Tag Archives: Jesse Puljujarvi

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

Edmonton Oilers: 2019 NHL Draft Review and An Update on Jesse Puljujarvi

That’s it! Another draft is in the books and I have to say, after day 1, I was slightly disappointed that the Oilers didn’t take my boy Matthew Boldy. I couldn’t really wrap my head around the idea of Edmonton leaking out who they were going to pick more than a week in advance of the draft. That said, two possibilities did cross my mind,

  • They were trying to lure a team into offering up a package to move up. Vancouver being the most likely team as there were rumors they would’ve liked to have a higher pick.
  • They were simply letting it be known who they were taking. Not the best course of action in my opinion, but it is what it is.

The thing is, as I sat and gave the thought of Philip Broberg more time, I came to appreciate the pick more and more. Every report I read on the big Swede said that he had some sort of issue with his defensive IQ, but if you think about it, what high-end offensive defenseman that has EVER come through the draft hasn’t had those?

(I’ll be getting in touch with some folks in Sweden soon and doing a bit more homework on this player. So I hope I can bring you something you haven’t read yet on him in the coming weeks.)

This player is one of the youngest in the draft and he was playing 2nd division pro in Sweden. All the while staying afloat against men and playing a safe game. This tells me that he’s open to instruction and is coachable, I like that. When he did lace up the blades vs. his peers, he was undoubtedly one of the most dominant players on the ice at any given time.

So if he can perform like that vs his peers now, who’s to say he won’t be able to do that against them in the future. He’s 6’3″ right now, but I’m thinking he’s going to grow a bit more yet. He might end up being 6’5″ and 225lbs when all is said and done. Add to this that he wants to work on his physicality…

It’s kind of hard to give this guy an NHL comparable because he rushes the puck so well and he’s so big. I can’t really think of a man as tall as Broberg with this sort of skill. Maybe Larry Robinson but he hit like a freight train and he was one mean son of a bitch. Right now, that’s not part of Broberg’s repertoire.

I’ve said he reminds me of Brent Burns a bit whereas others have said he’s more like John Klingberg. Now, both Burns and Broberg were forwards who converted to defense, right? At best, we’re probably looking at a lesser version of some Burns/Klingberg hybrid but if he can find a way to pattern his game after his favorite player (play the video below if you don’t know who that is), that would be quite advantageous for the Oilers.

As for Raphael Lavoie, I’ve been high on him since the beginning of the year. My favorite player was Mario Lemieux, so when a big guy with hands who can score goals comes out of the “Q” arrises, it perks my ears.

But I’d heard throughout the year that perhaps he had some “issues” and I wanted to be sure so I contacted a scout for a successful QMJHL team and I asked him for his uncensored opinion of Lavoie,

Lavoie is an “if” player. That means, no one is willing to be unsure in round #1. Really good shot but other than that I’m wondering why he was considered a first round pick. His compete level is not the best and also, he’s 6’4″ but not physical. 1v1 battles are lost a majority of the time. In tight spots he’s not the best with the puck. Honestly, That’s a good pick in the 2nd round but the kid has to work on A LOT of things, specifically his attitude. 

I saw him play all year and he was never a first round pick for me. 

Yikes… That said, Mario wasn’t known for his stellar attitude when he joined the Penguins in ’84 either. Someone told me his dad is the mayor of a small town outside Montreal and he’d ran into some problems not too long ago. I guess that person was right. Not that any of that should matter for Raphael, but if it’s said that he has some mental shortcomings, you’d like to know to what extent they go.

(How many readers will come away from this thinking I believe Lavoie is the next Mario Lemieux now or that I’m shit-talking this player?…)

Did anybody else here Bob Green (Edmonton’s director of player personnel and head amateur scout) say that Bill Scott should be happy with this pick because he could go to Bakersfield next season?

  • Isn’t Bill Scott the Oilers cap management expert?
  • Do you think it would be a good idea for Lavoie to leave Halifax and start his pro career in Bakersfield next season?

It’s been said that if Lavoie has a good center passing him the puck he’ll be very dangerous. Luckily, the Oilers have some pretty decent centers, eh?

The Oilers third pick in the draft this year ended up being the KHL rookie of the year. I’ll be honest, I’d never even heard of Ilya Konovalov, but I guess he’ll be backstopping Craig MacTavish’s team for the next two seasons unless he’s dealt.

Konovalov is only 6-feet tall, which is short by today’s standards for goaltenders, and so my thinking is that if he can turn out to be the next Anton Khudobin, I’ll be happy.

I don’t mind Edmonton taking him here because they’ll still have to wait a couple of seasons before they can bring him over BUT they won’t have to wait five or more seasons for him to be ready as they would if they’d taken the goalie I liked in this draft, Dustin Wolf. But had they not selected the double-overager who’ll be 21 next month, I’d have liked to have seen them take Semyon Chistyakov.

In the fourth round, a young Czech shooter who plays the left-wing by the name of Matej Blumel was taken. Again, probably not my first choice but at this point, it’s apparent that the Oilers were taking players that wouldn’t have to be signed very quickly. Blumel will go to play in the NCAA next season and he could spend three or four years there developing. When his time is over at the collegiate level, he’ll be in his early 20s and at that point a mature young man. His required time spent in the minors would most likely be minimal, basically allowing him to sign an ELC as an older player and really give the Oilers and decided upper hand.

Maybe Holland sees this young man as the next Jake Guentzel or something, who knows?!

Funny enough, in the 6th round, Matej Blumel’s best buddy was taken by the Oilers. Tomas Mazura played US High School for Kimball Union last year. He’s a tall lanky center with some good playmaking skills. Another long-term project.

I might’ve taken super speedster Leevi Aaltonen here or perhaps the enigmatic Blake Murray.

With their last pick, the Oilers analytics team went to work and picked a diminutive center from Craig MacTavish’s new team in Russia, Maxim Denezhkin. I won’t begin to try and describe this player for you because I have no idea who he is. To me he sounds like one of those tiny skillers that you see racking up the points in European leagues that never come over to North America.

I might’ve taken someone like Kristian Tanus, Billy Constantinou (possibly Broberg’s teammate next season), or Michael Gildon but who am I but a lowly armchair GM and scout?

All in all, I don’t think it was an amazing draft for the Oilers. I like the potential of the top two selections and I’m intrigued by the Russian netminder but my list would’ve looked a bit different at the end of the day on Saturday.

Just a couple of other notes:

  • The draft didn’t exactly shout out Bob Green to me. One player drafted out of the CHL? I wonder if his days are numbered amongst others in the scouting department, both pro, and amateur.
  • It didn’t really scream out Keith Gretzky either if I’m being honest. But his job seems to be secure, so no need to speculate there.
  • Bob Green made mention that Bill Scott should be happy because Raphael Lavoie is eligible to play in Bakersfield next season. I’m not super tight on the rules there but if that indeed is the case, 1) Would you rather see Lavoie in Bakersfield or Halifax next year and 2) Isn’t Bill Scott the director of salary cap management? Why would he be happy if Lavoie was in Bakersfield or not? I was under the impression that Keith Gretzky was the GM of the Condors…
  • Is it weird that MacTavish is going to be overseeing two of Edmonton’s draft picks in Russia next season? Green said that it was a coincidence and that the final lists were done before MacT got the job but what team in the history of the NHL finalized their draft lists in the middle of May? I call BS on Bobby here…
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The BLH 2019 Top 50 NHL Draft Prospects

As you know, I did up a list of the 50 best prospects for this year’s draft and I have to say, I think I did ok. 40 of my suggestions were indeed taken by pick #50. Here’s my list again and the pick that player was taken in brackets. The players in bold are the ones that slipped out of my top 50.

  1. (1) Jack Hughes – C – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  2. (2) Kappo Kakko – RW – TPS (SM-Liiga)
  3. (4) Bowen Byram – LHD – Vancouver (WHL)
  4. (5) Alex Turcotte – C – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  5. (12) Matthew Boldy – LW – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  6. (10) Vasili Podkolzin – RW – SKA-Neva (VHL)
  7. (15) Cole Caufield – RW – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  8. ( 16) Alex Newhook – C – Victoria (BCHL)
  9. (3) Kirby Dach – C – Saskatoon (WHL)
  10. (9) Trevor Zegras – C – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  11. (7) Dylan Cozens – C – Lethbridge (WHL)
  12. (17) Peyton Krebs – C – Kootenay (WHL)
  13. (13) Spencer Knight – G – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  14. (38) Raphael Lavoie – C – Halifax (QMJHL)
  15. (14) Cam York – LHD – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  16. (11) Viktor Soderstrom – RHD – Brynas (SHL)
  17. (8) Philip Broberg – LHD – AIK (Allsvenskan)
  18. (79) Pavel Dorofeyev -LW – Magnitogorsk (KHL)
  19. (18) Thomas Harley – LHD – Mississauga (OHL)
  20. (23) Simon Holmstrom – RW – HV71 J20 (Superelit)
  21. (34) Bobby Brink – RW – Sioux City (USHL)
  22. (26) Jakob Pelletier – LW – Moncton (QMJHL)
  23. (6) Mortiz Seider – RHD – Mannheim (DEL)
  24. (40) Nils Hoglander – LW – Rogle (SHL)
  25. (22) Tobias Bjornfot – LHD – Djurgardens J20 (Superelit)
  26. (19) Lassi Thomson – RHD – Kelowna (WHL)
  27. (28) Ryan Suzuki – C – Barrie (OHL)
  28. (49) Matthew Robertson – LHD – Edmonton (WHL)
  29. (24) Phil Tomasino – C – Niagara (OHL)
  30. (25) Connor McMichael – C – London (OHL)
  31. (20) Ville Heinola – LHD – Luuko (SM-Liiga)
  32. (30) John Beecher – C – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  33. (21) Samuel Poulin – RW – Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
  34. (33) Arthur Kaliyev – RW – Hamilton (OHL)
  35. (52) Vladislav Kolyachonok – LHD – Flint (OHL)
  36. (73) Patrik Puistola – RW – Tappara U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga)
  37. (54) Robert Mastrosimone – LW – Chicago (USHL)
  38. (66) Albin Grewe – RW – Djurgardens U20 (Superelit)
  39. (117) Semyon Chistyakov – LHD – Tolpar (MHL)
  40. (29) Brayden Tracey – LW – Moose Jaw (WHL)
  41. (45) Yegor Afanseyev – LW – Muskegon (USHL)
  42. (27) Nolan Foote – LW – Kelowna (WHL)
  43. (83) Anttoni Honka – RHD – Jukurit (SM-Liiga)
  44. (31) Ryan Johnson – LHD – Sioux Falls (USHL)
  45. (49) Nic Robertson – LW – Peterborough (OHL)
  46. (88) Ilya Nikolaev – C – Loko Yaroslav (MHL)
  47. (44) Jamieson Rees – C – Sarnia
  48. (39) Jackson Lacombe – LHD – Shattuck (MIN- HS)
  49. (32) Shante Pinto – C – Tri-City (USHL)
  50. (122) Ethan Keppen – LW – Flint (OHL)
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Jesse Puljujarvi, Gone This Week?

Late last night, Kurt Leavins of the Cult of Hockey reported that he expects the Oilers to trade Jesse Puljujarvi before July 1st and his reason why the big Finn would be dealt this week was…

  • The Oilers are tight to the salary cap.

At the time of writing, the Oilers’ cap space sits at $8.33M according to Cap Friendly or $9.4M according to Puckpedia.

Ty Rattie and Tobias Rieder aren’t being re-signed nor do I imagine Tyler Vesel and Colin Larkin are. So that leaves JJ Khaira, who’s been linked to Vancouver and our boy Pulju. Even if the Oilers were to re-up both Khaira and Puljujarvi, how much would they really cost? $3M maybe? $2M? Not enough to make a dent in my opinion.

But that said, Holland has said he needs to “sign or acquire” a backup goalie and he’d like to add some middle 6 forwards as well. He needs to free up some room on the defense because he has seven defenders on 1-way deals.

Does that mean Joonas Donskoi or the guy that Leavins said in his post, Brett Connolly, who’d probably come in around $3M?

I don’t think Connolly is going to sign for $3M at all. If Kevin Hayes is getting near $7M for a shade over 50pts last year, do we actually think that Connolly who had 46pts is going to sign $3M x 3 yrs? Not me, but Mr. Leavins and Mr. Stauffer seem to think so and they’ve got contacts that are right in the thick of things (Stauffer is tight with Connolly’s agent Gerry Johansson), so maybe I’m wrong.

So if the Oilers pay to move out Kris Russell for example, they won’t be “tight to the cap” and thus the narrative that’s being thrown out here is voided.

I’m not against the idea of trading Jesse anymore. It seems like a foregone conclusion as it is, which is a shame. I’m just not buying the reasons that are being thrown out there like “salary cap”, but if I had to read the bones on this, I feel like it’s being rushed a bit and the return for Puljujarvi isn’t going to be anything you’ll be bragging to your buddies about.

Holland has said he’s had “lots of calls, lots of calls” on Puljujarvi and Leavins repeats that. I don’t doubt they’re getting calls on him, they’ve been getting those since before Chiarelli was fired; going back to last season I believe. GMs are still trying to fleece the Oilers on him, right?

Why in the world would you trade a player so young, with so much potential to realize still for a player who “has 30-150 NHL games on their resume but with comparable struggles”? Are we thinking that this “struggling” player is going to help Edmonton win more from the bottom six than someone like Patrick Russell or Joe Gambardella?

Maybe Holland is softening his tough stance on Jesse since he said he’d be happy to watch him score lots of goals in Finland last week? Maybe the offers are getting better? Who knows?

I’m just saying, none of this is adding up. You?

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Edmonton Oilers: Puljujarvi’s Agent vs. Ken Holland – Round 1! PLUS the 2019 BLH Mock Draft

Wednesday, Jesse Puljujarvi’s agent, Markus Lehto, sent his third very public shot across the bow of the Edmonton Oilers’ boat using Darren Dreger and Mark Spector. Only this time the message was much more assertive,

“If he doesn’t get traded,” Lehto confirmed, “he will play in Europe next year. He will not play in Edmonton.” – source

When Ken Holland got wind of this, he fired his own shot back,

“At the end of the day, if you can do a deal that makes sense for the Edmonton Oilers, you do it,” said Holland, who spoke on Wednesday morning with Lehto. “If you can’t, you go over (to Europe) and watch him play, and hopefully he scores a lot of goals over there.” – source

Is Markus Lehto slow? He predictably goes to the press again (the draft and the trade deadline being the most popular times for GMs to make moves or plan future moves) to let the entire world know that he wants his client out of Edmonton with not even an ounce of leverage. I mean, is Lehto banking on his previous experiences with Kasperi Kapanen in Pittsburgh and Teuvo Teravainen in Chicago and thinking that this is going to be a piece of cake?

How in the world does he think that strong-arming one of the most experienced GMs in the NHL is going to go here?

Sad to say it, but Pulju’s value couldn’t be any lower right now considering the 7 goals he’s scored in the last 90 games for the Oilers and him coming off of double-hip surgery.

Jess was the 4th overall pick in 2016 and that’s great, but my man hasn’t turned the corner yet. Now, that doesn’t mean he won’t, it just means trading him and getting equal perceived value, won’t be an easy task nor is it even a fair ask.

Mark Spector wrote an article yesterday and he summed my thoughts up perfectly,

It is Lehto’s job to advise the player, but if I sat down next to Puljujarvi, this is what I’d say:

“Jesse, there isn’t a team that wants you to succeed more than the Oilers. They’ve got a high draft pick and a piece of their reputation invested in you. Sure, they mishandled your career by not letting you spend enough time in AHL Bakersfield. But, truth be told, you and your agent didn’t want to go there either, right?

I’m not convinced of this “refusal to go to the AHL” narrative going around. Jesse went down three times in three seasons. To me, that’s quite a bit in today’s age.

“You haven’t played much with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, or on the powerplay, but in the NHL you earn those prime spots. They don’t just get handed to you because of where you were drafted, most times.

Well, out of around 1000 minutes on the ice, he’s played the most with Milan Lucic and the 2nd most with Connor McDavid…

“Here’s what you should do: Have your agent negotiate a fair two-year deal with the new GM, Ken Holland. He’s an honest guy, and he’s saying you’ll get a full season on the third line, and a chance to learn how to play the NHL game under the new coach, Dave Tippett.

Yes!

“The Oilers are very lean on goal-scoring right-wingers. There probably isn’t a team in the league with a combination of better centremen and open spots on their flanks.

100%!

“Have Lehto get a handshake deal with Holland that, if we don’t like the way the 2019-20 season goes, he’ll trade you next summer. That way, he can say he tried to develop you, but the previous GM drafted you and it just wasn’t working.

“Give it one more year, take some of the blame for your slow development, then go out and prove you are a player. Score some goals, show the commitment that is necessary, and by Christmas you could be the No. 1 right-winger in Edmonton.

Seems like the right thing to do here. The other thing is, if he scores some goals, other GMs will want him even more.

“You’re just 21. This is the last place you’ll ever play that has as much invested in you as the Oilers have. Which, you’ll learn one day, is important.”

Sometimes it takes a while for young folk to mature. They can’t all be as collected as McDavid and Crosby, right?

As Ryan Rishaug has been saying for weeks, just through deductive reasoning, we can probably come to the conclusion that Puljujarvi’s problem with the team isn’t to do with the coaches or the medical staff or even the GM as most of those have been swapped out. It must be to do with the players because if you’re a young winger in the NHL that’s looking for one of the sweetest gigs in the league alongside Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and you STILL want out, then there’s a problem in the room.

I won’t put this all on Connor and the boys though. Jesse has to come out of his shell a bit and show some initiative but I can understand why he wouldn’t want to as well. The players he respects on the club don’t feel the same way maybe and that’s a deep cut for a young guy. He might not be as mature as the rest of the guys and thus he gets left out in the cold.

I wish I knew what kind of advice he was getting from the agent so we could have an opinion on who’s to blame here from that side because if Puljujarvi isn’t traded soon, he’s going to have to go through an entire summer with this cloud hanging over him and the close it gets to training camp, the more reporters and journalists are going to want to talk to him about “the trade request”, right?

As much as I love my man Jesse, I fully support the stance Ken Holland is taking. If Markus Lehto wants to play hardball, Kenny Holland won’t back down. Just ask Andreas Athanasiou who previously tried to hold out in Detroit but eventually came back to the NHL with his tail tucked between his legs and signed a two-year deal.

Pulju needs to come back and prove his worth to not only his teammates, the organization, the entire NHL, but also himself. Heading off to Europe until his wishes are met isn’t going to do that. It’s not going to help how he’s viewed neither. Then again, Milan Lucic has been asking out for three years and the boys still love him…

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THE 2019 BLH MOCK DRAFT

  1. NJ – Jack Hughes – C – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  2. NYR – Kaapo Kakko – RW – TPS Turku (FIN)
  3. CHI – Alex Turcotte – C – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  4. COL (OTT) – Bowen Byram – LHD – Vancouver Giants
  5. LA – Cole Caufield – RW – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  6. DET – Trevor Zegras – C – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  7. BUF – Kirby Dach – C – Saskatoon (WHL)
  8. *VAN – Philip Broberg – LHD – AIK (SWE)
  9. ANH – Dylan Cozens – C – Lethbridge (WHL)
  10. *EDM – Matthew Boldy – W – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  11. PHI – Peyton Krebs – C – Kootenay (WHL)
  12. MIN – Alex Newhook – C – Victoria (BCHL)
  13. FLA – Cam York – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  14. ARI – Victor Soderstrom – RHD – Brynas (SHL)
  15. MTL – Arthur Kaliyev – LW – Hamilton (OHL)
  16. COL – Vasili Podkolzin – RW – SKA (VHL)
  17. VGK – Ville Heinola – LHD – Luuko (FIN)
  18. DAL – Raphael Lavoie – C – Halifax (QMJHL)
  19. OTT (CBJ) – Thomas Harley – LHD – Mississauga (OHL)
  20. WPG – Moritz Seider – RHD – Mannheim (DEL)
  21. PIT – Bobby Brink – C – Sioux City (USHL)
  22. LAK (TOR) – Ryan Suzuki – C – Barrie (OHL)
  23. NYI – Connor McMichael – C – London (OHL)
  24. NAS – Phil Tomasino – C – Niagara (OHL)
  25. WAS – Pavel Dorofeyev – LW – Magnitigorsk (RUS)
  26. CGY – Spencer Knight – G – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  27. TB – Lassi Thomson – RHD – Kelowna (WHL)
  28. CAR – Jakob Pelletier – LW – Moncton (QMJHL)
  29. ANA (SJ) – Simon Holmstrom – RW – HV71 (SWE)
  30. BOS – Alex Vlasic – LHD – USNTDP (USHL/NCAA)
  31. BUF (STL) – Tobias Bjornfot – LHD – Djurgarden (SWE)

*I think there’s a high possibility that Edmonton and Vancouver swap picks. Perhaps in the oft-mentioned Lucic for Eriksson trade they’ll swap first rounders.

Rumor has it the Canucks are working feverishly to move up in the draft to pick Philip Broberg, but the problem is, they haven’t got a lot to work with. Chris Tanev might be their only real asset to trade and with his injury history, I don’t even know if he’s even considered a real asset now.

I hope the Oilers go with another forward in the 2nd round.

  • John Beecher – C – USNDTP (USHL/NCAA): Might be the fastest power forward in the draft.
  • Samuel Poulin – RW – Sherbrooke (QMJHL): Solidly built, hard-working winger whose dad was an NHLer. Strong shooter with good hockey IQ.
  • Egor Afaneseyev – LW – Muskegon (USHL): BIG guy (6’4″ 200lbs) who scored 27 goals and 62 pts in the USHL.
  • Albin Grewe – RW – Djurgarden (SWE): Highly skilled pest who’s been compared to Brad Marchand.
  • Brayden Tracey – LW – Moose Jaw (WHL): Big time scorer in the WHL who can skate, has an excellent work ethic, and fears nobody.

That is a lot of wingers, if you’re more for the Oilers picking up a center in the 2nd round, I think that Brett Leason might tickle Bob Green’s fancy, the speedy Jamieson Rees should be available, the pint-size Karl Henriksson should definitely be there, and Ilya Nikolaev, a thick two-way forward as well.

Should you fancy a defender in the 2nd, there’ll be a plethora of those, no doubt. Flint’s Vladislav Kolyachonok, Matthew Robertson, a great all-around defender from the Edmonton Oil Kings MIGHT be there, smooth-skating Ryan Johnson from Sioux Falls could be available, and the massive hard-shooting Antti Tuomisto from Assat in Finland I reckon will be around then too.

Unless Spencer Knight somehow falls to 38th, I wouldn’t touch a goalie until the 3rd round or later.

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

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BLH Oilers Mailbag: 2019 NHL Draft SPECIAL with @KeithFries and @TPEHockey

With the NHL Entry Draft this Friday and Saturday, let’s circle the wagons one last time with a questionnaire for both of our contributing scouts, Max (@TPEHockey) and Keith (@keithfries). I’ll be participating in this exercise 🙂

Question #1: With the 8th-overall pick, do the Edmonton Oilers move up, trade back, or stay put?

Max: Personally, I always prefer staying put. Moving forward can work out if a team really has an eye on a certain player, but at the 8th-overall spot moving up just a few picks can be costly. Trading back is risky as your guy may be off the board. I’d see Edmonton staying put and selecting from the various talents in the deep #5-#14 range, of this class.

Keith: If you look at Ken Holland’s recent track record, at the draft, he doesn’t usually move up or down. I see him staying put because a) it’s in his nature and b) because the options at #8 are probably as equal as they would be if he moved up to, say, 6th-overall. He might slide back a spot-or-two if he can pick up a valuable asset in a trade, but I just don’t see that happening.

BLH: I concur with the scouts on this one. I don’t really see the advantage in moving up to anything apart from 3rd overall and I can’t see that happening. Trading down would be a more likely event given the group of players ranked #4 to #12, but even then, I just don’t see the point. Get your guy at 8 and walk away happy. Don’t mess around.

Question #2: Playing armchair GM, if you stay at the 8th-overall pick, who would you draft if the following players had already been selected?

1) Jack Hughes
2) Kaapo Kakko
3) Alex Turcotte
4) Bowen Byram
5) Kirby Dach
6) Dylan Cozens
7) Cole Caufield

Max: In this scenario, Peyton Krebs is my guy. Krebs was on a weak Kootenay team but found success, nonetheless. He can run his own line and drive offense even without great teammates.

Keith: I think Trevor Zegras would make a lot of sense. He’s, in my opinion, the smartest player at the top of this class, on-and-off the ice. Really good kid – and when you couple that with all the gifts he has in the rink, it’s really a no-brainer. …See what I did there?

BLH: Krebs and Zegras would definitely be of great value to the Oilers going forth. They’d add an element of flash to the Oilers center depth and if I had to choose one or the other, I’d probably side with Max here and go with Krebs due to his work ethic and two-way game.

With that said, I’m a Matthew Boldy man. For my money, he’s the best all-around forward in the draft and the Oilers are really lacking in those. He can stir the drink from the wing and there aren’t many players in the game you can say do that. He can play across the board and in every situation. To add to that, he’s most likely physically ready to play pro right now and his vision, hands, and hockey IQ are right up there with the best in the draft. A season or two in the NCAA will develop him into an impact player upon his NHL debut.

 Question #3: Who do you think (realistically) will be on the board at #38? Who should the Oilers draft with that pick?

Max: A good option might be Patrik Puistola. Puistola is a popular pick for an under the radar, 2nd-round, option, who’s found a lot of success in the Mestis – the 2nd premiere adult league, in Finland. Puistola is a creative goal scorer who will make the jump to the Liiga, next season.

Keith: A guy that doesn’t get enough love is Maxim Cajkovic. The definition of a “journeyman,” he’s played pretty much all over the world, already, and when you look at how well he’s performed at every stop along the road, he’s the kind of guy that teams will trade for at the deadline to go on a ‘Cup run.

BLH: This will really depend on who the Oilers take at 8th overall. I reckon it’ll be a pretty offensive player, so… I really like John Beecher here. He’s one of the fastest players in the draft, he plays center, and he likes to get mucky. I don’t feel he’s quick like Hughes, but he’s fast like jersey flapping Mike Modano fast. He’s got a pro frame and at the end of the day, it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up being 6’2″ and 210lbs. Just a beast on skates. The downside is he’s not all that offensively gifted, so the Oilers might be developing a defensive center/wing here in Beecher if they take him.

Question #4: Do you think Edmonton selects a goaltender in this draft? Why or why not?

Max: Edmonton has six picks in this draft and, with no NHL level netminder in their system, it might be worth spending at least one on a goalie. Spencer Knight might be out of the Oilers’ range, but there’s a deep class behind him who could be available in the 3rd-round.

Keith: It depends on who’s available and when. For me, there are three goaltenders in this draft that matter: Spencer Knight, Dustin Wolf, and Ilya Konovalov. If any of those guys are sitting there in the 3rd-or-4th rounds, I don’t care how good of prospects Stuart Skinner or Olivier Rodrigue are, I’m making the pick.

BLH: I’m not sure. With only six picks, I’d be hard-pressed to take one knowing there are four already in the system. I’d probably wait until next season or if I felt the urge to add another one, sign a free agent out of the NCAA or Europe.

Question #5: Another armchair GM scenario… You’re approached by the Avalanche to trade up to #4. It will cost you the: 8th, 85th, and 100th-overall picks. Do you make that trade, knowing the following players are off the board – and who would you select?

1) Jack Hughes
2) Kaapo Kakko
3) Bowen Byram

Max: Alex Turcotte is my 3rd-ranked prospect, in this draft, and I’d jump at the chance to take him. He’s by far the most complete player in the draft. When you combine his skating, creativity, scoring, intellect, and playmaking abilities, he’s easily the best option available after Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko.

Keith: I’d likely ask for additional draft pick in-return – 3-for-2 deal – but ultimately, no. I’m projecting the same ceiling for guys in the 3rd-to-12th-overall range. No need to move.

BLH: No, I wouldn’t. I do like Keith’s idea though. The M.O. in Edmonton is draft and develop and removing half of your picks to move up and get a player that might not be any better than the guy you take at 8th overall, doesn’t make sense to me. There should be enough players around 86th and 100th that interest me too. So, no. I wouldn’t do that trade.

Question #6: Who, in your opinion, is the most underrated player? The most overrated player?

Max: My pick for most underrated would be Domenick Fensore. He’s a 5’7” defenseman with high caliber offensive tools. A top-5 skater that defend both sides of the ice. My pick for most overrated would be Vasili Podkolzin. He failed to produce in Russia’s lower leagues while other less-known prospects thrived. A top-10 or even top-15 pick should be owning the MHL.

Keith: If we’re speaking in terms of the entire draft class, then Simon Holmstrom would be my most underrated. Really skilled winger. Good playmaking IQ, and did a lot down the stretch that showed a return to his dominant form. The most overrated would be Arthur Kaliyev. The kid can score like nobody’s business. It’s a beautiful shot, and it’s really something fun to watch. But that’s it. I see no compete. I see no hustle. For a kid who’s 6’2” – 190, I see no checking. It’s incredibly frustrating. Do I think he’s a first-round talent? Absolutely. But a late first-rounder. Anyone telling you he’s a top-10 pick lives in a padded cell.

BLH: My most underrated player might be Anttoni Honka. This guy has got some real talent but has disappeared off of scouts’ radars due to a really tough season he’s had. At the beginning of the year, I had him as the 3rd best prospect in the draft. Honka reminds me of Sergei Gonchar so much in his ability to stay cool under pressure. His offensive game is really good and he can thread a needle as well as any other prospect in this draft I feel. Some people might say he looks lazy on the ice, but I just find he’s just so collected it appears that he doesn’t care. I think that some scouts are scared off of him due to his brother Julius’ inability to develop into the player he was expected to. Some team is going to get a good player later on in the draft here, book it.

The other guy who’s being underrated is Vasili Podkolzin. He might not be putting up very much on the scoresheet, but make no bones about it, the Russian Hockey Federation doesn’t push its young players to play at higher levels often and Podkolzin is getting just that from them. He’s special. You try traveling as much as this guy has over the season and still maintain a high degree of production. You’ll see, once he’s settled in one spot for a year, he’ll start to tear things up.

Question #7: Final question… We’ll do one last armchair GM scenario. What kind of deal would you be asking for in return for Jesse Puljujarvi?

Max: The ask would probably be a high pick in his draft and an NHL-ready prospect. You’re taking a chance that he just needed a change of scenery and could look like a real fool if he ends up overperforming.

Keith: Realistically, a 1-1-and-1 – as in: a player, a prospect, and a pick. But, I think the trade market has soured a bit on JP. While there are teams that likely have interest, they probably also have that lingering concern of “is he another Yakupov?” So, a 1-for-2 would be nice, and realistic. Let’s say, for example, if they made a deal with the Los Angeles Kings, it might look like: Jesse Puljujarvi for Alec Martinez or Tyler Toffoli + 64th-overall pick.

BLH: My feeling is that he’s right on the cusp of breaking out. The double hip surgery might slow down the beginning of his season, but I’d be willing to bet that he’ll be producing in the 2nd half and teams are cognizant of that. They’re aware of how young he still is and how the Oilers management, coaching, and playing staff have treated him, and they’ll try to fleece Ken Holland, but I can’t see him falling for it.

There are two trade scenarios for me,

  1. The “futures” ask, meaning picks/prospects.
  2. The “help now” ask, meaning an NHL player.

So for scenario “A”, I’m asking looking for the kind of prospect that will even out the scales in the case that Puljujarvi does turn things around. I’m not sure if we’re talking about an Eeli Tolvanen here, a Drake Batherson/Filip Chlapik, or possibly a bigger deal that would bring a Nolan Patrick to Edmonton. Roslovic out of Winnipeg is an interesting option as well. But something in that range. Gotta play hardball in a deal like this.

In scenario “B”, I’d look at oft-maligned players. Maybe guys who are on the outs with their current organization. Nikita Zadorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Jason Zucker are names that come to mind immediately. There are also teams that need to shed salary badly, so what about a Tyler Johnson or Nazem Kadri trade?

Be sure to follow both Max (@TPEHockey) and Keith (@keithfries) on Twitter and tune into the NHL Entry Draft, this weekend, and have a cold one on us. Or… 8 cold ones. Cheers!

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Edmonton Oilers: Rumors and Drafting with The Draft Analyst 2019 NHL Draft Report

We’re going to talk about the recent Oilers rumors making their rounds briefly and then move on to take a look at how the Oilers draft would look like if we used Steve Kournianos’ 2019 NHL Draft Report to make the Oilers selections at this year’s NHL entry draft.

THE RUMORS

Corey Perry is the latest to come up and if Anaheim can’t find him a new home via trade, the talk is that they’ll buy him out. Now, I wouldn’t mind having the former Hart winner on the team because he’s an epic shit talker and you never know when you’ll need someone to concuss a goalie or pick on a rookie? But if he’s going to cost the Oilers anything more than $2M, I don’t think I’m interested. The Oilers ARE trying to get faster right?

Nikita Zaitsev has the same agent as Pavel Datsyuk and we know who the former Red Wing’s GM used to be right? It’s the Oilers new GM, Ken Holland. I don’t believe there’s much to this Dreger rumor and Friedman basically shut it down on Oilers Now yesterday morning. Edmonton’s defense is full at the moment, why would they be looking to add another overpaid option and weaken their leverage? I mean, are the Leafs looking to add some functional truculence to their team? In that scenario, let’s talk.

Would you rather have James Neal, Loui Eriksson, or Milan Lucic? For me it depends. Would I rather have someone who can score, help out on the PK, or address my puck possession numbers? Neal will kill on defensively but he’s not that old and he is still a bit of a pest at times. Lucic can’t score but he doesn’t kill you in the fancies. Whereas Eriksson will offer some veteran guidance to the younger players on the team, but not much more than what Lucic is giving you production-wise, apart from the puck not dying on his stick.

The fact of the matter is, Milan Lucic has gone to management THREE SEASONS IN A ROW and has made it known that he wouldn’t stand in the way of a trade… That followed an incident in Calgary that involved some alcohol and him breaking his leg thus making him ineligible to play in the final Battle of Alberta of the season and subsequently the one game where Connor McDavid gets hurt… I think that’s a poor display of leadership from someone who was brought in to bring just that to the locker room.

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THE DRAFT ANALYST’S 2019 NHL DRAFT REPORT

The 2019 NHL Entry Draft is just around the corner and I’ve got a plethora of draft guides sitting on my desktop and in my tablet just waiting to be utilized. So I thought a good idea might be to use the picks from each guide’s rankings to perform the draft for the Edmonton Oilers.

Check out the previous articles written in the 2019 series below:

Drafting with the Future Considerations NHL Draft Guide
Drafting with the McKeen’s NHL Draft Guide
Drafting with Hockeyprospect.com’s NHL Draft Guide

Now, some guides don’t have enough players ranked to do the entire draft, so we’ll just have to do with rounds one to four in that case, but for the rest that do have enough, I’ll lay them out for you and give you the best brief reports on those players that I can. I haven’t watched all of the players and therefore I’ll be forced to go with reports from other publications and my own digging about to get a good idea on them in order to present it to you.

Today we’re going to use one of the most affordable draft guides available, The Draft Analyst’s 2019 NHL Draft Report. You can find it for the low low price of $5 right here. What will you find in this guide? Let’s let the Draft Analyst himself, Steve Kournianos, tell you,

The Draft Analyst’s 2019 NHL Draft Report is now complete. Inside you’ll find 249 player profiles that take an in-depth look at every prospect’s skills, strengths and weaknesses. Also included are rankings for both first-year eligibles and draft overagers,  as well as the most detailed NHL team previews around! Find out what each club is doing right, doing wrong or in some cases,  not doing a thing! Each team’s top prospects are listed by position, as well as immediate draft needs and the players they should target to address each one.

Want more? How about a two-round mock draft, top-25 rankings by position and a detailed breakdown of the draft order. I’ve also added a Top-31 ranking for the 2020 NHL Draft. There’s no better guide to have in your hands as NHL teams run through pick after pick. Don’t miss out on one of the most detailed draft primers on the market.

For $5 there’s no way you can go wrong with the amount of content you’re getting. Steve is an independent scout and you’d be doing a massive service to him and his efforts by grabbing his draft report. For the price of a Big Mac meal, you won’t regret it and you’ll be healthier for it!

The Oilers have the no.8, 38, 85, 100, 162, and 193 picks in the draft. This is who The Draft Analyst has ranked at those numbers.

No. 8 – Cole Caufield – RW – 5’7″ 162lbs – USNDTP (NCAA/USHL) – 64gp 72g 28a 100pts

At this point, you’ve probably heard everything there is to hear about “Goal” Caufield. The comparisons to DeBrincat are a tad shallow I feel. Sure, they’re small and they score goals but I think that Caufield is a bit better off the puck than DeBrincat is. The way that Caufield finds the areas on the ice where he can pull the trigger is really reminiscent of how Brett Hull used to do it. The other thing I like about this little fella is that he’s pretty effective at digging the pucks out of corners and finding an open teammate. I don’t reckon he’ll be winning and Selke trophies anytime soon but nobody cared about Hull’s 200ft game when he was scoring 70 goals a season and Cup-winning goals.

Put him on a line with McDavid or Draisaitl (or both) and the Oilers will reap the benefits.

BLH’s Pick: Cole Caufield – RW – 5’7″ 162lbs 0 USNTDP (NCAA/USHL)

I have to agree with Kournianos here. Boldy is already gone in his rankings, as is Turcotte, Podkolsin, and Zegras. So I’ll take the next best thing in my books, the scoring specialist. It might be fair to wonder about the choice mind you, the Oilers do have Kailer Yamamoto, who is the same size, coming along and there’s been no definite decision made on Jesse Puljujarvi yet. I simply feel that if all the other options are off the board, you take the goal-scoring specialist. 

No. 38 – Samuel Poulin – RW – 6’1″ 208lbs – Sherbrooke (QMJHL) – 66gp 28g 47a 75pts

He’s a bull in a China shop folks. When’s the last time you saw Edmonton draft and develop a proper old-school power forward. I’m not talking about the days when Cameron Abney and Mitch Moroz were picked and no disrespect to Abney and Moroz, but Poulin is much more of a player than those gentlemen.

As I watched Poulin at the U18s, I noticed how responsible of a player he is defensively. Having an NHLer for a father has paid massive dividends with regards to Poulin’s hockey IQ and awareness. He’s not the fastest but he knows where to go and the best way to arrive at his destination. You’d think for a man of his size he’d lack in the finesse dept. but not Poulin. He’s got a good set of soft mitts on him and he can dangle.

BLH’s Pick: Albin Grewe – RW/LW – 5’11” 187lbs – Djurgardens U20 (Superelit) (ranked 50th)

I’ve watched Albin Grewe be a complete non-factor in games and I’ve seen him take over games as well. This is a player who is as feisty and pesky as he is skilled. He could very well be the next elite pest and we might be saying his name in the same breath as the Brad Marchands or Claude Lemieuxs of the world. 

Grewe will blow past you, deke your D partner out of his jock, create a scoring chance, and then wallpaper your teammate in the corner chasing the loose puck. You have to keep our head on a swivel and be mindful of when he’s on the ice or you might just find yourself counting sheep. 

It sounds like Grewe is the next coming of Cam Neely or something, right? He’s pretty dangerous but the way I see him is that he’s a throwback player with modern skills. He’d be the next Esa Tikkanen if the Oilers drafted him sans the Tikkanese. 

No. 85 – Marek Berka – LW – 5’11” 159lbs – Litvinov u20 (Extraliga JR) – 48gp 29g 21a 50pts

The feather-lite Berka is best described as a gamble that could pay off massively should his development plan succeed. He is a dangerous player on the ice at all times as he loves to play inside the dots. His motor runs high at all times and you’ll never question his work ethic.

Berka’s wrist shot is hard and accurate, and he likes to use it off the stride.

BLH’s Pick: Shane Pinto – C – 6’2″ 192lbs – Tri-City (USHL) (ranked 88th)

Pinto is a really smart player that can see the way a play is developing before it does. His wrist/snap shot is pro-ready, he’s got the strength, hockey IQ, and positional flexibility that coaches at the next level will really love. 

He’s not the most physically engaging player, but he doesn’t shy away from it. He could probably work on his defensive awareness in his own zone. I reckon he’d be a good pick for the Oilers as he’s pretty much flown under the radar until recently, I feel like with his size and toolbox, he could turn out be at the very least a depth scorer and at best, a two-way middle-6 forward. Edmonton could use as much depth as possible. 

No. 100 – David Karlstrom – C – 6’1″ 187lbs – AIK U20 (SuperElit) – 41gp 9g 11a 20pts

Karlstrom is your standard 3rd line checking forward. He works his butt off and plays a very honest blue-collar game. He’s pretty average at everything sans his wrister, which is actually quite powerful and accurate.

BLH’s Pick: Dustin Wolf – G – 6’0″ 156lbs – Everett (WHL) (ranked 106th)

Half of my prospect covering super duo, Max (@TPEHockey), had this to say about Wolf at the beginning of the season,

Wolf’s game is highlighted by his technical play that is common with a lot of upcoming high-level goaltenders. Every movement is calculated and crisp. He doesn’t panic when out of position and makes a recovery using his skating ability and edges. Wolf is a butterfly goaltender and makes a lot of his movements on his knees. He’s good at sealing the ice which prevents him from opening up holes when moving.

Another quality to his game is his puck tracking and vision. Screens and tipped shots don’t phase him since often a shot is taken through a screen and Wolf can easily find it and pick it out of the air.

The hits on Wolf are his size and ability to take up the net. He measures in at about 183cm (6’0”) which is under the expected height for a top goaltending prospect at 188 (6’2”). This doesn’t combine well with his lack of aggressiveness. Wolf relies a little too much on his lightning quick reflexes and could come out of his net more to take away space. Although this isn’t a huge issue as it’s something he could easily fix as he progresses his game.

One of the reasons I really like this player is his ability to handle the puck. Watching the Oilers offensive attack die on the vine because they’ve attempted to dump it in only to see the goalie stop it and make a counter play, it’s made me really appreciate how much skill it takes to handle a puck for a goalie. To add to that, Wolf put up comparable stats to Ian Scott (Prince Albert) but because Everett wasn’t as deep (read: successful), he lost the WHL Goalie of the Year to Scott. 

I know that Edmonton has Skinner, Wells, Starrett, and Rodrigue in the system, but none of those netminders have the hands and calmness that Wolf has. I’m not sure I see Wells and Starrett as long-term members of the Oilers as it is. 

No. 162 – Simon Jellus – C – 6’2″ 194lbs – Lulea U20 (SuperElit) – 35gp 12g 15a 27pts

Kournianos is the only person who has a report on Jellus in the draft guides I’ve covered so far. So really, all I’ve got to go on is what The Draft Analyst says with the young Slovak, which is thus,

An inventive playmaking center with size and strength who shows flashes of dynamism.

Jellus is crafty and creative with the puck, using a series of moves and tricks to get himself inside for a clean look at the net. Jellus is a very good set-up man who looks to involve the entire five-man unit into the attack.

Jellus is a heady player who keeps his eyes open and looks over his shoulder quite a bit, even when moving quickly up ice. He has excellent speed and strong balance, with little to no regard for traffic no matter how thick the wall of opponents at the line may be.

BLH’s Pick: Jackson Lacombe – D –  6’1″ 171lbs – Shattuck (HS-MN) (ranked 164th)

The Eden Prairie native is a fantastic skater with the silky mitts who models his game after Shea Theodore (VGK). Lacombe is an intelligent puck mover and an adaptable defender. Meaning, he can read situations quite well and he’s not all gung-ho offense all of the time. He knows when to go and when to stay back. He used to be a forward, so he has those scoring instincts ingrained into him hence the gaudy point totals. 

This puck-moving defender played for Shattuck St. Mary’s High School program last season and racked up 89pts in 54 games. He did play five games for the Chicago Steel (USHL) but didn’t manage to put up any points. Apparently, Lacombe would’ve played more if not for an injury. According to Hockeyprospect.com, he should spend the year playing in the USHL next year and then move on to the Univ. of Minnesota. 

I wonder long-term if we’re looking at a player who will find himself being compared to Cale Makar, Thomas Chabot, and Shea Theodore due to his outstanding mobility and edgework?

No. 193 – Keean Washkurak – W – 5″10 184lbs – Mississauga (OHL) – 66gp 16g 31a 47pts

Washkurak is your typical short-statured hard-working grinder. He’s a smart player who knows where to go with and without the puck. He’s the kind of player that teammates love having on their squad because he goes to battle for them. Problem is, his skating isn’t great and he’s not that skilled. His ceiling is a 4th-line role player if he makes it to the NHL.

For me, I really think that these players can be found as free agents and that using a draft pick on them is a bit of a waste with the way the league is trending.

BLH’s Pick: Jonathan Brinkman – W – 5’11” 165lbs – Aalborg (DEN) (ranked 204th)

Brinkman is considered Denmark’s premier u18 prospect. He’s fast, intense, tenacious, gritty, elusive, and his shot and release are both lightning quick. I look at players like Michael Grabner and Marcus Sorenson, for example, and I think that taking a shot at Brinkman in the 7th round has very little risk and quite a bit of upside. I think the Oilers’ plan is to get faster and more skilled and Brinkman is both of those. 

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

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Edmonton Oilers: Weekly #AskBLH Mailbag + The 2019 NHL Entry Drafts 1st and 2nd Team All-Stars from @KeithFries

It’s time to get into the #AskBLH mailbag one more time! This is where you ask me any question you’d like and I give you my honest answer. Topics might simply be centered on the Edmonton Oilers, but I encourage folks to step outside that box and ask me whatever is on their minds.

Now, I hope to get around to everybody who sends me their question, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. In that case, I will do my best to get back to you on the ol’ Twitter machine.

THE MAILBAG!

@dashate24 asks: Why do we want to trade Lucic for a more useless player?

Good question my friend! I think it’s just a matter of giving guys a fresh start in other markets. What I’m wondering is why the Oilers are the ones having to sweeten the deal if the Canucks are the ones who really want Lucic?

@AhmedMayta asks: Realistic free agents Oilers should target?

You know what Ahmed? I think it’s going to be really hard to gauge this until we know what the roster is going to look like the night before Canada Day. I would say they should go after players like Dan Carr, Brandon Pirri, Joonas Donskoi, and Brian Elliott, but if they find a way to clear up some cap space by trading some of their bigger tickets, that changes things. You might see them go after players like Gus Nyquist, Marcus Johansson, or Anton Stralman then.

@adnacOilGhost asks: You replace Bob Nicholson as CEO, what’s the very first thing you do?

Oh! I like this question. I’d make it as affordable as possible to go to regular season games for everyone. Bringing down the prices on healthier food options would be a must for me. I’d do what it takes to make the in-game presentation one that rivals that of Vegas’ or Nashville’s. The fan experience is really important to me, so I’d try to maximize that potential the most.

I enjoy anarchy a bit, so I’d also give media passes to the Oilers bloggers out there who pass my rigorous interview process.

As for the team itself, I’d encourage my GM to expand the scouting team as much as possible. I feel like teams really skimp out here. I want scouts everywhere, including Asia. I’d be having hockey camps all over the world promoting the brand and keeping an eye out for talent.

@dashate24 asks: Is it possible that Poolparty (Puljujarvi) gets an offer sheet at $2M x 4 years, and if he does, do we take the 3rd rounder?

I’d match it. JP at $2M for four years would be an amazing contract.

@ArchivistSports asks: What do you think JP will do this June/July?

I think he’ll head home and resume his off-ice training and participate in his annual charity games. Whether he comes back in September or not, we’ll have to wait and see on that.

@Tusen_bitar asks: Why and when you have chosen Oilers?

I was born in 1980, so one might consider me to have been born into the Oilers. My father tells me stories of cheering for Edmonton when I was a very young lad during their Cup dynasty days but I don’t really remember much about that.

As I got older I gravitated towards the Red Wings because of Yzerman/Coffey/Federov and the Penguins for Lemieux/Jagr/Coffey in the early 90s. I liked Peter Forsberg and the Avs for a while and also the Maple Leafs when Curtis Joseph was playing net for them too.

But I always had the Oilers in my back pocket. It wasn’t really until they started to get really bad as to when I ramped up my interest in the team and I simply haven’t found a reason to not cheer for them since then.

@OilDoug asks: What happens with Lucic this offseason. Stay? Go? What comes back?

He gone. What comes back for him? Who knows? It sounds like a player who needs a change of scenery like Milan.

@LonnbergMari asks: If Leavins is right and part of the team just doesn’t want to play with him, what should a smart gm do? Resign or trade and in either case, just hope for the best?

I’m torn on this. Aren’t we sick of the locker room cliques on this team yet? If Holland believes there’s still something in Jesse, he could sit down those guilty of alienating Jesse and give them a stern grilling. Then at the same time, sit Pulju down and tell him it’s time to grow up and that we don’t always work/play with people we like.

But if things are simply too broken, he would find a way to move him and get a good like-aged player in return. My fear in this scenario is that Jesse hits his stride on another club and the Oilers get burned though.

When it’s all said and done though, the players have a job to do, so they should go and do it.

THE 2019 NHL ENTRY DRAFTS 1ST AND 2ND TEAM ALL-STARS by Keith Fries

With this article, I thought it’d be fun to try and construct all-first and all-second teams for this year’s draft-eligible prospects.

Keep in mind that I went with the player’s primary position.

All-First Team

LW – Matthew Boldy  /  C – Jack Hughes  /  RW – Kaapo Kakko

LD – Bowen Byram  /  RD – Moritz Seider

LG – Spencer Knight

A forward line made up of Boldy, Hughes, and Kakko would likely be nicknamed, “Goals and Grit.”

While Hughes maybe is more on the “goals” side than the grit one, there’s no doubt that he’s flanked by some rough riders with skill. We know of Kakko’s explosive offensive abilities, but Boldy also shows a propensity to score. All three are great puck movers. Speaking of which, there’s Byram whose bread and butter is getting the puck out of his own zone. Playing alongside the physically imposing Seider would make those breakout rushes much easier for Byram. Once the puck enters the offensive zone, both defensemen have the ability to jump into the play as a fourth-forward. In their own zone, Seider is the more reliable defender of the two and is helped in net by arguably one of the best goaltending prospects of all-time. Knight, who some would say has franchise potential, doesn’t need much help in front of him to be the brick wall that he is.

This starting line-up certainly helps, though, but even if playing with an All-Worst Team, Knight would find ways to make his squad seem competitive.

All-Second Team

LW – Peyton Krebs  /  C – Alex Turcotte  /  RW – Cole Caufield

LD – Philip Broberg  /  RD – Victor Soderstrom

LG – Dustin Wolf

Krebs, Turcotte, and Caufield would not only be a hell of a trio, but could legitimately be one of the best power play units, in history.

Krebs’ distribution game is off the charts, and with his smart reads and calculated timing, could dish out some beautiful primary assists to either Caufield or Turcotte. We know Caufield is arguably the best sniper in his entire draft class, but Turcotte’s shooting stroke is just as pretty and just as effective. While he may be more of a playmaker, like Krebs, Turcotte has the kind of slick mitts that you want in a centerman to either set up his linemates or finish with a remarkable shot. On the back end, they’re flanked by two highly-skilled Swedish-born defensemen, Soderstrom and Broberg. While Soderstrom handles more of the defensive duties – sound play in his own end, moving the puck along the boards, or manning the point, Broberg is able to jump into the rush with his lightning quick speed and heads up play. The two would make a formidable pairing, with a complimentary skill set. An argument could be made about who slots in at goaltender, here – possibly Ilya Konovalov or Mads Sogaard – but there’s no argument in my mind. Wolf has been lights out since debuting in the WHL in 2017 and has received nothing but criticism along the way – all because of his undersized frame. His IQ, compete level, and maturity are all well beyond his years.

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