Tag Archives: Andreas Athanasiou

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

Elliotte Friedman’s Latest Oilers Rumors

The 31 Thoughts podcast dropped last night and in it included a fairly lengthy section on the Edmonton Oilers where co-hosts Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman gave their opinions on what Connor McDavid’s team might do this off-season.

Some of the topics covered:

  • Andreas Athanasiou
  • Edmonton’s lack of scoring support against Chicago
  • Jesse Puljujarvi
  • Holland’s Patience
  • Could the team explore trading Oscar Klefbom or Adam Larsson?
  • Who might come in to replace Mike Smith?

You can listen to the full pod at the end of this post. Skip ahead to 1:01:45-ish to get the Oilers content.

So starting with Andreas Athanasiou. The prevailing thought from both hockey pundits is that he’ll be a cap casualty. The Oilers may very well walk away because they’re afraid of being beat in an arbitration hearing. Friedman did point out that AA could accept the team offer during the arbitration process though but I’m not sure why he’d do that unless he thought he was going to lose.

My guess is they’ll look to move on from him and recoup draft picks.

As for Puljujarvi, according to Marek, he was told that things were very close to being done but Friedman had heard that that wasn’t the case at all. As he stated in his latest post on Sportsnet, he said that the team might’ve thought things were close but the player didn’t.

Another point that was added by Friedman was the Oilers were looking to sign him to make it easier to trade him but Puljujarvi wanted more control over where he was going. Perhaps he wasn’t going to sign unless he knew where he was going.

The two also felt that JP’s peers from his draft class are establishing themselves in the NHL and maybe the best thing for Jesse would be to get over to North America and play.

This is something I agree with. Another year in Finland is not something I would consider best for his development or career trajectory. Had he moved to the KHL or the SHL, then I could understand because there’s an element of increased difficulty there in addition to immersing himself into another country and culture.

Jeff Marek asked about Mike Smith and the pair had pondered earlier in the pod on the number of goalies that are going to hit the market this off-season. It’s possible that some might have to sign for less because there are more chairs than people to sit in them.

Friedman offered up the names of Thomas Greiss and Anton Khudobin as players he could see signing in Edmonton.

I’m not sure about these guys, to be honest. They both make a fair chunk of cash, right? Khudobin ($2.5M) and Greiss ($3,33M) and they’re both 34 years old… They are solid netminders though. I reckon if Holland could get them for closer to $2M/yr, that would be the best-case scenario. Otherwise, perhaps finding a trade to fill the need might just be the way to go.

Finally, there was lots of chatter about what Ken Holland could do with the defense. Friedman noted that he thinks Holland will be patient and that he won’t move his young defenders, specifically naming Darnell Nurse as he’s not an older player and he’s part of the leadership group.

They did mention Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson mind you.

The Klefbom/Krug rumor came up and then the bearded wonder mused, “Edmonton and Toronto, to me, look like potentially natural trading partners.” as well as “I really do believe Holland isn’t going to move his young D. So where’s the fit?”

I do concur that it looks like Toronto is going to muscle up this off-season but the targets still have to be able to play.

Now, the Leafs have Morgan Reilly, Jake Muzzin, Travis Dermott, and Rasmus Sandin on their left-side according to Mr. Friedman. That would lead one to believe that Adam Larsson could be the target for Toronto but how would that leave the Oilers?

They’d have Bear, Benning, and Bouchard as their natural right-shot defenders available in addition to Kris Russell and Caleb Jones who can both play their off-side. Would you be comfortable with that set-up going into 2020/21 if Larsson could net the team Andreas Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen?

In my mind, if the Leafs and Oilers really want to shake things up, make the Nurse/Nylander trade.

It’s my belief that Nurse’s mean streak is slowly losing its luster as he grows older so that part of his game is becoming less impactful and his contribution to the offensive part of the game is predicated upon playing with Connor McDavid primarily. Take him away from 97 and the offense dries up. So what are you left with?

I don’t think that Edmonton needs to get younger on the back-end. In fact, they could benefit from getting older and a veteran left-shot blueliner that excels at defending and puck-moving is a lot easier to find than not.

I’d argue that the Oilers would be a better team, a deeper team if they traded Nurse for Nylander and added Erik Gustafsson to fill in on the 2nd pair. But that’s just me. If the team is worried about a physical presence, don’t trade Larsson and/or sign Derek Engelland…

It really all goes back to Friedman’s belief that Ken Holland won’t be making any panic moves but he will look to improve the netminding and the wings.

It’s going to be an interesting fall for all of the Canadian NHL teams… I talked to a gentleman who covers the Canucks and he agreed. “Very busy!” he added.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Get your “Stanley” today!

 

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers Thoughts: The Flames Game, Puljujarvi, and Broberg

Now that we’ve had a couple of days to digest some hockey, what have you thought so far? That Edmonton Oilers/Calgary Flames game was fantastic. It was intense but not out of hand and I know for myself, I was concerned that things could get overly violent given how the season series had gone throughout the season. The amount of violence I witnessed… 100% acceptable.

The broadcast was great! I didn’t notice the lack of fans in the crowd and the synthetic “crowd” noise was palpable. I mean, you kind of wish there were folks in the stands because they add so much more to the experience when goals are scored or big hits are laid out.

That Colby Cave tribute hit me like a tonne of bricks, how about you?

Let’s get the Philip Broberg stuff out of the way first, shall we?

Who makes a save like that in his first-ever NHL game? A bloody gamer, that’s who.

I thought he was fantastic given the circumstances. He started off quite tentative but as the game wore on he really settled in. Some of the pros I found in his game was that he wasn’t phased by Calgary’s attempts to intimidate him physically. Matt Tkachuk was on his ass hard from the get-go and the Swede looked like he hardly noticed him at each confrontation. Even Mikael Backlund gave him a cheap shot late in the game that had “Bro” wondering how the mosquitos got in the arena.

The skating that we’ve all been hearing about for a month, on full display. The way he moved around the ice, he looked like a seasoned vet. He was smooth and rarely caught out of position and the times he did get caught out, it was only momentarily. I’m of the belief that his skating is the reason he could be ahead of the curve a bit with regards to other prospects like Evan Bouchard and William Lagesson. The fact of the matter is, you could count on one hand the number of players, not just defenders, I mean everyone, on this Oilers team who can skate as good as or better than Broberg.

What I didn’t like about his game was that he seemed to be out of position in his own end from time to time and since he’s used to transporting the puck himself, he didn’t move the puck very quickly. That’ll all get worked out though. I think he could’ve been more physically assertive in his own end too, but then again, nobody ever complained about Nik Lidstrom’s lack of physicality.

I’ve read some folks criticizing how the young man pinches and rushes with the puck in addition to comparing him to Darnell Nurse. I don’t agree with those armchair scouting assessments though. While both Nurse and Broberg are fantastic skaters, it’s the Swede who has the higher offensive IQ and ceiling in general.

https://twitter.com/TheOilKnight/status/1287979654909956096

Nurse has never been an offensive defender. He can skate the puck up the ice when there’s room but he’s really lost in the other team’s zone. Most of the time he sends a blind pass into the slot, holds onto it, and goes around the net or gets checked. This season though he’s added the Eberle button hook to his arsenal, which is good. A lot of the points he gets at the NHL level are due to Klefbom being hurt so he gets time on the 1st PP unit and most of his TOI has been with McDavid.

I’ve said this in the past and I’ll say it again, Nurse is a hammer, not a scalpel. And that’s fine because the Oilers need a hammer or three on their blueline. On the other hand, Broberg has the smarts and the skills to be a scalpel.

Check out these highlights above, you didn’t see Nurse making those kinds of plays when he was that age and you don’t see him making them now. Yes, Broberg will most likely tone down the one-man rushes, but as he gets older and stronger and smarter, he’ll develop into a very dangerous “4th forward” option and that’s largely to do with how well of a skater he is. See, he has the ability to catch the opposing forwards on a backcheck because he skates so well should his play break down.

Some people say John Klingberg as a comparable, others say a more skilled Noah Hanifin. Would Jay Bouwmeester be off base? I reckon he’ll be more of a risk-taker in his early years, Karlsson-like, and then morph into a Bouwmeester-style of defender.

Jesse Puljujarvi

Recent reports out of Finland have him showing a much more mature side. “I’ve grown and I see things a bit differently.” is one of the things Pulju has said recently that have folks in Edmonton feeling optimistic that we could see the big Finn back in Edmonton as soon as next season.

What I’m lead to believe is that he could sign with the Oilers but start the year with Karpat and then come on over once the 20/21 NHL season gets going.

Now, in that scenario, if the roster goes unchanged, there’s possibly one spot on the roster open for him and that’s on the LW. With Zack Kassian, Kailer Yamamoto, Josh Archibald, Alex Chiasson, and Patrick Russell (most likely) occupying all of the spots on the RW, there’s nothing available for Jesse there.

As for the left-wing, only Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and James Neal have a spot locked up there. I’m skeptical of Tyler Ennis as well as Andreas Athanasiou. I’m not sure they’ll both be brought back for 20/21. If I had to guess, I’d think Ennis is much more likely to return than AA if the Greek Streak can’t get his mojo back for this playoff run.

I reckon Holland could get a decent draft pick in return for Athanasiou and since Edmonton only has to qualify Puljujarvi, re-signing him and Ennis could cost them under $2M. Then you’d have RNH, Ennis, Pulju (who’s much more suited for Edmonton’s 3rd line than Athanasiou in my opinion), Neal, and Nygard.

Get your “Stanley” today!

The Flames Game

My man, Patrick Russell with 2pts in 33 seconds (I think)! Too bad it wasn’t an official game as The Great Dane is still waiting for his first proper NHL goal. Hopefully, this is just the start of many more.

I thought the Oilers were dominant from the drop of the puck and really toyed with the Flames until the goalie switch. After that, I found the Flames started to pick up the pace and really hold Edmonton’s zone a lot longer. Luckily for the Oilers, both their goalies were on the ball, which is something that could be said for Calgary’s netminders.

What I hope they’ll try to do is stay out of the penalty box. Chicago, as inferior as they may look on paper, do have some players who can put the puck in the net at will. I also hope to see their intensity level increase.

Ethan Bear… Wow! Brian Lawton was saying yesterday on Oilers Now that he thinks out of Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, and the young defender of Cree descent, that Bear would be the most likely to be a no.1 defenseman in the NHL. I felt that he was Edmonton’s best defender along with Adam Larsson, who now healthy, is an uncaged beast.

As for the forwards, Connor McDavid was obviously the best, but I thought near every other forward had at least one good highlight throughout the evening. Be that a hit, a scoring chance, or some nifty puckhandling, even Gaetan Haas… I hope his ankles are okay!

Puck Racism

The sales are starting to trickle in with this design and I’m going to spam the hell out of it on my website and the BLH Hockey Instagram because I feel passionate about it and I feel like Hockey is Diversity deserves the proceeds that I’ll be donating to them.

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Trades

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM63: Oilers @ Ducks – 3P2W – How Good Did Ken Holland Really Do?

That was some trade deadline for the Edmonton Oilers! Ken Holland played his cards close to his vest and made everyone think that he was going to maybe make one small move to tinker with the lineup and BAM! He comes away when all is said and done with a top-6 winger, some help in the bottom-6, as well as a veteran defender to help out with the PP while Klefbom is out. It makes me wonder where all those Oilers fans that were getting all pissy that Holland wasn’t making roster moves on their time were. Maybe they were sitting on their own hands feeling some shame…

Speaking of hands… I’ve got the BLH Instagram account all fired up! Been getting followed like crazy the last couple of days thanks to the trade deadline. If you’re on the “Gram”, head on over and follow us! I like to throw up some content over there that doesn’t reach Twitter and the website.

  • Tyler Ennis, another local boy comes home to help the Oilers! He’s going to provide some skill, speed, and veteran leadership to a locker room that will need it after the departure of Sam Gagner. This is a player that can move all around the lineup where ever he is needed, he’s positionally fluid like that. I believe this stint will be an audition for a contract with the team next year as there was interest in him over this past summer but he was more interested in going to Ottawa to play for DJ Smith.
  • Joel Persson was moved in a last-second deal to the Ducks for an ECHL goalie and a conditional 7th rounder. This deal was purely to move an NHL contract and get the team under the 50-man maximum as well as clear some cap space. Persson showed flashes here and there and both the NHL and AHL levels but he had trouble with keeping a consistent level of play over the course of the year. I think staying healthy was another problem.
  • Keep an eye on Kailer Yamamoto tonight. He got tangled up in the corner vs. LA and his ankle might be less than 100%. If he’s a no-go this evening, it won’t shock me.

Andreas Athanasiou

I’ve got a few things to say about this fella. Of all the players acquired yesterday, Athanasiou brings me the highest level of unsureness. Not because he’s having a bad year. Edmonton played the Red Wings earlier this year and he was making the Oilers’ defense look pretty bad with his speed, so I know there’s a player there. I think the doubt is stemming from a media narrative that is attacking his two-way game and a possible personality issue (more on that below).

The former London Knight plays a similar style to Taylor Hall in that he is a zone entry machine in my opinion. He loves to carry the puck through the neutral zone and into the opposition’s end as like Hall and also McDavid. Personally, I don’t think that he is a great fit for Connor’s wing. I think he’d be a better fit for Leon Draisaitl’s but good luck convincing Coach Tippett to break that line up right now.

I asked my friend SPR (The Oil Knight) who is, as you know, a big London Knights fan (where Athanasiou played junior) and a fan of the Detroit Red Wings, if I should believe what the media is saying about AA’s lack of a two-way game and selfish play and this is what he told me,

I think it’s been way overblown. He played on Detroit with guys like Glendenning and Nielsen a lot so he had to be the driver because they weren’t. It’s not like he was playing with Mantha and Larkin. Obviously he has ridiculous speed and can push the pace but I’m confident he can adjust to whoever he’s playing with in EDM. That being said, his style does remind me a bit of Taylor Hall’s in that he does attack you with a lot of speed. Would Hall and McDavid be a fit? I’m sure they could make it work. But, Draisaitl has proven he works so well with that type (Hall, McDavid), longterm that might be better option and put Nuge with Connor instead. AA is a top 6 guy, no doubt its gonna be fun to see him with McDavid tonight but dont be shocked if eventually he ends up with Leon.

So we’re on the same wavelength there. The fact of the matter is if he scores 30 goals for the Oilers in a given season, nobody is going to care how his defensive game is or if he’s a jerk.

The other thing going around is that Athanasiou played with Larkin a lot and I decided to look into which forwards he’s played with the most at 5×5 since joining the league. I just used players that had over 200 minutes with AA if possible.

  • 2015/16 (37gp 7g 5a) – Brad Richards (84:13), Gustav Nyquist (81:31)
  • 2016/17 (64gp 15g 8a) – Frans Nielsen (208:36), Thomas Vanek (200:37), Dylan Larkin (198:25)
  • 2017/18 (71gp 13g 14a) – Dylan Larkin (413:58), Tomas Tatar (239:30)
  • 2018/19 (76gp 21g 15a) – Luke Glendening (324:07), Frans Nielsen (294:13)
  • 2019/20 (46gp 6g 7a) – Valtteri Filppula (301:04)

You can come to your own conclusions but it looks to me that Athanasiou has played a lot of hockey with bottom-6 linemates. Now, is that to limit his line’s exposure defensively or were the coaches doing that thing where they put a skilled player with more defensive-minded vets to try and see if something will wear off on the kid? Something we saw countless times in Edmonton from Taylor Hall to Nail Yakupov to Jesse Puljujarvi to Linus Omark… It’s a weird habit NHL coaches have.

AA’s PDO is 0.916… That’s horrid. Ideally, you want something closer to 1.000, right? Anything down where his is tells me that it’s just not his year. Also, his SH% is hovering around 7.5% and he’s usually in double digits. To add to that his GF% rel is -11.6%. That’s… Uh…  Not great. I mean Detroit is a shitshow on an epic level this year and it’s obvious that Steve Yzerman is comfortable having a year or two like this before flipping the switch. Unfortunately, there are some good players over there that are having to sacrifice their stat lines for the greater good, Athanasiou being one of them.

One last thing, and it was something passed on to me before the Oilers traded him, that is the fear of Athanasiou’s personality clashing with a locker room that seems very tight at the moment. This is a legitimate concern but the saving grace is going to be one of the other players that Ken Holland brought in. Mike Green is going to be able to sit down with his new teammates and coaching staff and let them know everything they need to about AA. What gets him going, how he responds to certain communication tactics, any notable instances of immatureness and how to handle that. Green will be a very valuable asset in this journey with the enigmatic winger. All I can say is that I’m damned happy that it’s Dave Tippett and not Todd McLellan behind the Oilers bench right now.

Three Players to Watch for the Ducks

  • #49 Max Jones – A very strong power forward with some edge to his game. Jones can be a buzzsaw out there, but he’s also got the ability to play a skill game. If he pans out, he could be a top-6 winger for years to come in Anaheim. He’s a bit old school at times. Gotta keep your head up when he’s on the ice.
  • #34 Sam Steel – Highly skilled playmaking centre from Sherwood Park if I’m not mistaken. Spent all of junior tearing up the WHL for the Regina Pats and will someday be a no.2 center for the Ducks.
  • #2 Brendan Guhle – Was once a highly regarded defensive product for the Sabres. Injuries have slowed down his progress but there’s still time for him to recoup his career. He’s a tough two-way defender that might be trying to model his game after Josh Manson. Time will tell if he becomes that good or better.

Expect the lines below to change given Ritchie is no longer with the team. Maybe the player he was dealt (Danton Heinen) for slides right into his spot.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #28 Andreas Athanasiou – The Oilers have the three fastest players in the league right now in McDavid, Nygard, and AA. I am curious however to see how Connor and Athanasiou mesh. They both like to carry the puck with speed and we know there’s only one player on this team with the green light to do that. I figure this was why Taylor Hall was ultimately moved off of McDavid’s line back in 97’s rookie year. Just because a player is fast, doesn’t mean he’ll be a good complimentary piece to McDavid’s wing. It does give Tippett some options though if Draisaitl’s line goes cold.
  • #27 Mike Green – John Shannon said that Green was brought in to run the PP and that makes sense to me. I don’t know why it’s taking so long for Coach Tippett to give the wheel to Ethan Bear but we might be waiting a little longer for the rookie defender to be the PP1 QB full-time. Is this addition akin to when Lowe acquired Jaro Spacek in 2006?
  • #63 Tyler Ennis – Ennis is an older version of Killer Yamamoto with maybe a bit less tenacity in his game. Small, skilled, great hands, and adds offense to the team’s bottom-6. Now, will Ennis be Samsonov or Desharnais here?

I’m not sure how safe it is to assume this, but I think Athanasiou will go right up with McDavid immediately and Ennis could be inserted onto the Sheahan/Archibald line whereas Mike Green most likely will play on the 3rd pair with Matt Benning as his partner. It’s the first half of a back-to-back so I’m thinking Koskinen gets the start and then Smith will get Vegas tomorrow.

The Next Ten Games (61-70)

  • vs. Minnesota Wild (28-24-7) – Edmonton is 0-2 against the Wild this year and it’s about time the Oilers beat Bill Guerin’s boys. (WIN) LOSS
  • @ Los Angeles Kings (22-34-5) – I have to say, the Kings are a dangerous team right now. They have nothing to lose and can spoil a lot of teams’ seasons. The Oilers have won 2/3 this year against their old coach but Connor McDavid might be back in this one. Keep an eye out to see if anybody out of the ordinary is sitting for this one because the next day is the trade deadline. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Anaheim Ducks (24-29-7) – Last time out the Oilers put up six on Dallas Eakins’ Ducks. I expect Edmonton to equal that this time around and who knows how the roster will look as this is the game that follows the trade deadline. (WIN)
  • @ Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – The Golden Knights record might hover around Edmonton’s but I feel like this team is a bit better on paper plus this is the second game in a back-to-back. (LOSS)
  • vs. Winnipeg Jets (32-25-5) – Big Buff sank this team when he decided he wasn’t going to play but the Jets have stuck in the race the whole season pretty much. You have to love the heart! (LOSS)
  • @ Nashville Predators (29-23-7) – I think the Oilers can sweep the season series with Nashville. The Preds defense isn’t what it used to be and there seems to be a bit of a dark cloud floating over the team at the moment. Pekka Rinne has hit a wall too… (WIN)
  • @ Dallas Stars (35-19-6) – Edmonton and Dallas have each won one game-a-piece against each other this season so far. This will be the rubber match and I like Dallas here. (LOSS)
  • @ Chicago Blackhawks (26-26-8) – Going into Chicago to play the Blackhawks is never an easy task and the Oilers have always had a tough time winning in the Windy City. (LOSS)
  • vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-19-3) – Edmonton is 21-8-0 at home vs. Columbus all-time. It’s hard to argue with those numbers, right? On the other hand, John Tortorella has his team right in the running for a playoff spot in the East. This game should be a war of attrition to see who comes away with the two points. (WIN)
  • vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – I like Edmonton’s chances at home against the Golden Knights. History tells us they have a better chance at beating them in Edmonton than in Vegas. (WIN)

(Standings as of February 21st, 2020)

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

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM62: Oilers @ Kings – 3P2W – Latest Trade Rumors and Rumblings

The Edmonton Oilers have turned up the heat on this year’s trade deadline since we last chatted here. Last time around we were talking about Tyler Ennis and now some more names have come up, but let’s talk about this game tonight before we get into the rumors.

LA played last night, so they could come out flying and then peter out hard. It’ll be up to the Oilers’ defense to stand strong during the King’s push and for the forwards to take advantage of any opportunities afforded them early on. McLellan’s boys haven’t been scoring much and they got their only goal against the Avs on a penalty shot yesterday, so this could be a prime chance for Holland’s men to really get on LA and keep them down.

Now, Jonathan Quick played last night so I’d assume Cal Petersen will start this one and depending on how cynical you are, you might be happy about getting the backup or you might be a tad wary since the Oilers have made some pretty bad goalies look good in recent history…

I like Edmonton’s chances tonight but with that said, the Kings still have the likes of Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown playing for them and they aren’t the most honest of hockey players in the league. Knock on wood, I hope the Oilers come away from this one without any additions to the IR.

THE RUMORS

First off, I want to let you know that I’ve been posting a few more of the things I hear over at our BLH Instagram page lately. I feel like my website’s server has let us down a bit too much this year so I’ve been releasing some stuff on the IG platform. Please, head over there now and follow our account if you haven’t already!

I talked with my sources last night and finally had a nice long conversation so I can let you in on a bit more this morning.

  • Jesse Puljujarvi: Not too long ago Edmonton Journal veteran scribe Jim Matheson asked Oilers GM Ken Holland about Pulju and GMKH said that he wasn’t shopping him and nobody was asking. Well, I believe the reason for that is that the Oilers intend on trying to bring him back into the fold. The GM and head coach really want to work with him and on no less than three occasions this year the Oilers have sent representatives to Finland to speak with the young lad. Puljujarvi felt hurt from the last regime (Chiarelli/McLellan/Hitchcock) and that’s one of the main reasons he stayed in Finland this year aside from wanting to get his mojo and love for the game back. I’ve said this to many people who’ve asked, if there’s any person who could convince Jesse to return, it’d be Ken Holland and to add to that, I don’t think JP wants to spend another year in Finland. GMKH did say he wanted to go fishing in those waters in an interview with Bob Stauffer last week, did he not? “Those waters” being Europe. If you’re wondering what kind of impact he could have, look no further than that of Martin Necas’. I believe Puljujarvi could be a 30-40pt winger starting next year.
  • Anton Slepyshev: Speaking of players lighting it up in Europe. My source said he expects Slepy to be in camp next season. The 25-year-old Russian left because the management and coaching couldn’t get their shit together and now that the KHL will be implementing a salary cap next season there might be a solid exodus of players heading to NA, including Anton. It sounds like he’s fine with a bottom-6 role too.
  • James Neal: We heard Bob Stauffer and Sportsnet’s Mark Spector talking about Neal possibly going on LTIR to shake loose some cash and to avoid giving that 3rd round pick to Calgary from the Lucic trade last week on Oilers Now. Well, there’s some serious consideration being given to this option.
  • Tyler Ennis: This one is basically done barring the Sens backing out. Just a few more wrinkles to iron out. What I was told is that Ennis is possibly the player that will go up with McDavid if this deal goes through. Personally, I’m not sure if that’s a good plan or not… Has Ennis ever been a top-6 player? Is an add like this going to be more David Desharnais or Sergei Samsonov?
  • Mike Green: Hold up on this trade is money/picks. Detroit is willing to retain but this will have to be a hockey deal. Money will have to go out from Edmonton in order to bring this player in. I like this sort of trade for Edmonton though. You can never go wrong with more vets of Green’s caliber.
  • Andreas Athanasiou: My source said AA has NEVER been a target of the team and Holland hasn’t asked about him. The feeling is Athanasiou wouldn’t fit the Oilers’ team dynamic right now. We’ve heard the term “lone ranger” thrown around with him and I was told he’s a bit too “self-contained”. So I’d say that the Oilers are looking for players who are good in the locker room and easy to coach.
  • Oilers Heading Out: It sounds like Toronto and Carolina made some inquiries as to the services of Jujhar Khaira and Matt Benning (TOR), as well as, Kris Russell (CAR). The Maple Leafs are shitting the bed right now and might be looking for a shakeup of sorts. Khaira and Benning have been connected to the Leafs for over a year and because Toronto is in a bit of a bind, I think the Oilers are probably asking for Kasperi Kapanen there. I can’t see them getting the Finn but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Caleb Jones has made Russell redundant at this point.

Three Players to Watch for the Kings

  • #11 Anze Kopitar – According to Dailyfaceoff.com, Kopitar has 8 assists in LA’s last five games. No goals though. He’ll always be a threat whenever he’s on the ice, right? Leon Draisaitl, no doubt, will be seeing a lot of Kopitar this evening as well.
  • #42 Gabe Vilardi – There was a time when folks thought this kid’s career was in doubt but he’s worked his ass off to come back and make a go of it. : might be this generation’s Jason Allison. Not the fastest or best skater by any means, but he is a helluva playmaker with elite vision.
  • #29 Martin Frk – Frk and his hardest shot in pro hockey will be something to keep an eye out for. Was once the property of Ken Holland’s Red Wings. He’s been up and down throughout his entire career but LA is horrid right now and since trading Tyler Toffoli, they could use him on the pro team. Edmonton has to be careful not to let him get an open shot because he could actually start hurting guys with a clapper that hard. Lord knows, the Oilers don’t need any more bodies on the IR.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #73 Ethan Bear – It finally sounds like Ethan Bear is going to be QB-ing the Oilers’ first unit PP… Finally. It was basically his bread and butter in junior and the AHL so I have not idea why it took Coach Tippett so long to come to the conclusion that he should be the one running that unit, not Darnell Nurse.
  • #89 Sam Gagner – Gags took a bit of shot during the Minnesota game that had him clutching his shoulder/chest. So I’m not sure how healthy he is right now, but the reason I have him as a player to watch is that I feel like the next player in our list here will be playing and Sam will be his linemate.
  • #97 Connor McDavid – The Oilers didn’t send Colby Cave back to Bakersfield for nothing. I think the Captain is coming back tonight and that will bode well for this team. I mean, I’ve nearly puked watching the team try to gain entry into the other team’s zone during a PP since he was out. It’s so apparent that they need him there but it won’t hurt to have him 5×5 either.

No lines have been posted yet. It’s the day before the trade deadline and as I said above, some players might be sitting out in lieu of a deal. Keep your eyes and ears peeled and that should give you a good idea as to who is possibly heading out. I do expect Mike Smith to be in the net though and for the forwards to basically be the same as they were against Minnesota.

The Next Ten Games (61-70)

  • vs. Minnesota Wild (28-24-7) – Edmonton is 0-2 against the Wild this year and it’s about time the Oilers beat Bill Guerin’s boys. (WIN) LOSS
  • @ Los Angeles Kings (22-34-5) – I have to say, the Kings are a dangerous team right now. They have nothing to lose and can spoil a lot of teams’ seasons. The Oilers have won 2/3 this year against their old coach but Connor McDavid might be back in this one. Keep an eye out to see if anybody out of the ordinary is sitting for this one because the next day is the trade deadline. (WIN)
  • @ Anaheim Ducks (24-29-7) – Last time out the Oilers put up six on Dallas Eakins’ Ducks. I expect Edmonton to equal that this time around and who knows how the roster will look as this is the game that follows the trade deadline. (WIN)
  • @ Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – The Golden Knights record might hover around Edmonton’s but I feel like this team is a bit better on paper plus this is the second game in a back-to-back. (LOSS)
  • vs. Winnipeg Jets (32-25-5) – Big Buff sank this team when he decided he wasn’t going to play but the Jets have stuck in the race the whole season pretty much. You have to love the heart! (LOSS)
  • @ Nashville Predators (29-23-7) – I think the Oilers can sweep the season series with Nashville. The Preds defense isn’t what it used to be and there seems to be a bit of a dark cloud floating over the team at the moment. Pekka Rinne has hit a wall too… (WIN)
  • @ Dallas Stars (35-19-6) – Edmonton and Dallas have each won one game-a-piece against each other this season so far. This will be the rubber match and I like Dallas here. (LOSS)
  • @ Chicago Blackhawks (26-26-8) – Going into Chicago to play the Blackhawks is never an easy task and the Oilers have always had a tough time winning in the Windy City. (LOSS)
  • vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-19-3) – Edmonton is 21-8-0 at home vs. Columbus all-time. It’s hard to argue with those numbers, right? On the other hand, John Tortorella has his team right in the running for a playoff spot in the East. This game should be a war of attrition to see who comes away with the two points. (WIN)
  • vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-22-8) – I like Edmonton’s chances at home against the Golden Knights. History tells us they have a better chance at beating them in Edmonton than in Vegas. (WIN)

(Standings as of February 21st, 2020)

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

2019 Edmonton Oilers GM47: Oilers @ Flames – 3P2W – TONS of Oilers Rumors Today!

The latest installment of the Battle of Alberta should be a beauty tonight. I will ask though, what kind of game are we going to be treated to by these two clubs? Might we get something that would remind us of the old days? Hits and fights galore with some scoring sprinkled in? Or might we be offered something akin to the most recent meeting where it was a one-sided affair?

With the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Zac Rinaldo, and Milan Lucic in the lineup; it appears that Calgary is happy to play the game anyway Edmonton wants to. When the Oilers release their roster for tonight’s game, we’ll see which way they’ll be leaning. With only Sam Gagner and Patrick Russell available to bring into the lineup, I’d argue that Coach Tippett will be looking for his team to play a solid two-way brand of hockey. It is the BoA though, so expect a few fireworks at the very least.

Regardless, the importance of this game cannot be understated for both teams. First place in the Pacific Division and some extra separation from the wildcard teams is up for grabs.

The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

  • Josh Anderson (CLB) – This week Oilers colorman Bob Stauffer mused upon the Columbus Blue Jackets prized power forward after a caller texted into his show and offered up a trade proposal that featured Jesse Puljujarvi going to Columbus in exchange for Anderson. Stauffer laughed that off, gave it a “not. a. chance.”, and rebutted with what he figures the demand would be from the Blue Jackets for the currently injured winger. That being either Ryan Nugent-Hopkins OR a first-round pick and Philip Broberg or Evan Bouchard. Stauffer went on to say that he believed that Anderson’s next contract will be starting with a five. Meaning five million dollars per year or more.
  • Andreas Athanasiou (DET) – Stauffer also commented on Athanasiou saying that he thought the demand for him would be a 2nd round pick and a prospect. He wasn’t the only Edmonton Oilers pundit to make his opinion known on the NHL’s green jacket leader, veteran scribe Jim Matheson also spoke up on this and he just said that Ken Holland loves Athanasiou’s speed, he’s a restricted free agent and that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman didn’t draft him.
  • Nick Bonino (NSH) – Matheson didn’t stop there. He tweeted about Nashville’s overpaid third-line center. Edmonton would have interest if Nashville picked up part of his salary was the message relayed.
  • JG Pageau (OTT) – Mark Spector was asked about the Ottawa pivot during his spot on the daily Edmonton Oilers radio show and he figured that it’d make more sense to invest more into current Oiler Gaetan Haas than to pay the price it would take to acquire Pageau. Lots of speculation that Pageau will re-sign with the Senators at over $5M per year in the summer.
  • Jesse Puljujarvi – Brian Lawton was on Oilers Now this week and he was asked about Pulju. The only real think of not that I took away from the topic was that he thought that IF the Oilers were going to move the Big Finn, it’d be closer to the trade deadline. Maybe a week before it.
  • Lias Andersson (NYR)/Puljujarvi Swap? – Elliotte Friedman and Bob Stauffer talked about this on Friday and the Sportsnet insider said that both the Rangers and the Oilers talked about it but at the end of the day neither team was comfortable with the players they’d be receiving and weren’t convinced it was going to work.
  • Jujhar Khaira – The big Oilers winger could be traded tomorrow for a small quick forward who plays in the bottom-six according to the host of Oilers Now. Bob Stauffer also said that if Khaira were to hit waivers he would get claimed.
  • Tyler Benson – Lots from Stauffer this week… He said that he believes that Benson will be in Edmonton by at least February 15th.

I’ll say this. The Edmonton Oilers may very well be first in the Pacific Division after tonight’s game, so why deviate from the plan that is in motion? It doesn’t mean the team has to get cold feet and do nothing, but what’s the point in spending assets if the team is in a good spot come the deadline? Holland’s message to the fanbase in Edmonton when he was hired was that he was going to build a team that could compete year after year, not just be a flash in the pan and make the playoffs every now and then.

That being said, if there’s a deal on the table that makes sense, then fine. I would just prefer the team not blow things up and see what the internal options can do for the club this year and perhaps to try and deal out some big tickets that aren’t producing on the ice like a Sam Gagner or a Kris Russell. As much as I love what those players bring to the locker room, there are younger players who are ready to step up in my opinion. No, I’m not talking about Benson or Bouchard. I’m speaking to the William Lagesson’s and Patrick Russell’s of the world. Yamamoto is here to stay, so I’ll not include him.

The Next Ten Games (41-50)

  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – The Oilers should be bitter as hell coming back from the Christmas break and looking for retribution. In terms of gf/ga on the year, the Flames are -12 and Edmonton could feast on that. The Oilers have taken two of the past three contests. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. New York Rangers (17-15-4) – Edmonton will get its first look at 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and welcome back former Oiler, Ryan Strome. This should be a scheduled win for Edmonton as the Rangers aren’t anything special this year. The Oilers have won three on the trot vs. the Rags. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Buffalo Sabres (17-14-7) – Generally, over the years the Oilers have had pretty good luck in Buffalo, but this year Jack Eichel is a man possessed and last time Rasmus Dahlin was out of the lineup. If Dahlin is back in for this game, he’ll add a significant threat. I like Edmonton’s chances here though. (WIN)  OT LOSS
  • @ Boston Bruins (22-7-9) – The Bruins went into the Christmas break on a bit of a slump going 2-4-4 in their previous ten. This is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to win even when Boston is at their worst and there’s no better team to bust a slump against than Edmonton, right? (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4) – Toronto’s confidence was sky high before baby Jesus’ bday, but guess who comes to play each time he’s back home. That’s right, Connor McDavid. It will take a complete team effort for the Oilers to beat their nemesis, Freddy Andersen, though as he’s really had Edmonton’s number. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • @ Montreal Canadiens (18-13-6) – I really enjoyed Edmonton’s performance against the Habs in their earlier match. If the Oilers can replicate that, I don’t see why a win is out of the question. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Round two! Ding. Ding. In Calgary, I think the Flames might be able to muster up a win here. (LOSS)
  • vs. Nashville Predators (18-12-6) – Is Pekka Rinne in net? If so, I’ll give this one to the Oilers. If it’s Saros, the Preds have a much better chance of success. They’ve been an interesting team to watch this year and are playing in a tough division. Their 42pts at the break had them in 3rd last in the Central… (WIN)
  • vs. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4) – Hallsy’s back and if the Oilers would like to go that extra mile, they could show him how much of a powerhouse they plan to be next season by wiping the floor with Arizona, but it’ll be a tough game. Arizona is a lot deeper than the Oilers and their netminding has been much better. This needs to be a game where Edmonton’s defense shines. (OT LOSS)
  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Coming off of a 10-day break, Mikko Koskinen and the Oilers will be well-rested. In theory, they should be as ready as they’re ever going to be to take on their inter-province rivals. (WIN)

(Standings as of December 26th, 2019)

Three Players to Watch for the Flames

  • #39 Cam Talbot – Talbot is on one of his heaters lately and playing very well. That said, there’s always glove high on this guy and he’s susceptible to early goals in periods. Which Talbot will show up?
  • #28 Elias Lindholm – Can’t say I expect him to move to center and for his countrymate, Mikael Backlund to go to the wing, but it’s worked out. Backlund offers some defensive conscience to the first line and Lindholm brings some scoring punch to the second line.
  • #93 Sam Bennett – It really hasn’t been his year at all and I think the Flames will look to move on from him and his Lanny McDonald impression soon. That said, he usually gets up for these games against the Oilers and is, for me at least, an entertaining player to watch due to his old school brand of hockey that he can play.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #23 Riley Sheahan – There are three players who don’t have a goal for the Oilers in their last five games (Kassian, Nygard, Khaira) and Sheahan isn’t one of them. He’s been playing a fantastic brand of defensive-first hockey and I’ve really enjoyed his addition to the club this year. There’ve been some instances this season where he’s absolutely dominated along the boards in the offensive zone and I have a hard time remembering the last bottom-six center who was as good at it as Sheahan is.
  • #29 Leon Draisaitl – Ever since Leon started to emerge as the star he’s become, the games versus Calgary have been “Must-See” TV. Even in that thrashing the Oilers took not too long ago from the Flames, Draisaitl was out there trying to get it done.  I expect the same to occur tonight with a bit more effectiveness given how well his line has been playing lately.
  • #44 Zack Kassian – Kass hasn’t scored a goal in a little while and he was even taken off of McDavid’s wing in their last game for a time. He knows what he has to do to get his engine going though and I hope he brings his “A” game tonight because when Kassian is out there banging bodies and crashing nets, he opens up space and that’s something Connor McDavid and James Neal could always use a little bit more of.
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