All posts by Zach Laing

Armchair GM, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Trades, Zach Laing

Oilers 2016 Draft Scenarios and is Charlie McAvoy the Next Ryan Suter?

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First off, the last few weeks since the Oilers season ending have been pretty hectic for me. I’ve recently completed by Journalism Diploma from SAIT and on May 5th I interviewed for a position in SAIT’s Radio program. The interview went well, and I’m hopeful to get in. On top of all that, I have recently gotten back to work at my summer job working at a Calgary Golf Course.

None the less, as life starts to settle down here for a bit I am looking forward to getting some more articles done in the near future.

Now, we turn our attention to the NHL Entry Draft, where the Oilers will be holding the fourth overall selection.

As it stands right now, I am in the company of trying to trade the pick for some defensive help. It’s tough to get an idea where the other teams in the top 15 stand, and whether or not the Oilers will be able to find a partner.

In an ideal scenario, I would like to see the Oilers move pick fourth overall for a solid top-4 NHL defenceman (see: Hamonic, Barrie, Shattenkirk.)

Islanders: Likely to hold a pick around 20th overall, probably too far away to get an impact defensive prospect. Hamonic is still the best option. They would love to have a Tkachuk/Dubois to play in their top six.

Avs: Hold pick 10. I could envision the Avs wanting to draft a defenceman, as it appears Barrie be on his way out. By trading up to four, the Avs could get their choice of Dmen, as well as acquire other assets by trading Barrie to Edmonton. I could also see them taking a Tkachuk or Dubois. Could Pouliot be dangled?

Blues: They’re still in the playoffs as of today, and they will be picking somewhere in the 20+ range. Shattenkirk is just the type of top four guy we are looking for, and moving the fourth overall pick would be a great option should the Oilers be able to resign him.

Where am I going with this?

Well, I think the Oilers should be looking long and hard at moving the pick. I really do. The Oilers have such a dire need to replenish the defensive ranks that if the team could make a deal for Barrie + No. 10 overall we would be able to fill some gaps. More than likely, the Oilers would need to add in to balance a deal out. Maybe a player like Benoit Pouliot would be of interest?

Picking at 10 would give the Oilers the option of more than likely being able to land one of Chychrun, Juolevi, Sergachev, McAvoy, Bean or Fabbro.

I recently sat down and ID’d Boston Univ. RSD Charlie McAvoy as someone who would be a great option for the Oilers.

He is a 6’1, 211 lb freshman who has been compared in the past to Ryan Suter.

BLH pointed out to me that during last year’s World Junior Hockey Championships, he was referred to by commentators as playing a very similar style of game to Suter. According to Christian Roatis’ NHL Equivalency Calculator, Suter’s NHLE was 17.5 pts, while McAvoy’s is 20.5.

This past season, the freshman went 3-22-25 in 37 games

Here is how Boston University’s head coach David Quinn described McAvoy this past season:

Charlie has been an elite player for a long time. We expect him to make an immediate impact and play in all situations. He’s got great skills and vision and he’s a big, strong kid that skates well. One of the top freshman defensemen in college hockey. Source.

And from NHL Central Scouting’s David Gregory:

He has a real pro game to him. He’s a player who, because of his late birthdate (Dec. 21. 1997), has played with players already drafted at a very high level for a long time, but has shown the kind of game that really translates well to the pro game.

It may take [McAvoy] longer to get up to the level of speed of the college game, but knowing what I know about his game, I don’t think it’ll be that long. He’s going to be playing at a level that will allow NHL teams to say, ‘I can see where he’ll fit into our system and where he projects as a pro player.’ He will become a legitimate NHL defenseman. Source.

The work he put in this season helped launch him up the NHL Central Scouting North American rankings, going from ninth in NA ranked skaters in the midterm rankings up to sixth by the time they released their final rankings.

Interestingly enough, I feel that him being a Boston Terrier is going to draw Peter Chiarelli to him. He has a longstanding connection with the University team, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Oilers figure out a way to pick him up.

Drop me a line, and let me know what you think.

As always, I can be reached at on Twitter, or by email: zjlaing@gmail.com.

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Breaking News, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Zach Laing

Oilers sign NCAA UFA F Drake Caggiula

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Just last night, news broke that the Edmonton Oilers were the winners in the Drake Caggiula “sweepstakes.”

Caggiula is a 5’10, 185 lb Forward who scored 127 points in 162 NCAA games and was just named this year’s NCAA Frozen Four MVP after leading the North Dakota Fighting Hawks to a national title this past season. Scouting reports have shown that Caggiula is certainly a player that fits into what the Oilers are building:

A smart, skilled, and gritty buzzsaw of a winger that gets up and down the ice with focused drive. His mobility is elite, and his first three steps propel him to top speed quickly. Defensively, he is very active and can contain the opposition by limiting their chances in the slot. Offensively, he can be uncontainable, consistently displaying excellent vision and individual puck skills; can act as both the passer or the shooter in any given situation. An all-around game, rooted in his strong will to win and his ability to make the players around him better, is what he brings each and every night. Character is something built through tough situational battles and having to step up at key moments as a leader. Caggiula has the capacity to be that leader on and off the ice. [EP]

Bob McKenzie had a great write up on Caggiula last year here.


Despite originally being drafted by the Erie Otters in the OHL, he opted to take the less popular route and commit to the NCAA. He ended up passing up the opportunity to play with Connor McDavid, but now he has the chance to backtrack on it by committing to the Oilers.

The details have not yet been released, but I would imagine it is either a two-year or a three-year ELC deal.

*’tis a two-year ELC deal for Caggiula. No details have been released as of the publishing of this article. Copper and Blue are assuming that it’ll be a maxed out bonus deal as well.*

Where does he fit? Well TSN’s Frank Seravelli feels he immediately becomes the Oilers top F prospect, and has Top Six NHL potential. The Oilers have heard a similar story in the past about top NCAA’s prospects being the “real deal” when now Pittsburgh Penguin Justin Schultz was signed out of the NCAA.

At the end of the day, it is still unknown where Caggiula fits into the Oilers. His NHLE suggest he could go 22-22-44, but at this point in time he is nothing more than a solid addition to the Bakersfield Condors.

After training camp and the preseason, we will have a much better idea as to where he fits in.

Edmonton Oilers, Zach Laing

Remember Jussi Markkanen? He’s still playing pro hockey, and he’s doing a damn fine job at it.

It was 2006. Rexall Place was bumping, and the Edmonton Oilers had finally gotten to their first Cup Final since they last won in 1990.

After Dwayne Roloson was injured in the final period of game one, Jussi Markkanen was brought into the starting lineup for the Oilers in game two of the series.

Markkanen manged to earn the first star in a game three win, as well as a shutout in game six of the played. Despite his greatest efforts, he was unable to lead the Oilers to the promised land.

Once his contract ended following the 2006-2007 season, Markkanen went to the KHL for a season, as well as the Swiss-A league for a few years before he landed in 2013-2014 with the SaiPa Lappeenranta in the SM-Liiga.

He has been with the team since and has played in 129 games, posting a .920 sv% and a 2.00 GAA.

According to the SM-Liiga website, Markkanen’s season ended early last week after suffering what is described as a “disc clavicle fracture.” (The article was translated from Finnish to English, so things may have gotten lost in that translation.)

With his injury and an expiring contract, the 40-year old ended up signing a contract to stay with the team for two more season.

“I want to show myself that age is just a number and forties than I can fight against the younger pretty full. It is self-overcoming. Another big thing is that hockey is still very nice. It is nice to come to the gym in the morning and put themselves on the line.”

“I am very motivated and I want to help this team win in the future. I am very excited that we will now start a new project and I definitely want to be involved in it,” Markkanen says.

Being someone who began following this team in the 2005 – 2006 season, Markkanen has always held a special place in my heart and I am glad to see him still playing at a high level.

All the best, Jussi.

Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors, Zach Laing

Projecting the Oilers Offseason: First round pick, free agents and trade possibilites

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Just like that another Oilers season has come and gone. As I mentioned out on Twitter, this season wasn’t quite as bad as you may think. The truth is that the Oilers were ravished by injuries this year. It is now beyond the point of it being an excuse and being a legitimate reason. For an Oilers team that has lacked depth it was devastating to be the fourth most injured team in the league. On top of that, the Oilers faced the second greatest cumulative impact of injured forwards or defensemen. (Man Games Lost)

On to the draft

As we look ahead into the offseason it’s apparent Peter Chiarelli will have his hands full.

Uh.. Yeah. Some work clearly needs to be done. What will happen? Well I think that is largely imperative on where we are selecting in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

Right now, this is the way I look at it:

If the Oilers select first overall, the team could select Auston Matthews and the entire NHL will continue to hate Edmonton all while fully believing the lottery is rigged. I would be okay with that. Seriously. It gives the team another elite level offensive player who will be on an ELC. That would allow us the opportunity to be a little more flexible with trade options for a defenceman.

While I honestly don’t want to see Hall, RNH or Eberle get moved, I don’t think it is realistic for the Oilers to acquire the help needed to shore up the back end.

If the Oilers were to select second overall, the team could select Patrik Laine. That would open up the ability to move Jordan Eberle and have a replacement ready to slide in the top six/nine. Laine is a force, and is going to be a dominant player in the NHL. BLH had a great write up on Laine yesterday, showing the comparisons to Mario Lemieux.

If the Oilers were to select third overall, I could see the Oilers selecting Jesse Puljujarvi. Like Laine, I feel that he is a player that would be able to step into the lineup and into a top six/nine role. Kosmic actually did a write up the other day on Puljujarvi, and like BLH’s I would recommend giving it a read over.

Both Finn’s have been playing against men and dominating overseas. It is also apparent both players don’t shy away from the physical side of the game. With both being over 6’3 and over 200 lbs their size along with their skill is exactly what Chiarelli is looking for.

At fourth and fifth overall, the Oilers are left with a tougher choice. If we had these picks, it would certainly be a bit easier to trade them away as you likely wouldn’t have a shot at Matthews, Laine or Puljujarvi. However, that should take away from the fact that there are some real impact players the Oilers could select. My favourites at four or five are: Olli Juolevi, Matthew Tkachuk, Pierre Luc-Dubois and Jacob Chychrun.

On to Free Agency

Yesterday, Lowetide posted a great and had this little clip in there about a “crazy” offseason for Peter Chiarelli.

Here’s what he figured:

Okay, well LT has certainly hit the head on all six of those being the key needs of the Edmonton Oilers and outside of the Subban move I could see almost all of these being reasonable options for the Oilers. (I just don’t actually think the Habs will trade Subban. If they do, you bet that Chiarelli and co. would be calling relentlessly) I think if we reel it in a little bit we see that it actually isn’t too crazy after all.

I do feel that a solid option for the Oilers in free agency would be Stars D Jason Demers. He comes in at 6’1 200lbs, and is right shot who has played his whole career in the West. Not just in the Western Conference, but in Todd McLellan’s system for six years.

Comparing potential Oilers targets

His 5v5 point production (0.8 P/60) since he played his first NHL season in 2009 shows that he would be the Oilers most offensively consistent defender the team had in that time. At the same time, his ability to quarterback a powerplay would be a much needed addition. It’s clear that Demers would be able to step in and play on the Oilers second pairing, but that still leaves a hole to be filled on the top pairing.

I see the Oilers acquiring two defencemen in the offseason. One through trade, and one (hopefully Demers) in free agency.

Trade options include guys like: Sami Vatanen, Tyson Barrie and Travis Hamonic. I’m not sure if any of those three are top pairing guys right now, but I feel like they are three of the most realistic options on the market for the Oilers right now.

Back to LT’s list, Troy Brouwer would be a great addition to the team as would a guy like Milan Lucic. Brouwer would more likely be a third line winger for us, while Lucic would certainly find a spot in the top six. I don’t know how realistic Lucic is given the fact that LA wants to resign him.

A few more forwards I would target: Steven Stamkos, David Backes, Frans Nielsen, Kris Versteeg.

A perfect offseason for me? Well, the one LT listed above is pretty much spot on.

Interesting to hear. Caggiula is a 5’10, 185 lb LS D who scored 127 points in 162 NCAA games and was just named this year’s NCAA Frozen Four MVP after leading UND to a national title. Chiarelli has been active in the NCAA free agent market, already signing Joey Benik and Nick Ellis to contracts. Let’s see where this goes..

All in all, the Oilers are going to have some big decisions to make this offseason. What do you think the Oilers need to be focused on this season? Drop a comment below, tweet obscenities at me, or fire me an email (zjlaing@gmail.com).

Edmonton Oilers, Zach Laing

Oilers vs Canucks – And then there were none…

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Game: Edmonton Oilers (30-42-7, 67 pts. 4-6 in their last 10) vs Calgary Flames (32-40-6, 70 pts. 4-5-1 in their last 10)

Location: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta

Time: 8:00 PM MT

Where to find it: TV: CBC – Radio: 630 CHED

THANK YOU!

Thank you all for reading my work throughout the course of this season. To know some of you seek out my work over others is very kind, and keeps me doing what I do.

Edmonton Oilers Preview:

 

Just like that, 82 games will have come and gone.

In a season filled with disappointments, it cannot be lost the success the Oilers have seen this year. I will be taking a look at these success over the next few days, and will have a post coming shortly.

Through all of the highs, and all of the lows it sucks to see the Oilers season go.

This season, the Oilers have fared very well against the Canucks outscoring them 10 – 4 and winning three of four games. Darnell Nurse, who took a puck to the throat during Wednesday’s game against the Flames, could return to the lineup tonight.

“Doctors have, from what I understand, cleared him, so if he is ready to play, we’ll play him,” coach Todd McLellan said. “He is a tough customer and that’s part of what makes him an attractive player.”

This article is tough to write, and I must say I don’t even know what to say. The season is over, and to tell you the truth I have been checked out of this season a few weeks ago.

When you have followed the Oilers for 11 years and the team has missed the playoffs in 10 of those, it is difficult to stay interested.

To be fair though, I really hope the Oilers come out and kick the snot out of Vancouver.

Predictions for tonight:

  1. Oilers win 69-0.
  2. There are 420 penalty minutes tonight.
  3. CONNOR MCDAVID HATTRICK!

Canucks Preview:
Vancouver didn’t practice Friday coming off back-to-back games, which included the loss to the Oilers and a 7-3 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday. The Canucks called up forward Mike Zalewski from Utica of the American Hockey League on Friday. It is the second call up for the 23-year-old since signing a contract in January; he had one assist in two games and is expected to replace defenseman Andrey Pedan, who had been playing as a forward, on the fourth line. Vancouver is 3-10-1 in its past 14 games going into the season finale. “This is the worst I’ve ever been a part of since I’ve been here,” forward Jannik Hansen, who has played nine NHL seasons for the Canucks, said after the loss in Calgary. “It hasn’t been very fun.”

— NHL.com

Line Combos and Starting Goalies:

Oilers (Cam Talbot):

Taylor Hall – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Iiro Pakarinen
Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Jordan Eberle
Lauri Korpikoski – Leon Draisaitl – Nail Yakupov
Matt Hendricks – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian

Andrej Sekera – Mark Fayne
Jordan Oesterle – Griffin Reinhart
Darnell Nurse – Adam Pardy

EDM Injuries: Oscar Klefbom (leg infection), Andrew Ference (hip), Eric Gryba (knee), Benoit Pouliot (shoulder), Brandon Davidson (knee).

Vancouver Canucks (Jacob Markstrom):

Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Alex Burrows
Michael Zalewski – Markus Granlund – Jannik Hansen
Ronalds Kenins – Brendan Gaunce – Jake Virtanen
Emerson Etem – Bo Horvat – Derek Dorestt

Dan Hamhuis – Chris Tanev
Ben Hutton – Nikita Tryamkin
Matt Bartkowski – Alex Biega

Any ideas on how to improve my game previews? Send me an email at zjlaing@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter.