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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The Athletic (10/19/2021)
Why Kailer Yamamoto is still on the Oilers’ No. 2 line
- Yamamoto is averaging 13:24 a night at five-on-five and contributes in many ways.
- Edmonton’s five-on-five goal-scoring rates show Jesse Puljujarvi (0.96 G/60) as the most productive player, and Yamamoto (0.84 g/60) plus Kassian (0.85 G/60) about equal.
- Yamamoto’s time with Draisaitl since January of 2020 has been splendid, owing partly to how many pucks get turned over in the offensive zone.
- Yamamoto battles and helps retrieve pucks more successfully than much bigger men, and uses his small size to advantage. It’s an unusual skill, NHL history doesn’t have many 5.08, 153 pound wingers who give defencemen fits in the corners and along the wall.
- Yamamoto’s style in puck retrieval combines quickness, determination and anticipation in getting the puck out from all the skates and on to an Oilers’ stick (most often Draisaitl).
- His most outstanding skill, compared to other wingers, comes from his ability to make opponents take penalties. Yamamoto is exceptional in this area.
- Yamamoto’s strong work along the wall and in the corners makes him a more rugged player than some of the bigger men on the roster.
- There are two main reasons why Yamamoto remains on the roster and on the second line.
- The first is his connection to Draisaitl and their great success in outscoring at five-on-five.
- The other reason for Yamamoto’s strong roster spot is the penalty kill.
- At five-on-five, since 2019-20, Draisaitl-Yamamoto has outscored opponents 68-32, 68 percent. Until that number slides, expect the small winger from Spokane to remain on a feature line.
BLH’s Thoughts: Some say he’s the glue that holds that 2nd line together considering how good he is defensively and that’s the thing with young NHLers. When the scoring dries up, how else can they help the team? Yamo is one of the best diggers in the muck and he takes defending players off-guard when he attacks the puck.
Last night vs. Chicago, he was showing a lot of offensive flair with his stickhandling and his shot. For me, that’s a side of his game I haven’t seen a lot of because he’s not really that kind of player I find. In junior that was his game, but as soon as he graduated to the NHL, he’s been one of the team’s, if not the league’s, better attackers/puck pursuers of the puck. I think this is a skill that will come in very handy come playoff time.
The Hockey Writers Rumors
- According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, there haven’t been any contract discussions between Strome’s camp and the Rangers to date, and, at the moment, there isn’t a plan to have any. If this doesn’t change, “Strome may have to treat this season as a showcase for his next prospective NHL team,” she writes.
- Arthur Staple of The Athletic writes that GM Lou Lamoriello moved Johnny Boychuk and Leo Komarov’s contracts for the sole purpose of having cap flexibility if he needed it and with Pulock out longer-term, the Islanders have some room to add a defenseman now… Staple notes that Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun could be on their radar. He also wonders if pending UFA John Klingberg would be of interest. Mark Giordano (Seattle), Vince Dinn (Seattle), Ben Chiarot (Montreal) and Marco Scandella (St. Louis) were also mentioned.
- According to a report in La Presse (translated from French), Premier François Legault noted that he has spoken with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about bringing the Nordiques back to the league and having a second NHL franchise in Quebec. He said, “I spoke with [Mr. Bettman], and we have meetings with him in the coming months.”
NHLRumors.com
- Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The Arizona Coyotes already have three first-round picks and five second-round draft picks. At the trade deadline, they could add to that total by moving some pending free agents, including forward Phil Kessel.
- Reported earlier that the Coyotes tried to use their cap space as a third team in the Jack Eichel trade talks. The Coyotes will look to leverage their cap space at the trade deadline and at the draft.
- John Vogl of The Athletic: (mailbag) It may not make sense for the Buffalo Sabres to use one of their three first-round picks to acquire someone that can play now. They are building a good young core but are not ready to start adding quick fixes. Keep the pick and
- Rasmus Dahlin is still only 21-years old and it’s not time to move on from him. Now, if he doesn’t progress in the next two years and with their depth on the left side, it’s something they may have to consider.
BLH’s Thoughts: Yeah, the Sabres should definitely move on from Dahlin. Defensemen are well-known to be fully developed by 23 and they’ve got Owen Power coming. Speaking from fan experience, there’s nothing like putting 1st overalls in a position to fail multiple times over. I hear that’s the recipe to Stanley Cup success.
