BLH Edmonton Oilers Weekly Recap December 20th-26th

n this holiday edition of the Beerleagueheroes.com weekly recap, our Edmonton Oilers had only two games on the docket where they finished 1-0-1 with a win over Winnipeg and an overtime loss against Vancouver.

However, don’t let the record fool you: The Edmonton Oilers did not play great hockey in those two games, especially last night where it was a stinker. Last night’s game in particular was a lifeless effort where they played a solid first period and forgot there was a game going on.

Edmonton Oilers Three Stars: 

3. Teddy Purcell: Right now, he’s the best Right Wing on the Edmonton Oilers. Against Winnipeg, he tallied two goals with help from Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl. The one goal included was an awesome one timer. He’s a much better player compared to last year and there’s not many people who are complaining about his play. If it were me who was General Manager, I’d keep Purcell. I said it last year too: I actually like Teddy Purcell. I think he’s playing well enough for a short term contract (2 years, 2.5-3 million per) but that’s just me spit balling.

2. Taylor Hall: The best Edmonton Oiler makes another appearance in the top three list for the week, almost like he’s a permanent fixture for this weekly list. Against Winnipeg, Hall had three helpers. Ho hum. Against Vancouver he was held pointless but he was the most dangerous Edmonton Oiler out there: every time he touched the puck he was creating chances and was the driver of his line. He’s a dangerous forward, which is not a shocker to fans in Edmonton.

1. Cam Talbot: Taking the top spot this week is Cam Talbot who went 1-0-1 this week and was the MVP for the Oilers and the main reason why they got points. Talbot faced 69 shots in those two games combined, including a career high 45 against Winnipeg, and stopped 66 of those shots. While the overtime goal is probably one he would like back, he is rocking a combined save percentage of 0.956. Which is great. I see Talbot slowly moving towards taking the starting goaltender spot, although I doubt he plays tonight against Calgary (back to back games)

Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumours: 

There was an interesting Rumour that has some major smoke to it:

Zack Kassian to Edmonton for Ben Scrivens.

Mentioned SJ as a potential Kassian fit (Bob Boughner), but also wonder about EDM. Peter Chiarelii took a long look at him last year in BOS.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 27, 2015

We had a post breaking down the potential rumor right here which is definitely worth a read.

However, since that post, there have been some updates such as goaltender Eetu Laurikainen coming back from Europe to rejoin the Condors. Signalling the end of Ben Scrivens with the Edmonton Oilers organization, considering he was held out of last night’s game against Stockton.

Interesting. EDM bringing back G Laurikainen from Europe. Jatkoaika: Laurikainen siirtyy takaisin NHL-seuraansa https://t.co/yEmj7E3vHS

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 27, 2015

I went from “oh HELL NO” to “I’ll consider it” in less than a day. Kassian is a crazy player. Nobody will ever forget the time he taunted Sam Gagner when Kassian broke Gagner’s jaw. He’s despised by Oilers fans since then. He has his demons; he recently completed a stint in rehab.

Now there is a trade freeze that lifts at midnight (or 10 pm EST), so it’ll be interesting to see if it happens.

Another piece of news from the Edmonton Sun has Connor McDavid returning after the All Star Break. Which is too bad, because I miss watching 97 on the ice. Still, better safe than sorry.

Around the League/Hockey World

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect William Nylander left yesterday’s game against the Swiss after a nasty hit to the head. 

Canada dropped their first game against the USA, 4-2.

Edmonton Oil King Defenceman, Dysin Mayo, signed his Entry Level Contract with the Arizona Coyotes.

Jets lose Mark Scheifele in a weird practice accident where he suffered a concussion.

The Montreal Canadiens have dropped 10 of their last 11.  

Highlights

Connor McDavid was featured in TSN’s top ten stories of the 2015 sporting year. He was number three.

This heartwarming video is making rounds: A sailor surprises his daughters with a visit on center ice at Tampa Bay

Kopitar scored a nice Overtime winner against Arizona last night

The Week Ahead

The Oilers have four games this week and it looks like a hell week.

They face The Flames in Calgary tonight.

They kick a six game homestead against the LA Kings on Tuesday, followed by Anaheim on Thursday and Arizona in an afternoon game on Saturday.

That’s all for the week that was. Hopefully we see a trade happen! Follow me on Twitter and have a solid week.