from a number of angles, which aids in elite goal-scoring ability.

• 14. Frank Nazar, C, USNTDP: Uses dynamic skating ability to not only beat defenders, but to back track and strip pucks.

• 15. Tristan Luneau, D, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL): There’s massive upside in the potential of this player based on puck handling skills and the ability to make a good first pass. Getting completely back to game shape following a lower-body injury will be key in realizing this potential.
• 16. Elias Salomonsson, D, Skelleftea (SWE U20): Mobility is a key asset for the success of this player. Consistent effort is a work in progress.
• 17. Seamus Casey, D, USNTDP: Great intuition as to when to be part of or initiate the rush. Work in progress on the defensive side.
• 18. Denton Mateychuk, D, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL): His U18 experience is immeasurable in terms of developing an understanding of the importance of playing a complete game. Leadership qualities are in tact.
• 19. Filip Mesar, LW, HK Poprad (Slovakia): The type of player who makes you perk-up when the puck is on his stick.
• 20. Marco Kasper, C, Rogle (SHL): Does a great job making himself available by finding open ice. Puck seems to find him at the front of the net.
• 21. Cutter Gauthier, LW, USNTDP: A lesser name on a stacked program team, he’s a player who always catches your eye.
• 22. Ryan Chesley, D, USNTDP: Rocket of a shot from the point, but also effective with the one-timer. The challenge is to be elite every night.
• 23. Rutger McGroarty, LW, USNTDP: At his best when playing the traditional power forward game.

• *24. Nathan Gaucher, C, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL): Looking to take his game to the next level as a go-to, consistent producer who faces the best of the opposition’s match-up every night.
• *25. Jack Hughes, C, Northeastern (NCAA): Continuing to adjust to the speed, pace and size of the NCAA game.
• 26. David Goyette, C, Sudbury Wolves (OHL): Taking advantage of top line minutes. A hard worker whose game is in perpetual motion.
• 27. Liam Ohgren, LW, Djurgarden: Lauded for his work rate, he lit up the U20 league before earning a promotion to the SHL. Confidence can only grow after recently scoring his first career SHL goal.
• 28. Kevin Korchinski, D, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL): Not typical that a player still looking for their first WHL goal makes this list. His mark has been made as a transitional defenceman with unrealized offensive potential.
• 29. Mattias Havelid, D, Linkoping (SWE U20): Poise, confidence and patience allow for effective decision making.
• 30. Otto Salin, D, HIFK (Liiga): Plays with patience and the awareness of when to take risks. Defends with good stick position and with some physicality.
• 31. Michael Buchinger, D, Guelph Storm (OHL): Has been the subject of all the early buzz in Ontario with seven assists in 11 games.
• *32. Tyler Brennan, G, Prince George Cougars (WHL): Has settled in after a shaky start. Ideally he’d be in a situation where he doesn’t have to split time.

The Daily Goal Horn

• On the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, it was noted that Hockey Canada and others were monitoring the situation in Ottawa.
  • “Hockey Canada, like all of the federations, are watching what’s going on in Ottawa. There’s still concern over COVID-19, it very much threatens the Olympics and some of these international events,” Darren Dreger said.
• The Seattle Kraken are sitting dead last in the Pacific Division at 4-10-1 (9 pts). GM Ron Francis was asked by Pierre LeBrun in October if he would consider trading Mark Giordano this season.
  • “I think that’s a decision we make a little bit down the road here,” Francis said. “Mark is a terrific pro, been in the game a while, and a great leader for us and the organization, representing us not only on the ice but in the community as well. We’ll see where things go moving forward with the franchise overall.’’
• Last night, goaltender Jake Allen was blasted by Red Wings’ captain Dylan Larkin in the first period.
  • With Carey Price still not ready to return, GM Marc Bergevin could be scouring the market for another goaltender.
  • Joonas Korpisalo was recently linked to Montreal prior to Price’s return.