Edmonton Oilers Talk: Puljujarvi Still Getting the Shaft from the Oilers?

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Sportsnet

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.

The Hockey Writers

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

The Daily Goal Horn

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.