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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• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

The Athletic

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Oilers turn to Markus Niemelainen with blue line hit by injuries and COVID-19 protocol

• Niemelainen, 23, became the third defenceman summoned from the minors in November.
• Niemelainen was chosen to replace Ceci ahead of fellow lefthanded prospect Dmitri Samorukov for two reasons, Holland said.
  • Firstly, Niemelainen has played well.
  • Secondly, Samorukov is just getting up to speed again after he sustained a shoulder injury in January that cut last season short and then broke his jaw in a rookie game in September.
• Holland likes having a big defenceman corps and Niemelainen is listed at 6-foot-5 and 203 pounds.
• The Oilers have four lefthanders on the roster, meaning one of them will have to play on the right. Russell has done that in the NHL. Broberg has experience there, too.

“Down the road when you have injuries and there are big games, your coaches have tried them, and they’ve been in that situation. If you have no injuries, all of a sudden you’re in Game 2 of the playoffs and you have a couple guys out, you’re doing trial and error in May.” – Ken Holland, Oilers GM

BLH’s Thoughts: The quote at the end here makes a ton of sense. To know what you’ve got this far ahead of the trade deadline will do nothing but help Ken Holland and his group with their plans for March regarding which players to target for acquisition or if they should bother at all because they depth they’ve got is suffice. 

The trade chatter over the past week to ten days with Edmonton has been about them going out and grabbing a Ben Chiarot-like player and if Niemelainen can be that guy, that’ll save Holland time and assets. If Stu Skinner can outplay Marc-Andre Fleury or Carey Price, why would Edmonton go out and spend futures on those future hall-of-famers right now?

An argument can be made that despite having great depth in the AHL that the Oilers should go ahead and prioritize experience at this year’s deadline, and if you’ve been visiting this site consistently in the past, you’ll know that I love having extra experienced players on my teams.

Conversely, I really value good depth in the minor league system too. So it’s a bit of a catch-22 for me… That said, Holland has never had problems moving youngsters for proven vets in the past… 

I think, in the end, Niemelainen and Samorukov aren’t teenagers, therefor they might hold different value for the Oilers. These are a couple of defensemen who’ve paid their dues and are ready to go… So, things could go either way when it comes to trades. 

I suppose the best advice would be to buckle up and enjoy the ride. Niemelainen is a wrecking ball. A 6’5″ 210lbs Finnish Rhino who destroys everything he hits. 

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Oilersnation

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20 takes at the 20 game mark

 

1 – This is a resilient team.

• It’s been very impressive to see the way this team has been able to just roll through their injury issues. It’s one thing to be missing two or three players at some point this year but the fact that they’ve continued to rack up wins despite missing their starting goalie and THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF THEIR BLUELINE has been great to see.

2 – This team doesn’t quit on games

• With the Oiler’s dynamic top-six, no lead is safe for the opposition and they now have a few really great comeback wins under their belts. That night against the Rangers is still something I think about. The crowd was unreal.

3 – Draisaitl might hit 60 goals

• Before the season started, I was hesitant to take the over on Leon Draisaitl’s goal prop for the season, which was set at 46.5. Well, I was very wrong.

4 – 150 seems like a good mark for McDavid

• I believed that 150 points was possible for Connor McDavid and through 20 games, he’s currently on pace for 148.

5 – I didn’t learn it, but the powerplay confirmed that it’s unreal

• The powerplay has been absolutely dynamite sitting at a league-best 37.7%, a whopping 8.4% better than any other team in the league. I still believe that they could finish around 40% and they should set the NHL record for best single-season PP%.

6 – Cody Ceci has been sneaky good

• So far this season, he’s been on the ice for 346 even strength minutes and while he’s been outscored 18-15, that’s mainly a product of him having to face a lot of tough matchups.

7 – Maybe I should have been higher on Stuart Skinner

• He’s given them a shot to win in every single game he’s appeared in and his .928 save percentage is well above the league average of .913.

8 – How about Mikko?

• His bounce-back night got his save percentage on the year back up to .912. You have to be happy with how the big Finn has played this season… His record on the year is now a staggering 11-2-0.

9 – Maybe they don’t need a goalie

• I’m confident enough in some duo of Smith, Skinner, or Koskinen being able to get the job done.

10 – No concerns about Evan Bouchard

• He’s been their best puck-moving defenseman and while yes, there have been a few short rough patches, he’s been a solid top-four defenseman for them for the bulk of this season.

BLH’s Thoughts: There are ten more of these that I couldn’t be bothered adding, so you’ll have to head over to Yaremchuk’s post at Oilersnation to read the rest. Link’s at the top of this section. He talks about Puljujarvi’s next deal, whether or not Broberg’s played his last game for Bakersfield, if Dylan Holloway is the answer or if the club should go out and trade for a forward. So yeah, click that link up above and check it out if you want to read some more juicy stuff. 

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Spector’s Hockey

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• MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan reports Canadiens president and co-owner Geoff Molson didn’t rule out the possibility of a rebuild if that’s what is recommended by the new executive VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and whoever the club’s next GM might be.
• NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss cited a report by TSN’s Ryan Rishaug indicating Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk has requested a trade. The 25-year-old winger has struggled with his offensive consistency in recent seasons.
• THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reported Evander Kane’s agent, Dan Milstein, has been given permission by the San Jose Sharks to speak with other NHL clubs about a possible trade. He added several teams have expressed a certain level of interest in the 30-year-old winger.

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 Cult of Hockey

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Top Edmonton Oilers d-man out on COVID protocols, team cancels practice

• 🔸Cody Ceci placed in COVID protocol
  🔹Duncan Keith on IR
  🔸Markus Niemelainen recalled from @Condors
• Of course, the fear now is that the COVID issue won’t end with one player on the Oilers, but will hit more, maybe many more.
• A number of teams have been hammered in this way, including the Ottawa Senators.
• The Senators have had three games postponed due to COVID, while the Islanders have had two games.
• Kris Russell can also play the right side, as can Dmitri Samorukov, who is still down in Bakersfield. He is a left shot d-man who played the right side all last season in Moscow of the KHL.
• As for Markus Niemelainen, Bakersfield coach Jay Woodcroft has said the huge, young defender — 6-feet, 5-inches, 205-pounds, 23 years of age — has adapted well to the North American game, using his size and skating ability well.
• From what I’ve seen of Niemelainen, he’s something of a far huger version of Kris Russell, a shot-blocking, fundamentally sound defensive d-man who skates well but isn’t a great passer or shooter of the puck, hence his six goals in five pro seasons.

BLH’s Thoughts: Philip Broberg can also play the right side, for what it’s worth. 

So, we’re going to get our glimpse of Edmonton’s potential version of Eric Cernak, a massively physical shutdown defenseman who can take care of business in front of the net and break the cycles down low. I’m excited! 

This post should come out around noon Edmonton time and I’m hoping that we don’t hear of any more positive COVID cases before or after that. Fingers crossed!

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The Athletic

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Breaking down the Oilers roster after a November of many wins and many warning signs

• The goaltending shows promise with a healthy dose of worry, and the team’s even-strength goal differential has been better in the past five games (10-10, with help from Skinner).
• The defence is nine deep, and the inexpensive rookies are outperforming several expensive veterans.
• The No. 3 line is finding some real traction but at the expense of the top line losing Puljujarvi and his dynamic range of skills.

BLH’s Thoughts: We’re in for a very inauspicious start to the month of December as the Oilers will open the Christmas month with their AHL affiliate’s top four defenders from the past two years in Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, William Lagesson, and now Markus Niemelainen. 

So far so good, but with a defense that young, it can all come crashing down in an instant. A veteran savvy team like the Penguins (Jeff Carter and Jason Zucker are licking their chops right now), who are also riding a hot goalie, can really take advantage of these situations. Hopefully, the Oilers’ forwards have their A-game on hand and make sure to give these kids on defense a hand because it can’t be all up to Kris Russell and Tyson Barrie to carry the blueline. 

I reckon if Tippett keeps Pulju on the third line, that trio will be a dangerous weapon for the Oilers seeing as the game is in Edmonton. That means the Oilers get last change and they can send out that third line to face either of Pittsburgh’s bottom two lines with a feeling of relative positivity and confidence that they’ll outperform the Pens on that shift. 

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NHLRumors.com

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• Jimmy Murphy of Pittsburgh Hockey Now:  After talking to people around the league, a look at three forwards and three defensemen that could be on the trade block.
  • Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks – He may have been available since the offseason. Carries a $5.8 million cap hit and is a pending RFA.
  • Ryan Strome – New York Rangers – The 28-year old has been available for a while now. The Rangers have been looking for a middle-six forward. Pending UFA with a $4.5 million cap hit.
  • Phil Kessel – Arizona Coyotes – Carries a $6.8 million cap hit and the Coyotes may need to retain salary.
  • Will Butcher – Buffalo Sabres – The 26-year old is a pending free agent with a $3.7 million cap hit and a $2.8 million salary.
  • Olli Maatta – Los Angeles Kings – The 27-year old will be a free agent and carries a $4 million cap hit.
  • Brayden McNabb – Vegas Golden Knights – The Golden Knights will need to move some salary when Jack Eichel is ready to return. The 31-year old carries a $2.5 million cap hit and will be UFA after the season.

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

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Oilers Moving Puljujarvi to the Third Line Is Not a Demotion

• A player doesn’t go from being fed passes by the greatest player on the planet to a checking line if they’re on the way up in the world. Puljujarvi’s output matched the narrative, too: At the time, he hadn’t scored a goal in over two weeks and had only registered a couple of assists.
• On a line with quintessential third-liner Foegele, the 22-year-old McLeod, and Puljujarvi, it’s the latter who is “the man”. Rather than deferring to his star mates on the top line, Puljujarvi can now drive a line, which is valuable experience for his skillset and his confidence.
• …the Oilers want to spread out their skill, creating more balanced lines that can come at the opposition in waves, rather than putting all their stock in the first line. Puljujarvi is vital to this strategy.
• …if Puljujarvi takes up something closer to permanent residence on the third line, it probably won’t be that long before he and McDavid are reunited. Moreover, just because a player doesn’t play in the top six doesn’t mean he’s not a top-six player.

BLH’s Thoughts: Like I said before, I get why putting Pulju on the 3rd line would spread out the offense, but of course you’d only be spreading out the offense if the player being sent down wasn’t in a funk like Jesse was. Lucky for everybody involved Nic Hague, a shutdown defenseman, decided to carry the puck deep and as a result, Jesse had an open lane from his own blue line straight to the Vegas goalie and he wasn’t missing at that point. 

I do think we’re missing a bit of a point here though. Kailer Yamamoto has played nearly the entire season on a line with the league’s hottest player and its most productive setup man and he’s only got 5pts… We’ve seen him score at nearly a point/game pace before, why not send him to the third line to get him going?

It’s almost insulting that Yamo would be passed over for such a privileged position, no? 

Now, that sounds worse than it’s meant to be, but all I’m saying is what about Killer? I love Jesse, but he’s a 1st line player in this league now and it’s not like he wasn’t getting the chances with Connor and Hyman. He was, they just weren’t going in the net. Whereas Yamamoto hasn’t pissed a drop, be that with shots, goal-scoring or simply finding the soft ice for a scoring chance. 

But maybe I’m off track here and Yamo staying on the 2nd line is the better bet. Maybe there’s a thought amongst the coaching staff that Kailer might not be able to “help” the third line like Jesse.

This is just me thinking out loud.  

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Lowetide.ca

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• One of my guests yesterday on the Lowdown was Brian Wilde from Global Montreal. Near the end of our conversation about who will get Sam Pollock’s old office, Wilde threw out a trade idea. It involved Montreal retaining half of the Carey Price contract and Edmonton sending Dylan Holloway east.

“You’re close to winning a Cup, but you need a goalie and there’s a really good one here. If Carey Price wants to be traded, and he should because the days are going to be dark here, he’s 34. I think Carey Price should go to Edmonton and I think if (Jeff) Gorton is doing his job, he’s absorbing half of that contract’s money because obviously that deal can’t be made at $10.5M, there’s no cap room for anyone, but that deal could be made at around $5M, and some prospects can come in the way of Montreal. I think they would love Dylan Holloway here because they’re weak at center again, you guys are super strong there for a lot of years to come.” – Brian Wilde, Global Montreal (Audio Link)

BLH’s Thoughts: Well well well… Has anybody else talked about the Oilers going out and bringing in Carey Price lately? 

You have to wonder if there’d be a way for the Oilers to get their hands on Josh Anderson or Brendan Gallagher too if they were willing to send their first rounder, Dylan Holloway, and Kailer Yamamoto to Montreal. Wilde mentioned the Habs should get a puck-mover while they’re at it too… I’m not advocating for this, but could Ken Holland include Tyson Barrie and Mikko Koskinen in that deal to round things out a bit? I mean, if Montreal wants to go full-rebuild, they’ll want as high-end futures as possible but also be willing to take on some bad contracts in order to facilitate the acquiring of said futures. 

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The Daily Goal Horn

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• Jake DeBrusk asks for a trade: Three teams with known interest in DeBrusk are the Oilers, Senators, and Flames.
  
  • Rangers interested in J.T. Miller: “The Rangers would certainly be interested in a reunion with the player they selected 15th overall in that 2011 draft, depending on the price demanded in return. He could slide onto the right side with either Kreider and Zibanejad or with Panarin or Strome. He could also go into the middle if needed.” – Larry Brooks
• Brendan Gallagher not crazy about a rebuild: One member of the Habs wasn’t thrilled with the idea. “I’ve always come in with the expectations to win. I felt like my teammates had the same goal, I felt like management had the same goal and sometimes organizations go through those things,” Brendan Gallagher said about a potential rebuild.

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

Edmonton Sun

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OILERS NOTES: Even without Nurse and rest team looks healthy in the standings

• Keith, who tweaked a previous medical concern in Dallas last Tuesday, might not be far away, which would mean the first and second left-side D returning, soon, which means Philip Broberg probably going back to Bakersfield.
• …Nurse, who has been out 11 days, is getting close.
• More up-and-the air, with farmhand forward Dylan Holloway (scaphoid bone surgery) also skating with NHLers now.
• With winger Raphael Lavoie not scoring and having only three assists in Bakersfield’s first 14 games, that’s obviously very concerning.
• Swedish winger Tim Soderlund, who was an add-on in the Chicago Duncan Keith deal, has played the last eight games in the ECHL in Wichita…
• The Russian world junior preliminary list does not have Oiler draft winger Matvey Petrov on it, even though he has 16 goals and 33 points in 22 games in North Bay in the OHL.

“Jesse’s an upper-echelon player and not a young player anymore (23). He can drive his own line, he’s not just a complementary player. We talk about Leon (Draisaitl) driving his own line, so can Jesse. And the way Mac (McLeod) is playing now, Jesse can take a leadership role. He can give us more balance. Against Vegas, he played fast, he went to the net, scored.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Soderlund is dominating the ECHL so far with 9pts in 8gp. I don’t know what his plan is or what the Oilers have in store for him, but if he can build up some confidence maybe he gets called back up to Bakersfield. Realistically though, I don’t know if his playing future lies on that side of the pond. 

With Petrov, that’s an interesting situation. Some years the Russians refuse to take NA-based players to the WJHCs for reasons unbeknownst to me. I would think that Matvey is aware of this and hopefully he doesn’t let it affect his game right now. 

I’ve said multiple times, with Rafa Lavoie, he’s either really hot or really cold and that’s something he’s going to have to work through with Jay Woodcroft. If he can overcome this flaw in his game, he’ll have a future in the NHL. 

So if Pulju catches fire on the third line, what does Tippett do with him then? Does he keep him there or does he put him back on the first line with Connor and Hyman? Quite the catch-22 right there. What would you do? Let me know on Twitter @beerleagueheroe. 

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Oilersnation

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The Bruins and Jake DeBrusk are apparently “working on the possibility of a fresh start”

• According to Elliotte Friedman, the Boston Bruins and DeBrusk “are working on the possibility of a fresh start for the player.”
• At this point, given the extended period of struggle in Boston, it seems as though a change of scenery would make sense for DeBrusk. Would Edmonton make sense as that destination?
• Given Edmonton’s other areas of need (third-line centre, veteran defenceman, potentially a goaltender), it’s difficult to see taking on a mid-size salary as a bit of a reclamation project as a sensible move.
• It would have to be a money in, money out swap, and I’m not sure the Oilers have a similar reclamation project to send the other way, unless they want to send back Kailer Yamamoto.

BLH’s Thoughts: Can’t see it happening as the Oilers are pretty set with their wingers and DeBrusk isn’t exactly shooting out the lights.

That said, after being prompted by a texter regarding what he’d consider fair compensation for Montreal’s Josh Anderson, Bob Stauffer said Klefbom’s contract, Yamamoto, and a 1st rounder (lottery protected) for him would be fair. 

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Spector’s Hockey

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• BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser topped Jimmy Murphy’s recent list of popular names floating in the NHL rumor mill. He said Boeser was rumored to be available around the time of this summer’s draft and free-agent period.
• THE ATHLETIC’s Rick Dhaliwal recently reported on Sportsnet 650 that the Canucks are fielding plenty of trade calls, with the bulk of those focused on center Bo Horvat. The 26-year-old Canucks captain is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023 and lacks no-trade protection.
• COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Adrian Dater mused over whether the Colorado Avalanche should put in a waiver claim for Evander Kane or perhaps attempt to acquire the San Jose Sharks winger via 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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Sportsnet

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Oilers quarter-mark review: Is Edmonton really deeper up front?

• Edmonton has been outscored 51-49 at even strength in the opening quarter through 20 games. That ranks 18th in the NHL, a hole the powerplay digs Edmonton out of nightly.
• Edmonton “high danger scoring chances for” percentage (Natural Stat Trick) ranks 17th in the NHL, and at 47.24% the Oilers surrender more of those than they produce.
• Ryan McLeod has taken over as third-line centre from Derek Ryan, which is fine. On a good team, Ryan is a 4C. So he is well placed down there.
• Puljujarvi has shown he can ride shotgun with McDavid, but on Saturday in Vegas he drove his own line with McLeod and Warren Foegele, perhaps even a better sign for the young Finn.
• McLeod is an excellent young prospect, and he has gone 53.2 per cent in 109 faceoffs taken.
• By the time Edmonton plays game No. 41, the halfway point of the season, two things are highly likely: Mike Smith will have been declared healthy and ready to take one of the two goalie positions on the roster; and Stuart Skinner will have proven if his early numbers were a flash in the pan or the start to something more legit.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m very curious about the movement of Puljujarvi. I can understand the reasons he was moved to the third line and I adore watching him when he’s the line driver, but why him over Kailer Yamamoto? Pulju is producing at three times the rate Killer is and wouldn’t it be just as beneficial to the team if Yamo got off the schneid too?

As I’ve said before, I really think that the emergence of Stu Skinner will take the pressure off of Holland’s search for a starting netminder and the Oilers may very well run with the three they have on board in the post-season unless their GM can bring somebody substantial in at a cut-rate price. 

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The Hockey Writers

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3 Takeaways from the Oilers’ 3-Game Road Trip

Oilers Have Options at Right Wing on the First Line

• Kassian may not be a long-term solution on the first line, but he’s a convenient addition when offence dries up between wingers, and the team needs a new look. For now, he has performed adequately alongside McDavid, but it won’t be long until his hot streak fizzles and he drops back down to the third line. Still, it speaks volumes about the Oilers’ depth, as they can rotate wingers on the top line to see who catches fire.

Dave Tippett’s Riding the Hot Goaltender

• There hasn’t been a clear plan as to which goaltender gets starting duties, but Tippett seems to be opting for the win-and-you’re-in approach right now. After Koskinen’s spectacular outing, expect him to get the start next game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Oilers are Slow Starters

• For whatever reason, the Oilers notoriously start slow. In all three road games, the team came out flat.
• The team’s slow start is a cause for concern. If their goaltenders can’t bail them out during the first 10 minutes of a game — as they have been — the Oilers might dig a hole too deep to recover from more often, like what happened against the Stars.

BLH’s Thoughts: We’ve got a team here folks. We’re twenty games in and in each 10-game segment, the team has finished above .500 (9-1-0, 6-4-0).

The slow starts are concerning, but after a quarter of the season surely they have to come down to coaching instructions, no? These are not the kinds of habits coaches want their teams to form and I’d think more often than not they get taken care of, but what coach plans to start their games so flat? That really puts a shit ton of pressure on the netminders early on and later the forwards because they’ve got to score, does it not?

Is it possible this team is still trying to find its groove? Bob Stauffer has said on numerous occasions that it can take until January for a hockey team to find its mojo.

I suppose we’ve got another month to see if that’s the case and what a month it’ll be for the Oilers too. Check out who they’re playing,

• h-Pittsburgh, a-Seattle, h-LA, Minnesota, h-Boston, h-Carolina, h-Toronto, h-Columbus, a-Seattle, h-Anaheim, a-LA, a-San Jose, a-Calgary, a-St. Louis

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The Daily Goal Horn

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• Larry Brooks of the NY Post also noted in his Sunday Slap Shot column that an “Eastern Conference team has shown considerable interest in dealing for Evander Kane.”
  • Speculation around the rumor mill indicates that the team is one with strong locker room leadership. That directed the chatter to either the Hurricanes, Lightning, or Islanders fitting the bill. All three teams have no cap space this season, but could gain some using LTIR.
  • The Sharks are willing to eat half his salary in a trade. 
• “A process to recruit, as soon as possible, the team’s next general manager is under way,” the Canadiens said in a statement.
  • Names being mentioned in the early stages are as follows:
    • Mathieu Darche
    • Patrick Roy
    • Roberto Luongo
    • Martin Madden Jr.