Category Archives: Lindsay Ryall

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.

Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
What a hilarious phrase! Click the pic to get yours today!
A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!
Edmonton Oilers, Lindsay Ryall, NHL, Trades

Taylor Hall is Having a Career Year . . . And I’m Still Glad We Traded Him!

Click the pic above to check out our merch!

With the Oiler’s having a catastrophic season, it seems revisionist historians are having a field day.

More often than not, their collective eye of Mordor focusses on the Taylor Hall trade, and how the one time Edmonton Oiler is now flourishing in New Jersey, having a career year, single-handedly willing the New Jersey Devils to the playoffs.

Well, some of that rhetoric may be true, but I have a clear memory of what this team was like when Taylor Hall was with the Oilers, and I’m fine with the trade. In fact, I’m glad we traded him.  Here’s why:

Defense Wins Games: It’s unfortunate Adam Larsson has had the off-season he has, but the glaringly obvious fact was (and is) the Oilers needed defensive help when the Oilers traded Hall for him, and they need more.  With a +/- of plus 21 in 2016/17 Larsson was just what the doctor ordered last year and at 25 years old he will be a rock for years to come.  While Larsson shone last year there wasn’t a peep about Taylor Hall, except for Hall’s own groans and moans, something to the effect of, “oh how dare they trade me.”  Now the optics of the trade seem to show the Oilers got fleeced or didn’t get enough, but a more pragmatic team building view is necessary when analyzing this trade.

Every successful franchise is built from the goal out.  The Oilers from 2010 – 12 were essentially constructed backwards, with wingers being two of the three first overall picks during this time.  In team building the highest trade currency is assigned to top pairing D, because they are so important in today’s game and hard to develop.  A 20 – 30 goal winger can be found most seasons on the open market.  A top pairing D . . . not so much.  So, I understand the argument can be made that Larsson is not a top pairing D, but he was the best that was available at the time.  Should the Oilers have gotten more for Hall?  Maybe, but a second or third pick in addition to Larrsson would have likely been the maximum offer, and that eventual player (if they had got it) would likely still be developing.

Poor Leadership: A true leader, leads by example.  In every sport, and in life.  In retrospect, Taylor Hall may have been the worst example the Oilers could have had for their your corps.  His penchant for cheating to pad stats was well documented, and he openly acknowledged recently he refused to listen to his coaches.  Furthermore, I’m not so sure he has matured beyond his selfishness, even this season.  In a 2018 season game with Devils’ rookie Nico Hischer on his line, the young Swiss player went off-side, ruining a prime scoring opportunity.  Hall responded with typical frustration, slamming his stick on the bench and refusing to make eye-contact with his impressionable line-mate.  Other teammates consoled Hischer with a pat on the back, but not Hall.  It will be interesting to see how young talent develops around a player that has shown this kind of negative attitude.  It’s clear the Oilers did not want Hall being a negative influence on McDavid, and I believe they were correct.

Achy Breaky Taylor: It may just be his reckless playing style, but Taylor Hall is not one you can count on being consistently in the line-up.  His absences are less frequent than when he was a younger player, but the fact remains, he’s only had one completely healthy season, and that’s in his prime.  What will happen when he approaches 30 and beyond?  He’ll likely be more challenged to finish a season as an effective player, something New Jersey is likely to see, right after they give him a hefty raise on their next contract renewal.  With the Oilers moving to cap purgatory next season, they’re better off not worrying about another $6M dollar contract.

Looking Forward, Not Back

Hall is gone and there is very little that can be gained from re-visiting this trade, which I believe was necessary, and inevitable the day the Oilers drafted Connor McDavid.  Of course, the pressure is on Chiarelli to get maximum value on trades moving forward, and that’s fine.  But there’s no need to moan about a player that once again will likely miss the playoffs, whereas I am certain the future is bright for the Oilers.

CHECK UPSTAIRS w/ Color! Click the pic to see this design and more!
CHECK UPSTAIRS! Click the pic to grab one for yourself or a loved one!
Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Oilers Post Game Report, Lindsay Ryall, Madison Moroz, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Trades

Chiarelli Isn’t the Only Oilers GM We Could Accuse of Poor Asset Management by Lindsay Ryall

Pic courtesy of Conway’s Russian Hockey Blog.

When the news of Anton Slepyshev’s availability in trade was distributed indiscreetly to Oilers fans on Tuesday, few could have been surprised.  But more than a few (including myself) were likely disappointed.  For a team in search of speed, size, and value, Slepyshev seemed to have the potential to check off all the boxes.

Drafted in the third round of the 2013 entry draft, Slepy showed potential from the start.  Playing with the big boys in the KHL as a teenager, Slepyshev was one of Russia’s leaders on their 2013 and 2014 U20 WJC team.  At the 2014 WJC he scored at a point per game rate and paced Russia to a bronze medal that year vs the top U20 talent in the world.

Unlike some young prospects, Anton didn’t seem to be in a rush to the big league.  He spent two more years in the KHL before coming over to take a crack at the NHL.  When he arrived, Mclellan seemed impressed, commenting on the professional edge he held over some of the other rookies.  However,  not long after making the team, Slepyshev was sent down to Bakersfield, a move that didn’t take long . . . it doesn’t appear patience is a virtue with Mclellan.

After spending the balance of the year with Bakersfield (scoring 13 ginos in 49 games) he re-joined the Oilers for the balance of the 2017 season, providing some timely scoring in the playoffs on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic.  Big things were expected of Slepy in the 2017-18 season, the P.O.H himself even said so . . . so what went wrong.

Two things: The player got injured and his progress lost momentum, and, he was not put in a position to succeed.  Anton Slepyshev is not a fourth line player, nor should he be.  For velocity and accuracy, his wrist shot is the best on the team, and he was never shy about using it.  Slepy also had no issues going to the front of the net, with speed and purpose.  But he was never going to accomplish anything on the fourth line, and he didn’t.  On the brief moments he spent next to the Nuge he looked good.  But he was never again put on a line with Draisaitl and Lucic . . . save 19 seconds according to Bruce McCurdy.

So within a matter of months the Oilers have devalued a prospect from one with clearly demonstrated potential, to whatever the NHL’s equivalent of a bag of pucks would be (see Nail Yakupov trade).  The situation is both puzzling and frustrating to watch.  But it’s not a story we haven’t seen before.  Even before the decade of darkness, the Oilers had a habit of shipping prospects off prematurely and letting other teams reap the benefits.  Interestingly Slepyshev would have a few close compatibles from Oilers’ past.

Oilers Have a Long History of Downtrading

Martin Gelinas: Although Gelinas was not drafted by the Oilers (selected 7th overall in the 1988 entry draft by LA), they were his first NHL organization as he came over in the now infamous Wayne Gretzky trade.  Gelinas established himself as a member of the kid line in the Oilers’ last successful cup run in 1990 showing speed and some offense.  Gelinas followed up with 20 goals in his first full season with the Oil in 1990 – 91.  Nonetheless, he often drew the ire of then head coach John Muckler and was eventually traded by Glen Sather for rugged forward Scott Pearson in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques.  Gelinas would go on to have a successful NHL career, scoring 660 points over 18 NHL seasons.  And Scott Pearson?  If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it shouldn’t: Pearson scored 98 NHL points and spent most of his pro career as a minor-leaguer.

Miroslav Satan: Drafted 111th overall in 1993 out of Slovakia, Satan showed an early scoring touch for the Oilers, notching 18 goals in 64 games in his 1994 rookie season. 1994, part of the first dark era in Edmonton Oiler history.  Satan showed good potential, however was traded by then Oiler GM Glen Sather in his second season to the Buffalo Sabres for Craig Millar and Brian Moore . . ..   Satan would go on to score 30 plus goals in four seasons including a 40 goal campaign in 1998 – 99, mostly with Buffalo.  Craig Millar and Barrie Moore combined would not play in 40 NHL games . . .

Kyle Brodziak: Something of a local boy hailing from St. Paul, Ab., Brodziak was drafted 214th overall in 2003. Brodziak cracked the big club in 2008, scoring 14 and 11 goals in his first two seasons respectively, playing mostly on the bottom six.  Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for then GM Steve Tambellini as he traded Brodziak (under the advice of then coach MacT) plus a 6th round pick, to Minnesota for a fourth and fifth in the 2009 entry draft.  Brodziak remains a productive player, providing equal parts grit and scoring, currently with St. Louis Blues.  For the picks Edmonton received in the trade, the Oilers landed . . . Linus Omark, who is no longer in the NHL, and never made an impact.

So how will Slepyshev develop as a player?  My guess is somewhere between Gelinas and Brodziak, closer to Gelinas.  He has a better shot than Gelinas but isn’t as fast.  I would rate his hockey sense as average at best, but he has the skills, and over time he will learn how to use them.  My guess is, he will develop into at 15 goal 40 point guy if he sees consistent ice time on the top nine.

Now, I don’t have a direct line to Chiarelli’s office so, maybe this move was prompted by Slepyshev demanding a trade.  Possibly.  But based on what we know, Slepshev’s imminent departure is spurred by player mismanagement by the coach.  And what will the Oilers receive in return?  With the way Chia desperately advertised the player, I don’t see any team rushing to offer a prospect or a pick in the top three rounds.  The Oilers will likely receive a career AHL player, or a pick no earlier than the fifth round.  And why would we expect anything different?  With respect to Oiler asset management, it seems to be a long tradition.

Welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to the NHL in style! Click the image above to pick up this sweet t-shirt!
Click the image to purchase this tribute to Milan Lucic!
Pick up this sweet tee and let the whole world know how much you love hockey’s favorite cheat!
Pick up the NEW “Beat His Ass” shirt right now!!

 

 

 

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Lindsay Ryall, NHL, Prospects

Can Todd McLellan Develop Young Talent? (Puljujarvi Recall to Test That) From Lindsay Ryall

2 Comments
Jesse Plujujarvi in full stride

In Pro hockey, one player’s misfortune can be another’s gain. And that was certainly the case when promising forward Anton Slepyshev went down with injury, and Oiler’s high-end draft pick Jesse Puljujarvi got the tap, tap, tappy, and was called up from the Bakersfield.

Slepyshev was fitting in well before the injury, scoring two points in two games on the Nuge’s second line.  But JP also had a strong showing in his first game, scoring a goal, skating well and being a physical presence.

For many Oiler fans, there was a collective sigh of “I told you so,” when Puljujarvi’s star shone so brightly on his first game back.  That feeling was aggravated when Oiler’s management stubbornly hung on to Kailer Yamamoto past his due date, keeping the diminutive dynamo with the big club when he clearly was not ready for full-time NHL work.

And while Yamamoto was with the big club, the only place for Puljujarvi was to languish on the farm where he could ostensibly work on his game.  The bigger question is, was this the best move for  Puljujarvi development and on a macro view, the Edmonton Oilers?  When contrasted with similar moves since McLellan’s tenure has started, you have to question if there is a development plan, or if it’s flawed.

Click the image to go and grab some sweet BLH swag!!!

 

Back in McLellan’s rookie year, he inherited a former first overall pick in Nail Yakupov who’s game clearly had stalled.  Initially, McLellan put Yakupov in a position to succeed, right alongside the franchise Connor McDavid.  The two played well together,  Yakupov produced, but when injuries led to their separation they were never reunited, and Yakupov’s game and confidence evaporated.  For the sake of a proper value pump before trade, he could have brought them back together, but chose not to.  Later when Yakupov was traded McLellan chose to point fingers at the previous coach as the reason for player’s poor development.  That may have been valid, but McLellan certainly did nothing to help.

In 2016 when oft-injured Tyler Pitlick came storming out of the gate, McLellan was specious in trusting the former second pick of the Oilers in the 2010 draft.  Eventually, McLellan warmed to the player but there were a number of un-warranted nights in the press box before Pitlick passed the trust test, and for a younger player this could have led to confidence issues.  Ultimately one more injury led to Pitlick leaving for Dallas in a move that may have purely been the GM’s.  My guess is McLellan chimed in his two cents as well, and it wasn’t a thumbs up for a player that continues to produce in the bottom six on another NHL team.

Even in Draisaitl’s 2015 impact year when he scored 51 points, McLellan made the decision to start Leon on the farm where he scored two points in five games and openly spoke of how the decision bruised his confidence.  To his credit, LD rebounded to have a productive year, but was it because of McLellan’s coaching?  Or because he happened to spend a lot of time with players named Hall and McDavid.

Getting some perspective on McLellan’s coaching ability, he seems to be challenged with developing offensive players.  This may sound strange considering the offensive teams McLellan had in San Jose, but as it stands right now the Oilers are in last place in goal production in the NHL . . . how does that happen on a team that has McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and others on the team?

Meanwhile, the coach switches linemates frenetically like a like a teenager with ADHD, while players are unable to gain traction and chemistry with teammates.  The end result being an Oilers power play loaded with talent continues to underachieve, currently ranked a pedestrian 24th.

As Puljujarvi continues to make his way in the NHL the pressure to produce will always be there for the player, as it should. There should be a growing focus on whether McLellan is doing his part to succeed and show he can create systems that produce offense, as well as defense.  To this point, the Oilers look to be limiting their opposition to 1 or 2 goals letting the McDavid – Drai combo work its magic in overtime.  That plan may have worked in a couple of games, but it definitely won’t get the Oilers into playoff contention this season.

Grab a Grinning Finn tee by clicking on the pic!!
Edmonton Oilers, Lindsay Ryall, NHL

Who will be the Oilers’ Surprise Sniper in the Playoffs

You would have to go back 27 years, back when the Edmonton Oilers last won the Stanley Cup, to see one of the best surprise snipers in NHL history.  In 1990 this player was Washington Capitals’ winger, John Druce.  He went from being a fringe NHLer to scoring 14 ginos and 17 points in 15 NHL playoff games. Sadly he never developed into a consistent NHL scorer and the magic he briefly had, never showed itself again.

In the Oiler’s 2006 playoff run that clutch scorer was the legend of Castledowns, Fernando Pisani, who notched 14 goals (some crucial) and 4 assists in 24 playoff games.

Realistically, every NHL playoff year there is a player or two who rises from relative obscurity to playoff glory. And while it seems magical, it’s actually very practical.  When things tighten up in the playoffs, the top six of each side often cancel each other out, leaving opportunities for third and fourth liners.

So the question is, are there any of those players currently on the Oilers, just waiting for their time to shine in playoffs?  I would say there are more than a couple, but here are my top four.

Now a couple of things will need to happen for a player to emerge from darkhorse to thoroughbred, and most important is games played.  On that note, I took a sip of the Kool-Aid, and liked the taste,  so it says here, the Oilers will play in at least two series.  That should be enough minutes for something special to happen.  And the following are the most likely candidates.

Which One Will Emerge . . .

Zack Kassian:   Because Kassian was a scorer in junior, and can play up and down the line-up, it’s not that far-fetched for the big guy to emerge as a surprise sniper.  He’s had several goals reversed because of off-side challenges (in another time they would be goals).  Watching him play he does a lot of things like a top-6 forward.  He skates well, can make a pass, a play, can fill in on any line really, but his main role has been as an agitator/intimidator, and he does that very well.  So much so, his production has been neglected.  However he’s in the lineup every night, so the opportunity is there.

Anton Slepyshev: I’m reaching on this one because Shlepy struggled with consistency during the season, and isn’t a regular, but if there’s an injury in the top nine, or he gets hot, look out.  Slepyshev may have the best wrist shot on the club, both hard and accurate, and he has the size and speed to get to the net.  He’s proven to be a defensive liability which has kept him out of the lineup, but he has the tools to do the job.

Drake Caggiula: The Oilers top college FA signing has had an up and down year but has shown some glimpses of the scoring potential he showed in college.  The experiment of putting the Drake at centre seems to have finished and Caggiula is settling in nicely on the wing.  There would need to be an injury for a true opportunity, but he definitely is the most likely darkhorse candidate, that is if one emerges.

Iiro Pakarinen: Another stretch, at least as much as Shlepy, but Pakarinen has played this role before.  During the Oiler’s previous farm team, the OKC Barons’ 2014 – 15 regular season, Iiro held a hot hand, sniping for 17 goals in 38 games.  Pakarinen became such a proficient clutch goal scorer he earned the moniker “Iiro the Hero.”  Pakarinen game has slowly come around in the last month and he seems to be gaining confidence.  Could the hero return?

For the Oilers to Win They Need . . .

All season long the local and national hockey pundits took a worrisome look at how much scoring production fell on the shoulders of the McDavid line.  Towards the end of the season, the resurgence of Eberle and the Nuge allowed most fans to breathe a sigh of relief.  But for the team to get a bolt of unexpected scoring like Pisani did back in 2006, now that would be special.

Click the image and head over to our Teepublic shot to grab some sweet BLH merch.