Big rumour day for the Oilers eh? I love waking up on the other side of the planet to rumors of trade! Gives me a bit more time to digest what’s being said online.
Here’s what I’ve read online so far:
Obviously, those are taken from within the Facebook groups but Gruninger (a former writer here at BLH) is quite good at reporting all Oilers-related things on Facebook and I guess this Trevor Boz character is said to have some “connections” but when I asked my own trusted sources, they said this:
“Oilers like Halak but they don’t feel he’s consistent enough for the 4.5 cap hit. Plus, Winnipeg is willing to retain salary. They like Hellebuyck and Hutchinson. Pavalec is believed to be done in Wpg. Edm is VERY interested.”
Halak is under contract for another year @$4.5M after this one, so unless the Isles are willing to take on some Mark Fayne or Benoit Pouliot… I don’t see this going down. That being said, the Oilers could do a whole lot worse than a Talbot/Halak tandem going into 2017/18.
It was Jim Matheson, I believe, who also threw out the idea of the Oilers looking at Pavalec too, no? So who is one to believe?
Pavalec is a UFA at season’s end and at the moment he’s not exactly lighting up the AHL with the Manitoba Moose (5W 4L 2T, 3.17 GAA, .906 SV%). Is this really a player that is considered an upgrade on Jonas Gustavsson?
What about giving Nick Ellis a shot to see how he does?
As for Duchene:
“Duchene is bigger and he can produce whether he’s bottom 6 or top 6. Oilers like him alot. Ebs body language says what everyone thinks. Of course hell say he wants to stay to appease the fans.”
Personally, I would never put a player like Duchene in the bottom 6 unless he was playing for an all-star team like Team Canada. This is a player who makes the same money as Eberle and has the speed to match McDavid. Plus have you seen what he can do in the corners? Best tight-turns in the game bar none AND he can play right-wing! Don’t forget about the goals… THE GOALS!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsvF54YGvH0
This isn’t new news to me. I’ve been told that Brandon Davidson will be left exposed for the expansion draft, so if the Oilers can pick up a vital piece in the drive for the playoffs by trading him, so be it.
What that piece might be? All I know is that the Oilers are still on the search for a PP QB (preferably RH’d) and they’re not picky as to if that is a forward or a defenseman (We’ve talked about Cam Fowler and Michael Stone in the past). Also, as Bob Stauffer teased a couple of days ago on Oilers Now!, the Oilers are still looking to get bigger (Stauffer says it differently though, “I wouldn’t be surprised if…”).
Is that the writing on the wall for Jordan Eberle? There’d be a lot of “diehards” out there that would welcome that, eh?
What do you think about these latest rumors? Let us know in the comments below!
Dig skateboarding? Click the pic and grab this new “Thrasher Magazine” inspired tee!Click on the pic and grab a new 16-bit Fighting Looch tee!Click the pic and grab a 16-bit McDavid tee!
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) November 21, 2016
That is the Oilers protection list for the upcoming expansion draft. I found it over on TSN’s site here. Basically, it’s an article from TSN insider Frank Saravalli about how all the Canadian NHL teams protection lists might look come expansion draft time. We’ll find out who has gone where on June 21st, 2016.
So Saravalli, along with Pierre LeBrun and Craig Button, picked each team’s protection lists and this is what they had to say about the Edmonton Oilers’ list:
Twenty-five-year-old left-shot defenceman Brandon Davidson jumps off the page as the Oilers’ most vulnerable asset. His game took a huge leap last season with his ability to play the off-side on defence. But Davidson has been out since the season opener and rookie Matt Benning, who plays the right side naturally, has capably filled in, leaving Davidson potentially expendable.
Tyler Pitlick has played himself onto the protection list this season. Benoit Pouliot will likely be exposed because of his contract (two more years at $4 million per season).
The main argument here is coming from the analytics community and folks such as Oilersnation and Hockeybuzz writer, Matt Henderson.
This tweet re: Tyler Pitlick’s inclusion
If you've got room for Tyler Pitlick on your expansion protection list, things are OK for you.
I like Pitlick and also see him in the same Fernando Pisani-type manner that Lowetide does. But is there a threat from Las Vegas that he’d be taken if exposed? Could Jujhar Khaira replace Pitlick in the Oilers’ bottom six next season? Could Tyler Benson? Could Cal Clutterbuck (UFA this summer)?
I question Pouliot’s ELITE 5v5 scoring a bit due to the fact his highest scoring season was 36 points and he’s done that twice, once with the Rangers in 2013/14 and last season w/Edmonton.
I know how one could look at his time in Edmonton and say that Pouliot is indeed an excellent producer given in his two previous years with the Oilers he put up some very nice totals whilst being limited to injury.
in 2014/15 he had 34 points in 54 games and in 2015/16 he had 36 points in 55 games. That being said, in 2014, his shooting percentage was 18.1% and in 2015, it was 12.8% but he’s always had some gaudy shooting percentages over the course of his career.
Anyways, we get back to the ELITE 5v5 numbers for Pou. According to stats.hockeyanalysis.com, from 2012-2015, Benoit Pouliot’s points/60 (5v5, 2000 minutes TOI minimum) was ranked 55th in the NHL w/1.96. He was sandwiched in there with the likes of Jason Spezza, Patric Hornqvist, Nick Foligno, and Jason Pominville. He was better than Daniel Sedin, Joe Pavelski, Alex Ovechkin, and Henrik Zetterberg, to name a few of the more prominent names.
So Mr.Henderson does indeed have a point here. I’m just not sure I put tons of value into it because he had only one healthy season in there (80 games played 2013/14 w/New York).
Another major argument is the disclusion of Brandon Davidson and my counter to that is the team has a young kid named Matt Benning playing right now and Chia’s summer signing is staying healthy and proving to be one of the team’s best defenders, much like Davidson did last year.
I also like to point out that there are going to be some very nice dmen available for Las Vegas to pick this summer and I wouldn’t be surprised at all of Davidson was skipped over because of his inability to stay healthy.
I mean that injury concern could very well be a blessing in disguise for the Oilers if he indeed is passed over. Depth on the backend is of the utmost importance these days. Another thing is, Davy can skate, move the puck, plays the body and he has a cannon!! He’s just shy to let ‘er fly. We’re finding out the value of blueliners who can skate and move the puck to be growing every year, regardless of what the fancies say (right Kris Russell?).
My surprise is that Letestu is on this list.
The Oilers have a young team with a lack of right-handed veteran pivots. Now that’s not to say that Letestu should be lining up in the top 6 but he serves a very important role in the bottom 6. I put value in what a hard working veteran can bring to the team. I was disappointed when Boyd Gordon was dealth because he was VERY good at his role.
I reckon that Kassian could be the one left off in lieu of say Brandon Davidson or Mark Letestu.
There’s one thing that could throw that list for a bloody loop and that’s IF the Oilers obtain a top 4 defenseman to run their PP. Like a Dougie Hamilton for instance… Then their list goes from a 1-3-7 to a 1-8 and players like Maroon, Pitlick, and Kassian would be exposed anyhow.
What do you think about TSN’s list? Let us know in the comments below!
Click on the pic and grab a new 16-bit Fighting Looch tee!
This morning, our very own Walter Foddis (@waltlaw69) had the glorious distinction of being interviewed by Oilogosphere royalty and the Godfather of Edmonton Oilers radio shows, Allan Mitchell aka Lowetide! They chatted about a plethora of things including Kris Versteeg’s potential impact on the Oilers’ roster, what might happen to Nail Yakupov, and should Brandon Davidson be used as trade fodder to bring in that elusive right-shooting defenceman?
I’ll be honest, I felt extremely proud after listening to the interview. I never thought that the site would reach the point to where TSN would be interviewing one of our contributors.
So Good you Walter! And thank you so much to Mr.Mitchell!
Here’s to many more appearances on radio shows, podcasts, etc. from the Beer League Heroes Family!
This is quite possibly the biggest and most important decision that the Edmonton Oilers will have to make before the season starts.
The choice between Griffin Reinhart and Brandon Davidson. Now I could very well have thrown Darnell Nurse’s name in the mix also (who doesn’t like a good three-way?). But I have a feeling that the Oilers are already so high on him that he sticks with the team. Unless of course, he has an absolutely dismal training camp. Which I just don’t see happening, not with him being a year older, more experienced, bigger, meaner and nastier. Now I’m not saying that Davidson or Reinhart won’t be coming in more experienced or better, themselves. Not at all, it’s just that, I believe that Nasty Nurse is already invited to the party just based on his high-profile prospect status, and his draft pedigree. Plus, Chiarelli loves him some mean and nasty. I also believe that Chiarelli will be giving Reinhart every opportunity possible to right the “trade”! But Nurse, in my opinion, is all but guaranteed a roster spot.
Which brings us onto these two, Griffin Reinhart and Brendan Davidson. Now if it was up to the fan base to call the shots, it would be a no-brainer. Davidson in, Reinhart out. Brendan Davidson won over the fans hearts with his hard work in his surprising, out of nowhere, breakout season. Plus, who doesn’t love a good ol’ underdog/comeback story? Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!!! Griffin Reinhart, on the other hand, has been unfairly chastised since the day Peter Chiarelli traded for him. So if all of the armchair GM’s had it their way, Reinhart would be soaking up the California sun in Bakersfield. Or even playing for a different organization if some people were in charge lol! But that’s the thing, we’re not the ones making these tough decisions.
I was speaking with Walter Foddis over at the BLH office water cooler (@waltlaw69 is one of our fantastic, analytics-driven writers here at BLH), and he had this to say, “…Davidson was our best defensemen on some metrics…”. I don’t know about you, but I find that pretty interesting, and it also speaks volumes about the type of player that the Oilers have in Davidson. Reinhart himself is also a very interesting prospect. Whom Peter Chiarelli was hoping to be more game ready when he gave up a king’s ransom to acquire him.
So I decided to take a look at each player individually and then compare the two. Now Davidson obviously spent a lot more time in the big show than Reinhart, so we’ll use what available information that we have for both.
One thing I should note, and this also something that I find particularly interesting. Griffin Reinhart was drafted in the 1st round of the 2012 draft, 4th overall to be exact. Brandon Davidson, well he was drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 draft, and 162nd overall. Sheesh…not much of a difference there, huh? Only a matter of 158 draft spots, you know, no biggie.
Alright, let’s start with Griffin Reinhart…
Griffin Reinhart
Griffin Reinhart was acquired via trade by the Edmonton Oilers on the 2015 draft floor. Peter Chiarelli traded the 16th and 33rd picks in the 2015 draft to the New York Islanders to acquire Reinhart. The trade has been criticized, scrutinized, and chastised since the moment it took place. For example, that 16th overall pick turned into Matthew Barzal, a fantastic young, up and coming player. Who a lot of Oilers fans would’ve much rather seen in the system, instead of Griffin.
Now myself, I think that it’s more than fair to examine the trade, pick it apart, etc… But what I don’t think is fair, is the constant bashing of Reinhart himself. It’s not as if he orchestrated the trade all on his own, and it was Chiarelli who made it worse for him by saying that he expected Reinhart to step right in and be in the starting lineup.
I believe that there is a great 2nd or 3rd pairing defender here, just waiting to break out. Remember there’re no two prospects who develop the same, everyone is different. Also, we all know that defenders seem to take a tad bit longer to hit their stride, so patience people, he’ll get there. In fact, I’m predicting that barring any injuries, Reinhart will take a major step forward this year, book that sh*t!
Alright, let’s take at the player himself, and see why he deserves to be in the starting lineup come October. Now Griffin isn’t a flashy player, never has been, and honestly I don’t think that he ever will be. But what he is, is a steady stay at home presence who can make a fairly decent first-pass. He’s never been a big point producer, in fact, his best offensive output came in his 2nd full season in the WHL playing for the Edmonton Oil Kings. In that season, he played 58 games and scored 12 goals and ended up with 36 points. Not too shabby at all. But he hasn’t been able to translate that success into his NHL game yet, nor has he been dominant at the AHL level. I’m not saying he’s a pylon, not at all. He just hasn’t found what works for him in the NHL. But like I said earlier, there’s definitely a player there.
Last year for Bakersfield he put up 10 points in 30 games, which is good for .333ppg. Also, he was a solid +2 in those games. That’s not bad for a defenseman who wasn’t really brought on to be a big producer. Reinhart’s bread and butter is his defense, let’s not forget.
So how did he do though playing for the actual Oilers? Well, it definitely wasn’t as well as his showing on the farm, he did play 29 games and put up a single assist. He also had 20 penalty minutes to go along with a -6 rating. Ok, so the offense definitely wasn’t there but he did grind out 62 hits and blocked 46 shots. That to me is a sign of who Griffin Reinhart is, and will become. He averaged over 2 hits per game, and well over a block per game. Also, once he gets more confident in his game, we’re going to see that nice first-pass of his start to show up.
But he’s steadily becoming a solid, stay at home force on the backend. As he grows his game, and uses that big body of his more, he’s going to become the defenseman that forwards hate to see between them and the net. If we could see more hits, more blocked shots, a steady first-pass, and some work on his foot speed. Then I think people might actually cool down on the trade, and appreciate the player we received.
His Corsi For % was 46.9(CF) last year, and his Offensive Zone Starts % was 52.7(oZS). So yes, there’s definitely room for improvement there. He definitely needs to improve his possession numbers, and I believe that you’ll see that this year, as his confidence grows.
Another good thing going for Reinhart, is that he does have experience playing the right side of the “D”, which is still a giant, epic glaring hole for the Oilers. So all in all, what is it the Oilers need? To stop bleeding goals, right? So how about a giant defenseman that blocks shots, hits bodies, and is working on a decent first-pass. Not only that, he’s only going to hopefully get better from here. I mean, we all know about the famous hockey bloodlines of the Reinhart family by now, right?
My final take is that we have a solid, stay at home defenseman who isn’t afraid to lay his body on the line. He also hasn’t lived up to his potential yet, so I believe the best is yet to come. Something also tells me that Reinhart may have a bit of a “chip on his shoulder” this year. So I have a feeling that we’re going to see a much feistier, and hungry version of Reinhart this year, considering all of the competition in the “leftorium” (thanks LT!).
Brandon Davidson
Brandon Davidson…Brando…Marlon Brando? The Godfather? Brandon Davidson is The Godfather? My mind is blown! But seriously, what is not to like about possibly the biggest surprise of the ‘15/16 season? Out of nowhere, Davidson came in and was a complete ray of hope for the Oilers. Fans really attached themselves to Davidson’s underdog story and heart & soul style of play.
For an Oilers team that has, for the most part, struck out after the first round of the draft. To have a player of Brandon’s calibre emerge from the sixth round is a Godsend to a defensively starved organization.
So who is Brandon Davidson, and what kind of damage did he do last season. Well for starters, he played 51 games and averaged 19:12 minutes per game. To go along with that, he scored 4 goals and finished with 11 points. That’s some decent production ladies and gentlemen and to top it all off, he finished with a +7 rating on the Oilers defense. Then you throw in the fact that he had a 52.1CF% (wow!) with only a 49.3oZS%, yes people, there is a really awesome player here. Don’t forget he had 74 hits and 92 blocked shots in those 51 games.
So what we see here, is a very solid two-way defenseman that also possesses a nice first pass, who is very competent and trustworthy. Brandon is also 25 years old, so he’ll be just coming into his prime. Davidson demonstrates a high hockey IQ as well and rarely seems to be caught out of position.
One thing that I’d like to see more of from him, is his shot from the point. There were times last year when Davidson let a howitzer fly, and if he could take that and focus on the power-play. Then the Oilers PP Quarterback issues may be answered.
Personally, I see a lot of positives with Davidson, and boatloads of potential. I mean, to have a 52.1CF% on the Oilers D….well, that’s facking magical! Let’s see, strong possession metrics, solid offense, he’s not afraid to put his body on the line, and great two-way play.
“The Choice”
Well, it honestly seems like a complete no-brainer to me, but obviously, Brandon Davidson deserves the spot in the lineup over Reinhart. What he showed last year, was an absolutely beautiful breakout campaign. The best part about it is the fact that it came out of nowhere, and was totally unexpected. Whereas Reinhart came over with a ton of expectations, and well, he didn’t quite deliver as hoped. But as I mentioned earlier, there’s a fantastic, solid player within Griffin that is waiting to break out. I already said to “book it”, that he takes a major step forward this year. I personally believe it is going to happen, as long as he keeps blocking shots, works on his first pass, and works on being more physical.
Then we have a solid defenseman finding his way probably sooner than later. Davidson on the other hand, he’s a bonafide NHL defender in the NOW! And a damn good one! Which is why I choose him. Plus, Walter was right when he said that Davidson was our best defenseman in some metrics (holy understatement Walt!), check this shit out:
Well folks, that wraps up this post. Are y’all getting pumped for the World Cup or what? I know I’m super stoked to watch McDavid dangle through Team Canada, and light the lamp!
Stay tuned, and stay weird!!!!
You can follow me, chat with me, and trip with me on Twitter @kosmicburrito
Click the pic to get this sweet tribute to ’87 tee!Our tribute to the Team Canada of ’87! Click the pic to get yours!
Okay, before you beat me up and take my lunch money for that pun that doesn’t even really work if you read it out loud, let’s just talk about a few things. A recap, if you will, of a rather eventful few days at a point in the offseason not really close to any major events, when we as hockey writers have to just take it upon ourselves to manufacture controversy wherever we can. I will gladly shoulder that burden.
Oh hey, Sexbom
By now, we’re all painfully aware of the comments made by Klefbom in regard to Hall and his play against tough competition, and how it was in all likelihood someone in the Oilers organization who made him “clarify” those comments the next morning, when they became a whole lot more politically correct and a whole lot less about Hall
Got an Klefbom update for you: Talked with Oscar again and he wanted to add to his previous statements.. (1/3) #Oilers
Tyson Barrie is going to be an Avalanche… Avalancher?.. for the foreseeable future and not, in fact, an Oiler. Boo-urns.
Jacob Trouba and Winnipeg management are “far apart on money, term, and usage”, according to comments made by TSN’s Gary Lawless on “That’s Hockey” on Tuesday
But what does it all mean, man?
Well, a few things, maybe:
The Cubs are still not going to win the World Series
If one more goddamn Pidgey breaks out of one of my pokeballs, I’m deleting Pokémon Go for good
Maybe Klefbom gets traded to Winnipeg for Trouba?
I know, I know, that’s ridiculous. I’ll never delete Pokémon Go. So let’s talk about why the Oilers and the Jets do this trade.
Anyone who’s been paying attention the last few years knows that Peter Chiarelli absolutely does not care at all about your opinion when it comes to who he gets rid of from an organization. Phil Kessel, Tyler Seguin, and Taylor Hall can all attest to that. He also has no time for guys who he feels are sources of “character problems” inside or outside the locker room. Do Klef’s comments put him firmly on Chia’s shit list? Who knows. But if the rumours are true that he was the one who got on the phone and laid down the law, you’ve got to think there’s tension there.
Enter, the Winnipeg Jets and their inability to retain young talent long-term. There’s an argument to be made that the Jets are under-utilizing one of their best defensive assets, and it’s probably pissing him off, especially if they’re trying to lowball him on his well-earned bridge contract. Jacob is watching Dustin “The Brandon Davidson Killer” Byfuglien lumber around with a $7.6M contract until 2021 and he wants to get his, too. I reckon he’s asking for something like a $6Mx4 and guaranteed PP minutes, and the Jets don’t want to pony up just yet, on term or price.
I hate this guy
Maybe a guy like Klefbom, locked in at under $4.2M for the next 6 seasons looks pretty appealing to Winnipeg right now. Maybe the Oilers take a shot on Trouba (who is pretty much a known quantity at this point, who stays healthier than poor Klef has historically) and give him the $6M he wants for a few years. We’ll be shedding some anchors soon with all the money tied up in Ference and Nikitin, and we have almost $8.5M in cap space left as it is. Woodguy (one half of the very cool WoodMoney stat co-created by BLH’s own G Money) loves the guy, and he’s a lot smarter than me and has the fancystats to prove what an asset Trouba would be. The Oilers so desperately need defencemen who consistently maintain possession and drive offense, which is Jacob’s specialty. Now, that’s not to say the numbers indicate that Klefbom doesn’t do that — because he definitely does — but what I’m saying is that we wouldn’t necessarily miss him all that much. (I mean, I would miss just looking at him at the very least, and these top Google suggestions would seem to indicate the Edmonton area would share my pain.)
But we’ll plop BDavey on the top line on Larsson’s wing and let them just be awesome and rock solid together and out-Corsi everyone in the Pacific. Look at what it does to our defensive lineups:
Holy smokes, right? That’s an objectively awesome defensive lineup. And cheap, too! Dare I say it, that’s a playoff d-core.
And all because Klefbom shot his mouth off a bit to the Swedish press. It sure is nice here in perpetual optimism land, where the glass is always half full and this year is always our year!
Dig skateboarding? Click the pic and grab this new “Thrasher Magazine” inspired tee!Click on the pic and grab a new 16-bit Fighting Looch tee!If you’re a fan of Lowetide, you need this shirt! Click the pic and get yours today!
Click the pic and grab a 16-bit McDavid tee for the summer!
