Yesterday, Edmonton Oilers play-by-play colorman Bob Stauffer put out the following tweet with regards to the club’s potential candidates for its 7th defenceman position,
Bouchard finished the game with 1-2-3 and now has 4-7-11 in 16GP for Sodertalje. Shaping up as a battle between Bouchard and William Lagesson for the #7 D spot with the Oilers. https://t.co/mVIz6vGr2z
Now, am I the only one that thinks this “battle” for #7 is being media driven? I mean, ask yourself, if you’re the GM of a club and you have one of your best prospects bubbling under; would you want him winning the press box spot on the club or do you think it would be best of he was earning a spot as the 5th or 6th d-man?
It makes no sense to me why the Oilers under Ken Holland would want Bouchard in Edmonton playing sparingly as opposed to getting big minutes for their AHL affiliate and working on his deficiences at that level.
William Lagesson has pretty much done all he can in the divisions below the NHL and it’s time for him to be given an opportunity. Signing him to that two-year deal also made him available to be selected in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft. Although, I don’t think they’ll take him. I figure there’ll be better options from Edmonton.
Two other points on this,
Lagesson is not exempt from waivers anymore whereas Bouchard is.
Stauffer is also constantly talking about the Oilers adding another veteran defenceman with experience.
I’m not fully convinced that Holland won’t use Bouchard in a trade either as Edmonton STILL does not have a no.1 defenceman on its team.
Could that come though in the form of Philip Broberg? It might, which brings me to the next topic, what happens if the Oilers graduate Broberg, Bouchard (granted he’s still with the team), and Dmitri Samorukov around the same time?
Could you imagine all three starting the clocks on their ELCs and having them expire in the same off-season? Wouldn’t that be some kind of RFA re-signing Hell akin to what Tampa is going through whilst having Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Cernak all out of contract and vulnerable to an offer-sheet and not being able to move a roster player in order to sign them.
We know that offer-sheets aren’t common and with the financial landscape of the league looking as bleak as it is, their even more less likely to occur. Unless… In the next three years, fans are allowed to fill arenas to full capacity resulting in a landslide of revenue for the NHL, its clubs, and its players. The salary cap would sky rocket and irresponsible spending would be back! Hooray (kind of)!
Could the Oilers avoid a massive headache by introducing Broberg this year, Bouchard in 2021-22, and Samorukov the year following?
What’s your time frame look like for these three defenders? Let me know in the comments below!
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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The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is set to kick off on August 5th and run until the 10th in Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia. For those of you that are new to the competition, it’s basically the world’s best under-18 players going head-to-head. Canada has won 22 of the last 28 contests and are looking to repeat as champions after winning last year’s edition of the tournament that was played in Edmonton and Red Deer.
Today’s Group A preview comes to us from the mind of Max L. (@TPEHockey)
Canada:
The Canadians are an early favorite to run away with this tournament due to their combination of high-end talent and depth. They occupied 5/10 of the top 10 scorers at the U17s last year. The team will be without 2020’s top prospect in Alexis Lafreniére due to him being a late 2001 born player rather than 2002. Nonetheless, the team has plenty of high-end talent, and anything less than a gold medal is a failure for this squad.
In net, the Canadians have various options. The go-to guy will likely be Dylan Garand of the Kamloops Blazers who has a strong 16-year-old season with the team. They also have Tristan Lennox who is a late birthday eligible for the 2021 draft. Their defense is where it gets crazy. Canada has 4 or 5 first-round talents on their blueline including Jamie Drysdale, Jeremie Poirier, Kaiden Guhle, and Lukas Cormier. With the prominence of their blue line, Canada doesn’t lack forwards either. The consensus #2 guy for the 2020 draft, Quinton Byfield, will play for the team. The 6’5” monster dominates with his ridiculous skating ability and high-end skill set. Other potential 1st rounders include Cole Perfetti, Connor McClennon, Hendrix Lapierre, Jack Neighbors, and Theo Rochette.
Finland:
The Finns have been a dominant force in hockey as of late, but this year may be a little different. Their 2002 born and 2020 draft class lacks a ton of talent, but there is hope. They’ll be without consensus top 5 prospect Anton Lundell due to him being a late 01 which is a huge hit to their roster. Finland has a chance at competing for a medal, but they’ll likely be steamrolled by a team like Canada. Although they could be a very exciting team.
The team features a few stars that will come up in later drafts that everyone should have an eye on. Underaged Brad Lambert will likely make this team and he is nothing short of phenomenal. He is one of the best upcoming Finnish players we’ve ever seen, but not eligible until 2022. Lambert has far exceeded the benchmark put up by a player like Kaapo Kakko at the same age. Aatu Räty is also a top player as he’s the #1 prospect for the 2021 draft. Other players to look out for are Veeti Miettinen, Valterri Karnaranta, Roni Hirvonen, and Kasper Puutio.
Czech Republic:
Czech hockey has seemed to be getting weaker as of late and the trend may continue. There isn’t much to be expected from this team, but there are a few good players.
In net Jan Bednar and Jakub Malek will compete for the starting job. Both are top prospects for 2020. On defense, we can expect to see Stanislav Svozil who is a 1st round prospect for the 2021 draft. The only real forward of note is Jan Mysak. Mysak could compete for a top 10 root in the 2020 draft after his time in the Czech pros as a 16-year-old. He had a remarkable playoff run with HC Litvinov where he scored 5 goals and 4 assists in 6 professional hockey games at 16.
Switzerland:
The Swiss team this year won’t be fun to watch. With only one real prospect they don’t stand a chance. They lost dual citizen Theo Rochette to Canada, a huge hit to the program. Their only guy to watch is Noah Delemont who served as an assistant captain for Switzerland at the U18s.
The Group B preview written by Keith Fries (@keithfries) will be posted tomorrow as well as a little rumor on the Oilers search for their third-line center.
The Oilers Defence Past 2019/20
Earlier this week I tweeted out a video of Darnell Nurse fluffing a 10ft pass and it caused a bit of an uproar amongst some of his biggest fans. My point was, and has been for some time, that even though he’s a tough son of a bitch and he can skate like the wind (when there’s an open lane), his decision making, IQ, and passing isn’t up to snuff for a player who is looking at Jacob Trouba’s new $8M per year deal as his own deal is expiring after this season.
When I say that Darnell Nurse has problems passing, I'm talking about things like this… #Oilers
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) July 29, 2019
Personally, I think his numbers are propped up by playing most of his career TOI with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. At least over the previous three seasons, it looks that way,
Connor McDavid – 1583:55 min
Leon Draisaitl – 1517:54 min
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – 1275:37
Who are the three guys who stand at the blueline during warm-ups each game again?
And don’t ask me why Todd McLellan, for the most part, and Ken Hitchcock, to a lesser degree, decided to do this. It’s obvious that Nurse was a drag on the team’s best forwards. Here are his possession metrics in all strengths With/Without/Player without Nurse during the same three seasons,
For a game where the defensemen are evolving every year, it’s just not a good look on a defender who can’t move the puck without having to take it himself, to have such poor metrics. And Look, Nurse isn’t the only one, he just happens to be the one that might be asking for the moon in his next deal. Sam Girard (COL) just signed a 7-yr deal with $5M per year and I think they compare quite well and think that’s the ideal AAV for Nurse to sign that would help not only the team going forward but possibly himself should he make it for 5 years and walk himself into free agency.
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So, when people tell me that you can’t move him because he was the team’s highest-scoring defender last year and he’s only 24 or that he’s the Oilers best blueliner, I think you have to look into those 40+ points he got last year and realize that approximately 25% of them came on the PP, which isn’t a bad thing but he probably wouldn’t have gotten them had Klefbom (or Sekera) stayed healthy. Also, his secondary points (19) nearly match his primary (22) and his SH% almost doubled from the season prior (3.09% to 5.10%).
Getting back to the powerplay for a moment, do you think that Nurse will be playing a lot of minutes with the man advantage with Joel Persson and Caleb Jones most likely making the team next season? And what about that when Evan Bouchard is on the team?
My argument isn’t that Nurse is a bad player even though I’m presenting some pretty damning evidence that doesn’t really speak to the pluses of his game. I’m saying he’s not worth what Trouba makes right now and he’s never been an offensive defender.
I want Darnell Nurse to be the next Chris Pronger, but as weird as it sounds, he’s not as mean as Pronger was. He looks it when it’s time to throw down, but Pronger was as dirty as he was mean. Could Darnell be like that? Absolutely and I’d love to see it.
What I truly desire for Nurse is for him to embrace the shutdown role. Really dig in on being amazing defensively for this team so that they can pair him with a righty who needs a clean-up man in order to be the best player he can be for the Oilers. But in order to do that, he can be doing things like this,
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) July 29, 2019
If you think that the Oilers would have a gaping hole in the toughness department without Darnell, you need to watch a bit more of William Lagesson. This guy is as tough as nails plus he can skate and pass the puck and I think if I’m being honest, his progression is part of the reason I think I feel comfortable with the idea of moving Nurse.
Tying all of that in with the title of this portion of the post, IF Anton Thun decides he’s going to be brave with Holland like he was with Chiarelli, I don’t think it’s going to end up well. In addition to that, we’ve heard from pundits covering the team that this group of defensemen could be getting a facelift. Now whether that comes internally or externally, my belief is that the Oilers are looking for better puck-movers and more offense from the blueline.
After this season, I would project the defense to look something like this if Nurse re-signs,
Oscar Klefbom/Adam Larsson
Darnell Nurse/Evan Bouchard
William Lagesson/Caleb Jones
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I do believe that this year will be the last time we see Kris Russell and Matt Benning in Oilers gear. Joel Persson is also a question mark past this upcoming campaign, so I didn’t include him.
If Nurse doesn’t re-sign and is moved, I think the defense would look like this,
Klefbom/Larsson
Lagesson/Bouchard
Jones/Bear
I know. It looks awfully green and it is, at the NHL level, but Lagesson, Jones, and Bear will have had multiple seasons of experience in the AHL and most likely games in the NHL too. Bouchard would have one full year (probably) and if Tyler Benson can get the push after one year, why not Old Man Bouchard? Can’t forget how Bouchard was the team’s best passer as a 19-year-old in his stint last year.
That group of defenders CAN move the puck extremely well and I’d be willing to bet that we’d soon forget about the toughness and puck-rushing that Nurse brings today not to mention the return on a trade for him would most likely net Edmonton a pretty good forward…
Let me reiterate this one more time, I don’t want Nurse traded. I want him to sign a team-friendly contract that pays him what he is worth long-term. But in the event that his camp is asking for too much money, I do believe the organization depth would give the Oilers the ability to field offers on the defenseman and allow them to upgrade the roster.
FYI: Almost 14 years to the day, Chris Pronger was traded to the Oilers for Eric Brewer, Jeff Wowitka, and Doug Lynch. The anniversary of that trade is very soon and I asked my followers on Twitter what the equivalent of that deal would look like today if we were using this roster? Would it be Nurse, Lagesson, and Bear for Victor Hedman? Let me know your idea in the comments below!
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We’re going to talk about three things in this post, 1) The Oilers GM search and who the mystery GM might be. 2) Who the Oilers might have to move when the new GM decides to make his first transaction. 3) 2019 NHL draft prospects and my notes on some of the players that stuck out for me in my viewings so far.
First off, you HAVE to check out this post from Max (@TPEhockey). It’s a list of the TOP-50 NHL prospects that have yet to be drafted. We’re talking players that are eligible for the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 draft! If you want to know who the real up and comers are in the hockey scene, you MUST read this! Click the link below to do so!
News on the Oilers GM search is ramping up. I’m sure you’ve heard both Elliotte Friedman and Ryan Rishaug both come out and say that the list of potential candidates has been widdled down to 3-4.
The two names that are constantly in that list are Mark Hunter and Kelly McCrimmon. We know that Hunter has been through at least two interviews and it’s most likely that McCrimmon has been through one.
That takes care of two potential GMs that the pundits are pushing. So who might be left? Which hockey men are the pundits suggesting?
Ryan Rishaug: Sean Burke
Bob Stauffer: Ross Mahoney
Kurt Leavins: Mike Futa
Bob McKenzie: Pat Verbeek
Elliotte Friedman: Ken Holland
Darren Dreger: Dave Nonis
I think Jason Gregor has mentioned Columbus AGM Bill Zito but his team is still in the playoffs and I wouldn’t say he’s at the top of the Oilers list.
Quite a few names left, right? So we’re left asking the question, who is informed and who is being misinformed? This was supposed to be an air-tight process. Does that mean all these media types above are guessing? Are they being fed bad intel to muddy things up?
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From what I’ve gathered from my own sources, Ross Mahoney is the man that the Oilers would like to shake out of Washington.
What is VERY interesting is that nobody is talking about Keith Gretzky anymore as a candidate for the job. In the past, you’d hear a pundit throw Gretzky’s name in at the end of the conversation like, “So and so are in the running for the job as well as this guy over here. But don’t forget about Keith Gretzky, he’s still right there too.”
The other thing is, the old-timers who have been writing about the Oilers since before the dynasty days have started commenting on different names and have stopped pushing Gretzky. That could be a tell.
Gretzky could still very well be that mystery candidate but I’m not sure I’d put money down on that bet. That said, I do think his services will be retained as his work at the draft has been promising.
Which leads me to this idea that fans think the new GM is going to come right in a clean house. It’s not happening folks, not right away at least. Do you honestly think that a new employee is going to walk into Darryl Katz’s office and ask him to pay his old friends NOT to work for him while at the same time pay a bunch of new guys? Not. A. Chance.
Maybe in the summer of 2020 it could happen though. It took Brendan Shanahan a year to evaluate who was needed/not needed in Toronto after he was hired before he brought the ax down.
So you’ll have to be patient there.
UNCOMFORTABLE TRADES
I think if the Oilers hire Kelly McCrimmon that there’ll be some youth moved out to bring in players who can contribute instantly. I’m talking about the Kailer Yamamotos, Jesse Puljujarvis, Ethan Bears, and William Lagessons.
Edmonton will need to find a way to create some cap room and my belief is that they’ll package promising prospects with a veteran on a big ticket to entice teams into accepting the trades.
One factor playing a major role here will be the players who will be joining the Oilers’ AHL affiliate next season. I’m talking about notable names like Evan Bouchard, Dmitri Samorukov, Kirill Maksimov, Ostap Safin, and Ryan McLeod. There’s only so much room on a roster, be that of the parent team or the minor league team.
So either the Oilers make room on Edmonton’s roster or Bakersfield’s. Samorukov and Bouchard would probably be a top-pairing in the AHL for what it’s worth.
Another reason is it might all depend on who they select at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft mind you…
DRAFT RUMBLINGS
This past week I’ve been paying major attention to the u18 tournament going on in Sweden. I can only watch a handful of games though because TSN requires you to sign up to their product AND live in Canada to view it… Kinda shitty if you ask me. Luckily for me, there’s a YouTube channel that rips some of the games and uploads them to watch. Mostly US and Canada games, which is fine by me because those are the teams that have the players I’m interested in watching the most as it is.
Those players being Trevor Zegras (USA), Alex Turcotte (USA), Matthew Boldy (USA), Peyton Krebs (CAN), and Dylan Cozens (CAN).
These are all prospects I believe the Oilers will have a shot at drafting this June.
I’ll touch on Turcotte and Zegras first.
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The first thing you’ll notice with Alex Turcotte is his explosiveness. He gets his motor running high and in a hurry. He’s very quick and his speed maintains.He reminds me a bit of Matt Duchene with how quick his feet are. He’s also very tenacious on the puck. I think he’s very smart on the offensive side of the puck but he’ll need work on the defensive side. Great hands on this guy too. He can finish when presented with the opportunity. Funny enough, unless he scores 5 goals against Canada at the 3rd place game, he’ll end up with more assists than goals. Lots of scouts have him as the #3 prospect in this draft but will his aggressive (some might call reckless) style affect his ability to stay healthy and therefore cause him to drop in the draft?
Trevor Zegras can turn a defender into a pretzel if need be. He really is Jack Hughes-lite and I say that because his hands and vision are comparable to the potential 1st overall pick for this year’s draft, but his skating isn’t quite there. Hughes’ has everyone beat there. The thing with Zegras though is that he plays a very cute game and tries a lot of high-risk passes. Coaches at higher levels might try to curtail this.
If there’s a team out there that already has some snipers in its lineup but needs a high-end playmaker, a guy that can enter zones under control all the time, they might take Zegras.
My worry is if this guy is the next Rob Schremp/Sonny Milano. That’s a tough pick if you’re taking him in the top ten. On the other hand, is he the next Clayton Keller or Johnny Gaudreau? That’s a great pick in the top-ten.
The most impressive player for me that I’ve seen at this tournament has been an American left-winger by the name of Matthew Boldy. He’s 6’2″ around 185lbs and a stud. I don’t know a lot of left-wingers that drive their line but he’s been doing it all tourney and that’s saying a lot since he played with the USA’s best players at one point or another. Meaning Cole Caufield, Alex Turcotte, and Jack Hughes. I don’t think he got out there with Trevor Zegras much.
Boldy isn’t fast in the McDavid sense of the word. His speed is above average, like Nugent-Hopkins if you will. His hockey IQ is amazing. He knows where to go before the puck gets there on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. He’s the USNTDP’s 2nd leading scorer this year (but that might’ve changed since I checked. Hughes was racking up the goals recently) behind uber scorer Cole Caufield, but he’s been in the playmaker role for Team USA at the u18s scoring three goals and adding eight assists in six games.
I’ve seen comparisons to David Pastrnak with Boldy.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sold on Krebs and I’ve only viewed him one time and it was a blowout game against Belarus. So I’m not sure how much one can put into his report in a game like that, but I still made observations about him.
Krebs is also a very intelligent hockey player. He’s not as big as Boldy though as he stands around 5’10”-ish, but I’d say he’s got the quickness on him. Not only in the skating department but the hands and thinking departments as well. I found that the Canadian captain would make very quick passes which would catch his opponents off-guard.
In terms of finishing, I would say that Krebs is a playmaker first and a shooter second. He scored a really nice goal vs. Belarus (below 3:07 mark) where he had he shot it any harder glove side high, the puck might’ve gone through the netting. His six goals in six games tell me there’s a fella here who can score when playing with equally talented linemates (Newhook/Cozens). He only scored 19 goals all year in Kootenay (WHL) and it’s widely considered that his team was quite poor.
https://youtu.be/eIvMU1zxZZQ?t=187
I’ve read about Krebs’ aggressiveness on the puck but in this game, I didn’t really see that as much. He got in the corners and along the boards to battle for pucks but he wasn’t going all gung-ho in the same way an Alex Turcotte might. I’m thinking he’s a bit more cerebral with regards to his decision making on the ice.
During that match, the commentators compared Krebs to Ryan O’Reilly.
Dylan Cozens has been ranked as high as #3 by some for the upcoming draft. His combination of size, speed, and skill is so hard to come by. After watching him in this game, I’d like to add one more attribute to his game, power. He does remind me of Jeff Carter a bit.
Versus the Belarussians, Cozens had the quietest five-point game I think I’ve ever seen. He seemed to be playing a complementary role as his linemates, Peyton Krebs and Alex Newhook, were the ones stirring the drink for that line. About half-way through the 2nd period I was pretty disappointed in his game. It picked up after that though and he was an absolute force in front of the net.
I reckon he’ll get picked in the top-5 of the draft. It’s really hard to pass on this set of attributes and him being a right-handed shooter doesn’t hurt.
At this point my draft list for the Oilers is looking as such:
Jack Hughes
Kaapo Kaako
Bowen Byram
Dylan Cozens
Kirby Dach
Matthew Boldy
Cole Caufield
Alex Turcotte
Peyton Krebs
Vasili Podkolzin
Philip Broberg
Alex Newhook
Trevor Zegras
Raphael Lavoie
Thomas Harley
I don’t imagine #1-#5 will be around when Edmonton picks, so you could probably start that list at #6.
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OTHER U18 NOTES:
Cole Caufield is a scoring machine. I’m not a fan of the rest of his game much, but you cannot ignore the fact that he’s built to shoot and score. One has to wonder if he’ll jump into the top-7.
Alex Newhook is the real deal. I was skeptical of him before given he was playing in the BCHL but he is this year’s Matthew Barzal
Vasilli Podkolzin’s lack of point production on international ice is interesting. He certainly lit it up on the surfaces in Alberta. He’ll drop because of this but whatever team gets him is getting a really good hockey player. I love his attention to the game when he’s away from the puck.
Dmen Tobias Bjornfot and Victor Soderstrom should be swapped in draft rankings. Bjornfot, Sweden’s captain, was very steady and outstanding at moving the puck. He was physical, calculated and rarely made a mistake defending for the Swedes. Soderstrom, on the other hand, was disappointing to me in all those regards.
Lots of talk about Phil Tomasino moving up the rankings, I don’t see it. Good player, not great. I like Moose Jaw winger Brayden Tracey better. Tracey was much more engaged in the play I found. Then again, it was only one game.
Sweden’s duo of Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond are going to be ridiculous going into next season as they mature physically and mentally. They’re underagers at this tourney and were simply dominant on nearly every shift. The world juniors are going to be must-see tv in 2020.
Yaroslav Askarov, said to be the best goaltender to come out of Russia since Andrei Vasilevsky, is the real deal. Not draft eligible until 2020 though… I think the Russians might’ve taken over from Finland as Europe’s netminding factory…
Whichever team that drafts Spencer Knight is getting a beauty. He might be the best puckhandling goalie since Martin Brodeur. If that’s too far back for you, Mike Smith? When Bob McKenzie says this guy could end up being the best goalie to come out of “The Program” ever, he’s not lying.
F*ck those guys! Click the link and grab one of these beauty shirts!A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!The Vegas Golden Misfits are going to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018!!! Love ’em or hate ’em it’s an amazing story and this is one punk rocker’s way of giving tribute! Click the pic above and get yours today!
As I said earlier this week, I made a little Youtube clip for the Oilers new prospects from this year’s draft. But before we get into said video, I should probably say a few things about the draft the prospects themselves. If you want to skip the commentary on the draft picks, scroll down to the bottom or click here.
We’ll start from the Oilers last pick in the 7th round and move forward to their first pick in the 1st round.
The Skinny on Kemp is that he’s a stay at home defender who played for the US National Development Program and he’s committed to play in the NCAA for Yale for the upcoming season.
About the only thing he’s got going for him is that he’s right-handed. That said, the Oilers under Chiarelli don’t mind taking gambles in the latter rounds at large dmen. Vincent Desharnais was the Oilers final pick in the 2016 draft and Zayat Paigin was the final pick in the 2015 draft. All three defenders come in at 6’3″ or taller but out of the trio, I’d have to say that MAYBE Paigin makes the biggest impact.
Was there anything wrong with Artyuom Manulin out of Swift Current? He’s a 6’3″ 196lb RHD who amassed 50 pts this past season in the WHL. Sure he’s Russian but that hasn’t stopped this Chiarelli regime from drafting Russians before.
SKYLER BRIND’AMOUR (Selects Academy U-18 (USMAAAE)) – C – 6TH ROUND #177TH
6’2″ 170lbs
6gp 3g 6a 9pts
Brind’Amour son played for four teams last year, the US Selects Academy, USNTDP u18, USNTDP u17, and the US NTDP Juniors. So if you’re wondering why his stats above seem a bit lacking, he was up and down with the US National Development Program.
This current generation of Brind’Amour plays much like the previous one in that he’s got the grit, he’s got the hockey sense, and he’s got the physical tools to play the game. One area that Skyler did not pick up through the genes, an ability to put up offense. He’s simply a two-way checking forward.
I was a little surprised that the Oilers would take Brind’Amour but there’s a thing to be said about drafting the sons of good NHL players and it’s not unprecedented. They took the son of Vegas GM George Mcphee in the 2016 draft, Graham McPhee. Bloodlines aren’t ignored within the Chiarelli regime. Caleb Jones comes to mind as well. His brother Seth is doing quite well in Columbus these days.
I’d probably have taken big Finnish right-winger Sebastian Repo. He’s 6’3″ 189lbs and he racked up 32 points in 46 games playing for Tappara in the SM-Liiga. He’s an overager, originally eligible in 2014, he hadn’t done much up until this past season to warrant a draft pick. But this past season he led all players under 21 years of age in scoring.
If the odds are that you’ll get a bottom 6/pairing player in the later rounds of the draft hold true, then picking up a player like Repo, who could contribute right away at the minor league level, seems like a no-brainer for Edmonton, especially with the growing Finnish contingent.
I’ll be honest, I hadn’t read much on Maxsimov going into the draft but a few of the gents who follow me on Twitter were jacked about this pick. They said he’s a whiz in front of the net which immediately made me think of Ryan Smyth but he doesn’t come close to Smytty in that regard.
Maksimov didn’t have a great year to start with Saginaw and was later dealt to Niagara where he started to realize his offensive potential. 22 points in 29 games during the regular season and 4 goals in 4 games during the playoffs were his stats after the trade from Saginaw.
What’s the deal with Saginaw by the way, another Oilers pick, Markus Niemelainen, has left to go back to Finland to play…
I’ll say I was happy with the pick here. The Oilers’ wing depth needs coming up needs some more skill and scoring and if Maksimov can go back to Niagara in 2017 and put up 40 goals, he’ll be a steal for them.
Originally projected to be picked at the end of the 1st round but no later than early 3rd, the big Czech fell to the Oilers in the 4th. When this happens, it makes me ask why? I’ve read that Safin has some consistency issues, so perhaps that’s why he dropped. But for a man his size with the skills, strength, and who plays with a physical edge, the Oilers may have stolen two players in this draft.
Between him, Maksimov, and Yamamoto, the Oilers shouldn’t have to worry about skill coming up through the system.
Depending on your preferences, perhaps you’d have preferred undersized pivot Tyler Steenbergen, hard-nosed blueliner Tyler Inamoto, or smooth skater dman Markus Phillips.
I like Safin.
Future Consideration’s Justin Froese says:
Ostap Safin, F, HC Sparta Praha – Massive power forward… Moves well for size and has that extra gear to get to his spot where he uses his offensive tools to finish a play… Sweet hands with smooth transitions between forehand and back hand… Well poised and heads up, seeing ice before making choices…Finds soft spots and thinks the play with or without the puck… Absolutely rips the puck and has a snap release that he can control… Hard on the body and competes to maintain body position on opponents… Smart play management, knowing when to push pace and when to relent… Strong 3 zone player.
With players like Nikita Popugaev, Scott Reedy, David Farrance, Keith Petruzzelli, Cale Fleury, and Ivan Lodnia still on the board, the selection of Samorukov shook me a bit and it shouldn’t have.
In Samorukov we’ve got an NHL-sized dman whose shot could accurately be described as something similar to what current Oiler Oscar Klefbom had at that age. Samorukov hits to destroy if a player tries to come through the middle on him and one-on-one, he’s a handful as not too many get by him unscathed.
I’d say he fits right in with the Caleb Jones’, Ethan Bears, Markus Niemelainens of the system. Not spectacular but solid. A nice 4-6 year project dman in my opinion given the depth on the left side in Edmonton.
STUART SKINNER (Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL) – G – 3RD ROUND #78
6’3″ 205lbs
60gp 3.26GAA .905SV%
There are a few things that stand out for me with Skinner:
The Oilers traded up to draft him using the picks from the Yakupov and Larsen trades. So basically the Oilers traded Nail Yakupov and Philip Larsen for Stuart Skinner. Makes me chuckle sometimes when you connect the dots on some trades.
He’s scored a goal in the WHL.
He’s been on the radar since he was 15 years old.
I can’t think of any goalies who took a major junior league by storm at the age of 15. I mean 16 and 17 is hard enough but 15 is mad and with the Hurricanes no less. It’s my understanding that around the time that Skinner broke into the WHL the Lethbridge franchise was in a bit of turmoil. I believe things have turned around now for the Hurricanes and one might say that Skinner has had a hand in that.
Bob Green had his hands all over this pick though, eh? Hopefully, Skinner turns out a bit better than Griffin Reinhart.
Skinner’s season wasn’t amazing as a SV% of .905 would suggest but Dylan Wells had a .871 SV% in his draft year and he turned that right around this season finishing the year with a .915 SV%. The Hurricanes appear to be a team on the ups, so with that, we hope Skinner’s numbers improve as well.
I’m pretty happy with the selection of the Edmonton product. Maybe only Lane Zablocki or Reilly Walsh would’ve been tempting and with Luukonen, Dipietro, and Oettinger off the board I reckon the Oilers did well to trade up and get the next best keeper. To add to that, there’s a slight possibility that the Oilers might have two goalies on Team Canada for the World Juniors this Christmas as Dylan Wells is also slated to be a consideration for the u20 national team.
There were quite a few players I was looking at for the Oilers to pick here but the overwhelming chatter was that the Oilers would be taking Yamamoto. Edmonton passed on two exceptional Finns in Kristian Vesalainen and Eeli Tolvanen (What happened to him eh?) to take the shortest 1st rounder in the history of the draft.
I love Yamamoto’s drive. His motor never stops. I love his creativity with and without the puck. I also love that he’s fearless and that he plays hockey the right way. I’m enamored by the idea of Yamamoto coming across the ice and flattening Johnny Gaudreau. Of course, that’s not Yamamoto’s game at all but the idea of seeing two of the shortest men in the league go at it is entertaining, to say the least.
Can Kailer Yamamoto be as good as or better than Johnny Gaudreau? ‘Tis possible in time. Gaudreau played a year of USHL and 3 seasons of NCAA hockey before starting his career with the Flames. So if the Oilers are smart they’ll take the long route with Kailer and let him develop mentally and physically into a more mature man before setting him loose on the NHL.
One thing that will separate the two players is Yamamoto’s shot. It’s a laser! The puck comes off his blade with incredible velocity and that’ll definitely help the transition to pro. He won’t have to rely on puck handling all of the time, he’ll have that blisterous wrister to back the defenders off.
The Spokane native put up some of the best results at the draft combine (1st in VO2 Max, tied for 2nd in consecutive pull-ups, 2nd in left/right pro agility, and 3rd in peak power output) and he was one of the older players in the WHL this year. He’s only eligible to play one more year for the Chiefs and then he can turn pro but if you listen to Oilers Now! host Bob Stauffer, you might be more inclined to believe that he’ll start his pro career sooner than later.
I’m against this completely and hope the Oilers do the right thing for Yamamoto and give him that last season in Spokane where he can dominate the WHL and perhaps take over 1st place in the Chiefs all-time scoring. He trails Ray Whitney by a “mere” 121 points but he had 99 points last season in 65 games. Who’s to say that a player like Yamamoto couldn’t put up another 120 points if he’s healthy?
Future Consideration’s Justin Froese says:
The most underrated part of his game is his ability to get back and read the opposition attack, positioning himself accordingly to make a play. Although he struggles with the strength of the physical game, he has the quick flick of his stick that is capable of causing enough disruption of opponent possession to rob opponents blind.
I was left tickled pink by his evolution of the team game. His elite vision and ability to process the play before anyone else while moving at break neck speed made him the most dangerous player on the ice on most shifts. His cornering, agility and acceleration has the ability to snap opponent’s skates clean off their bodies with a dizzying flurry of moves. His straight line speed is reached in sub 2-3 seconds and he can get anywhere on the ice in no time to lead an attack or return to defend his own zone. Has high end creativity with the puck on his stick and plays a lot of yoyo games with defenders who dare try to enclose him. Has a great passing game and the touch to thread the needle through what seems impossible lanes. Not just the set up guy as he as a bullet of a shot for his size and a hair trigger release that is a weapon from inside the dots. Goes all over the ice to make plays and doesn’t let the physical disadvantages he faces discourage him from doing otherwise.
I think he needs time to play against pros in the AHL to create an identity, but if he plays like he has in his 3 years, he will find a way to make himself an asset in the offensive field as a top 6 player.
I hope you enjoy the video below. To the guys who make the Hockey Prospects videos, I ripped some of their footage and noticed that I’d placed my BLH logo over their watermark, if you’re part of that team, I apologize for covering your logo.
I had a helluva time finding the right music but there was a catchy Linkin Park tune I eventually found. I’m not a Linkin Park fan to be honest but with the passing of their lead singer, I thought that using one of their songs called “The Catalyst” in a prospects video would be fitting as sort of tribute to not only the band but the players who might find themselves as a catalyst to the Oilers’ success.
It’s truly unfortunate that such a talented human found himself trapped in life and the only release would be death. I could never understand the pressures that Chester Bennington found himself under but from all accounts, he was a great man and a great family man. I hope he found the release he was looking for on the other side.
If you’re feeling trapped, talk to someone. You’re not alone in this journey we call life. And if you know someone who’s troubled, take the time to sit down with him or her and see how they’re doing. You’ll never know until you ask.
