Tag Archives: Drake Caggiula

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

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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Edmonton Oilers: A Roster Move is Imminent

As we get ready for the Edmonton Oilers first game of the season and Todd McLellan has said that Kris Russell will be taken off of the IR and placed into the lineup for game #1. That would mean the Oilers have too many players on their active roster and a transaction has to take place and so we’re posed with a question,

How will the Oilers rectify this roster conundrum?

#1 – IR someone

Talk over the last couple of days has pundits like Jason Gregor saying they’ll probably IR Drake Caggiula. The Drake has been having some issues with his sinuses over the pre-season and training camp and so it makes sense, right? Put him on retroactive IR and he’ll be ready for the game in Boston next week.

#2 – Paper Transaction

What this means is that the Oilers send a player to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield without really sending him there. They simply file the paperwork but the player stays with the team.

So in this instance, the players that are eligible for a paper transaction are:

  • Jesse Puljujarvi
  • Ethan Bear
  • Kailer Yamamoto

I think this is the most likely scenario as Bob Stauffer tweeted out the lines, he had Bouchard on the 3rd pairing with Kris Russell and Ethan Bear on the 4th pairing with Jason Garrison. That tells me that Bear could get “sent down” to keep Bouchard in the lineup.

#3 – Send Evan Bouchard Back to Junior

Just what the title says. The Oilers could choose to return Evan Bouchard to his junior club in London.

Now this is fine because we all want the best for our premier prospect, right? I don’t think he’s the type that will blow the doors off the league as a 19-year-old but I could be wrong. I feel like the Oilers don’t quite have the correct personnel on their blue line to sufficiently insulate Bouchard this season. That’s just me though, you may feel differently.

The downside to this is that the Oilers will not be able to re-call Bouchard until the London Knights’ season is over.

#4 – Waivers

The Oilers could throw someone on waivers like their two recently signed PTOs, Jason Garrison and Alex Chiasson. This would open up a roster spot for Russell to be slid into.

#5 – Trade

I haven’t heard much trade banter lately. The latest rumors I was hearing were the Kassian rumors but those have died down.

Recently though, Ryan Rishaug has been talking about how he feels the Oilers are going to need to address the defense with a big trade.

I’m 50/50 on that notion from Rishaug. On one hand, I agree. The Oilers do need a 2nd-pairing right-handed defender because I don’t feel like Matt Benning is good enough to partner Darnell Nurse and face top-6 forwards all year.

On the other hand, what is going to happen to that defense structure if a trade like that is made? The Oilers have Larsson, Benning, Bear, and Bouchard who will all be vying for 3 spots next season. Add Joel Persson to the mix as well as Filip Berglund AND the new guy… THAT is a roster conundrum.

I also believe that any major roster move being contemplated or talked about has to have the Seattle expansion draft in its considerations. SPR talked about it in the podcast we did with Oilers Live last night. Check that out below.

Plus who is Rishaug prepared to trade? It’d have to be players who make a solid chunk of cheddar because at some point this year that extra cap space that Sekera’s LTIR is giving the Oilers will come off. Any player worth pursuing for the 2nd pairing isn’t going to come cheap, so is Rishaug prepared to deal Nugent-Hopkins or Lucic or Draisaitl?

Anyways, those are some of the roster moves the Oilers could make before their game with the Devils in Sweden. Tell us which one you’d like to see them make in the comments below!

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Oilers Live Pod/Vlog

Last night I was a guest on the Oilers Live podcast (now available on YouTube) along with Sean Patrick Ryan (@theoilknight) and host Mike Hebert. We talked about a plethora of things Oilers-related. We had some kickass guest callers as well as a little girl calling about neighbor’s cat getting run over… You’re going to love the reaction to that call… Check it out below and please subscribe!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWABhlvS8ZM

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors

A New-ish Oilers Rumor + 6 Sleepers for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft

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The Oilers are getting into the news more and more these days and I’m loving it! That means we’re getting closer to the season and that I can look forward to the temperatures cooling off…

So today we’ve got a trade rumor that simply won’t die as well as six sleepers for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft from the new guy, Max!

After you…

A NEW-ISH TRADE RUMOR

Bob Stauffer, Lowetide, Kurt Leavins, and David Staples have talked about it recently.  We’ve briefly written about it here as well in the past week as well…

With the Oilers loading up on no.6/7 dmen and no.13/14 forwards, are they getting ready to trade a forward for a defender to replace the injured Andrej Sekera?

https://twitter.com/oilersfan1991/status/1032494649619898368

https://twitter.com/oilersfan1991/status/1032495766361669632

Justin Faulk has a modified no-movement clause that kicks in this year and with that comes a 15-team list. So basically he has told Carolina which teams he’s not interested in going to and which ones he is IF they decide to move him.

When we talk about what it’d take to acquire Faulk we first look at the return the Hurricanes got for Skinner and it was a shite return, let’s be honest. That said, I do not think that current Carolina GM Don Waddell had a whole lot to work with in that trade given Jeff Skinner was vetoing deals left and right.

I do think that he’s got a bit more flexibility with the Faulk trade. The only pressure he has is from his boss who isn’t interested in paying Faulk $6M a year to play 3rd-pairing TOI.

I’ve spoken on Twitter about the Oilers offering Zack Kassian and picks/prospects for Faulk and the reason being I believe that Kassian is really the only guy that Chiarelli is comfortable moving. Leavins has suggested Caggiula. Either way, a bottom-6 player from the Edmonton Oilers that plays a rugged style and might be overpaid slightly seems like the tender in which the Oilers are willing to pay for Justin Faulk.

If that is the case, they won’t get him. Toronto and Chicago both have the goods to give Carolina a much better offer.

Other things to consider:

  • How will acquiring Faulk affect the next expansion list for Edmonton?
  • Will the Oilers be over a barrel cap-wise sooner or later?
  • Are the Oilers really that desperate for Faulk?
  • Is Edmonton on Faulk’s “list”?
  • If those offers from Edmonton could “get it done”, why hasn’t the deal been made yet?
  • What happens when Sekera returns?
  • Would the Oilers be better off down a top-9 winger in a deal for Faulk or with the current roster as is?

Of course, Peter Chiarelli could offer Puljujarvi (god no…) or try and make a bigger deal with Nugent-Hopkins (I’ll hop on the fire Chia bandwagon if he moves RNH for Faulk straight across…).

Do the Oilers NEED Justin Faulk?

Thoughts? Please leave them in the comments below!

SIX SLEEPERS FOR THE 2019 NHL ENTRY DRAFT

My man Max is at it again! This time he’s offered up his six sleepers for the upcoming NHL entry draft in Vancouver next summer! Will the Edmonton Oilers get their hands on one of these beauties? Only time will tell but let’s dig in and see what Max has for us!

Follow him on Twitter @TPEHockey

Roman Basran – G (Kelowna Rockets, WHL) – 185cm, 78kg – 10GP – .926 Sv%

Basran started the 17/18 season playing youth hockey in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League, but by the end of the season he was dominating the Western Hockey League. Basran’s stats portray a goaltender that could be an early round pick in the draft except he only played 10 games. In his short time in the WHL he registered his first shutout on a 38 save game. Basran possesses a lot of natural skill as he didn’t lace up the skates until he was 9 years old. We ultimately need to see more of him to decide what he really is, and if he continues his great play we are looking at a high-level prospect.

Josh Williams – RW (Medicine Hat, WHL) – 185cm, 84kg – 47GP – 11G – 9A – 20TP

After struggling last season Josh Williams as he was given restricted minutes on the bottom 6 for Medicine Hat, and didn’t do as well as most hoped. Although when playing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and international U17 camps where he got more opportunities he outperformed expectations. At the Hlinka, he scored 5 goals and an assist and displayed his hard shot and quick thinking. Williams possesses great speed, skill, and talent. If he can gain confidence and receive more opportunities then I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in contention for the 1st round of the draft.

Nick Robertson – C/LW (Peterborough Petes, OHL) – 175cm, 73kg – 62GP – 15G – 18A – 33TP

Robertson is one of the youngest players in the draft class being only 4 days off of the September 15th cut off. Much like Josh Williams, he struggled at the beginning of the season until, unlike Williams, he was given more opportunities to succeed in a bigger role. Robertson began to score more goals and display his true talent. He is known for his competitive drive, high-level skating ability, and hands to match. He exploded in the Hlinka tournament scoring a hat-trick against Canada showing that when given the opportunity he could perform.

Ville Heinola – LD (Ässät U20, Jr. A SM-Liiga) – 181cm, 79kg – 33GP – 3G – 14A – 17TP

This new age mobile defenseman is highlighted by his elite poise and two-way abilities. Heinola skates, handles the puck, and plays with unmatched poise. He’s calm and composed with the puck and in the defensive zone. Heinola played in the Finnish U20 league and looks to play in the pro league with Lukko next year. He’s flown under the radar all year but if he can crack the pro roster then he will surely get more attention.

Xavier Simoneau – C (Drummondville Voltigeurs, QMJHL) – 167cm, 78kg – 61GP – 17G – 28A – 45TP

As a rookie playing for Drummondville, Simoneau played both the power play and penalty kill. He is a solid two way player with a lot of hockey sense. He’s regarded as one of the smartest players coming out of the QMJHL this year which is why he was played so heavily on the special team units. The hit on Simoneau is his size and is likely why he hasn’t gotten a lot of attention. As we see him more and people get past his size he will rise on everyone’s rankings.

Yaroslav Likhachyov – RW (Lokomotiv, Russia U17) – 180cm, 76kg – 22GP – 16G – 24A 40TP

Likhachyov is a highlight reel player that plans to play for Gatineau in the QMJHL. This year he was the 22nd pick in the CHL Import Draft after his stint playing in Russia’s U17 league. Likhachyov is known for his outstanding skill and talent with the puck. He’s got great hands and has the ability stickhandle with little space and get a shot off with his quick release. The hit on Likhachyov though is his skating and play away from the puck. His issue is that his feet can’t keep up with his hand. If he can work on his speed and complete game we are looking at a first round talent.

Do you have a sleeper for the upcoming draft? Let us know in the comments below!

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

The Oilers Are Open For Business! Plus the Mid-Season Thoughts

I don’t want to say that the season is over quite yet. Especially with so many games left (20-ish) versus the Pacific Division where they have the 3rd best record behind Anaheim and San Jose since Chiarelli, McLellan and McDavid came on board.

The Oilers have two games left before their bye week and they’re back-to-back Friday and Saturday. Luckily neither are afternoon games, amirite?

Listen, everybody is going to think that the Oilers will walk all over the Coyotes and that the Golden Knights are going to walk all over the Oilers but we know better, it’s going to be the opposite isn’t it?

Actually, I have tons of faith in the boys that they’ll come out with 3 or more points this weekend and those games could very well be the catalyst that sparks a serious 10 (or more) game streak of positive results.

Of course, I’m less a realist and more an optimist, so naturally, I’ll take that route of thinking. I just find that reading any sponsored Oilers blog (Oilersnation, Oil on Whyte, The Oilers Rig, Copper and Blue, etc) or their Twitter personalities to be a real pain in the ass. WAY too negative. I mean good god people. Let’s take a step back and realize that we’re getting upset at something that’s way out of our control. But I suppose it’s a bit easier for me not being in Edmonton or Alberta or Canada for that matter as I can go out in public with my Oilers swag on and nobody gives a flying fart.

Anyways, I’m not writing today to bitch and moan about other sites. I want to get into my thoughts on the team looking back and going forward into this summer. Talk about some roster speculation and what not.

IS THE TEAM A WRITE-OFF FOR 2017/18?

I don’t believe it is because anything can happen but it’s harder and harder to tow that line every week as the divide between the Oilers and the rest of the Pacific grows. That said, if Edmonton can outright win most of their remaining games vs. their division rivals, that’d go a long way to getting into a playoff position. Securing it is another story. Gotta have a good rest of January though.

WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AWAY FROM THIS SEASON?

The parity is real. Take what the media says with a grain of salt at the beginning of the season. Never get too high on your team but never get too low on them either.

The failures of this team are on the players and the coaching staff. I refuse to blame Chiarelli for this even though he made a poor trade dealing Eberle for Strome (Even though Strome has more goals than Eberle in the last month… hehe). Even with that deal and the apparent lack of depth on the wing, the Oilers have shown the ability to keep up with the major NHL clubs.

You could say that the Oilers failed to replace Sekera but when people say this they never offer a solution. Sekera is a $5M player, right? So were the Oilers supposed to find another $5M dman? I thought Auvitu was supposed to be the critic’s choice anyhow?

Did Chiarelli fail to shore up the goaltending behind Talbot? Go take a look at Brossoit’s numbers last year and tell me you would’ve replaced him this year because you still felt nervous…

What Chiarelli did wrong, in my opinion, was that he put his faith in the Caggiulas, Bennings, Slepyshevs, and Yamamotos. I really feel that in today’s NHL you MUST have great veterans on your team when you have the likes of McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Nurse on your team. I love what Toronto did in signing Marleau and I loved what Calgary did in signing Jagr even though that’s not working out. But back to Toronto for a second, they’ve got a great group of older players insulating Matthews, Nylander, and Marner and I simply think that’s how you do it. If you go the route that Edmonton has, you risk having the highest of highs and the lowest of lows more often.

When you build a team you build from the spine out. That means centre depth, D depth, and goaltending depth. Then after that, you sort out the wings. This is the first time in probably a decade where the Oilers have had this kind of depth down the spine but that’s not good enough for the “diehards”.

Special teams, bad starts, injuries, and basically all the things that went right for the Oilers last season have gone wrong for them this year but I do believe that things happen for a reason and this year will be a great learning experience for the players, coaches, management, and ownership.

With those supposed failures are some successes as well.

Jesse Puljujarvi is going to be one of the best 21-and-under players in the NHL very soon. Darnell Nurse has turned a corner in his development. Kailer Yamamoto will most likely be in the NHL next season (possibly on McDavid’s line), Tyler Benson has found a way to stay healthy (knock on wood), Kirill Maksimov is ripping up the OHL, and in the minors, Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear are coming along very nicely!

One more thing on Puljujarvi, he’s looking like he’ll score most of his goals from in tight until he learns to be more creative with his shot and that’ll come with experience and more confidence. He’s already one of the team’s best defensive players due to that long stick/reach and quick forechecking. He’s an untouchable for me on this team.

The Oilers have a top-5 PK on the road… With the same players… The same coaches… The Same GM… Same puck, sticks, ice, and skates. Top 5 people. Let that sink in before calling for someone’s head. Or at least offer a tangible solution

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CHIARELLI’S LATEST AVAILS?

I feel like he told us a lot without telling us anything. He’s a trained lawyer so he knows what he’s doing there. He pissed off a lot of people telling them he was going to stick with the grander plan and pissed off, even more, explaining the Eberle trade.

So, here’s the thing with him saying what he did about that trade. If what he said angered you that’s probably because you feel as if you deserve some sort of transparency on his part but you don’t. You’re a fan, why should Peter Chiarelli or any other GM give two shits about your feelings regarding a trade, how it got done, how long it took, or how many permutations of the deal there was before the final one was decided on.

Oh you’re a fan and you pay your money, well if it means that much to you, stop! Stop paying for things Oilers related. Stop buying products from companies that sponsor the Oilers (good luck with that) because your money doesn’t pay for access to the GM’s conversations and justifications for what he feels is the right move for the club.

Now, every year the Oilers hold an event where you have access to the brass and you can voice your concerns right to their faces and even use a buzz word like, “fireable offence” in their presence but only if you’re season ticket holder 🙂

Peter Chiarelli said he had a 5-yr plan when he got hired, we’re halfway into that plan. He said he was going to build a team that would compete in the Pacific and as I mentioned above, the Oilers are the 3rd best team vs. the Pacific since he took over. He said he wanted to get bigger, improve the defence, and upgrade the goaltending too. All three accomplished.

What he didn’t say was that he was going to keep the smaller skilled players around that weren’t helping them make the playoffs anyhow.

DEADLINE PRIORITIES

This really depends on where they are but let’s say nothing has changed and the Oilers are well out of the playoff picture. In that case, it’s time to get out the auction bell. Typically Chiarelli likes to get his business done early as most teams are doing now (because deadline day is about as anti-climatic as something can get nowadays) but I wonder if we’ll see him wait it out this year and try for the best deal possible.

Pat Maroon is as good as gone, I’d say the same for Letestu and Mike Cammalleri. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of their RFAs get moved and other RFAs come in though.

My question is, do the Oilers move out Slepyshev, Caggiula or Benning or give them another year? Another thing on my mind is the future of Oscar Klefbom. His inconsistent health/performance must be giving the brass fits and the Oilers are in dire need of a RH’d PP dman.

We do have an idea that the salary cap will go up, but how far and will it go high enough to keep Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the team or is HE the guy that will bring back that RH’d PP dman?

Back to the priorities at the deadline.

  • Acquiring draft picks in 2018
  • Moving out pricey/unneeded contracts
  • Take advantage of Cup contenders
  • Skill for the farm

I’m a huge proponent of adding picks in rounds 1-3 every year. It’s where the majority if NHLers are selected after all. If Pat Maroon can get you a 2nd and a 3rd in 2018, RAD! If you have to add a pick to upgrade that to a 1st, AWESOME! If Letestu can net the Oilers a 3rd rounder in 2018, that would be outstanding!

The Oilers have quite a few contracts in the minors and part of the black aces that could use new homes. Eric Gryba and Ryan Stanton, Mark Fayne and Ty Rattie come to mind. If the Oilers aren’t going to do anything with Joey Laleggia, let him have an opportunity somewhere else. I think I’d add Laurent Brossoit to that list too now that Al Montoya is an Oiler and signed for another year.

The Stanley Cup contenders like Nashville, Tampa, Columbus, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, or Vegas might be willing to give up on some tasty draft picks and/or prospects to solidify their playoff rosters and I’d like to see that opportunity used to stock up the farm.

Speaking of the farm, I do have a list of AHL/NHL fringe players that tickle my fancy a bit too.

  • Ivan Barbashev/Dmitri Jaskin (STL)
  • Hudson Fasching (BUF)
  • Ville Saarijarvi (DET)
  • Jared McCann (FLA)
  • Daniel Carr (MTL)
  • Josh Ho-Sang (NYI)
  • Josh Leivo/Nikita Soshnikov (TOR)
  • Jonny Brodzinski/Paul Ladue (LA)
  • Frederick Gaudreau (NSH)
  • Jeremy Roy (SJ)

I reckon that the big names in the trade market will get scooped up because the Oilers don’t have those kinds of assets. If I were to predict what we’ll really see at the deadline, I imagine it’ll be a few lateral moves and trades to set something up for this summer.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR?

I want to see this team compete night in and night out like they’re playing in game 7 of the Stanley Cup final with 2 minutes to go and a goal down. Balls to the wall compete. I want to see the coaches stop f*cking around (if they keep their jobs) and start making some changes. I want more ice time to the younger players who’ve been taking it in the chin since game 1. What better time to give them the experience they need?

I simply want to see a team that cares and plays with intensity. Score some goals along with that and I’ll be a happy fan 🙂

Fack! This is a long one mate! I’ll sign off here but before that, take a gander at the new December 2018 Top Ten NHL Draft Rankings from our Youtube channel!

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

Oilers Bruin Up a Trade With Boston?

How about that game last night Oilers fans? Woooo! Did you expect Edmonton to put the hurt on Columbus like that? They treated the Metropolitan-leading Blue Jackets like they were a beer league team! Wow!

I nearly blew the roof off of my apartment with Puljujarvi scored his goal as well! I’m loving the Grinnin’ Finn more and more! Eberle who? Matt Barz- who cares! McDavid went from top ten in scoring to top three in one game to boot!

Lastly, Laurent Brossoit baby! Shut down three outstanding teams recently and I’m glad because Twitter had become a cesspool of just petty bullshit recently. Now that those folks have nothing to complain about, it’s a bit more tolerable.

Recently Boston Scribe Jimmy Murphy tweeted out that the Oilers were looking at Boston Bruins forward Frank Vatrano.

Now if that name sounds familiar to those who regularly keep pace with the Oilogosphere and Lowetide’s postings, it should. Lowetide has been musing upon Vatrano’s name for a good part of this season to date. Just head over to his site and type “Vatrano” into his search box and you’ll find blogs all throughout November with little bits about one of Chiarelli’s last signings before he was let go in Boston.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know a helluva lot about Frank Vatrano but from my outstanding Youtube scouting background, I can tell you that he’s got an outstanding release, skates well, and doesn’t seem to be afraid to muck it up.

Mike Drover from Dobber’s Prospects said this about Vatrano back in September,

Vatrano will be looking to get back on track early this season. Last year, a September injury derailed the majority of his campaign and Vatrano struggled to find ice-time late in the season. While being held to under 14 minutes a game, and not seeing prime offensive ice-time, Vatrano still managed 18 points in just over half a season. Not bad for a player who was recovering from foot surgery. If Vatrano can get the right deployment this season, and remain healthy, he’s a threat for 20 goals and 40-45 points.

And Dobber’s also had this to say in general about the 5’9″ 201lb left-shooting winger,

Vatrano, a late bloomer, isn’t big and his game isn’t well-rounded. But he’s got a wicked shot, and is ready to jump to the NHL.

Source

You’re probably saying that the Oilers don’t require another addition to their bottom 6 but I am very confident in saying that Vatrano would be an upgrade on Drake Caggiula, Anton Slepyshev, and Nathan Walker but he might be a tad injury prone.

If it was me making the deal, I’d be moving Caggiula in a deal for him. I’ve not been impressed by the Drake this season and now that he finds himself in the doghouse a bit, I just feel like perhaps a player like Frank Vatrano would be a better option. I asked Jimmy Murphy what he thought the price would be for Vatrano,

That seems a tad high to me. I’d definitely see if Caggiula would get it done. Then again, maybe Caggiula is considered a 2nd tier prospect in Bruins GM Don Sweeney’s eyes… Both Caggiula and Vatrano are RFAs at seasons end by the way.

What are your thoughts? If you watch Boston a bit more, maybe you can enlighten us in the comments section as to your opinion on Frank Vatrano.

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