Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Could Keith-Ceci will be the third pair by Halloween?

October 6, 2021 Beer League Hero

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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Lowetide.ca

Evan Bouchard looked very good to my eye last night, I think he’s going to move up the depth chart and it could come quickly. I predicted mid-season during the summer, and it’s early days, but he’s efficient and smart in all areas. This team is lucky to have him pushing for time because my God it’s going to be available.
Mikko Koskinen has a .913SP so far this season and I think he’s going to slide in below that mark (wrote about it in the summer) but he’ll get plenty of playing time no matter this season. Edmonton badly needs him to have a strong season.
General manager Ken Holland bet heavily on Keith with the summer trade, but coach Dave Tippett isn’t going to devote 20 games to a 40 percent duo. It won’t happen. If you said Keith-Ceci will be the third pair by Halloween, I’d agree it is possible. Keith-Bouchard might be the pairing by then. Nurse-Bouchard by season’s end is possible.
I’m saying that the six men we see opening night, and the pairings as populated that night, will be three of the least certain pairings we’ve seen in Edmonton in a long, long time.

BLH’s Thoughts: I disagree with LT here. Unless Holland starts making some trades (which he’s not known to do so much of), he’s put his bets down on Barrie, Ceci, and Keith already and for multiple years no less. What the Oilers have is what they’ll run with for the most part because the coach likes veterans and the GM loves them PLUS they won’t just swap in a kid because he’s got potential. The days of developing hockey players in the NHL is over.

That being said, injuries happen.

The Athletic

Following the Dave Tippett blueprint: How the 2021-22 Oilers mirror their coach’s best teams from the past

TEAM	LW	C	RW
2007-08 Stars	Brenden Morrow	Mike Ribeiro	Jere Lehtinen
2011-12 Coyotes	Ray Whitney	Martin Hanzal	Radim Vrbata
2021-22 Oilers	Zach Hyman	Connor McDavid	Jesse Puljujarvi

What seems true is that however this line looks, Tippett has the players to make it better than either the Dallas or Arizona versions. McDavid alone makes that true, and Hyman gives the unit a much-needed two-way stalwart.

TEAM	LW	C	RW
2007-08 Stars	Loui Eriksson	Brad Richards	Joel Lundqvist
2011-12 Coyotes	Mikkel Boedker	Antoine Vermette	Shane Doan
2021-22 Oilers	Ryan Nugent-Hopkins	Leon Draisaitl	Kailer Yamamoto

Maybe the strongest reason to think that the Oilers will keep McDavid and Draisaitl mostly separated is how well the two fit the mould of Tippett’s best teams, with one guy in a super-powered offensive role and the other anchoring an elite two-way unit.

TEAM	LW	C	RW
2007-08 Stars	Steve Ott	Mike Modano	Stu Barnes
2011-12 Coyotes	Taylor Pyatt	Boyd Gordon	Lauri Korpikoski
2021-22 Oilers	Warren Foegele	Derek Ryan	trade addition

If you’re going to give one line a ton of offensive starts — and Tippett likes to do that — then somebody else has to pay the bill. In both Dallas and Arizona, it was the third line that picked up the check.

TEAM	LD	RD
2007-08 Stars	Nicklas Grossmann & others	Sergei Zubov
2011-12 Coyotes	Oliver Ekman-Larsson	Michal Rozsival
2021-22 Oilers	Darnell Nurse	Tyson Barrie

In each case, the top blueliner on the team got this job. In Dallas, it was Zubov. In Arizona, it was Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
That means it has to be Darnell Nurse in Edmonton, right?

TEAM	LD	RD
2007-08 Stars	Trevor Daley & others	Stephane Robidas
2011-12 Coyotes	Keith Yandle	Derek Morris
2021-22 Oilers	Duncan Keith	Evan Bouchard

The answer here is probably a big season from Evan Bouchard. If he can push his way into top-four work, that gives the coaches one pair to really lean into offensive situations, while at the same time letting them run a veteran third pair that can handle some own-zone minutes…

TEAM	STARTER	PLAYOFF SV%	BACKUP
2007-08 Stars	Marty Turco	.922	Mike Smith
2011-12 Coyotes	Mike Smith	.944	Jason Labarbera
2021-22 Oilers	Mike Smith	TBD	Mikko Koskinen

It’s kind of hard to blame Tippett for liking Mike Smith, isn’t it? He pops up as the backup on that 2008 Dallas team and the primary driver of Arizona’s success in 2012. That Coyotes roster was built on bend-don’t-break defence and stellar goaltending, and it won two series before modest talent and consistently losing the possession battle caught up to it. Smith deserves a lot of credit for that.

BLH’s Thoughts: When you look at those lines/d-pairings/netminders, it’s hard not to say the Oilers we’re about to watch this season are far and away the best team Dave Tippett has ever coached.

I think we’re set to watch a very special team in 2021-22…

The Hockey Writers Rumors

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported last week that contract talks between the Panthers and Barkov were moving slowly, but the hope was that a new deal would be finalized before the start of the season. He offered an update on the Barkov negotiations.

As per Peter Baugh of The Athletic, things are “trending in the direction” of a new contract for Jack Johnson who is with the Avalanche on a professional tryout right now. An injury to Devon Toews opened up a spot for a defenseman to come in earn a contract and it sounds like he may have done so.

Canadiens’ head coach Dominique Ducharme told reporters including John Lu of TSN that Carey Price is currently dealing with a non-COVID illness and says, “We are less confident now (that he’ll start the season on time). If he misses the first game we don’t believe it’s going to drag too long. We’ll see. He’ll be back tomorrow & build from there.”

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Finns Rescue Keith’s Dodgy Debut

October 5, 2021 Beer League Hero

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Edmonton Sun

Edmonton Oilers ride quick-strike offence to comeback win over Calgary

In a pre-season coming out party that featured pretty close to the best of both teams, the Edmonton Oilers bobbled their way to a 3-0 deficit with some shoddy puck management before coming to life and roaring back to beat the Calgary Flames 4-3.
It was exactly the kind of start the Oilers were hoping for … for a while, anyway. They came out strong and were outshooting the Flames 8-1 through nine good minutes.
Then the Flames pushed back and things went south… The Flames actually scored three times in the opening frame but their first one, from Milan Lucic, got wiped out by an offside. They made up for that with the 3-0 goal from Elias Lindholm at 8:57 of the second period.
The biggest addition is Keith, who made his pre-season Oilers debut Monday against the Flames. He isn’t spectacular, and never professed to be, but he did supply a steady stream of deft passes and plays to relieve pressure in the Edmonton end.
On defence, the Oilers will ice a new-look blue line this year, with Adam Larsson, Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones replaced by Duncan Keith, Cody Ceci and Evan Bouchard, who steps into a full-time role… That means there will have to be an adjustment period.

BLH’s Thoughts: ‘Twas a weird game to be honest. The Oilers were controlling the shot share at the beginning of the game but I didn’t feel like they were the dominant team at all. To me, it simply seemed like Calgary were trying to find their legs and when they did, they took it to Edmonton in a big way.

That shiny new defense had a very tough go, Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci more specifically, and that’s fine given it was their first game together, right? It would be inhuman not to realize this and give the pair some time to find their rhythm.

I will say this though, Calgary’s heavy bodies appear to be a very dangerous group. I hate watching Connor fly in on Zadorov or Tanev (more on that in a second) and I get nervous when Bouchard and Barrie have Brett Ritchie, Walker Duehr, or Milan Lucic bearing down on them. I feel like there’s a lot of potential for something really bad to happen because the meat jockeys on that club give ZERO F*CKS. That’s their game and they’re not changing it for anybody.

Should the Oilers go out and get some big bodies to counter it? I don’t think that’s necessary as they’ve got quite a few as it is. You just hope for the best and that if something does happen, it’s not season-threatening and that the league will take care of it.

Sportsnet

Oilers’ Connor McDavid calls out ‘dangerous’ trip from Flames’ Chris Tanev

The play in question this time occurred on McDavid’s game-tying goal in the third period. Using his signature speed, McDavid cut around the Flames’ defence and drove towards the net. As he did so, Flames defenceman Chris Tanev — in an attempt to push McDavid back — got his stick caught between McDavid’s leg, causing the Oilers superstar to slide into the net.
After the game, McDavid called the play “dangerous” for both himself and goalie Jacob Markstrom.

“Obviously they have the right to defend their net and defend me trying to get in there but when the stick kinda comes into the feet there like Tanev’s did it’s a dangerous play for me and the goalie,” McDavid said. “I think you’d like to see that called a little more.”

BLH’s Thoughts: First off, why in Sam’s Hell was Connor driving the net like that in preseason. Good Christ man! Second, when he went down I had flashbacks of when he broke his leg on the post in Calgary. It wasn’t a good feeling to have at all.

Connor is right to be pissed off and I don’t know the rules on this, but could the refs have called a tripping penalty after the fact? Edmonton scored. So wouldn’t that nullify the penalty? Or maybe McDavid is calling for supplemental punishment? If so, good luck with that.

Cult of Hockey

Player grades: 3-0 – The Worst Lead In Hockey

Jesse Puljujarvi (7) –Recognized the quick up by Keith, went to the net and was all alone in front to deposit a perfect Drai pass. Earned an assist on the tying goal, following up a strong McDavid PP rush by firing the puck off of #97 and in. Mashed Dillon Dube with the heaviest hit of the game.
Kailer Yamamoto (5) –The clear third wheel on the second line in all three periods… A quiet night, again.
Warren Foegele (6) – A strong winger-win off a defensive zone draw and power zone exit and entry. A strong forecheck shift along with Kass on the shift after the two Oilers PP goals to help keep momentum. Solid play for most of the last 40 minutes.
Brendan Perlini (7) – Perlini has all but made the team and solidified himself in the opening night lineup.
Duncan Keith (4) – Keith looked like it was his first game after being in quarantine for two weeks and missing the first 10 days of camp.
Cody Ceci (4) – After playing his first two games with William Lagesson, Ceci finally saw action with his projected partner in Keith. The pairing settled down as the game went on but will need the next two games to get comfortable with each other, or so Oilers fans pray.
Evan Bouchard (8) – A very nice bounce-back game in a true third pairing role, after playing up the lineup in two straight games.
Mikko Koskinen (7) – He stopped 26 of 29 shots but had no chance on two of them and no puck luck on the third.

BLH’s Thoughts: The Finns were fantastic on the night, eh? They really rescued a nightmarish debut for Keith individually, but also his pairing with Cody Ceci had a tough go for stretches.

I want to say that each time Jesse scores that I’m a little bit surprised. It’s not like he’s the feature goal-scorer on his line, right? But what I’m witnessing is him coming into his own and some of those things that made him a star as a teenager in Finland, he’s now strong enough to give them a go at the NHL level. I can’t wait for him to bring back the clapper from the top of the circle barring he stops fanning on drop passes from Connor 😉

How long do you think Yamamoto stays on that 2nd line if he’s not scoring? Reckon Tippett would give him a full season?

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: “…he would absolutely be my pick for being the next guy that gets brought in.”

October 5, 2021 Beer League Hero

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Oilersnation

Monday Mailbag – Zack Kassian’s future with the Oilers

How much stock do you put into preseason performances?

It’s a moving scale. Early on, I don’t really put any stock into the results or how players are playing because the level of competition is usually pretty low… As we get closer to the final games though, I keep more of an eye on things and that’s when players competing for a roster spot can really win a job. – Yaremchuk

BLH’s Thoughts: Fair take I reckon and I feel the same way. If a player who’s slated to be a fringe NHLer is lighting the league up, I temper the expectations until the rosters get a little more regular season-like. Now, if that skater continues to play well against NHL-quality opposition, then you can allow yourself to get somewhat excited, but even then, you need to take into consideration if that player has a history of scoring in bunches or a history of getting all their work done early on in the year.

My advice is don’t get mesmerized by the glow of the preseason goal lights.

Is anyone concerned about the number of new players the Oilers have on the roster this year and how long it will take them to get up to speed?

They are all NHL veterans, except for Bouchard. So I don’t see it being a big issue overall. – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m not concerned. It might take some time to get up and running but how many teams didn’t bring any new players in this year? Everybody has to deal with this challenge to some degree or another.

Gregor brings up a valid point in that Edmonton’s new additions are of the veteran type and therefore getting up to speed should take less time.

Friedman and Marek brought up the Oilers goaltending again on 32 Thoughts, so who would be everyone’s pick for an ideal mid-season trade acquisition?

Doesn’t it feel like Anton Khudobin is already an Oiler somehow? I don’t know why I get that vibe about the goaltending situation but he would absolutely be my pick for being the next guy that gets brought in. – Baggedmilk

BLH’s Thoughts: Well, so far in the Holland regime, you could telegraph most of the moves the club was going to make, at least when it came to bigger name moves. So, I’m thinking if Holland makes a trade, it’ll be for somebody we’ve already dug into. Joonas Korpisalo, Chris Dreidger, Alexander Georgiev, somebody like that.

If Kassian is having a good season, should we make a trade to have some flexibility with the Yamo and Jesse contracts next year? Or if he’s having a good season do we need him in our post-season lineup?

I’ll have a better idea when Kassian actually shows up to play. Once that happens, we’ll take it from there. – Brownlee

BLH’s Thoughts: If Kass is having a good campaign, you hold on to him until the draft and then deal him. There’s no sense in getting rid of a good player in-season when there’ll be bigger market in the offseason.

What are everyone’s guesses as to how the top three teams will look in the Pacific Division?

Edmonton first, Vegas second and Vancouver third. I believe Edmonton will be better than many think and that Vegas will take a small step back. – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve said in the past that I think the heart of Vegas left town with Fleury and Reaves, so their team identity will be a bit different and I reckon their rank in the standings will be impacted. I like the Canucks a lot better this year than last and of course I think Edmonton could win the division, but I’m not going to say who’ll land where. I’ll just say that I reckon the Oilers, Canucks, and Golden Knights will finish in the top-3 of the Pacific Division.