Tag Archives: Cooper Marody

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Edmonton Oilers: Four Training Camp Thoughts + Possible Alternate Jersey Leak

The Edmonton Oilers will play their first pre-season game versus the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night and I’d have to say things have been interesting in camp this year so far. We’ve got a couple of veterans who’ve yet to make an appearance in Kris Russell (concussion) and Mike Smith (flu) and some who’ve had lots of exposure but haven’t taken the bull by the horns yet.

1. Cooper Marody

The annual Joey Moss Cup went this evening and it was a landslide 7-1 win for Team White over Team Blue, here were the rosters:

Team Blue: G: Wells, S. Starrett D: Persson, Bear, Jones, Lagesson, Kulevich: F: Malone, Peluso, Currie, Gambardella, B. Starrett, Esposito, Safin, Marody, Maksimov, Jurco

Team White: G: Rodrigue, Skinner D: Manning, Lowe, Desharnais, Bouchard, Samorukov, Day F: Nygard, Cave, Hebig, Benson, P. Russell, Lavoie, Vesey, McLeod, Haas

I wasn’t at the game for obvious reasons, so I’m left making judgments on it via the information I can gather from social media and once again, the lack of positive reports on Cooper Marody after a summer of hype is concerning, but not a surprise to this writer. There wasn’t even a mention of him in Bruce McCurdy’s review of the game…

In two rookie games and an intra-squad scrimmage (without the team’s top players involved no less), he’s found a way to become irrelevant.

How long can we give him the benefit of the doubt here? He was asked about his skating by Jason Gregor in an interview not too long ago and he brushed it off like it was nothing.

“For me, I don’t see that being an issue. There are a lot of players in the NHL that fly around the ice, but I’m more of a thinker and there is no wasted strides, no wasted movements. I know the NHL is another step but you can’t point to one time where my speed or quickness has prevented me from making a play, or getting to a puck, or winning a battle in the American League all year.”

I could probably point to a couple of times in those rookie games where his lack of speed and quickness prevented him from making a play. And that game was full of junior players and minor leaguers…

Lots of talk, but not a lot of walk to date.

The sentiment I got was that he thinks he knows better than the scouts and coaching staff. I don’t care how good his hands are or if he can see the play five steps ahead of his opponents, his lack of explosiveness and quickness is what will keep him on the outside looking in.

Cameron Hebig has outplayed Marody (and a few others) so far and it’s not even close. Maybe another year in the minors will help adjust Cooper’s attitude a little there.

2. Lavoie and Rodrigue Cut Early

Don’t read into these young men getting sent back to Junior early. Every team is doing it and it’s for the best. They had a very low chance of making the club and they’re better off joining their QMJHL teams as they head into the preseason.

Lavoie showed glimpses of what made him a highly-regarded player going into the 2019 NHL entry draft, but he also showed his age and inexperience. Personally, I think he’s looking forward to at least one or two seasons in the AHL after completing his Junior career.

Rodrigue had an outstanding rookie game versus the Flames (sans the early goal he let in) but his team in Moncton requires his services more than the Oilers. I’ll be interested to see how he does this year as he’s one of the front-runner’s for Team Canada’s starting goalie at the World Juniors in the Czech Republic this year.

3. Speed Kills

From all accounts, the speed and quickness of European signings Joakim Nygard and Gaetan Haas is standing out. Check out the scrimmage highlights above and you’ll notice at the beginning a goal where fellow SHL-signing Joel Persson tries to seal Nygard along the boards, but the speedy Swede slips by and subsequently sets up Cameron Hebig for a goal while Haas takes the defender with him to the net. A lovely play!

One of the things I’ve been wondering since more information has been released regarding these Euro signings is if there’s a possibility we might see them in the top-6 in Edmonton at some point. Haas has the size, the speed/quickness, the hands, he shoots right… Then there’s Nygard who is a grittier version of Carl Hagelin.

All I know is that youngsters like Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody are competing with Haas and Nygard for a spot on this roster. To me, the kids are losing the battle… So far.

4. Evan Bouchard vs. Everyone?

Are we really looking at the Oilers possibly starting the season with a 20-year-old on their blueline? Evan Bouchard has been fantastic so far and it’s really hard to ignore that. Four points in a scrimmage is a lot for a forward let alone a defender.

It sounds like Joel Persson is still adjusting to the ice in North America. He’s getting tons of reps to get him acclimated quickly and I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or a bad one. Even if he does need a bit of time in Bakersfield, the Oilers have the players to cover for him.

From McCurdy’s recounting of the scrimmage, it sounds like Caleb Jones, Ethan Bear, and William Lagesson still need to pick it up a notch.

Could all four be sent to the AHL and Bouchard start the year in Edmonton? I’m very leery of that tactic and it doesn’t sound like one Oilers GM Ken Holland would use. That said, he did use 20-year-old Dennis Cholowski for 52 games last season.

I say, send him to Bakersfield regardless. I don’t imagine these performances will continue against NHL competition and he’s got some work to do on his defensive game. Coach Tippett said that he’s still got some “Junior habits” in his game that need working out. He mentioned that Bouchard and Dmitri Samorukov played so much in Junior that they rested on the ice at times and in the NHL you can’t do that.

It’d be fairer to guys like Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, or William Lagesson to keep them up instead. We’ve also got fan-favorite Brandon Manning sitting there and who knows what Holland or Dave Tippett has in store for him.

An Alternate Jersey Prototype Leaked?

Do you remember that CCM commercial with Brent Burns and Connor McDavid not too long ago where they were having a shooting competition and they’d give each other cheeky prizes to whoever won? Well, I think I might’ve found something very interesting in the video and I’m surprised nobody else did or maybe they did find it but I didn’t read anything on it.

Look at the uniform that the teddy bear is wearing. I don’t have any confirmation on this, it’s just a hunch on my part, but I believe that could’ve been an alternate jersey the Oilers were looking at using as the colors and the scheme match up with the orange ones they use today. It also matches that of the uniform their AHL affiliate uses.

My feeling is that there’s a strong possibility that we’ll see the uniform that Brent Burns’ teddy bear is wearing at some point in the future. I mean, that’s the jersey they should’ve come out with this year if not a throwback uniform like other teams in the Pacific division are using.

Or maybe this observation is nothing at all and that’s a fakey up there or this is old news…

Just before I go, Jesse Puljujarvi scored a goal and an assist in his second SM-Liiga match of the year. He’s got 12 shots on goal in those two games and is averaging over 15 minutes per game of ice time.

Between the Finnish league and the Champions Hockey League, he’s got 3 goals and 3 assists and 35 shots on goal. A point-per-game player in Europe is the least we could ask for and he’s delivering! Go Yessa Go!

What do you think about Oilers training camp so far? Let us know in the comments below!

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Edmonton Oilers Game Grades: Marody’s Gaff Gifts Flames Rookies the Win in Red Deer

The Edmonton Oilers rookies lost 1-0 in overtime to the Calgary Flames rookies in Red Deer last night and I’m having a tough time describing the overall vibe of the game. On one hand, it had its moments (mostly for the Flames albeit), but on the other hand, how is a 0-0 game ever entertaining?

We’ve been hearing the hype for weeks regarding Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody and in all honesty, they were both non-factors. Any sliver of offense they created was quickly nullified by Calgary’s aggressive forecheck and/or no-name defense. I’m sure it’d be easy to say that this is just game one so we should lay off of them, but with these two especially, I can’t do it. This is exactly the sort of game where they should’ve stood out for the good things in their games instead of the poor ones. Dillion Dube and Matthew Philips had no problems for the Flames, so what was holding Benson and Marody back? They’d better have an improved performance in game two of this series (and the rest of training camp) or else I’m afraid there’s no way that a veteran will let them take his job.

As it is, I do not believe anybody who played in this game for the Oilers is ready for NHL duty as it is and they’d all be better off going back to junior or the AHL to dominate and continue their developmental plan. Who would it hurt anyhow? Nobody. Just give these guys a run out at main camp, cut them early, thank them for their time, and wish them luck this season. We’ll see ya when we see ya!

Who I Saw Good:

  • Ryan McLeod
  • Evan Bouchard
  • Dylan Wells
  • Ostap Safin

Who I Saw Bad:

  • Cooper Marody
  • Vincent Desharnais
  • Nolan Vesey

The Game Grades

Tyler Benson – 5 – Benson had flashes of brilliance when he was given the time and space but he didn’t do a lot with it. I expected more production from him and his line and came away quite disappointed. I don’t care how local you are, how well you play on the boards or how good you look on the PP in a rookie game, if skating is one of your weaknesses, you won’t be playing in the NHL very much. I will say that I was happy to see him get mucky behind the Oilers net after the whistle though. Respect!

Cameron Hebig – 4 – I remember Hebig playing a very skilled role for the Condors last season but against the Flames rookies he was a much grittier version of himself. Had a decent chance where two Flames tried to line him up in the slot for a big hit and they ended up hitting each other instead.

Cooper Marody – 3 – So many giveaways… The two in OT were atrocious. AHL-caliber stuff… He reminds me of a poorer skating Ryan Spooner sometimes. He took a tough hit at the Flames bench that might’ve knocked something loose but he was poor before that, so we can’t use that as an excuse. It simply was not his night at all.

Kirill Maksimov – 5 – Early on he was noticeable. Playing physical and creating space. He was a mainstay on the Oilers PK. I would’ve liked to have seen him one-time that shot on the 2v1 with McLeod though. Been hearing all about this shot of his and he didn’t use it. Took a poor penalty late in the third that caught some criticism from the Oilers play-by-play team. Faded as the game wore on.

Ryan McLeod – 7 – Very good last night. His speed and excellent stick were on full display. He was passing very well too. In my eyes, he’s head and shoulders above Marody on the Oilers depth chart. He got a LONG look last year at training camp, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got another one this year. Should’ve started OT instead of Marody. All that ice and with his speed… C’mon Woodcroft!

Nolan Vesey – 3 – Was very much a Milan Lucic clone on the night. Every time he got the puck, the play died. He could be bound for Wichita. Especially if Jakob Stukel has a good camp.

Steven Iacobellis – 5 – Average game. I didn’t really notice him that much. His linemates on the other hand…

Ostap Safin – 7 – I wasn’t expecting a lot out of Safin to be honest but he stood out. For portions of the game, the puck really followed him around a bit. He used his size and soft hands to his advantage. I hope to see more.

Raphael Lavoie – 6 – Lavoie had a few really good chances but like some of his teammates, couldn’t capitalize. I seen him get outmuscled a couple of times in the corner. He’s going to be a handful once he grows into his body. I’m betting he wrecks the QMJHL this year.

Jakub Stukel – 4 – I like Stukel’s tenacity. He was noticeable early in the game for his forechecking but disappeared completely after the first. This is a player I think if the Oilers stuck with that could develop into a formidable 4th line checker. He really works his ass off when given the chance.

Beau Starrett – 5 – I was taken aback by Starrett. Honestly, when I saw that the Oilers had signed him I thought that he was going to be another Nolan Vesey. Starrett has an excellent frame, he goes to the dirty areas and uses his body pretty effectively. Has a decent shot too. Too bad he got jumped by Onyebuchi, I would’ve liked to have seen him throw down too.

Liam Keeler – 3 – Didn’t notice him one bit.

Evan Bouchard – 7 – Great game. Those hands! Wow! He’s so composed out there and never gets rattled. His shots get through to the net more often than not eh? The Oilers forwards were having trouble penetrating the Flames zone at one point in the 3rd, so Bouchard took it himself. Some will say his skating needs work but I am not one of those. I could see a significant improvement in his skating. It was much smoother and his edgework was way better than last year. Something I can’t say about Benson and Marody.

Dmitri Samorukov – 6 – He was okay for me. A tough couple of periods before settling down in the third. What worried me most was that he went for a couple of BIG hits and got caught leaving his partner to defend some odd-man rushes. He’ll have to iron that out of his game for sure. Dima had a really nice rush with the puck at one point.

Logan Day – 4 – Not sure if he was shaking off the rust or what, but we only got to see him thrive a few times. Normally he’s a very good playmaker who is cool under pressure, but not last night. Had a bit of a tough one offensively.

Ethan Cap – 3 – No idea. Never stood out for me.

Vincent Desharnais – 3 – Calgary’s smaller forwards took advantage of Desharnais’ hulking frame and drew a couple of penalties on him. He looked slow.

Brendan de Jong – 3 – refer to Desharnais.

Dylan Wells – 8 – Might’ve been player of the game for me. I know last week I said that I was expecting much from Wells this year, but he had a really good game and if he keeps that up he’ll win the backup’s job in Bakersfield easily.

Stuart Skinner – 6 – After coming in at the half0way mark, Skinner played solid enough. Nothing noteworthy though. Probably could’ve played that 2v1 in OT a bit better.

It’s undecided at this point in time, but perhaps we see Kailer Yamamoto, Jason Bellamy, and Olivier Rodrigue draw in for the next game.

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

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Edmonton Oilers: Edmonton Media Use Poorly Translated Quote in Attempt to Put Yet Another Nail in Puljujarvi’s Coffin.

I thought it’s about time to comment on the week’s Jesse Puljujarvi drama as yesterday it finally made its way to the radio and I hadn’t posted anything in a week or so. This one has me fired up though.

The erroneous Jesse Puljujarvi quote that is driving the Edmonton media mad and making its way around the hockey world is this one,

“I want a team where I get a place in one of the first two lines and where I get to play for 15 minutes per game,” Puljujärvi said, via Google Translate, in an interview with Finnish publication Sporten. “Then I could show what I’m going for. That is my main goal.” (source)

And the following replies from some of the more “respected” members of the Edmonton media replied thusly,

https://twitter.com/NHLbyMatty/status/1163892776942985217

Have you ever seen a quote from Puljujarvi that either Matheson or Tychkowski has obtained personally?

Here’s the problem, they don’t know the language and even the journalists who do know the language are translating it in a manner to benefit their headline instead of reporting what’s actually being said.

I’m very lucky in that I’ve got some wonderful Finns and others who are fluent in Finnish who follow me that can help me to translate things in their proper context and this is what I was told with regards to that quote,

Jesse actually said this, ”I think if i get the chance, I can show what I have and can do.”

That’s very different from the quote at the top of this post, right? See, I’ve been told that Finnish can be very literal and using Google translate is a dodgy proposition.

From @TimoKurki on Twitter,

The article on TSN (Bardown) was done using Google Translate. Kinda lazy and unprofessional in my opinion. The only thing JP actually said was that his goal was to become a top-six forward. That’s it. 

That’s another thing. We have professional journalists who know better than to run with a quote translated by a machine but THEY DON’T CARE. They just want to run this kid out of town. Every week there’s a new shot at Jesse.

Last week it was that he skipped his English lessons, right? Well did he skip all of them, a few of them, or just one of them? Is it possible he forgot about a class or two? Was the absence OK’d by the team, was he under the weather, or maybe did he just need some time off and couldn’t contact the necessary person responsible for the class? When were the classes organized, before or after the family liaison was let go due to budget cutbacks? Were the Oilers using an actual tutor or just a relative/friend of someone on staff?

You can’t say that shit and not offer more concrete details without looking like you’ve got it out for the player. The other thing is, nobody is willing to ask those questions. But shouldn’t there be at least one person in the media that would be willing to report the other side of the story?

I’ll say this, keeping the focus on Jesse sure has taken it off of Connor and his rehab on that buggered up knee…

What happened to all the stories about Jesse being the first on/last off and working with Mikko Koskinen after practice? Or Jesse being a good chap by playing some outdoor puck with the local kids?

That’s all been forgotten because he’s the devil now, right?…

I know yesterday Bob Stauffer compared Pulju’s language conundrum to Andrej Sekera’s wife and how when Sekera signed in Edmonton she enrolled at the University of Alberta to learn English.

Is that an apples to apples comparison though? It’s not really, is it? A grown woman who’s married isn’t a comparable for an 18-year-old male. I mean I don’t know Rej’s wife, is she a teenager too? I’m surprised someone in the Edmonton media didn’t get a hold of that information and wonder why someone who’s lived in North America for as long as she assumably has, is unable to speak the language and needs courses.

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It’s not right and anybody that knows anything about learning a second language knows that it takes YEARS to get moderately proficient. If you’re doing it part-time only a few times a week, it takes even longer. So how about once a week or less, how long do you think it would take then? In Jesse’s case, his advantage would be that he’s in an English environment almost all of the time and is forced to apply what he’s learned, but maybe the tutor that was helping him wasn’t effective. We don’t know if the team was working with the tutor with regards to the lesson plans either. The reason I say that is that it’d be incredibly helpful if what he was being taught dovetailed with the daily language that was being spoken to him at “work”.

But I wouldn’t expect a born and bred Albertan who’s never lived aboard to really understand that.

Anyways, Jesse’s camp addressed those allegations about his English and admitted that language was a problem in the first year but in years two and three, it wasn’t. Even players like Drake Caggiula and Matt Benning spoke to Jesse’s English ability.

“His first year, he barely spoke any English. It makes it really hard to understand what kind of person he is,” Caggiula said. “Last year his English was night-and-day different, but he was still coming out of his shell. He was comfortable with English, but didn’t know when or how to say things.”

“Now? He’ll chirp guys back, and fire back at guys. It’s starting to get pretty funny. His true colours are coming out nicely.”

I know what you’re thinking, “If language wasn’t a problem, then what was his deal? Did he simply stop listening?”

Well, that’s a possibility, but I’d like to point out that Jesse had a pretty decent season in his second year and he was hurt or being ignored in his third. Not to mention his time spent in the AHL. A place where the language problem didn’t seem to be an issue. It’s as if the Oilers might have had a couple of coaches who were under a lot of pressure to get the team into the playoffs and simply didn’t have time to set aside for Jesse.

With all of that being said, the trade demand still remains. But what’s funny here is that guys like Tychkowski and Matheson, they don’t get it. They think this is all about a different coaching staff, a new GM, and that possible open spot on the Oilers roster.

“Although the Oilers have a new well-respected GM and a new coach, the team is still pretty much the same,” Lehto shared in July, as translated by the Edmonton Journal. “Sometimes a player and a team are not a fit. This seems to be the case here. Nothing radical about it.”

Those pratts haven’t yet put together that the request out has nothing to do with Tippett and Holland, it has to do with the players Jesse would be playing with in the top-6 in Edmonton… “Sometimes a player and a team are not a fit”… Jesus Christ, you’d think these guys that have been following the game for as long as they have would deduce that the problem is McDavid and Draisaitl. Maybe they have and they just refuse to say it or maybe just don’t believe it, but you’d have to be pretty thick to go with the latter.

My guess is that he’s been hurt by those guys. He looked up to them and really wanted to play with them but they went behind is back (allegedly, if you believe the Edmonton media) and told the coach they didn’t want to play with him and he found out. Ouch! That’s tough.

And so, if Jesse feels he can’t play with two of the best players in the game, then that’s on him. He’s tired of how he’s been treated by the organization and now the city’s media and he’d like to be moved on. Can you blame him?

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The Lowetide Theory

Blue sky thinking about the latest Jesse Puljujarvi verbal. It makes the news once a week, same side each time, no new material. The player side has little to no power, contract writes itself, all these updates do is poison the water hole for JP. Agent is a veteran at negotiation, and is doing things he sees as being beneficial to his client. That’s his job.

Now, with that as the backdrop, why would the agent/player have weekly drops of the same news story? Making Oilers fans angry can’t be the goal and calling out Ken Holland makes zero sense because he just arrived. Why then the weekly news drops?

The ONLY thing I can think of is that the player and agent are aware of an offer, and this pressure is designed to pressure Edmonton by poisoning JP’s situation in the city. Otherwise you’re just wasting time, and agents like this one don’t do anything for no reason. So, is there a deal, to say Carolina, Holland doesn’t like but everyone else does like? It would make all of the elements of the JP side make sense. Thoughts?

I think that’s a believable pontification. As for the weekly drops, isn’t that what’s happening at the Cult of Hockey? Why would they be publishing those “takes” on a weekly basis? There’s always something about Jesse not being well-liked or the above about the English lessons. Is it possible that Pulju’s camp is tired of the misinformation being put out there? His comments about his play have been self-critical (if you get the correct translation).

But if, as LT says, Jesse’s camp is aware of a deal sitting on the table and they want to pressure Holland to do something, this could be one way of getting a trade done so Jesse can get to a training camp on time.

You know what’s going to happen if he gets traded right? He’s a year older, he’s healthy, and he’s motivated… He’s going to make the Oilers and everyone who’s taking shots at him look awfully foolish. In the event he isn’t traded and does play in Europe, that might be the best thing for everyone. From fan to journalist to agent to player to GM, a cooling-off period might just benefit all parties involved.

I just hope Oilers fans treat Derick Brassard similarily knowing he’s done the same thing in the past… But they won’t because he’s not criticizing the Oilers.

An interesting find from Copper and Blue contributor, Jeff Chapman here,

https://twitter.com/NewWaveOil/status/1163988968159006720

I wonder how he’s going to do with 12 minutes a night?

If you haven’t heard, Cooper Marody was on Jason Gregor’s show yesterday and I found his interview interesting,

Most folks who replied to me used the Google Translate quote as their basis for argument. That’s too bad.

So what you’re telling me is that even though the team asked Marody to work on his quickness and his foot speed over the off-season, he thought, “Nah. That’s not my game. I think I’ll keep doing what’s been working for me so far.”? So Cooper knows better than the NHL staff that are trying to develop him? To me, THAT seems kind of entitled. Doesn’t it? But he’s a cerebral player and obviously that trumps being able to skate at an NHL level…

Marody says he’s been working on his skating every year, he’s been studying Zetterberg and Datsyuk for his entire life, but his skating is still not where it’s supposed to be… He says that the people who criticize his skating haven’t watched him play… But the people that I talk to ARE the ones who are watching him and very closely I might add.

Look, there’s a reason Marody didn’t stick in Edmonton when he was up. He’s not fast enough. He’s sure got the hands but at the NHL level his boots are too slow, he’s a perimeter player, and he gets taken out of games by sheer force. He’s not in that great of shape I’ve heard as well. That could very well change come next month when the rookie camp gets going and let’s be honest, he’s going to look outstanding there, so we shouldn’t be using that to make any judgments; but all I’m saying is that he’s got a ways to go before he should be sluffing off mandates from his bosses.

Now, if you listen to the kid, you’d swear he was speaking at a network marketing event selling ketchup popsicles to the white glove gang. He’s VERY sure of himself and I think that might bite him in the ass down the road. Josh Ho-Sang comes to mind in that regard and notice how quiet he’s become lately.

Look at the mountains that Marody is going to have to climb to get onto the Oilers roster.

  • Connor McDavid
  • Leon Draisaitl
  • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
  • Derick Brassard*
  • Jujhar Khaira
  • Kyle Brodziak
  • Cooper Marody

*Not yet confirmed officially

With Edmonton reportedly signing Derick Brassard, that puts Marody well down the depth chart. At what point does his frustration boil over? A guy that confident in his abilities surely wouldn’t sit quietly as he dominates the AHL, right? Maybe he’d feel that he deserves a bit more than he’s being offered? Maybe he’d just say screw it and go country singer full-time?

I dunno folks. I don’t think it’s fair that Marody can say he doesn’t need to focus on a glaring deficiency in his game while Puljujarvi is getting shat on daily. I’m not sure I’m even hoping for Puljujarvi to change his mind at this point because I’m afraid of how he’s going to get treated if he returns.

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Edmonton Oilers: Three Players Who Need to Step Up While Caggiula’s Thumb Heals

It hasn’t been officially reported but between Bob Stauffer and Jason Gregor on their radio shows yesterday, I’ve come to the conclusion that Drake Caggiula injured his thumb in an unorthodox drill during practice. The fear is that it’s ligament damage.

Thumbs are tricky. If he’d injured his finger, there’d be a better chance of him playing through it but the thumb is an important digit when gripping the hockey stick. Muck that up and you’ll be sitting for a while.

I’ve written another post over at The Hockey Writers regarding the future of Ryan Spooner. Click HERE to check it out!

So as you already know, Patrick Russell has been sent back to Bakersfield and Cooper Marody has been recalled from the Condors.

I’ve watched the last couple of games for Bakersfield and Marody’s actually an above average skater at the AHL level but his vision and playmaking are sensational. That could be due to the opposition being less talented and/or it could be because AHL hockey is a bit slower and more chaotic.

Now, we’ve seen Marody a couple times with the Oilers and he’s not a world beater at the NHL level but he’s also been playing 3rd/4th line with less skilled linemates. I’ll be curious as to who he lines up with IF he’s not a scratch vs. Minnesota tonight.

He’s not quite fast enough to be centering a line, so that’ll put him on the wing with one of Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, right? We’re not thinking he’ll go all the way up to Connor McDavid’s line, are we?

Another move that was made in lieu of Caggiula being sent to the IR is that Valentin Zykov has been activated. That’ll make the lines interesting as well. Word has it, Zykov has been practicing back in Edmonton with Tobias Rieder and Andrej Sekera since being claimed.

As with Marody, Zykov’s skating isn’t his greatest strength but his shot and finishing are.

So what do you do with these two players? Who goes in first?

This game versus the Wild is really key with regards to the Oilers keeping pace with the rest of the Pacific Division teams above them in the standings. Lose and risk going five points out of a wild-card spot. Win and come within one point with games in hand.

So the lineup with the best chance of winning must be put forth, no?

This is what I’d like to see on a line-to-line breakdown,

McDavid’s Line

Chaisson-McDavid-Rattie

It’s really hard to deny that Rattie has been playing well since Ken Hitchcock put him back into the mix. He’s fast, he forechecks well, and he shoots. Both Rattie and Chiasson know where to go on the ice and McDavid is the best player on the planet. That said, 97 is still a bit under the weather.

Draisaitl’s Line

Zykov-Draisaitl-Spooner

Draisaitl has slowed down the last couple of games and that’s probably due to playing so much. Perhaps it’d be a good time to give him fewer minutes and lesser quality of opponent. While defense is getting sacrificed, perhaps giving the German two linemates who are more offensively inclined could spark things a little.

Zykov did have some luck last season playing with two very skilled linemates in Carolina, Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Could he have a bit more with Draisaitl and Spooner?

RNH’s Line

Khaira-RNH-Puljujarvi

The best line on the ice versus St. Louis. I’d like to keep them together. I loved their ability to keep the puck in the Blues zone last time around and I’m in favor of giving Nugent-Hopkins two bigger bodies to open up space for him.

I think if the Oilers could get this trio out against Minny’s 3rd pairing of Greg Pateryn and Nick Seether and their 3rd line of Greenway, Eriksson-Ek, and Niederreiter, they might be able to exploit the gap in talent.

The Identity Line

Lucic-Brodziak-Kassian

Obviously, I’m not changing anything here. The line has been beastly from a puck-possession standpoint since Hitchcock put them together. Milan Lucic has only been on the ice for two goals against in those eight games too. That’s pretty remarkable if you think about it. Here’s to hoping their hard work pays off with a goal tonight.

That leaves Marody out of the rotation for the time being and that’s okay. The Oilers have to see what they’ve got in Zykov as they already have an idea with Marody. If the Russian doesn’t impress, they can take him out and put Coop’ in there. No harm no foul.

Putting the centers back to their natural positions will solidify the spine of the team and spread out the wealth a bit. They did it last season with a modicum of success going 7-4-1 and averaging 3.33 goals for in that time (Hat tip to the Dirtbag for diggin that up). So why not try it out?

That said, Minnesota’s top-two lines are quite good and the Oilers will have last change, so it’s very likely that the lines you see above are nowhere near what Hitchcock will use. I think he’ll stack the top two lines and double-shift McDavid as much as he can. That’s where we’ll probably see a player like Zykov and/or Spooner’s TOI cut back.

Former Oiler Devan Dubnyk is back in the pipes for the Wild. He is 9-1-0 since being dealt out of the City of Champions and the Wild got shutout last night in Calgary, so the work will be cut out for Chia’s boys.

Three Players That Need to Step Up

  1. Milan Lucic – I spend a lot of time standing up for Looch and it’d be nice if he repaid the efforts with a goal tonight. At the very least, his line gets a goal and rewards the coach for being patient and sticking with them.
  2. Darnell Nurse – Bad 1st period for Darnell last game. I’d like to see him play a responsible defensive game vs. Minnesota. No chasing and much more communication with his teammates. More of what he showed us in periods two and three against St. Louis.
  3. Ryan Spooner – It’s time to get that motor running for Spooner. I want to see much more engagement from the Ottawa boy. If he’s on a line with one of the Oilers big boys, I want to see at least three shots or see him set up three shots.
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Armchair GM, Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Prospects

Edmonton Oilers Prospects: Do the Bakersfield Condors Have the Best Top-6 in the AHL?

News to nobody is the Edmonton Oilers have sent our favorite sons Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, California to play for Jay Woodcroft’s Flyin’ Condors.

After watching both youngsters tear up the field in the pre-season, it’s been disappointing to watch their performances tail off to the point to where they need to be sent down to the AHL. I’ve thrown a lot of vitriol the direction of Todd McLellan during the first 16 games of the season with how he’s been handling Puljujarvi and even a bit of that has landed on Yamamoto and Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli too.

Speaking of Chiarelli, should he be vilified for waiting so long to move these boys to the minors or praised for actually going through with it? I feel like it’s a bit of column A and a bit of column B. The move was a long-time coming and neither Jesse Puljujarvi or Kailer Yamamoto should’ve needed to in the press box for a week but with that, if Chiarelli had acquired the necessary forwards, perhaps McLellan wouldn’t have had to healthy scratch them.

Just a word on pre-season scoring before we get into the nitty-gritty. Jason Gregor likes to play down the competition during the preseason and I don’t agree with how he more or less mocks any player that performs well in that time because the teams are more or less glorified AHL teams. Isn’t that the utmost perfect time to be performing well when challenged? And all three of Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, and Rattie answered the call. So what were the Oilers supposed to do at that point?

Also, not all of those teams were completely AHL lineups. I believe that Puljujarvi had a helluva game versus the Canucks when they dressed 6 NHL defenseman. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Either way, I support this decision for the long-term development of both Pulju and Yammo and I hope there are no hard feelings. I understand that Jesse isn’t happy with the decision but would he rather be in Edmonton getting shafted by the coach there or in Bakersfield playing for a coach who, we hope, will play the living shite out of him.

TSN’s Darren Dreger recently reported there may be some frustration on the part of Puljujarvi that he didn’t get what many see as a fair shake to build consistency on the Oilers roster. (source)

These boys are only 20 and they’ve got a lot of professional hockey ahead of them. The way I see it is that when Chiasson and Caggiula’s production dries up, as it always does, or injuries rear their ugly mug, they’ll be looking for someone to come in and provide some offense and at that point, Jesse will get the recall because he’s got the most experience at the NHL level.


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WHO’S COMING UP?

The Oilers have 12 forwards at the moment, so they’re going to need a couple of players to replace Pulju and Yammo. My guess is two of the Condors top line of Joseph Gambardella, Patrick Russell, and Brad Malone will be coming up.

I’m sure there’ll be fans who reckon that Tyler Benson should come up or Cameron Hebig or Cooper Marody again but I would counter that argument by saying the Oilers just sent two 20-year-olds down to Bakersfield, why would they recall a couple more young players? Leave those kids in the Bake and let them continue to dominate.

I mean, I could be wrong but I feel like they’ll want older, more mature players to be brought up. Players that are very good at listening to instructions and doing what they’re told. Gambardella is the youngest at 24, then Russell at 25, and then Malone at 29.

Just as an aside, can anybody tell me why Joseph Gambardella wears the #5? I have never seen a forward in my life wear that number. There has to be a story behind it.

DO THE CONDORS HAVE THE BEST TOP-6 IN THE AHL?

Benson-Marody-Puljujarvi
Yamamoto-Malone-Hebig
Christoffer-Currie-Gust
Polei-Esposito-Callahan

That’s what the Condors’ forward lines could look like for their next game against Dallas Eakins’ San Diego Gulls later this upcoming week.

Now just imagine what that’d look like if Edmonton found a way to bring in a couple of proper NHL players and both Gambardella and Russell were on the roster!

Benson-Marody-Puljujarvi
Yamamoto-Currie-Hebig
Gambardella-Malone-Russell
Polei-Esposito-Callahan
Gust/Christoffer (Extra)

That’s a helluva forward group eh?

Brad Malone has been the team’s no.1 center this season but I don’t feel like he has the right tools to play alongside Jesse Puljujarvi. It’s important that he plays with skill players and Marody/Benson will be the best linemates for Pulju at this junction.

Josh Currie could probably rotate in and out on either line 1 or 2 as he’s got some offensive flair to his game.

I subscribed to AHL TV, so I’ll be able to watch the games and let you know how things went for our boys.

TODD McLELLAN’S COMMENTS

We want a confident set of players and if he can’t gain that confidence or that traction here then maybe the best answer is somewhere else (AHL). Those decisions will be made as we go forward.” — Oilers coach Todd McLellan on struggling winger Jesse Puljujarvi

That is a quote taken from Rob Tychkowski, a journalist with the Edmonton Sun and the Edmonton Journal.

I have one question though, why did Tychkowski put AHL in brackets behind “maybe the best answer is somewhere else”?

Do we know for sure that Todd McLellan meant the AHL or was that a shot at Peter Chiarelli? I did ask my sources what they’d heard and their comments remain consistent. The Oilers want to be patient with Puljujarvi and do what’s best for his development but, and this is my opinion, I think if there’s a deal on the table that will make them better this year, they’ll consider it.

If Chiarelli and McLellan are performing their duties with the intentions of saving them, they’re already gone.

Edmonton’s next 7 games ring out as such:

  • Colorado – Top line of Landeskog/MacKinnon/Rantanen are on fire
  • Montreal – Somehow they are tearing through the league on the back of… Max Domi?
  • Calgary – I don’t know how they’re doing it with the goaltenders they have. They’re utter shite.
  • Vegas – Didn’t we say they’d fall back to Earth?
  • SJ – How’s that Karlsson/Burns combo working out for ya there?
  • Anaheim – They’ve had Edmonton’s number for a while but are those the winds of change I hear?
  • LA – They held Calgary to a goal against last night. Can they do the same with the Oilers?

Do you think the Oilers can run the table here? 7/7? That’d be something but I have a feeling those are some lofty wishes.

What do you think?

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