Oilers fans have a long history of watching this team develop real NHL defensemen only to let them walk as free agents or traded prior to UFA status taking effect. Today, more than any other day so far I have seen the changing of the tide. Proof that someone other than MacT and Lowe are in charge and making the decisions. Let’s face it, previous management had a proven track record of developing solid defenders that while they may not have been top pairing guys were still legitimate NHL defensemen and then trading them away.
The first three that come to mind for me are Tom Gilbert, Jeff Petry and Marty Marincin. Three quality players, well Marty had some issues but was still a damn sight better than Nikitin or Ference in my opinion. That brings us to today and the joyous occasion that has us reminiscing of players gone too soon. Today Peter Chiarelli made the smart decision and locked up one of the best up and coming defensemen in the league. Oscar Klefbom in my eyes is a huge part of the Oilers defense moving forward and today the Oilers proved they think the same way as I do.
The number I have heard is 4.167 per season. That is a pretty decent number but there are a lot of folks on twitter that are trashing this team for signing Oscar long-term. Well really there are those bitching about the term and there are those bitching about the dollar value. Of course all the hate that I have seen comes from those outside the organization and fan base. I haven’t really seen anyone from the MSM or fans say anything remotely negative about the deal.
Really, I don’t see how anyone can say anything negative about it now. He is a lock to be in our top four for the next eight years. He is still only 22 years old and has a ton of developing left to do so he is only going to get better! He may never be a top guy like Doughty or Keith but he will be a top pairing defenseman, likely by the end of this season. Visions of a top pairing of Darnell Nurse and Oscar make me giddy with anticipation. We are not that far away from that happening folks!
What do you think? Is this a good signing? Too long of a term? Too much money? Let us know what you think. Leave a comment below or follow me on twitter and we can converse there, @justoil78. Thanks for reading.
By now everyone has heard the Chiarelli interview that was conducted by TSN insider Bob MacKenzie. If you have been in a coma for the last week or just haven’t gotten around to watching it yet you really should. There is some really great stuff in there. It will give a small insight into the mind of the general manager and hints at the direction that he plans to take this team.
The part of the interview that pertains to what we are discussing today is when Bobby Mac asks about Leon and Darnell making the team this fall. This is what he replied.
Chiarelli: “We have to see how they do. They are two fine prospects, with size and skill you just don’t find anywhere. I still really believe size matters in this league. We’ll see. We’re going to try Leon on the wing and we’re going to try him, he protects the puck so well, we’ll try him at both (wing and center). Darnell is so strong, he defends so well. He’s an energetic player, we have to teach him you don’t have to do six things, if you do three very well, you can do the other three later. He’s got some stuff to learn but there’s a lot to like there.”
From that we can infer that the boys are going to have a legitimate shot to make the team and they will not be sent to Bakersfield just for the sake of “development”. Prospects of their caliber have the capability of learning on the fly a lot quicker than a lesser player. I’ve already made my arguments for which way I think things will go with Darnell Nurse and that piece is available at Just Oil, a website of my own creation, but what will the team do with Leon Draisaitl?
There was a ton of talk about why Draisaitl was getting to play all three games at the recently finished Young Stars tournament out in Penticton. I seen some comments that the team didn’t Leon had shown enough in his two previous outings and others still that assumed it was because of the teams intent to let him shift to the wing for at least part of training camp. Obviously neither theory proved to be right when it was confirmed that Leon was in fact playing in the third game because of an injury Mitch Moroz suffered to his hand in the first game against the Canucks.
As close as we are now to training camp, we can expect the chatter to heat up about any player that isn’t a guaranteed lock for the NHL roster. The story for Leon will play out in its own good time and eventually we will see what the Oilers staff has decided to do with them. With that being said, who wants to wait to see what the Oilers will do? I sure as hell don’t! I want to pull on my armchair GM cap and make the decision for them.
What would I do if I was the man leading the Oilers charge back to the playoffs? Well son, pull up a chair, slap a Canucks fan and sit your ass down and listen and I’ll tel you exactly what I will do! I freely admit I am not the smartest man in the world but I can guarantee that I am very far from the dumbest as well. It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to know that there are relatively few spots that are open to competition amongst the forwards group. Hall, Eberle, McDavid, Nuge and Pouliot are virtual locks for top six work with the final candidate probably being one of Teddy Purcell and Nail Yakupov.
So where does Leon fit into the picture then? If he is to make this team it will have to be in the bottom six. The only scenario that I see Leon making the team is if Todd McLellan would prefer to put Yakupov in the top six and move Purcell to the left of Anton Lander. This would allow Draisaitl to take the third line right wing position and move recently acquired Lauri Korpikoski down to the fourth line with Matt Hendricks and Mark Letestu.
This combination of forwards would give us two lines that an absolutely tear it up and a third that while not as offensively gifted as the first two lines will be a more defensively responsible trio. Add to that the fourth line that can take on the heavy work and tougher defensive zone starts and there might actually be the beginnings of a real NHL forward group.
I have no illusions of any players that are eligible for UFA status next summer being retained. Purcell, Nikitin and Scrivens among others, will all either be moved at the deadline or allowed to walk for nothing in July. This is why I say we have the beginnings of a NHL quality forward group. We all know there will be turnover between now and then but it will be minimal.
What would everyone think if the lines for opening night in St. Louis was Pouliot/Nuge/ Eberle, Hall/McDavid/Yakupov, Purcell/Lander/Draisaitl and Hendricks/Letestu/Korpikoski? Any other combination of players involved and I don’t see how Leon can possibly be on the team. If McLellan prefers to put Purcell on third line right wing then there really isn’t any room for the big German.
What do you all think? Leon on the team for October 8th or will he be leading the charge in Bakersfield to start? I want to hear from you! Leave me a comment here or get at me on Twitter, @justoil78. If you liked what you read please visit Cooke Designs and buy one of our beautiful shirts! Thanks for reading!
Fans of the Los Angeles Kings have had plenty to cheer for over the past few seasons. They’ve seen two Stanley Cup winning teams and a third season that ended in the conference finals. There were five consecutive seasons of playoff hockey in Hollywood.
Last season the Kings missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2008/09 season. It was quite the shock at the end of the season to see the reigning Stanley Cup champions on the outside looking in. But having an atrocious shootout record (2-7) and going sub .500 on the road (15-18-8) will kill any postseason hopes there are.
There have been some massive changes to this team in the off-season and I wouldn’t expect the same results as last year.
Key Additions: F Milan Lucic, D Christian Ehrhoff, G Jhonas Enroth
Key Departures: F Mike Richards, F Justin Williams, F Jarret Stoll, D Andrej Sekera, D Slava Voynov, D Robin Regehr, G Martin Jones
Roster Contenders: G Peter Budaj, F Andy Andreoff, F Jordan Weal, D Damir Sharipzyanov, D Derek Forbort
Projected Lineup:
Milan Lucic – Anze Kopitar – Marion Gaborik
Tanner Pearson – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Dwight King – Nick Shore – Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford – Trevor Lewis – Jordan Nolan
Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Alec Martinez – Christian Ehrhoff
Brayden MacNabb – Matt Greene
Jonathon Quick
Jhonas Enroth
The addition of Lucic brings some functional toughness to the top six. He is a capable scorer, netting twenty plus goals three times in his eight year career. Adding him to the Kings offensive lines will mean just another tool in Darryl Sutters tool box to deploy as he sees fit.
How Christian Ehrhoff got inked for one year at $1.5M is beyond me. Surely he got shares in the team for signing for that cheap. Check out his HERO chart… You know he could’ve gotten upwards of $4 million if he wanted to.
In the 2015/16 season I think the Kings are a much more competitive team from start to finish. They removed a locker room issue when Mike Richards had his contract terminated in late June. Depending on how the immigration hearing goes for Voynov, Kings fans might have seen the Russian blueliner for the last time. Will Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson continue their rise possibly making Marian Gaborik obsolete?
If I have to pick one area that I would be concerned with it would still be the goaltending. I am not at all convinced that Jonathon Quick is as good as his previous play in the Kings Stanley Cup runs. He is a much more average player than most media seem to make him out to be and his save percentage on the road attests to that.
There isn’t really any one player on this team that I look forward to watching, although I really do enjoy seeing Doughty play as I think he is the best defenseman in the entire league. The Norris trophies might not be there but he is at the top of his game and there is no one in the league that is a more complete defender than Drew. Part of me is looking forward to watching McDavid and Hall blow past him at some point this season.
Welcome back to the season primer series. The Calgary Flames were the team that everyone expected to come crashing back to earth all year last year and somehow they never did. The analytics crowd was screaming that the teams PDO had to come back to an even level and there was little to no chance that they could sustain their productivity through-out the entire year. Well they did and that just allowed the media and analytics crowd to change their tune to they won’t be able to duplicate that success next year. The Flames had solid defense all season, even when Captain Mark Giordano went down with a season ending injury the rest of the rear guards picked up the slack and soldiered on. Add in up and coming top pairing defender Dougie Hamilton to the mix and Calgary now has one of the best defense cores in the league.
Key Additions: RW Michael Frolik, D Dougie Hamilton
Key Subtractions: D David Schlemko, RW Brian McGrattan, D Corey Potter, D Raphael Diaz
Calgary only added two players this summer but the two that they did add are excellent additions to the team. Dougie Hamilton has the ability to be a top pairing guy in the NHL for a very long time. Michael Frolik brings decent size but more importantly he brings a veteran presence and should be good for between 15 and 20 goals.
Projected Lines (All Players Healthy):
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Jiri Hudler
Sam Bennett – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik
Mason Raymond – Josh Jooris – Joe Colborne
Michael Ferland – Matt Stajan – David Jones
TJ Brodie – Mark Giordano
Kris Russel – Dougie Hamilton
Deryk Engelland – Dennis Wideman
Jonas Hiller
Karri Ramo
Roster Contenders: D Ladislav Smid, LW Brandon Bollig, C Lance Bouma, C Paul Byron, C Markus Granlund, D Tyler Wotherspoon, and G Joni Ortio.
Calgary seems to have a roster that is pretty much set even before we enter training camp. A player like Ladi Smid will likely end up being the 7th defender but will still see significant time because we all know how hard it is to keep six healthy defensemen all season.
The key concern with Calgary is going to be their forward depth again this year. Outside of the top line there isn’t anyone on the team that can be counted on for a 20-goal season. Frolik is a possibility but since he hasn’t gotten there yet I wouldn’t hold my breath.
The Flames defense is what is going to power them through for the most part this season. We know Monahan is good for 20 plus goals and so is Gaudreau, well as long as he doesn’t hit the dreaded sophomore slump.
People have been expecting a Calgary regression since November of last year and it never happened. Sorry Oilers fans but it isn’t going to happen this year either. Calgary will be in the playoff picture come April. In what slot is anyone’s guess though.
If you are a Flames fan or know of one please direct them to our t-shirt shop. We have 16-Bit Johnny Gaudreau, Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan, Dougie Hamilton, and Mark Giordano all waiting to go to a caring home where they can keep you warm throughout those “miserable” Calgary winters…
Thanks for reading and let us know in the comments below if you think the Flames are due to make the playoffs again this year?
Stay tuned for the next installment of the Beer League Heroes Season Primers series!
Cheers for checking out the Beer League Heroes Sunday Night Pint #6! If you’re new to the SNP allow me to introduce you to it. What we do is we basically go over the week that was in the world hockey, more specifically the Edmonton Oilers. Simple and smooth and it goes down well with a fine glass of Glenfiddich.
Which Member of the Edmonton Oilers is Under the Most Pressure Going Into 2015/16?
SS – Man, this a tough question. There’s arguments for a lot of players, just due to who needs to pick up the slack or bounce back after a lousy previous season. But I’m gonna go with the kid everyone’s talking about. Connor McDavid has to have the most pressure on him not only because of his status as “The Next One” but because of some fans’ expectations.
He is really supposed to be a second coming for this Oilers squad, and he has huge skates to fill. When you’re expected to become the next Gretzky, it’s a ton of pressure, especially when you’re already a household name and you have high projections from next year.
At only 18, and being thrown directly into the NHL, he has a lot of pressure on him to reach his full potential, exceed expectations and help this team win games. But, as the Great One himself said, I believe McDavid will do more than fine in the NHL.
ZL – Todd McLellan. I think he is facing more pressure than any of the players right now as it is his ship to steer. He is the one who is faced with the daunting task of turning a bunch of “losers” into a championship team. I expect the team to be significantly improved under McLellan this year.
RC – This is a tough one as there are roughly a half dozen guys that will be under the microscope all season. If I have to choose one it has to be Connor McDavid. Sure there are players like Talbot, Yakupov, Schultz and Reinhart that will have a lot of attention on how they perform this season but realistically that will, for the most part, be only Oilers fans and local media that follow along closely. McDavid is a different animal all together. Hockey fans the world over are waiting with baited breath to see what this kid will be able to do in the NHL and that alone makes his situation much more pressure filled.
BY – Justin “How do I defend” Schultz. This is the last year I will have faith that he will pull it all together. By pull it all together I mean emerge as a solid number 3 offensive defenceman. If he can’t, then his career as an Oiler is over, but if he does, he can expect a big spike in salary. Personally I’m hoping he can hit the 40 point mark and build off that moving forward, but realistically if he hits 35 points I’ll be satisfied.
BLH – I tell you what. The Oiler under the most pressure is Cam Talbot. He has been a backup his whole NHL career and surely he has to be aware of last season’s debacle in net. But if he can pull it off he’s going to be paid a very handsome wage next summer!
Who Will Feature on the Oilers’ Top PP Unit This Season?
SS – The first power play line will be tricky. At the start of the season, it’ll be Hall on the left, RNH down the middle and Eberle in the right. Sekera will make the first unit, and the other defender is tough. Let’s go with Mark Fayne. It’s hard picking two defenders because the blueline’s a dark area for the team. Keep in mind that this is subject to massive change. The Oilers could finally make a move and bring in a quality defender who is necessary on the first PP unit. McDavid could make a splash and replace one of the wingers on the PP.
Who knows?
PP1 Line:
Hall-RNH-Eberle
Sekera-Fayne
ZL – Hall – Nuge – McDavid – Schultz – Eberle
RC – The Oilers power-play this year should hopefully return to form after a couple of less than stellar campaigns under former coach Dallas Eakins. To be fair Todd Nelson did have them trending in the right direction but too little too late I’m afraid. If I am the coach my first unit would likely be Pouliot-McDavid-Yakupov up front and have Hall and Schultz on the back end. Having two good shooters in Yak and Hallsy being fed by McJesus would be magical. Let Benny slide into Smytty’s office and have Jultz patrol the blue line.
BY – Hall – McDavid – Yakupov -Eberle – Sekera
Shooters everywhere. Gives Yak a chance to boost his offensive totals wit a premier set up guy in McDavid. The blue line is where there can be a debate. Wouldn’t mind throwing Schultz in Eberle’s spot and playing with Nuge and Pouliot on the second pairing.
BLH – In my lifetime the most potent powerplay I ever witnessed was that of the early-mid 90s Pittsburgh Penguins. They scored on nearly every man advantage they had with Jagr, Lemieux, Francis leading the forwards and Paul Coffey anchoring the back end. The Penguins would move the puck around patiently until 66 was open then they’d just give it to him and he’d make the twine twinkle. I think we could see a return to such domination.
So if I were a betting man, I think we could see Taylor Hall setting up on the left-side hashmarks. Connor McDavid on the right-side half-wall, Nail Yakupov will be the trigger man in the way Brett Hull used to set up shop in the slot, Jordan Eberle on one point and Justin Schultz on the other. I reckon that there’ll be a lot of movement between the point men and the guys set up on the half-boards in an effort to open things up for Yak. I could be totally off but that’s how I feel.
What is Nail Yakupov Worth on the Trade Market Today?
SS – Don’t be surprised by these words: Yakupov has a lot of value on the trade market.
He really does. He is very talented and an aggressive player, and he can shoot the puck. It’s simple that Edmonton is just not Yakupov’s place to shine. It happens. With the Oilers, he is not exceeding expectations or reaching his full potential. He is poised for a breakout this season. He is ready to let go and score more. But the worst thing about his stats is that ugly +/-. If Yakupov’s scoring doesn’t improve, and if he continues to decline or not reach his potential, he will be on his way out.
Trust me, he’s great trade bait. Teams want a young winger who can listen to a coach and score. And since he’s prepping for a breakout year, his trade value just went up. We shouldn’t be too quick to trade him, as he could display amazing ability and be an asset for the team, but if he’s playing and the team remains the same old last-place Oilers we’ve come to know, he will be on his way out. Scary right? Yeah, but if he goes, a high quality player just like him is coming to the Oil
ZL – Nothing. Yakupov is worth more to the Edmonton Oilers than he ever would be on the trade market. Let’s not forget that he did score at a 1.6 PPG pace in the OHL. He is a natural talent who has unfortunately been tainted due to some less than stellar coaching.
RC – If Edmonton traded Nail Yakupov today the return isn’t something that fans or the franchise are likely going to be happy with. His value now is definitely higher than it was midway through last when it was at a career for the young man. Even with the rebound in the second half of last season his value still isn’t where it should be for his draft position. I think at best right now the Oilers could probably get a mid to late first round pick, a second rounder, and a middling prospect. The kid needs a big season in a really big way!
BY – If Reinhart can fetch a 1st plus, I’d think Yak could return a pick in the 7 – 13 range depending on how this season goes. If it’s a player swap you’re likely getting a guy in a similar position, where either injuries or inconsistency is an issue. Andrew Shaw plus a prospect and 3rd rounder? Something like that. In my opinion he’s a guy you throw in to sweeten a package for a Seth Jones or a player of that caliber.
BLH – Mr.Yakupov… Are you the black sheep of our 1st overalls or are you the ugly duckling just waiting to blossom into a lovely swan? Either way good things are sure to come. It’s so hard to judge Yakupov based on his career to date. Eakins really put some sand in his vaseline during his time at the helm.
Right now I don’t think his value is that high. I don’t think he’d bring back an upgrade at any point on the roster. Draft picks and prospects is the return I’d say. Perhaps Chiarelli could package him up with some of the excess dmen he has and pick up someone special (*Cough* David Backes or Andrew Ladd *Cough*) or maybe he’ll light it up and the Oilers will get an enormous return for him. His contract is very tasty for other GMs as it’s only for 2 years @$2.5m per. So that works in the Oilers favor.
BONUS: Predict the Score of the University of Alberta Golden Bears vs. Oilers Rookies Game!
SS – Let’s see. In Development Camp, McDavid scored five goals and him and Nurse dominated the whole game. The score is going to be 8-2 in favor of the Oilers rookies. It’s a radical prediction, but with McDavid, Nurse and a full arsenal of rookies with amazing abilities, there will be a lot of goals for the Oil’s young guns. Sorry, Golden Bears..
ZL – I think McDavid will score 1834870365 points and the Oilers will beat the Bears 5-2.
RC – The final score on the 16th between the UofA and the Oilers rookies is going to be 5 to 3 in favour of the rookies. The score will look a lot closer than it actually will be though. Connor will net a hatty in the opening 20 and after that will take it easy on the Golden Bears. McDavid has far too muh class and maturity to blow-out a university level team in nothing more than a friendly game.
BY – 6-2 in favour of the Oilers. Why? Connor McDavid nets a hat trick at Rexall.
BLH – I was at this game last year sitting behind Dustin Nielsen, who by the way has an ginormous cranium, and it was an amazing experience. The Golden Bears are no intramural hockey team. They’re 2-time national champions. So the Oilers will be in for a challenge… Maybe.
McDavid will embarrass those frat boys and Nurse will destroy them just like he did in last year’s game. I wonder if the Oilers will keep the sandpaper in the lineup this year. Greg Chase and Kale Kessy were very fun to watch. Question: Does Draisaitl get to take part?
Final Score: 6-1 Oilers
Thank you Sammi Silber for joining us tonight and thank you for reading everyone! Please let us know below in the comments section how you feel about today’s Sunday Night Pint topics!
Before we go our separate ways I’d like to let you know about our new T-shirt! It’s called “The Lottery Line” and it features Hallsy, McJesus, and Yakcity in the best way possible… 16-bit! Click here and get it for 30% off until September 1st!
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