Tag Archives: Brady Tkachuk

Around the Oilogosphere, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors

Around the Oilogosphere – April 27th Edition – McDavid Snubbed for Hart, Oilers Send Coaches Packing, Final BLH Top Ten Draft Rankings, and Many NHL Rumors!

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THE HART TROPHY DEBACLE

I think David Staples summed it up pretty well but I’ve got a couple comments to add as well.

It’s interesting how the nonsense of “your team must squeak into playoffs for its top player to win MVP” took over the narrative with hockey writers this year. It eliminated McDavid but also Malkin, Wheeler and Kucherov from serious contention.

Can we go over why each of these candidates were nominated?

Taylor Hall – Outstanding individual season. No doubt about it. But would NJ have made the playoffs without the ridiculous heater that backup goalie Keith Kincaid went on? $6M starter Cory Schneider was AWOL since Christmas and was no help during the playoffs either.

I say that without the goaltending the Devils got they would’ve had a 90pt Hall and a good shot at Rasmus Dahlin. Basically the same situation Claude Giroux is in.

Nathan MacKinnon – Here’s a guy who until the end of the season had the team on his back and took them from being a 40pt team to a playoff team but he also played on one of the best lines in the league all year. Mikko Rantanen was on fire with 70+pts! But the former 1st overall selection did fade later on and only had 1 goal in his last 10 games.

Anze Kopitar – Kopitar is THE best 2-way centre in the NHL today and what a bounce-back year for him. Not only is he a threat 5×5 and on the PP but he’s a premier penalty killer. Something that Hall and MacKinnon can’t say for themselves. But LA had an elite goaltender in Jonathan Quick and a Norris candidate in Drew Doughty to play alongside.

If it were my pick, Hall wouldn’t even be a consideration. I’d go with Kopitar over MacKinnon.

I know there’s tons missing from the argument but I don’t want this section to drag on. All three players were on teams that squeaked into the post-season and combined for a total of 3 wins. So what happened? Did their Hart Trophy mojo go away once the puck dropped in game 1 of the playoffs?

Nikita Kucherov led the league in scoring for much of the season AND was a major factor in their 1st round series vs. Hall’s Devils. Not an easy thing to do. Claude Giroux changed positions this year and still maintained his high-scoring pace. Evgeni Malkin was bossing it this year but all of that is forgotten because Hall, MacKinnon, and Kopitar just made it into the playoffs.

Lastly, Connor McDavid blew the Art Ross Competition away and was a point-per-game player even when he was sick as a dog and lost 15 pounds. If they only counted his ES scoring, he’d have been in the top-15 in league scoring. His 84 ES points had him 18 points ahead of the next person. But because the Oilers couldn’t get their PP together and they missed the playoffs, significantly I should add, he’s not considered for the Hart? Bull shizzle!

COACHING CAROUSEL

Fleming out! Bergford out! Johnson out! Herbers out! Woodcroft, pack your shite! You’re the new coach in Bakersfield.

There’s not much more to say here that you won’t read in the links below. McLellan is thrown a life preserver and Chiarelli uses his get out of jail free card on the assistants instead of the entire coaching staff.

If the rumors are true and the Oilers are indeed adding Trent Yawney and Glen Gulutzan, then I’m looking forward to the team doing a complete 180 from last year and being a top 5 in both the PP and the PK as well as making the playoffs.

Now if Woodcroft is heading to the AHL, I wonder who his assistants will be there? Also, there’s room for one more coach in Edmonton, will that be Manny Viveiros?

Chiarelli had better get the roster moves right this summer. I don’t think there’ll be a massive trade like there’s been in the previous summers but I could be wrong. Maybe they’ll deal someone out and bring in a guy like Evander Kane which would require a massive exodus of cash in order to do that. Meaning one of Lucic (very unlikely as long as Chiarelli is GM), Sekera (more likely), RNH (unlikely as long as Chiarelli/McLellan are employed in Edmonton), or Draisaitl (ain’t happening) would have to go.

BLH’S FINAL TOP TEN 2018 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS

This is the last ranking of the year folks. Thanks for following along on the YouTube channel and I’m thinking this year’s draft is going to be some entertaining. There are some real high-end players available and I’m hoping the lottery is going throws everything for a loop again like it did last year.

However, I do reckon that the Oilers will not be picking in the top end this year and like the Puljujarvi draft, they’ll move down in the ranking probably. They’ll get a very good prospect like Joe Veleno, Joel Farabee, Rasmus Kupari, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ty Smith, maybe Noah Dobson if they’re lucky, or if the hockey gods are really feeling generous, Quinn Hughes!

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OILERS NEWS

Edmonton Oilers fire pair of assistant coaches, reassign another to AHL – Jay Woodcroft has logged more than 1,000 games as a National Hockey League assistant coach, which has a nice ring to it, but there comes a time when you take a step out of that comfort zone and run your own pro team.

The Edmonton Oilers arrive at compromise, as the club re-works its coaching staff – I also believe that Peter Chiarelli was frustrated with some (or many) aspects of how Todd handled his lineup and bench. And while Chiarelli believes McLellan is a good coach and believes in his choice to hire him, the G.M. could also see some stale and/or ineffective tactics being employed.

Chiarelli talks coaching changes – After last season went sideways, it seemed inevitable that the Oilers were going to make some kind of changes in terms of coaching or management personnel, and today we got a first look at what’s to come.

Glen Gulutzan & Trent Yawney expected to help coach Edmonton Oilers, Jay Woodcroft to Bakersfield – The last I heard from Bob Stauffer of the Oilers on this he was saying Wednesday that it was more likely the Oilers would bring in Yawney than Gulutzan.

The Edmonton Oilers need to better measure Great Expectations – And so, for Peter Chiarelli, here are a list of things that he’d be best to take a more cautious approach to, in the coming 12 months

NEW RUMORS

31 Thoughts: How different will Maple Leafs look in 2018–19?

NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs and Other Potential Coaching Movement

Pacific Division Offseason Primer: No. of Contracts, Cap Hit, Draft Picks, UFAs and RFAs

NHL Rumors: Philadelphia Flyers – Pending UFAs, Buyout? Possible Trade Targets

NHL Rumors: Ducks, Flames, Blue Jackets, Stars, Devils, Flyers and Capitals

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Armchair GM, Around the Oilogosphere, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Prospects, Rumors, Trades

Around the Oilogosphere – April 26th Edition – Oilers Getting Geared up for Filthy Bruce? Looking for Hendrix v2.0, Draft Lottery Scenarios, and NEW NHL Trade Rumors!

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COACHING

Are we at the point to where it’s safe to say that the Oilers will be hiring Trent Yawney as one of the new assistant coaches for next season? I’d put the odds in favor of yes just simply due to his previous working/playing relationship with current head coach Todd McLellan.

But I’ve got a new theory I want to throw out there. I believe it was Bob Stauffer throwing out Paul MacLean’s name recently in a minor rant on the status of the Oilers’ head coaching evaluation. If I’m not mistaken BS was mentioning hiring assistant coaches who’ve had experience as head coaches in the past (Like Yawney with the Blackhawks and MacLean with the Senators) and this triggered a thought in my head and it has something to do with this article’s featured image.

Paul MacLean worked with Todd McLellan in Detroit under Mike Babcock, Trent Yawney worked under Todd McLellan for 3 seasons in San Jose alongside Jay Woodcroft. So we can establish a connection there.

But there’s another connection.

Yawney and MacLean both worked under Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim for 1 season during the 2015/16 season. The Ducks were 1st in the Pacific and 3rd in the Western Conference. They lost out in the 1st round that year to the Predators.

Minnesota recently fired their GM and generally, a new GM wants to hire his own coach. Is Boudreau on thin ice in Minny? Could he be let go in favor of somebody with fresh ideas?

Would the Oilers hire MacLean and Yawney this year as safety guards in case the season got off to a slow start? Meaning if the Oilers wanted to fire Todd McLellan they’d have two qualified coaches already on the bench to take over and maybe Boudreau doesn’t get his pink slip this year but next, then he just slides on over to Edmonton and into a familiar working environment.

Stauffer has been talking about Boudreau as of recent on Oilers Now…

GETTING SOME GLUE INTO THE LINEUP

This from Darren Dreger during his appearance on a Buffalo WGR 550 show called, The Instigators,

You look at the Edmonton Oilers and how they missed a glue guy in that dressing room like Matty Hendricks.

I see Matt Calvert being somewhat similar in terms of what he brings. He’s healthier, so physically speaking he’s going to be able to contribute on a higher level than maybe Matt Hendricks can.

There’s going to be a strong market for Matt Calvert. He’s going to get paid. He’s going to get a decent increase in his salary. And if he’s not good enough for John Tortorella, off the top of my head I can probably name 15 teams that would have an interest in the type of game that Matt Calvert brings to the table.

Now those are 3 separate quotes from the same appearance but I ordered them in the way displayed on purpose.

Matt Calvert is a player that the Oilers should absolutely stay away from. He’s never healthy for one (averages about 50-55 games a year), he’s only good for about 25 pts a year for two, and if he’s getting more than Zack Kassian, that’s a problem, for three.

Dreger compares him to Hendricks and that’s madness in my opinion.

From a points perspective, maybe Hendricks and Calvert are in the same ballpark but nowhere else are they comparable on the ice…

We know that Matt Hendricks is a guy that’ll go through a brick wall for his teammates and often tries, right. I think part of Aaron Ekblad is still stuck behind the net from that time he wall-papered him in Edmonton. Hendrick’s 123 hits in 60 games whilst averaging just over 9 minutes a game puts Calvert to shame. The Columbus Blue Jacket was getting a bit more than 13 minutes TOI/gp this season and could only manage 61 hits and 24pts in 69 games. Calvert had 1 fight this year, Hendricks had 5.

I can’t speak to what Calvert is like off the ice but that’s only half the battle. You can be a good guy in the dressing room (good guy, tries hard) but if you want guys to follow your lead, you have to show it on the ice too and I’ve never heard Matt Calvert’s name in the same sentence as the words “glue guy” until now.

He’s simply not gritty enough. He doesn’t block enough shots. He doesn’t do enough of the little things and the more I think about it, it sounds like Dreger is doing Calvert a favor by putting his name out there in the same vein as Hendricks to try and drive up some interest…

Besides, the Oilers have Drake Caggiula, who in my mind is already on his way to becoming a grittier Matt Calvert-type anyhow. The Drake had 12 goals, 20 pts and was 2nd on the team in hits with 147.

But if the Oilers WERE looking to add some energy to their bottom 6 via the UFA market to push the skilled guys up the line-up, what about these fellas? Not only are they cheap but they’re fast skaters and disciplined.

Tim Schaller – C/W – (BOS) – 12g, 10a, 132 hits and played 82 games this year. (775k)
Tommy Wingels – W – (BOS/CHI) – 179 hits but only 45 PIMs w/17pts. (750k)
Lance Bouma – W – (CHI) – 132 hits in 53gp and only 36 PIMs. ($1M)

If you want to move the price point up a bit, there are players like Jay Beagle (would be great for the PK), Antoine Roussel (mega-pest!), and Blake Comeau (another great character option for the PK).

Personally, I don’t have any problems with the Oilers NOT adding an energy player to the bottom 6 of their lineup and I don’t think that hitting necessarily means energy either. Watching Tampa Bay and seeing their speedy forwards zip up and down the lineup also adds energy.

At the moment, this is how the Oilers bottom six appears:

Lucic-Strome-Puljujarvi
Caggiula-Khaira-Kassian

Slepy I don’t think is returning so I didn’t pencil him in there.

What I think we’ll see come opening night is this bottom six:

Khaira-Strome-Aberg
Caggiula-New Guy-Kassian

You know Lucic and Puljujarvi are moving up. I’m not 100% on Aberg and I would like to see Kassian in that 3LW role because I think he’s got the skill to play there but not the trust from the coach. But that 4th line has the real potential to be your traditional buzzsaw line, right? Lots of grit and speed there.

If the Oilers could sign/trade for a player or two, I’d like them to emulate the Vegas franchise a bit there and go for speed, tenacity, and experience.

My options: Derek Ryan or Jay Beagle. Both affordable, RH’d, and experienced. And if I had my way, I’d sign them both and sort things out after. Maybe move Strome to the wing and make Aberg the 13th forward.

OILERS NEWS

Kris Russell no longer welcome in Edmonton? Huh?! – it’s the age of the Twitter mob, and if a dedicated mob of zealots makes a big enough and angry enough noise, it can quite easily down out the more reasonable majority.

What a Draft Lottery win would do for the Edmonton Oilers – No organization has been gifted more No. 1 overall picks for Edmonton, and it is fair to question the culture that this has produced.

What to expect when you’re expecting to win the draft lottery – Here’s Lowetide’s latest mock if the Oilers finish No. 9.

Will Edmonton Oilers retain Todd McLellan as coach? It’s not a sure thing after the meltdown of 2017-18 – Is Todd McLellan a bad coach, or is he a good coach who had a bad year?

Oilers Goaltending Depth Chart for 2018-19 – The recent rumors around the Edmonton Oilers potentially signing Mikko Koskinen brings forward some interesting questions about the goaltending depth chart heading into 2018-19.

NHL RUMORS

Central Division Offseason Primer: No. of Contracts, Cap Hit, Draft Picks, UFAs and RFAs

Dreger | There will be strong market for Calvert

NHL Rumors: Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues

NHL Rumors: John Tavares – Isles, Leafs, Sharks, Knights and Avs

Friedman looks ahead to NHL draft lottery

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

The Edmonton Oilers and the Top Ten NHL Draft Prospects for 2018

First off I want to thank all of those on Twitter who I’ve had some pretty heated debates for being cool and stating their opinions. It’s been fun. I’d also like to thank the Oilers for going 5/5 on the PK versus the Flames and also for being 4-1 in their last 5 games. I did wonder aloud what would happen of the Oilers won three and lost one repeatedly until the end of the year if that would be enough to at least challenge for a wild card spot? Would it be enough to save the jobs of Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan?

What a game eh? Crikey I thought it was over after the 1st period AGAIN! But man, from the 2nd period until the shootout, THAT was an entertaining game. Brandon Davidson, right? You totally forgot Adam Larsson was out, didn’t you? Connor shit-talking the refs was outstanding! Ryan Strome’s game was fantabulous! It’s the kind of game you want to see every night, right? Do you think that a game like that is enough to make up for the Buffalo game?

I want to get into this post now and I’ll disclose this right off of the bat, I got the idea from an article I read at the Athletic. I don’t think it’s plagiarism because I’m certainly not ripping off the post word-for-word, but I am using the same premise.

Oh, if you haven’t signed up for a subscription to The Athletic, you should.

It’s a wicked offer that includes a free 7-day trial so you can try The Athletic on for size free and see if the in-depth, ad-free coverage on the site is to your standards. If you’re not feeling it and its worth of $4.49/month, shut ‘er down anytime during the trial before getting charged.

Trust me, it’s a good deal and the content isn’t just nerdy stats stuff. There are lots of opinion pieces and interviews with players/coaches/GMs, rumor blogs from team insiders like Pierre LeBrun, prospect coverage from the draft guru himself Corey Pronman, DETAILED analysis and breakdowns of systems and plays from Tyler Dellow and Justin Bourne, and much more.

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ON TO MY POST!

I have ten prospects from the upcoming draft that I’m going to be writing about and I get my rankings from MyNHLDraft.com. I love that site because it gives us a consolidated ranking from all the other rankings out there and it simply makes everything easier for a post like this.

Here are the candidates:

  1. Rasmus Dahlin – (LHD) 6’2″ 181lbs – Frolunda (SHL)

    What’s his deal? THE best defensive prospect to come along in a VERY long time. Everything is off of the charts with this guy AND he’s still growing. Could you imagine a defenseman that skates like Erik Karlsson, hits like Victor Hedman, and has the demeanor/hockey IQ of Niklas Lidstrom? Personally, I think he’s the next coming of Borje Salming.

    How would he help the Oilers? “Dahlin to McDavid to Draisaitl, SCORE! Another goal for the Oilers league-leading powerplay!”

    That’s one way he’d help the Oilers.

    The Oilers would finally have a threat from the blueline. They’ve spent countless seasons trying to draft/trade/sign for one without success on a Dahlin-like level. Even at 17, he’s cool as a cucumber out there and Edmonton could use that sort of calmness on the back-end. They would have to bear with the kid though because he gambles sometimes and it doesn’t pay off but if the Oilers fan base could hold back from getting all over one of their players for once, he’d become an all-time great for them. 

  2. Andrei Svechnikov – (RW) 6’1″ 180lbs – Barrie (OHL)

    What’s his deal? The younger Svechnikov (older brother is in the DET org.) is one of the best skaters in the draft. Pure skilled sniper and he’s not afraid to go to the blue paint to get his goals. Has been compared to Tarasenko and Hossa. He’s tearing apart the OHL at the moment with 19 goals in 24 games.

    How would he help the Oilers? Those that are crying for the Oilers to add skill on the wing would love this guy. He oozes confidence on the ice and brings it every night. He’s got a frame on him that wouldn’t make it difficult for him to compete in the NHL as an 18 year old. He’d definitely be helpful on the PP but only if the coaching staff saw fit to allow him to contribute, right?

    Now you have to ask yourself as an Oilers fan, do you want another baby on the wings? Do you think with the poor history of successful Russian hockey players in Edmonton, that he’d be the right pick?

  3. Brady Tkachuk – (LW) – 6’2″ 194lbs – Boston U (NCAA)

    What’s his deal? Best power forward in the draft. He has soft silky mitts and a beauty shot to go with it. He’s very physical, more so than his brother, and he’s also much more irritating than his brother. Tkachuk stood out in a very good way at the World Juniors.

    How would he help the Oilers? Ratings for all of the Battle of Alberta games would shoot up. That’s one. He’s basically the new Corey Perry but a better skater. He’d draw a ton of penalties because he’s an annoying prick on the ice and knows how to get under the opposition’s skin. He’ll actually hit and physically, he’s ready to play in the NHL.

  4. Adam Boqvist – (RHD) – 5’10” 168lbs – Almtuna (SWE)

    What’s his deal? Erik Karlsson mini. Or maybe like Erik Brannstrom, who Vegas drafted last year. He can shimmy and shake and is the purest offensive dman in the draft I believe. Great shot, excellent passing and puck handling. He’s prone to getting caught out though because he takes a lot of risks. He’s not big but there’s a sort of revolution going on with small dmen coming into the league and Boqvist should benefit from it.

    How would he help the Oilers? It would take a year or two before he could make a real impact with the roster but of course having the kind of offensive hammer from the blueline in the Oilers toolbox would pay outstanding dividends on the PP and the Oilers transition game needs a lot of help right now. This is an aspect of the game, once acclimatized to the NA ice/game, Boqvist would excel at.

  5. Filip Zadina – (RW) – 6’0″ 198lbs – Halifax (QMJHL)

    What’s his deal? 27 goals in 38 games in Halifax is his deal and how about that World Juniors performance?! He shoots and he scores. It’s that simple. Give him the puck if you want a goal. Craig Button says he’s the best goal-scorer in this draft and we’ve actually been hearing about him since he was 14.

    How would he help the Oilers? Zadina is probably a better goal scorer than Svechnikov but doesn’t bring as much on the other side of the puck that the Russian will eventually bring. So if you’re looking for a Claude Giroux type, I reckon Zadina is your man. Gets points wherever he goes too.

  6. Quinn Hughes – (LHD) – 5’9″ 168lbs – Michigan (NCAA)

    What’s his deal? Red rover red rover we call Quinn Hughes over. Listen, this kid can flat out skate. One of the best end-to-end skaters I’ve ever seen probably. Very Coffey-like. It’s so good it masks how small he is but like I said above, there’s a size revolution going on in the NHL now. Smaller dmen are going to thrive in this no-hit NHL that’s being promoted. I think his on ice vision is quite high-end and his shot/pass are above average.

    How would he help the Oilers? Transitioning the puck. Simple. When the opposition is tasked with finding a way to stop one of McDavid, Puljuarvi, Draisaitl, or Hughes coming at them, they’re going to trip all over themselves.

  7. Oliver Wahlstrom – (C) – 6’0″ 195lbs – USNDTP

    What’s his deal? Shootah! Wahlstrom is a shoot-first ask questions later type of player. Might not be the best goal scorer but could be the best shooter. 27 goals in 35 games for the USNTDP U-18 squad is massive! He’s slated to attend Harvard next season.

    How would he help the Oilers? Lots of ppl clamoring for the Oilers to pick up a Hoffman or a Pacioretty, right? Well Wahlstrom would be able to take that mantle. He’s the kind of player that would thrive on a line with a centre who could dictate the play/hog the puck a bit and allow him to get open for a shot. I’m sure McDavid and Draisaitl fall under that category, no?

  8. Evan Bouchard – (RHD) – 6’2″ 181lbs – London (OHL)

    What’s his deal? Great poise. High hockey IQ. excellent passer. HUGE cannon. He’s also a right-shot which is very valuable these days. Look, the London knights basically traded away their best dmen this year (or lost them to the NHL) and asked Bouchard, a 17 year old, to take over. And that he has. He’s well over a point-per-game (58pts in 46gp) and he’s rising up the draft charts like a friggin’ rocket.

    How would he help the Oilers? The big right-handed shot is one that the Oilers have been lacking for some time. I love the poise too. It’d probably take the same amount of time for Bouchard to develop as it did Nurse but if you were patient enough, the payoff could be ridiculous! I do wonder if we’re looking at a Jake Muzzin-type of dman in Evan Bouchard?

  9. Isac Lundestrom – (C) – 6’0″ 185lbs – Lulea (SWE)

    What’s his deal? Lundestrom is fast, gritty, has very skilled stickhandling abilities. He has a good handle on when and when not to move the puck.  I asked a scout based in Sweden about him and he said that Lundestrom might not be a star in the NHL but he’ll be a very good hockey player whose coach and fans will really love.

    How would he help the Oilers? From what I can gather, if all things turn out, Lundestrom will be a very good 2-way centreman. Now with McDavid, Draisaitl, and RNH currently taking up the top three, I imagine that we’re looking at an Elias Lindholm kind of player or to a much lesser extent, Henrik Zetterberg. Tenacious but skilled. I think that kind of player would benefit the middle-6 quite a bit. I think that a player like Lundestrom could help on the PK eventually.

  10. Noah Dobson – (RHD) – 6’3″ 183lbs – Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)

    What’s his deal? Here’s another dman who’s rocketing up the draft charts. Dobson is a BIG boy and still growing, right? I think he’s looking a bit like Colton Parayko right now. But boy oh boy can this kid shoot the puck. Not only that but he can skate with the puck very well. Sam Cosentino said that offensively, the sky is the limit for Dobson and for a right-handed dman, that’s great to hear.

    How would he help the Oilers? Evan Bouchard is the better dman all round but I’d argue that perhaps Dobson’s shot is better and maybe he’ll have a bit more success on the PP than Bouchard. I mean the Oilers prospect depth on D is pretty rude as it is but as we’ve seen in Anaheim, you can never have enough dmen coming up through the pipelines.

So what do you think? If the Oilers do happen to find themselves drafting in the 1-10 range, are there any players you’d stay away from? Are there any players, aside from Dahlin, that you’d be hell-bent on trading up for?
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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors, Trades

What Will the New Year Bring the Oilers?

It’s been a while since I was left that emotionally frustrated by the Oilers but last night’s game versus the Winnipeg Jets had me near irate and I try my best not to let the team’s results control my emotions because it’s only entertainment, right?

I mean if we’re being honest, that was the first game in quite a while where Todd’s boys laid an egg. December was going oh so well until this latest skid and while I pride myself on being optimistic in the face of the ever-lingering pessimism that clouds this fanbase, I feel like I might be writing more draft dedicated articles soon.

THE COACHES’ FUTURE

There’s been a faction of the Oilers “supporters” that have been calling for McLellan’s head since the end of October and with every subsequent loss the Oilers are handed, I can relate with their angst. The usual response online is something to the effect of, “Haven’t the Oilers hired and fired enough coaches in the last ten years?”

The answer to that question is yes.

If we go back 10 years from today, the Oilers have had 7 separate head coaches.

  • Craig MacTavish
  • Pat Quinn
  • Tom Renney
  • Ralph Krueger
  • Dallas Eakins
  • Todd Nelson
  • Todd McLellan

From 1998 to 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks also had 7 different head coaches before finally settling on Joel Quenneville.

  • Dirk Graham
  • Lorne Molleken
  • Bob Pulford
  • Alpo Suhonen
  • Brian Sutter
  • Trent Yawney
  • Denis Savard

As a fan, you should be thankful, the Real Madrid football team went through 9 managers from 2003 to 2009. And that’s one of the most successful football (soccer) teams in history who’ve had some of the best players in the history of the beautiful game.

There’s a real possibility that the playing personnel and it’s coaches aren’t compatible. Maybe Todd McLellan and his staff are more appropriate for a team that isn’t driven by players so young. When he took over in San Jose, he had Thornton and Marleau right in their primes and a defense led by Rob Blake and Dan Boyle, an all-star goalie in Evgeni Nabakov, and the Sharks even added old cagey vets like Claude Lemieux and Jeremy Roenick to boot.

He does not have that in Edmonton at the moment.

The GM has basically two moves left to save his ass and that’s to make another trade in hopes that’ll jump start the team or to fire the coach and his staff but if he does fire the coach, his neck will be on the chopping block next. Usually, that’s the last card to be played before a GM is dismissed.

Now with that being said, the Oilers’ league-mandated week off is coming up and if a coaching change is going to be made in-season, that’s more likely when it’ll be. A pricey one might I add given that McLellan is one of the top paid coaches in the league.

My last thought on the coaches is that if they don’t have the answers to the special teams problems, something they’ve stated publicly, then who does? It is their job to come up with the solutions to the team’s problems and to inform the players, who then take that information and apply it on the ice. If the players aren’t doing that, then the coaches need to react appropriately. If the coaches reactions aren’t being taken seriously, then the GM has to take action be it by making a trade or by letting a coach go. If the GM is unwilling to do that, then… I think you get the point.

Are the players concerned enough about being traded to improve their play though? Are the coaches concerned enough about being fired to make wholesale changes?

SPECIAL TEAMS AKA THE PENALTY KILL

I’ve been taking a look at some of the goals scored vs. the Oilers PK in the last couple of weeks or so and I can’t find a constant error in their formation or tactics being used. What I do find are little brainfarts like over-committing, getting hung up on a teammate, dropping a stick, bad bounces, or not reading the ice properly that are costing the Oilers.

I was curious about the tactic the Oilers have been using on the kill, so I looked into it a bit more.

The Oilers, utilize something called the “Czech Press” on the PK. This tactic a more aggressive version of the “Triangle +1” or a “Wedge +1” and is described as thus:

The general concept of the Triangle +1 is that three penalty killers form a triangle shape down low, protecting the slot and net. The fourth penalty killer is the “plus-one,” focused on getting in shooting lanes, angling the play in certain directions, or pressuring the puck carrier. The key to understanding the Triangle +1 is knowing that the player functioning as the “plus-one” can shift mid-play, depending upon the location of the puck. If the play quickly transitions from left to right, the high forward can sag back into the triangle while the lower forward takes over the “plus-one” role.

Wedge +1

The same concepts of the Triangle +1 apply, but in the Czech Press, the “plus-one” forward is very aggressive. He actively attacks the high man at the blueline (usually a defenseman), and in the event of a pass to a forward on the half boards, he “presses” down on the new puck carrier to cut off space and time.(Source)

Czech Press

Here’s an example of what the Czech Press should look like if deployed properly,

According to the source from above, the Czech Press has it’s advantages and disadvantages,

The Czech Press, on the other hand, looks to actively force opposing power plays into mistakes. The result is more turnovers, but also more opportunities for dangerous chances, due to the chaotic play of the “plus-one” forward. Rapid puck movement has the aggressive forward constantly chasing, and can turn the formation into a “Triangle Plus-Nothing,” with three penalty killers in the slot just waiting to be eaten alive. (Source)

I think one of the things, apart from the possibilities discussed above, we’re witnessing this year with the Oilers is that teams are turning the extra man who chases the puck into the “nothing”. My understanding is that this formation when passive is used to combat the point shot and cross-seam passes. A team that doesn’t have the speed to use the Czech Press shouldn’t be using it in my opinion but maybe it’s more than that. One could argue it’s intelligence on the ice too because you can’t simply run around with your head cut off on the PK. The penalty kill is all about managing 2-on-1 scenarios, right?

Some players that are having good years on the PK according to some parameters set by Jon Willis (20 min TOI, GA/60, league avg=7 GA/60) on Twitter last night are:

Jujhar Khaira (36.1 TOI, 4.99 GA/60) – I believe that he’d be just as good as Pouliot on the PK if given the chance. He’s got good hands, a big body, AND he doesn’t take too many penalties.

Connor McDavid (47.9 TOI, 5.01 GA/60) – Of course he’s one of the best. He’s got the speed and agility to be used properly in the Czech Press PLUS he’s the smartest player in the game.

Brandon Davidson (33.3 TOI, 3.6 GA/60) – Matt Benning could use a night or two in the press box. He’s still young but he’s really hitting the sophomore slump this year and Davidson’s #s don’t lie here. Add to that Davy’s got a bit more experience and size on Benning.

Eric Gryba (29.43 TOI, 6.12 GA/60) – There’s not much to say about Grybs. He’s ineffective 5×5 and now he’s in the minors.

Other players that are hovering just over the league average GA/60 are Mark Letestu (8.79), Oscar Klefbom (8.98), and Iiro Pakarinen (8.85).

But the rest of the team are in double-digits. Drake Caggiula’s GA/60 on the PK is 17.81… Which is mad because he’s so fast and aggressive, right? You’d think that he’d fit right into this PK tactic. The worst dman is Matt Benning with 15.8 GA/60 on the PK…

If the Oilers don’t have the players who can effectively work within the penalty killing system, why use it? It reminds me of Dallas Eakins’ “swarm”. The coaches are trying to force it down the players’ throats and from what I’ve gathered, it doesn’t sound like the players are having anything of it anymore.

I think if you’ve noticed, that nearly every team that the Oilers get a PP versus uses the passive “triangle +1” because the Oilers are happy to pass it around the perimeter at their own pace. If the Oilers could move it around a lot quicker maybe by bringing the players on the wall a little higher to support the dman, they could open things up a bit better.

Another way to create scoring chances is… GO TO THE BLUE PAINT! Jesse Puljujarvi has scored but one from in the home plate if I recall correctly. I mean, I’m not a coach by trade but if the other team is parking the bus in front of the goalie, why not add some more chaos and throw three of your guys in front too and leave a 2-on-1 scenario for the remaining players. Then simply get the puck on the net for the players to battle over. I think an added bonus to those goal-mouth scrambles might be causing the other team to take more penalties due to the desperation of clearing the puck from so close to the net.

THE 2018 DRAFT

I suppose we’re going to have to start talking about it sooner or later… At this point, the Oilers are sitting pretty at 6th overall. Whether you’re the type to follow the draft or not, I’m sure you’ve heard who is going 1st overall, the Swedish Bobby Orr, Rasmus Dahlin. After Dahlin is a right-wing sniper who plays for Barrie in the OHL named Andrei Svechnikov.

Dahlin and Svechnikov will be going 1 and 2 at the draft, I have no doubt in my mind about that. But it’s from 3rd overall to 6th overall that it could get interesting. Right now I believe it’s a battle between a magical Czech forward named Filip Zadina and another Swedish Karlsson clone named Adam Boqvist for no.3. Matthew Tkachuk’s little brother Brady should go 5th and then the 2nd best skater in the draft, Quinn Hughes, a dman playing NCAA in Michigan should round it out.

We don’t know where the lottery balls will land come draft time but I’m not a huge fan of selecting a defender in the top 6 not named Rasmus Dahlin.

If the Oilers draft…

  • 1st – Rasmus Dahlin (LD) – Swedish Orr
  • 2nd – Andrei Svechnikov (RW) – Tarasenko V2
  • 3rd – Filip Zadina (LW) – Very Barzal-like with his puck handling and shooting
  • 4th – Brady Tkachuk (LW) – Better than his brother
  • 5th – Adam Boqvist (RD) – Dazzling defender
  • 6th – Oliver Wahlstrom (RW) – Shoots the lights out

Should the Oilers lose out in the lottery and be forced to move down, I think trading down to gather assets would be a good plan as the cluster from 7th overall to about 14th or 15th look to be a safe area for the Oilers to trade down to and still get a good player.

But if you’re wondering what some of those players look like, look no further than our 2018 November Top Ten Rankings over at the Beer League Heroes Youtube Channel!

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