Category Archives: Beer League Hero

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “…a roster shakeup seems like a more logical next step.” Says Leavins

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!

The Athletic

Fire the coach? Make a trade? Exploring how the Oilers can get back on track
  • The Oilers can make plenty of excuses if they want. Some, if not all, have their merits. They lost every regular left-handed defenceman for a spell due to injuries. They ran into a tough stretch with COVID-19 absences. Their presumptive No. 1 goaltender heading into the season has made five starts in 32 games.
  • To be clear, canning Tippett doesn’t appear to be under consideration. I haven’t heard it, anyway.
  • But the Oilers also have a 1-7 record in the playoffs and a minus-10 goal differential this season under his (Tippett’s) watch. The team seems to be getting worse, which is a huge problem given all the money and long-term contracts handed out in the offseason.
  • Tippett is in the final season of his contract, too, which makes a potential firing easier. Should there be a change, Holland could look outside the organization, but the in-house candidates would be highlighted by two-time NHL coach Glen Gulutzan and AHL bench boss Jay Woodcroft, a former big-league assistant.
  • One thing working in Tippett’s favour: Coaches typically get the benefit of a trade to spark the team before being handed a pink slip.
  • The blue line needs to be augmented, but it’s hard to see how that’ll happen. Six of the seven regular defencemen are under contract for next season. 
  • They need at least one upgrade at top-nine forward and maybe two, and that was before Nugent-Hopkins got hurt.

BLH’s Thoughts: So here’s another pundit bringing up a job-saving trade for a guy that has a contract expiring in the summer… Would it make a lot of sense to alter the team’s plan for somebody who might not be coming back next year?

Reid Wilkins was saying in one of the post-gamers over the weekend that the Oilers need a defensemen and TWO forwards…

In addition to a goaltender, that mountain might be too steep to climb for Ken Holland unless he plans on unloading some serious assets like Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Broberg, Bouchard, and Bourgault. 

Moving that kind of talent would be daft… I’ll just say that. 

The most cost-effective move if things don’t improve is a coaching change. It’s that simple. What happened in the past happened in the past. Those teams didn’t have the kind of talent and depth that this one does. 

The Cult of Hockey

The Edmonton Oilers slide down the standings requires some context: 9 Things
  • It is fair to assume that not everyone connected to the Oilers organization was enamoured with the Dmitri Samorukov benching. There were cap reasons for Samorukov being in that spot to begin with. But the short fuse with the rookie (who, to be clear, was certainly not good that night) seems to speak to a bigger concern with this staff when it comes to the kids. More on that to come.
  • Injuries and COVID have been factors beyond the coaching staff’s control. The Defence was plundered. At one point the entire left side was out. The intended “starting 6” has only been back together the last 2 games. Does anybody know what they really have until this group gets fully back up and running?
  • Yes, Mike Smith’s health is a going concern. And if they can’t count on him to start 2 out of every 3 games, it’s a problem.
  •  …the staff can’t avoid their fair share of blame. Part of the issue I see is the confluence of Dave Tippett and Jim Playfair being in their contract years and the consensus within the organization to “win now”. These 2 coaches are hard-wired to prefer veterans.
  • Another part of the problem in this rather frayed environment right now is all of the losing that came before the current administration… Ken Holland and Dave Tippett have only been on the job for 160 games. That’s about 2 “normal” seasons worth of games, and in highly unusual times and circumstances. Over that time the club has played at a 97-point pace. In a normal year that is a Top-14 result. That’s a playoff team. Not great, no. But surely not a fire-able offence, either.
  • I do not get the sense from the people I talk to that Dave has lost the room. That would be a whole different pickle.
  • In fact, a roster shakeup seems like a more logical next step. Because while we might not all agree on the “what”, something needs to give.

BLH’s Thoughts: So we’ve got our THIRD pundit calling for a trade… Pretty original. That said, it’ll set up articles for the week… 

When Tippett was out due to COVID and Gulutzan and Playfair were coaching, there was a definite change in work rate and tenacity with the team’s weakest roster since the H.O.P.E days. When he returned, the lackluster starts and easy to compete against on-ice attitude came back too… If that doesn’t speak to a team that doesn’t have faith in its coach, I don’t know what does. 

The Daily Goal Horn

  • “Ben Chiarot is going to be a very popular player on the teams that will make the playoffs,” Pierre LeBrun said on RDS. “According to my information, the Florida Panthers are interested in Ben Chiarot on their roster for the March 21 deadline.”
  • “Toffoli has two years left under contract after this one and he hardly fits in the guaranteed-to-be-traded category like, say, pending unrestricted free agent Ben Chiarot,” Engels wrote. “He’s a player who helps get you to the playoffs and helps get you through them, so you have to think teams making a push for the playoffs—and Cup contenders—will be interested.”
  • “Chris Drury has been looking for a forward to play top 9 or top six for weeks, if not months,” Darren Dreger said on TSN OverDrive. “Nothing is happening. That may speak to the parity, and we are a long way from who is a playoff team and who isn’t.”
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: Will Ken Holland Help Dave Tippett Out with a Trade?

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!

Cult of Hockey

Short of firing Dave Tippett, what can the Edmonton Oilers do to fix this sinking ship?

1. Play Cody Ceci with Darnell Nurse.

  • …both Evan Bouchard and Tyson Barrie have struggled on his right side. Bouchard and Barrie get the job done when they’re moved down the line-up to face weaker competition. But when they’re put up against the best opposition in heavy minutes, they start leaking Grade A shots and goals against.
  • …it would give Edmonton a go-to top pairing for all situations, a twosome the coach could trust and employ repeatedly.

BLH’s Thoughts: Sure, why not? It’ll rob the other pairings but if the plan is to play these guys 29 minutes a night and limit everybody else’s TOI like Tipp’s been doing with the forwards, what’s the worst thing that could happen?… 

2. Pull the trigger on a big trade, most likely for a goalie.

  • The Oilers could use the jolt of a big trade.
  • …goalie, left defence and third line centre are all major needs, but Edmonton has a first round pick to spend to try to solve one of the problems.

BLH’s Thoughts: Good luck here. A team-jolting trade would mean somebody of significance is on their way out and is it just me or should they try and keep those kinds of players? 

I feel like they’ve got one move, maybe two if they trade the 2023 first rounder as well, but seeing as they’re in the middle of a massive slump, there’s not one team who’s going to do them a favor and all the other GMs are most likely licking their chops hoping that they get a phone call from Ken Holland so that they can bend him over a barrel. 

3. See more of what Foegele, Marody and Benson can do with more ice time.

  • I’ve liked Tyler Benson’s game. He’s hustled hard and been OK on defence.
  • Cooper Marody is another with skilled forward who might help on a third line.
  • But it’s Foegele who really deserves a chance. He’s a big, fast and aggressive winger who makes things happen on the forecheck.

BLH’s Thoughts: I agree with the Foegele part, but promoting Benson and/or Marody any higher at this point would hinder more than help. I don’t believe their offense would be able to overcome their lack of defense. 

Edmonton Sun

Oilers are spinning wheels but don’t expect any big moves behind bench or on ice
  • No doubt, three wins over the last 12 games is far from acceptable and their .594 points percentage is 15th when the GM Ken Holland rightly points out they have to finish in the top eight because every team that wins is in that group.
  • The Oilers were never as good as their 9-1 start or 16-5. Not saying it was an illusion, but they won six games by a goal (two in shootouts and one in OT) and lost only once that way. Now, the wheel’s turned. Lost by a goal in Seattle in the last 12, lost by a goal to the Bruins, now to Jersey and the Islanders.
  • …the Penguins are 18-8-5 without Sidney Crosby for a long while and Evgeni Malkin all season, which is damning if you’re an Oiler fan.
  • Some of his moves are head-scratching like putting Devin Shore on the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out on Long Island, like not playing Ryan McLeod more in Jersey when he was flying, like not giving Tyler Benson a sniff at the top six, for a game or two.
  • The Oilers who have had eight coaches — Pat Quinn, Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger, Dallas Eakins, Todd Nelson, Todd McLellan, Ken Hitchcock and Tippett—since 2010. How many is too many?
  • Unless it goes completely sideways, as it did in Vancouver before Bruce Boudreau came in on his white horse, Tippett is staying.
  • What usually happens when teams are struggling is a trade, of course to help the coach out. They do need another top six forward.
  • Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk probably would help, but unless Oilers could convince him to re-up for several years in the $3-million range after the season, they aren’t qualifying him at $4.85 million salary to keep his rights.
  • The Oilers have precious few assets to move.
  • Yamamoto for another winger? Maybe. But, who else?

BLH’s Thoughts: So, here’s the thing about the “how many coaches is too many?” narrative that the Edmonton MSM will be throwing out this week, it doesn’t mean shit because at the end of this year, there will be another new coach unless Edmonton wins the Cup. Even then I wouldn’t bet my car on Tippett returning. 

Now, when that happens you won’t find Matheson, Tychkowski, Leavins, Nugent-Bowman, Stauffer, Spector, Willis, or anybody else asking why Tippett wasn’t re-signed or arguing that they should’ve re-signed him because “stability”, they’ll find a way to justify things and move on. 

Spector’s Hockey

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “We’re way beyond the point of asking ourselves if it’s time to move on…” Says Chapman

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!

Copper and Blue

Can You Hear The Drums, Fernando?
  • It’s been over a month since Dave Tippett won a game, and we’re way beyond the point of asking ourselves if it’s time to move on.
  • Remember last year when Caleb Jones failed to clog a lane while on the power play against the Senators and it cost him the next three weeks on the bench?
  • Remember when the Oilers made the playoffs last season (wild, I know!) and Ethan Bear got benched for the near-entirety of a triple overtime game?
  • Dmitri Samorukov played in his first career game against the St. Louis Blues and straight up did not have a good time out there. He played just over two minutes and got exposed good on two goals. After one more shift, he was stapled to the bench for 50+ minutes.
  • For whatever reason, we’ve seen more top line Zack Kassian than there are Fast and the Furious sequels… Since signing his four year extension, Zack Kassian’s most common linemate has been Connor McDavid because you’re trying to get him going.
  • …how do you defend putting Devin Shore on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto when you’ve got either Warren Foegele or Tyler Benson on the roster?
  • The Oilers were playing the second game in a back-to-back yesterday, but managed to put up just 19 shots on the Metro’s worst team. Edmonton took just two shots in the last 25 minutes of regulation.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m don’t want to sound like I’m defending Tippett because I’m not, but I do have somethings to say about what Chapman is talking about.

I don’t have too much sympathy for young defensemen who play for this team aside from Samorukov because he got three shifts and that was that, whereas Bear and Jones had WAY more of an NHL resume when they were punished. They’re not Holland’s picks like Broberg is and they’ve got the unfortunate task of playing for a head coach and a GM that prefer vets. I think we can also read into that preference as men who prefer ice skaters that won’t make rookie mistakes too… 

I think Tippett put Shore up with Leon and Killer because he most closely resembles Nuge and it’s obvious he trusts him. It’s not the move I would make considering Warren Foegele is sitting right there and I wouldn’t put Benson there because he’d get eaten alive. I like Benson’s gumption but I don’t think he’s ready for that sort of promotion. 

Kassian… He’s cursed with being able to skate with top-six centres and having pretty good hands in addition to liking the odd knuckle sandwich. He’s another one of those “I wouldn’t move him up if I had better options” guys, but coaches (good, bad, and indifferent) see his physicality, puckhandling, and ability to work the corners and it sucks them in. 

So… With all of that out of the way, we’re back to figuring out why this team keeps letting in the first goal of the game, why it can’t hold onto a lead, why it’s so inconsistent, and why it’s such an easy team to play against? 

Maybe we can just blame it on COVID instead of holding actual humans responsible. 

All I know is that when Elliotte Friedman is talking about Mike Babcock and the Oilers, that’s either the smoke or that’s Holland sending a message to Tippett to shape the f*ck up. 

Can we talk about that little tidbit from Friedman for a second. He said he heard that the Oilers had reached out to Babcock and decided to look into it. What his sources had told him is that back in November Holland attended an event that Babcock was at but that’s the only contact they’ve made leading the viewer to assume that was that.

The problem is, Edmonton was on top of the conference in November, so why would they even talk about a coaching position then?

So did the source (Holland?) pull one over on Friedman or is there more to this and the NHL’s no.1 insider is still digging around?

I’m just thinking that Friedman doesn’t open an intermission with that kind of rumor unless there’s something there.

Check out the segment below! You can just hit play as I’ve got the video to start right at the part where Amber and Friedman are talking about the Oilers which is around the 3:16 mark. 

https://youtu.be/g8n-DJIsNHU?t=196

The Hockey Writers

Oilers Inches Away From Forced Decision On Dave Tippett’s Future
  • The biggest argument for moving on from the coach is that the Oilers’ window to win is small. GM Ken Holland made a number of moves this offseason with the understanding this is the team he wanted to put together and that Tippett would take the roster and make it a contender.
  • Sometimes, moving a coach triggers a team into playing better. Just look at what’s happened with the Vancouver Canucks who are a completely different group under Bruce Boudreau.
  • Then again, a coaching change doesn’t always make a huge difference. The Philadelphia Flyers are proof of that fact… The same can be said in Chicago where the removal of Jeremy Colliton only made a slight difference and the team is still miles away from being a playoff contender…
  • There are few seasons left where players like Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are going to accept that this team isn’t a Stanley Cup contender. Holland has to continue to show his stars that his top priority is to improve this team, regardless of the cost.
  • From odd decisions and reliance on veterans where younger talent probably should have gotten a longer look, to poor choices with rookies and young players (like Ethan Bear and Dmitri Samorukov), to changing matchups and line combinations at outrageous times. Any of these things are fodder for getting fired.
  • All Holland will have to say is, ‘I felt like I had no choice. We are inches away from being out of it and that’s not acceptable here this season.’

BLH’s Thoughts: As I’ve pointed out in the past, the 2008 Cup-winning Red Wings had a ridiculous 10+ game slump later in the season that came right after a massive winning streak that was eight games long. They then followed that slump with a helluva streak to end the year that saw them go 12-3-1.

So Holland’s seen his teams come out the better from dark times like this, but with that said, the whole feel of this team is off.

Is it weird that we’ve gone from talking about letting the first shot of the game in to constantly allowing the first goal of the game?

Lowetide.ca

  • In the last five games, Edmonton is 2-1-2, good for six points. I think that kind of pace, just over a point-per-game, is a reasonable expectation for January. The team needs to figure out the goaltending (can Mike Smith stay in the lineup?) and what the pairings should look like, plus what the hell will they do if Nuge is out for a long time?
  • Do you agree? Is 2-1-2 good enough for the next five games? Or would you prefer to see the coach fired and hope for a Bruce Boudreau bounce?
  • I know you’re mad, understand the frustration. I’d see how this plays out. Honestly. There are roster difficulties currently, but December included some very bad luck (left side of the defense gone at the same time) and I remember that on November 30 this roster (basically this roster) had a five-on-five goal differential of 43-46. That’s not far from what we should be looking for, especially considering Duncan Keith was still working himself into game shape, Derek Ryan’s line was bleeding and Mike Smith was day-to-day-to-day-to-day-to-day-to-day.
  • Firing Tippett doesn’t change the roster. I’d find a goalie and a Nuge replacement if he’s gone for long. That’s the play here.

BLH’s Thoughts: A couple of things here, waiting to see how this plays out and then complaining that the team is wasting the prime years of McDavid and Draisaitl at the end of the year is how I see THAT playing out. 

Second, roster issues have hurt the team but the Oilers aren’t alone in that, so how said roster is deployed is the coach’s responsibility and I’d argue that in any other season, the team wouldn’t have had the quality of replacement player considering that they got to bring up the likes of Philip Broberg, Stuart Skinner, Markus Niemelainen, William Lagesson, and Seth Griffith. Aside from Griffith, these players are emerging NHLers whereas if Edmonton’s whole left side went down last year they would’ve had the pleasure of icing Koekkoek, Caleb Jones, and Kevin Gravel or Ryan Stanton… 

What I’m trying to say is that this year’s call-ups are much better than they’ve been in a long time and using that as an excuse is weak sauce. 

Lastly, the Oilers have a Nuge replacement in-house, his name is Warren Foegele. Now, he won’t be able to impact the roster in as many facets as RNH (PK especially), but we’re worried about 5v5, right? Get him up with Connor or Leon and reap the benefits. 

As for the goalie replacement, how much do you think that’s going to cost at the moment, because you’re going to be aiming for an upgrade, not a lateral move, right? Reckon Ken Holland is prepared to blow his trade deadline funds on a goalie right now? I heard somebody bring Ryan Miller’s name up on the post-game show after the Islanders game, has anybody else read this or heard about it because I haven’t. 

If the plan is to ride this out, maybe the best play is to give Stu Skinner his reps and split the duties evenly between him and Koskinen and upgrade the third line. I think the cost to acquire pieces for the bottom-six will be cheaper and benefit the team down the road moreso. Also, if going that route means saving assets for the deadline, perhaps that would be the time to pull the trigger on a trade for a goalie upgrade.

Of course, this is all predicated on Tippett staying on as coach. The MSM seems to think he’s staying, the insiders are hearing his job might be on the line, and we’re left to watch it all play out.  

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Firing Tippett, FIFTEEN Trade Options, and the latest NHL Rumors

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!

Sportsnet

Dave Tippett isn’t perfect, but Oilers need stability more than a coaching change
  • …they bleat, do Northern Alberta’s Twitter GMs, the way they have for the past 15 years in Edmonton, where firing coaches every second season has led to so much success.
  • …they have some holes in their lineup, a 39-year-old goalie who is hurt — again — and a team that is muddling along, burning through their excellent start and devolving into a wildcard hopeful…
  • The locals are getting sour, as is their right, and of course, the kneejerk reaction is to fire the coach.
  • To these eyes, this coaching staff gives its team a plan that — when properly executed — has them in any game against any team. The issues are with the Bottom 6 forwards, a defence whose depth has been sternly tested, and some nights in goal.
  • If we’d have told you that in training camp, would you have settled for an 18-12-2 mark at this point? I would have.
  • …stability is what this franchise requires more than another new name in one of the NHL’s longest lines of head coaches over the past 10 years.

BLH’s Thoughts: First things first, all those years where Edmonton was firing a coach every year or every other year, that wasn’t the fans. That was management and ownership. The fans just went along with the plan until it became an expected result after a bad year. 

And is it a “kneejerk reaction” after 2.5 seasons of watching the same mistakes being made over and over?… Is the team better because of Tippett or because of its players taking the next step? 

So, the locals are getting sour because they haven’t been witness to the kind of expected improvement they were promised when Ken Holland and Dave Tippett were brought on.

They’re getting sour because the coach’s tactics are falling on deaf ears and his assistants found success when he was on the IR. The team has a good young goalie in Bakersfield that doesn’t need to be there anymore, he needs reps at the NHL level now, yet the coach rides a tired Koskinen and an injured Mike Smith instead. He tosses Ryan McLeod and Zach Hyman out in OT when he’s got Jesse Puljujarvi and an in-form Kailer Yamamoto on the bench…

There’ve been a lot of questionable decisions from Tippett in his 2+ years coaching Edmonton, that’s all I’m saying and I’m not sure I can point to a single call from him that’s been memorable from a positive POV. 

If you’re the fan of a team that was bounced from the first round of the playoffs the season prior after outplaying their opponents in every game, would you be happy with a record this year that has your team inches from being on the outside of the playoff picture looking in? Because that’s what Spec is saying… 

Spector says stability is what the team needs more than another new name, eh? What the hell is he even talking about? He knows that Tippett is out of contract this summer, right? So, if Tippett walks, is that when Spector will say that the time was right and a new voice behind the bench is just what the team needs? I mean, I wouldn’t put it past him, I’m just hoping that’s not what Ken Holland, Bob Nicholson, or Darryl Katz is thinking. 

So here’s the thing, Friedman and Amber talked about the Oilers coaching position right off the bat in the first intermission (bringing up Mike Babcock’s name in the process) and Spector wrote a whole article on it… David Amber ended the segment saying, “That’s something to keep an eye on.” could be an easy transition, or it could be that something’s really up. 

It’ll be the topic of the week on Oilers talk radio and in the blogosphere and actually, until one of two things happen, 

  • Edmonton strings together some wins
  • Tippett is fired

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and I’m still being told the GM is considering a change behind the bench and the source for that information has very close ties to a team on the West Coast.

Oil on Whyte

10 Trade Options the Edmonton Oilers Should Target

10.  Dylan Strome (C,LW) – Chicago Blackhawks

  • An RFA at the end of the season with a cap hit of $3,000,000. He has familiarity with Connor McDavid from their OHL days with the Erie Otters. Strome would fill the 3rd line centre or wing roll quite well as a change of scenery may be beneficial for him.

9. Ben Chairot (D) – Montreal Canadiens

  • The only reason he’s at number 9 on my list is because Montreal is expecting to get a 1st round pick in return. Edmonton is reportedly out on youngster Jacob Chychrun from Arizona, so Chairot could be some sort of a substitute.

8. Rickard Rakell (W) – Anaheim Ducks

  • Rickard Rakell has been on the Oiler’s radar since before last season’s trade deadline. He’s a UFA at the end of the season with a current cap hit of $3,789,444 and can fill a top 6 wing role or even the hole at 3rd centre.

7. Semyon Varlomov (G) – New York Islanders

  • The veteran net minder hasn’t said to be on the trade block but he would be a nice addition for the Oilers. The 33 year old is a proven playoff performer and is the solid goaltending that the club may need.

6. Mark Giordano (D) – Seattle Kraken

  • The shut down man’s current cap hit of $6,750,000 is a bit much but Giordano is a UFA after this season so he’d be nothing more than a playoff rental. The former Norris could probably fetch a couple picks from the 2nd, 3rd or 4th round and maybe even a prospect.

5. Calvin De Haan (D) – Chicago Blackhawks

  • Another solid defenseman who is basically a younger and cheaper version of the previous option. He would be a good option for the left side of the Oiler’s defense, who carries a cap hit of $4,500,000.

4. Bryan Rust (W) – Pittsburgh Penguins

  • There’s been rumours that Rust will be testing the free agent market this summer so the Penguins might be inclined to trade the 29 year old winger. A cap hit of $3,500,000 is something the Oilers could work around for a guy who could slide right into the top 6. The team would possibly have to give up their 1st rounder or multiple picks to get him.

3. Jake DeBrusk (W) – Boston Bruins

  • The former 1st rounder requested a trade back in November, but the Bruins have yet to find a suitor. DeBrusk is an Edmonton native and may benefit from a change of scenery, especially to his hometown.

2. Phil Kessel (RW) – Arizona Coyotes

  • Phil Kessel is probably the most intriguing of targets. The veteran winger is a 2-time Stanley Cup winner, so he has plenty of playoff experience. The 34 year old had 20 goals and 43 points in 56 games last season and currently 21 points in 30 games this year.
  • He’s knows how to play with stars and is a shoot first player Edmonton is missing. He would give the Oilers an option to potentially move Nugent-Hopkins into the 3rd centre position, adding so much more depth.

1. Marc-Andre Fleury (G) – Chicago Blackhawks

  • One of the biggest holes for the Edmonton Oilers is a consistent and strong goaltender. Fleury is a proven veteran but is also showing he can still bring it. He currently has a respectable 2.86 GAA and a SV% of .913 on a weaker Blackhawks team.

BLH’s Thoughts: Off of that list, if the Oilers are indeed going “all-in”, I like Marc-Andre Fleury, Ben Chiarot, and Bryan Rust. There’s no way that’s happening though.

Here are TEN more names to consider that’ve had their names pop up in connection to the Oilers this year though,

  • Vlad Gavrikov (D), Columbus
  • Joonas Korpisalo (G), Columbus
  • Brendan Gallagher (RW), Montreal
  • Carey Price (G), Montreal
  • Carson Soucy (D), Seattle
  • Mason Appleton (W), Seattle
  • Nathan Bastian (RW), New Jersey
  • Alexander Georgiev (G), New York
  • Lawson Crouse (LW), Arizona
  • Johan Larsson (C), Arizona

So as you can see, a lot of depth options aside from the odd all-star. 

“All-in”… I’m going to be very interested how this gets interpreted by the Oilers in the coming months… 

The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “The reality is they haven’t been good enough. Something has to change…” Says Oilers Beat Writer

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 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!

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Lowetide.ca

OILERS AFTER 30 GAMES

Oilers in 2015-16: 13-15-2, 28 points; goal differential -8
Oilers in 2016-17: 14-11-5, 33 points; goal differential +5
Oilers in 2017-18: 12-16-2, 26 points; goal differential -11
Oilers in 2018-19: 16-12-2, 34 points; goal differential 0
Oilers in 2019-20: 17-10-3, 37 points; goal differential +5
Oilers in 2020-21: 18-12-0, 36 points; goal differential +12
Oilers in 2021-22: 18-12-0, 36 points; goal differential +9

  • Oilers are basically running in place year over year over year under Tippett, the first three seasons are cousins after 30 games. Note: I’m stealing Woodguy’s numbers for this season, and my old numbers for these totals, so there could be a slight discrepancy in the totals. Still, it reflects a team that is no better or worse, at least based on record, than a year ago.

BLH’s Thoughts: Edmonton’s barely hanging on to a wildcard spot at the moment… Yes, the special teams are flying but who should we give credit to for that, Dave Tippett or his assistants that run those units? 

https://twitter.com/DNBsports/status/1477396943215030273

Oilersnation

My New Years Resolutions for the Oilers
  • …the Oilers have only led after the first period ten times. Now, they are a perfect 10-0-0 in those games but the big issue is that in 66% of their games they’re either trailing or tied after the opening frame and in the games where they’ve been down after 20, they’re 0-11-0.
  • When they’re down by a goal or two, there isn’t anyone on this team who seems to be willing to spark the group with a big hit or by mixing it up after the whistle.
  • I do think the Oilers would benefit from putting more pucks on net and having more of a shot-first mentality at times.

BLH’s Thoughts: Basically, Yaremchuk’s three resolutions for the Oilers are better stars, get tougher, and shoot the f*cking puck. 

Hard to argue with any of that. I’d add that maybe considering that the team is 2pts from being out of a playoff spot that the GM get cracking. The Oilers haven’t won a game with Dave Tippett behind the bench in NINE tries (it could be eight) and his team looks disinterested and complacent. They give back any bit of momentum they build up and the longer this streak goes the more expensive the trade deadline is going to be. 

The biggest thing for me with this team is that a consistent work rate isn’t there. It comes and goes and whether that’s an individual thing or a problem with the team as a whole or the coaching or whatever, fans in Edmonton want an honest effort. Give them that and they’ll forgive the record (for a time…). 

https://twitter.com/AdamsOnHockey/status/1477394117093052418

The Daily Goal Horn

  • …some are musing about a possible Jagr return to the NHL. Frank Seravalli put it out there, although how serious he was remains to be seen.
  • “I’d look at Calvin de Haan from Chicago to start, since he could likely be had for a mid-round pick — and then aim high for another top-nine forward. How high? Why not see what the Flyers would want for Claude Giroux? He’s a guy with a proven track record who can play center and wing. You have to ask.” – Arthur Staple, The Athletic

BLH’s Thoughts: The Rangers are going to have a ton of cap room to work with at the deadline. I wonder if the Oilers make a deal with them to take on one of their inflated contracts with a sweetener to create some flexibility to make some other trades to improve the team. 

The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!