Category Archives: Bakersfield Condors

Armchair GM, Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Prospects, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers: Two Russells Are Better Than One and Is There a Trade That Makes Sense?

This morning the Edmonton Oilers called up forward Patrick Russell from the Bakersfield Condors due to an upper-body injury that has taken free-agent summer signing Tobias Rieder out of the lineup for, according to head coach Todd McLellan, about a month.

This is a move that I had predicted a mere handful of days earlier and the reasons I thought that he’d be a candidate for the call-up are thus:

  • He’s not 20 years old

It’s pretty obvious that Mr.McLellan is not keen on taking on any young players this season unless he absolutely has to. Patrick Russell is 25 years old.

  • He’s very hard-working

This player is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. He grinds, he goes to the dirty areas and he’s big enough (6’1″ 205lbs) to handle what NHL defenses will be throwing at him. I feel like he’s an AHL version of Patric Hornqvist.

  • He was a late cut from the Oilers two seasons ago

Surprised me too that season. It’s obvious that McLellan and Chiarelli agree on one thing and that is they see potential in Russell.

  • He’s moving the needle offensively at the AHL level

The Dane has been really racking up the points for Jay Woodcroft’s Condors this season. 4 ginos plus 5 apples make 9 points in 11 games for Patrick Russell. He’s already 30% of the way to his previous season’s totals in 1/6th the time. If there was ever a point in his career that he might get a shot at the NHL, this is it!

No word on if he or Cooper Marody will be inserted into the lineup for the game in Calgary but whoever plays, I wish them well!

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A Trade That Makes Sense

I’ll tell you a trade that doesn’t make sense. Jesse Puljujarvi for Tyler Toffoli. Why in the world would LA trade a proven scorer who is under contract and is young for a player who has yet to realize his potential?

LA still has some very good players on its team and it wouldn’t surprise me if this season was merely a blip on the radar and an on-the-fly rebuild might take place. Something where they simply trim the fat and bring in fresh blood. Faster fresh blood to be more precise.

I don’t believe the Kings to be a team that would trade for players who still need developing because finishing last in the NHL doesn’t guarantee you the 1st overall pick, it simply guarantees you the best odds. So why gut the team and start from scratch when the core of the team is Kopitar, Doughty, Quick, Carter, Kovalchuk, Muzzin, Brown, etc?

The Kings aren’t “blowing it up” Chucky.

Besides, it’s incumbent on the Edmonton Oilers management to do what’s right for Jesse Puljujarvi and get his development back on track. It would go a long way in rehabilitating their poor reputation when it comes to developing good NHL players and if done properly, would give the Oilers a top-6 threat on the wing.

Now, this is just me spitballing, but would it not be smarter to find some players that are struggling to get any traction this year or are upcoming UFAs?

I am of the belief that the Oilers need players who are actual top-6 skaters or can play in the top-6. Right now they’ve got Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Leon Draisaitl as those players and McLellan is moving the chairs around the boat deck to try and find a fit.

I imagine Milan Lucic will go back into the top half of the lineup with Rieder out and I wouldn’t be surprised if he started producing a bit more up there. He definitely deserves a chance as he’s been working his ass off in these first 18 games. So let’s hope that this promotion pays off for him and the team.

The Oilers won’t be acquiring a top-6 winger any time soon though.

The price is going to be dear and not worth it in the long run. They’ve got such a nice collection of prospects that are growing into professional hockey players in their system right now and it’d be a shame to give up on those to try and patch things up in the short term when they’re right in the thick of things with the roster they have.

I’d be keeping an eye on Pittsburgh though. They’re last in the Eastern Conference and that’s with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, and Matt Murray. Weird, right? Something has to shake out of the Steel City. Rumors have players Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, and Olli Maatta being available.

I’d take me some Guentzel. The kid has shown an ability to score and his contract is quite fair as well at 734k. He’ll be an RFA this summer and I would expect whichever team he’s on to be prepared to give him something that starts in the $5M range. Could the Oilers afford him?

Anyhow, here’s a list of players that I believe could help the Oilers and at a reasonable price (whatever that means).

  • Justin Williams (CAR) – W – $4.5M/UFA – 18GP 1G 10A 11PTS – 140 Playoff games 94pts
  • Nick Cousins (ARI) – C – $1M/UFA – 17GP 1G 4A 5PTS – 52% FO%
  • Brendan Perlini (ARI) – LW – $863k/RFA – 17GP 2G 3A 5PTS – 6% SH%
  • Darren Helm (DET) – C/W – $3.85M/Expires 2020/21 – 18GP 1G 5A 6PTS – 3.3% SH%
  • Bryan Rust (PIT) – W – $3.5M/Expires 2021/22 -16GP 1G 3A 4PTs – 62.9% D-zone Starts
  • Ryan Spooner (NYR) – C/W – $4M/Expires in 2019/20 – 16GP 1G 1A 2PTS – 12:41 Avg TOI

With Williams, I just wonder if the Oilers are in a playoff spot and the Hurricanes aren’t, would he put Edmonton on his list of teams he’d be willing to be traded to. Cousins has come up quietly in trade rumors and he might be a better option than Ryan Strome at 3C. Perlini is a total longshot but this guy shoots like there’s no tomorrow, lefty though. Helm is a player that I think would give the PK a boost and he’s a veteran who’s played alongside some pretty legendary players. Rust is having a really tough go in Pittsburgh, would a Strome/Rust trade make sense? And finally Ryan Spooner is a player who Chiarelli has experience with, he looks like he’s in the doghouse with the Rangers new coach too.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

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Armchair GM, Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Prospects

Edmonton Oilers Prospects: Do the Bakersfield Condors Have the Best Top-6 in the AHL?

News to nobody is the Edmonton Oilers have sent our favorite sons Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, California to play for Jay Woodcroft’s Flyin’ Condors.

After watching both youngsters tear up the field in the pre-season, it’s been disappointing to watch their performances tail off to the point to where they need to be sent down to the AHL. I’ve thrown a lot of vitriol the direction of Todd McLellan during the first 16 games of the season with how he’s been handling Puljujarvi and even a bit of that has landed on Yamamoto and Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli too.

Speaking of Chiarelli, should he be vilified for waiting so long to move these boys to the minors or praised for actually going through with it? I feel like it’s a bit of column A and a bit of column B. The move was a long-time coming and neither Jesse Puljujarvi or Kailer Yamamoto should’ve needed to in the press box for a week but with that, if Chiarelli had acquired the necessary forwards, perhaps McLellan wouldn’t have had to healthy scratch them.

Just a word on pre-season scoring before we get into the nitty-gritty. Jason Gregor likes to play down the competition during the preseason and I don’t agree with how he more or less mocks any player that performs well in that time because the teams are more or less glorified AHL teams. Isn’t that the utmost perfect time to be performing well when challenged? And all three of Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, and Rattie answered the call. So what were the Oilers supposed to do at that point?

Also, not all of those teams were completely AHL lineups. I believe that Puljujarvi had a helluva game versus the Canucks when they dressed 6 NHL defenseman. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Either way, I support this decision for the long-term development of both Pulju and Yammo and I hope there are no hard feelings. I understand that Jesse isn’t happy with the decision but would he rather be in Edmonton getting shafted by the coach there or in Bakersfield playing for a coach who, we hope, will play the living shite out of him.

TSN’s Darren Dreger recently reported there may be some frustration on the part of Puljujarvi that he didn’t get what many see as a fair shake to build consistency on the Oilers roster. (source)

These boys are only 20 and they’ve got a lot of professional hockey ahead of them. The way I see it is that when Chiasson and Caggiula’s production dries up, as it always does, or injuries rear their ugly mug, they’ll be looking for someone to come in and provide some offense and at that point, Jesse will get the recall because he’s got the most experience at the NHL level.


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WHO’S COMING UP?

The Oilers have 12 forwards at the moment, so they’re going to need a couple of players to replace Pulju and Yammo. My guess is two of the Condors top line of Joseph Gambardella, Patrick Russell, and Brad Malone will be coming up.

I’m sure there’ll be fans who reckon that Tyler Benson should come up or Cameron Hebig or Cooper Marody again but I would counter that argument by saying the Oilers just sent two 20-year-olds down to Bakersfield, why would they recall a couple more young players? Leave those kids in the Bake and let them continue to dominate.

I mean, I could be wrong but I feel like they’ll want older, more mature players to be brought up. Players that are very good at listening to instructions and doing what they’re told. Gambardella is the youngest at 24, then Russell at 25, and then Malone at 29.

Just as an aside, can anybody tell me why Joseph Gambardella wears the #5? I have never seen a forward in my life wear that number. There has to be a story behind it.

DO THE CONDORS HAVE THE BEST TOP-6 IN THE AHL?

Benson-Marody-Puljujarvi
Yamamoto-Malone-Hebig
Christoffer-Currie-Gust
Polei-Esposito-Callahan

That’s what the Condors’ forward lines could look like for their next game against Dallas Eakins’ San Diego Gulls later this upcoming week.

Now just imagine what that’d look like if Edmonton found a way to bring in a couple of proper NHL players and both Gambardella and Russell were on the roster!

Benson-Marody-Puljujarvi
Yamamoto-Currie-Hebig
Gambardella-Malone-Russell
Polei-Esposito-Callahan
Gust/Christoffer (Extra)

That’s a helluva forward group eh?

Brad Malone has been the team’s no.1 center this season but I don’t feel like he has the right tools to play alongside Jesse Puljujarvi. It’s important that he plays with skill players and Marody/Benson will be the best linemates for Pulju at this junction.

Josh Currie could probably rotate in and out on either line 1 or 2 as he’s got some offensive flair to his game.

I subscribed to AHL TV, so I’ll be able to watch the games and let you know how things went for our boys.

TODD McLELLAN’S COMMENTS

We want a confident set of players and if he can’t gain that confidence or that traction here then maybe the best answer is somewhere else (AHL). Those decisions will be made as we go forward.” — Oilers coach Todd McLellan on struggling winger Jesse Puljujarvi

That is a quote taken from Rob Tychkowski, a journalist with the Edmonton Sun and the Edmonton Journal.

I have one question though, why did Tychkowski put AHL in brackets behind “maybe the best answer is somewhere else”?

Do we know for sure that Todd McLellan meant the AHL or was that a shot at Peter Chiarelli? I did ask my sources what they’d heard and their comments remain consistent. The Oilers want to be patient with Puljujarvi and do what’s best for his development but, and this is my opinion, I think if there’s a deal on the table that will make them better this year, they’ll consider it.

If Chiarelli and McLellan are performing their duties with the intentions of saving them, they’re already gone.

Edmonton’s next 7 games ring out as such:

  • Colorado – Top line of Landeskog/MacKinnon/Rantanen are on fire
  • Montreal – Somehow they are tearing through the league on the back of… Max Domi?
  • Calgary – I don’t know how they’re doing it with the goaltenders they have. They’re utter shite.
  • Vegas – Didn’t we say they’d fall back to Earth?
  • SJ – How’s that Karlsson/Burns combo working out for ya there?
  • Anaheim – They’ve had Edmonton’s number for a while but are those the winds of change I hear?
  • LA – They held Calgary to a goal against last night. Can they do the same with the Oilers?

Do you think the Oilers can run the table here? 7/7? That’d be something but I have a feeling those are some lofty wishes.

What do you think?

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Armchair GM, Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Lindsay Ryall, NHL

Edmonton Oilers Off-season Moves Show Well, But Will Chia Get Any Credit?

Prior to the start of the 2018-19 season it seemed the fate of Oiler’s coaching and management was set  – at least if you believed the venom of fans and bloggers on social media and radio.

McLellan was given a reprieve with a new stable coaching support, but as for Peter Chiarelli, there was no relief.  The Oiler’s had spent to the cap due to questionable FA signings, seemingly lopsided trades, and poor player management.  All these combined to put Chia in an exclusive section of Oiler hades (Where Peter Pocklington resides).

With little to work with, it appeared the pre-season PTO’s and signings would be superficial not impactful.  if anything, the Oiler’s GM had dug his team in deeper . . . or did he?

Doing a lot with not a lot

The completion of the 2017 – 18 season, left many holes in the Oiler’s line up.  Gaps on the wing, veteran leadership, and of course, defence.  The need on Defense ultimately remains a festering sore, but overall there have been some pleasant surprises from Chia’s off-season tinkering.  Here’s my review so far.

Mikko Koskinen (rating, B+): The Oiler fan base exhaled a collective sigh of disbelief when Chia chose to go out on a limb and sign the 30 year-old KHL all-star.  Things looked even dodgier when Koskinen was lit up in the pre-season, but since then his record and play has steadily improved to where he is providing positive competition for Cam Talbot.  It’s early days, but in 4 games he has 3 of the Oiler’s 8 wins including a shutout.  If he continues to improve it will give the Oilers real options in goal and justify his salary.

Alex Chaisson (rating, A): Prior to the season start there were a lot of unknown’s around Chiasson’s signing.  Injured at the beginning of the season there were some questions as to why he was there.  But since hitting the ice, Chiasson is letting his play do the talking.  With 6 goals in 10 games, he’s doing everything Milan Lucic should be doing at a fraction of the cost.  He’ll pay the price by going to the hard areas of the ice and he’s been rewarded – both in production and in the coaching staff’s confidence.  Chiasson does have consistency issues, but If he scores even 15 goals he’ll provide excellent value and a stop-gap for when the prospects can catch up.

Tobias Rieder (rating: B): Rieder has no goals in 16 games but he does have 7 apples and with his speed provides the speed component when teamed with countryman Leon Draisaitl.  He seems to have good chemistry with LD and on a team where there is a lack of pure speed (save Captain Connor).  Overall he seems to be providing what was expected.

Kyle Brodziak ( rating -B): It’s my belief that when the Oilers traded Matt Hendricks it left a large “lead by example” gap in the dressing room.  Brodziak does not embody the same level of leadership, but he is a veteran professional who brings a strong work ethic to the rink every day.  He’s a good example to the young players and has the skill to make timely contributions from the fourth line.  Typically you can’t expect too much from a fourth-line add, but so far so good.

Jason Garrison (D to C-): Garrison was never a fast player, and now he’s even slower.  As a result, he is often a defensive liability but, when he is playing well positionally he can survive and, more importantly, he provides a cannon on the 2nd powerplay unit.  It may not be enough to keep him in the lineup, but when he is, he will fire away at will.    It’s good to see because there are far too many passes on the Oilers power play in my opinion.  The good news is, he is not costing the Oilers a lot and can fill a role.

Tyler Benson fights for the puck

Help on the way?

For the first time in recent memory the Oilers have a farm and prospect system that appears to be in a position to support the big club.  On the Bakersfield Condors farm team the kid line of Marody, Hebig, and Benson are producing at a  ppg or better.  Chiarelli did not physically scout all these players but Cameron Hebig was a very shrewd signing that is paying nice dividends so far.

It’s difficult to project prospects but Marody has already shown well on a brief call-up, at least one of these forwards could be with the big club next year, maybe more.  Add standout prospects like Ryan Mcleod and Kirill Maksimov ( non-first rounders ) and you have to say the Oilers have the looks of a legitimate farm system for the first time in . . . well, I can’t recall when the Oilers have had a well-stocked system, to be honest.

What’s a fair assessment of Chiarelli’s Work

To be fair, Chiarelli has more than earned much of his criticism.  The Griffin Reinhart trade could go down as one of the worst in NHL history.  Many would give the Taylor Hall trade a similar critique, although the question would also need to be asked, what would the Oiler’s Blueline look like without Adam Larsson?  Personally, I would have liked to have seen more in return for Larsson, but in my view, it’s clear: Tylor Hall would not have reached his potential here, and may have negatively impacted Mcdavid’s.  Lucic?  Well, we all liked the signing at the time, now, not so much.  For the Oiler’s, bold moves, are not likely.  Instead, strategic value signings, good drafting, and a well-stocked prospect system, and farm are how the Oilers will move forward.  And on those points, Chia is doing ok.

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Who to Watch Out for at Oilers Rookie Camp

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I can’t honestly remember a year where the Oilers didn’t invite some random CHL players to their rookie camp, yet, this year the roster is constructed of players that have been drafted by the team and/or play in the Oilers developmental system (Bakersfield (AHL)/Wichita (ECHL) aside from a few other ECHL players that I’ll mention below.

Here is the full rookie camp roster:

I’m really looking forward to seeing Stuart Skinner. He’s been on my radar since I heard there was a 16-year-old goalie playing net for a troubled Lethbridge Hurricanes squad. I’m really high on him and wonder if he might be the Braden Holtby-like goalie Edmonton has been desperate for all this time.

As for Rodrigue and Wells, I really don’t know what to expect going in with these two. Dylan Wells has not shown well at the junior level or the minor pro level so far but there’s time and that’s exactly what goalies usually need to iron out the wrinkles in their game at each level.

The top of this group is absolutely stacked with Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Evan Bouchard, and William Lagesson. Lots of potential in those four and then you add in Dmitri Samorukov, who in my mind is a wild card for the Oilers. The Russian could turn out to be a steal or he could turn out to be a dud. His inconsistent game hasn’t won me over yet.

Evan Bouchard had a good outing the last time he was on the ice with the Oilers rookies after the draft. The spotlight is going to be on him this week. Let’s see how he does.

Lagesson is the man I think will step out and make himself known to Oilers fans. He’s a bit older than the rest of the group and he’s already gone through a 4-yr stint in the NCAA as well as a year in the Swedish Hockey League. He MIGHT be a guy that could step in right away for the Oilers in the same manner that Matt Benning did. Keep an eye on him.

Jared Wilson stands out here as a name I don’t recognize but he is indeed property of Bakersfield. I haven’t found a report for him but he’s got really nice size and he produced offensively during his time in the BCHL. During his four year career at RPI, that offense he had in his junior days never really showed up. He did captain the team in his final season though and Chiarelli does like his NCAA captains.

Jake Kulevich is also a name that I don’t recognize. He played on the same team (South Shore Kings) as current Oilers prospect John Marino back in 2012/13. They might’ve been D-partners, I’m not sure

Funny thing about that USPHL team, a handful of current Oilers property went through it. Kulevich, Nolan Vesey, Shane Starrett, Logan Day, and John Marino played for them.

Also, it seems to be a popular program for former/current NHLers to send family members to. Aidan Cavallini (Gino Cavallini), Nolan Vesey (Jim Vesey), Tim Boyle (Brian Boyle’s brother), Ryan Donato (Ted Donato), Chris Shero (Ray Shero), Nicholas Olczyk (Ed Olczyk), and Jeff Hextall (Ron Hextall) are just a few players that have gone through that system with ties to the NHL.

This is a very electrifying group of forwards and not all big guys either, lots of small skillers this season too. Quite the change from rookie camps previous.

I’m most looking forward to watching Cooper Marody, Ryan McLeod, and Tyler Benson as I haven’t really seen very much of them since they joined the club apart from the odd highlight online. I really want to see how they look over the course of an entire game to see if the hype is real.

Kailer Yamamoto, Kirill Maksimov, and Ostap Safin are another group that will on doubt garner a lot of attention that’s followed them since last season. We’ll all be watching to see if Yamamoto is as dominant in this group as we’re expecting him to be.

 The man I think might surprise and get a longer look in the main camp this year is Maksimov. He has got an NHL-ready shot right now. He knows how to score and the one thing I remember from last year’s camp is that he’s not afraid to go to the front of the net and clean up the garbage Smytty-style.

You might notice a few randoms on that list like Luke Esposito, that’s Mark Messier’s nephew who always seems to be at camp. Ryan Van Stralen and Evan Polei have also been invited. They play for the Oilers ECHL affiliate. Van Stralen was a point-per-game player for Wichita in 15 games last year and Polei (who’s from Wetaskwin) split last year between Bakersfield and Wichita. He looks like nothing more than a bottom-6 minor leaguer at this point.

It is such a refreshing feeling knowing that there are right proper prospects coming up through the Oilers system. It’s been so long since we could say that and Peter Chiarelli and his amateur scouting staff have been doing a wonderful job or stocking the Oilers’ cupboards since they took over. It’ll be these prospects that we’ll be watching support this team in the next 3-5 years and that’s thanks to Chiarelli’s crew.

The Oilers rookies play on Sept. 9 @ Calgary, Sept. 11 vs. a MacEwan-NAIT All-Star Team and on Sept. 12 vs. Calgary in Red Deer, AB.

The Oilers Rookie Camp will open on Thursday, September 6 with medicals and fitness testing at Rogers Place.

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Around the Oilogosphere, Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors

Around the Oilogosphere – April 17th Edition – Bode Wilde, Cheering for Hall? Drafting a Smurf, and More News on Ilya Kovalchuk!

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On Lowetide’s show yesterday he had an outstanding prospects scout by the name of Simon Boisvert on and they talked about some of the potential players that the Oilers could select from if they end up keeping the 1st round pick at the draft this year.

Lowetide asked Boisvert for a few candidates that the Oilers might have a choice from and the first name that Boisvert said was Bode Wilde.

Simon Boisvert had this to say about Wilde:

I think he is a superb skater. He’s a defenseman. He has a good build and carries the puck, he has a good shot. This is a guy who can play on the powerplay. So to me, that would be a very very good pick for the Oilers.

Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height / Weight: 6’2, 195 lbs
Born: January 24th, 2000 | Birmingham, MI
Nation: United States

An American defenseman who played for the u18 USNTDP this season with other top prospects like Oliver Wahlstrom and Joel Farabee as well as the player expected to go 1st overall in 2019, Jack Hughes. Wilde scored 11 goals and added 25 assists this season in 53 games.

Strengths: Outstanding shooter, very physical in front of the net, excellent vision, poise, and skating.

Weaknesses: A bit chaotic, takes chances, poor gap control, inconsistent, tends to go for the big hit more often than should.

NHL Comparison – A smaller version of Dustin Byfuglien

He is ranked more in the 14-20 range by most draft prognosticators and I feel like while Wilde has some very tasty looking strengths to his game, the knock on him is his defensive play in his own zone and his inconsistency.

Taking him at #9 overall would be a tad early. Especially if Quinn Hughes, Adam Boqvist, Noah Dobson, Evan Bouchard, Joel Farabee, or Joe Veleno were available. I’d have zero problems if the Oilers traded down to get him though because he’s definitely got the physical tools to play the game. The defensive limitations can be ironed out with time and good coaching. That said, where there is high risk, there’s usually potential for high reward.

Wilde is committed to Michigan for next season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9fqw0mcqMI

OILERS NEWS

Plan C – Is McLellan really willing or able to find the best and brightest to be an assistant coach at the most important position? One that might have a different vision and philosophy as he does? One that could possibly take over as head coach if we get off to another slow start next year? One that could take his job and get the team in a better direction, thus making him look more incompetent that he looks now?

Edmonton Oilers’ top affiliate Bakersfield Condors wind up another underwhelming season – What’s the value of a productive farm system? A modern fan of the Edmonton Oilers could be forgiven a terse answer like “I have no idea” or “I can’t recall”, but it actually isn’t all that long since the NHL club had enjoyed a steady pipeline of emerging talent.

Monday Mailbag – Chiarelli’s summer to-do list – It was a busy week in Oilers land so this edition of the mailbag could get spicy.

Will the Edmonton Oilers take a highly-rated Smurf d-man in the draft? – But the NHL is said to be moving towards smaller, faster and more skilled players, which means it’s more likely that a smaller d-man will be taken high in the draft this year, just as two Smurf d-men, Miro Heiskanen, 5-11, 182, and Cale Makar, 5-10, 175, were taken third and fourth overall last year.

Cheer for Taylor Hall in the playoffs? Not this Oiler fan, not in this lifetime – Hall is no longer an Oiler. In fact, he made it clear he didn’t cheer for the Oilers last year in the playoffs, which is a sentiment I perfectly understand. Why would he root for the Oilers? And, likewise, why would I root for him now?

NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers – Some Potential Changes To Watch For This Offseason

NHL NEWS

NHL Rumors: New York Islanders and the Chicago Blackhawks

NHL Rumors: Arizona Coyotes – Top-Six Need, Ekman-Larsson and Pending UFAs

NHL Rumors: Kovalchuk, Canucks and UFAs, Islanders and Tavares

NHL Rumors: Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames

NHL Rumors: New York Rangers – Stevens, Montgomery, Kovalchuk and Grabner

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