Tag Archives: London Knights

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Prospects

Edmonton Oilers News: Evan Bouchard Going Back To London This Weekend?

After last night’s beauty win over the Chicago Blackhawks, there was a bit of buzz on Twitter regarding the Oilers’ prized blue-chip prospect Evan Bouchard and where he’d be spending the rest of the season.

As a junior-aged player, the Oilers have the option of sending Bouchard back to the OHL after nine games if they feel he’s not ready for the rigors of the NHL. However, seven games into his stint, the six-foot-three, 194-pound defenceman is fitting in well and seems likely to stick for the year.– Derek Van Diest (source)

Or not…

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So Van Diest is the only member of the media I’ve heard who’s saying anything remotely close to the notion that Bouchard would be staying with Edmonton this year. Otherwise, every other person who covers the team from Bob Stauffer to Jason Gregor to Ryan Rishaug to the gentlemen in the tweets above, have said he’s going back.

Seriously, Stauffer has been talking about it all week.

Now here’s the thing that has me leaning towards Bouchard being sent back.

Who do the Oilers play next? The Detroit Red Wings.

How convenient would it be for the Oilers to play Bouchard in his 8th game versus a struggling Detroit Red Wings and then send him back to London or better yet, send him back this morning so that he can join the Knights for their game vs. Flint tonight.

A brief 5-hour flight direct and he’s back in London, ready to go for Dale Hunter’s crew.

I mean it doesn’t really matter that much when he goes back as the Knights have three games in three nights here this weekend against Flint, Owen Sound, and Kitchener.

Evan Bouchard has one goal in seven games this year and is dash five with two minutes in penalties. He’s been sheltered immensely as well and He’s not making the sort of impact that other 19-year-old defenders like Miro Heiskanen (DAL) or Henri Jokiharju (CHI) are making with their clubs thus making it a near certainty that he will be sent back to the OHL.

**UPDATE**

https://twitter.com/SportsnetSpec/status/1058363709804896257

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When Bouchard gets sent back, how will that affect the Oilers defense?

I don’t think it’ll affect it that much, to be honest.

The Oilers are more or less covered bottom-pairing-wise with Matt Benning, Jason Garrison, and one of Kevin Gravel, Ethan Bear, or whatever other AHL defender you’d like to choose and then at some point I imagine Andrej Sekera will re-join the group.

All of us Oilers fans have really enjoyed Bouchard’s calming demeanor, Al MacInnis-like slapshot, and slick passing so far this season but there are far too many risks involved in keeping him. Especially in a season where jobs are on the line, this is an Oilers team that can’t really afford to be developing a defenseman at the NHL level and that’s okay too because he’ll be back next season and the Oilers options with him will include the AHL due to him playing in his 4th major junior season.

This is the right move for Bouchard and the Oilers. Bring along this young man slowly and gently and reap the benefits down the road else feel the ire of the fanbase and the critique of the media if he’s rushed in the same manner Jesse Puljujarvi has been.

As I always say though when it comes to roster moves. Things can change at the drop of a hat so don’t bet your kids’ college funds on what you read on the internet 🙂

Thoughts? What do you think about this impending move with Bouchard? Would you send him back or keep him past the 9-game mark and burn a year of his ELC off?

Let us know in the comments below!

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2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup, Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, International, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

Taylor Hall, The Nuge, and Matty Tkachuk

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A lesser man would tell you he told you so with regards to Hall not making Team Canada but I’ll do no such thing. I got the news in a hungover stupor on vacation that Hall was out for the Canadians and Nugent-Hopkins was in for the U24 North Americans. Interesting….

No Taylor Hall for Team Canada this time around, maybe he’ll pull an Yzerman and be ready in his late 20’s.

My Thoughts on Hall and Team Canada

The following is going to come off as pretty anti-Hall but they’re just observations. I’ll admit Hall hasn’t been my favourite player since he’s come into the league and I’ve let my opinions be known on plenty of occasions. That being said, I am starting to see his game change for the better. So he may very well work his way into my good books and onto at least one Team Canada before it’s all said and done.

  • Taylor Hall wasn’t “snubbed” as some media and fans like to put it. He didn’t have a good NHL season and he doesn’t fit the mold of the players that Mike Babcock and his GMs prefer. Simple as that. Moral of the story: It’s better to slump at the beginning of the year than the end of it.
  • What kind of players does Babcock prefer? Well Subban, Letang, and Perry were all left off as well. Flash and dash can stay home.
  • Some say Hall is being punished by playing on a bad team. If that’s the case, why is Matt Duchene making the team? The Avalanche haven’t been a pillar of success recently.
  • He’s had a good couple of World Championships. Really?
    • The last two WC’s have been played on a larger ice surface thus allowing Hall way more room to use his best assets, his skating and playmaking. So he gets to carry the puck longer and he gets more time to set things up. Of course it looks like he’s playing well.
    • This year all of his points but one were accrued against the likes of France, Slovakia, Germany, and Bulgaria…
    • He only scored 1 point in his final four games which were played against Sweden, Finland (x2), and the USA…
  • A lot of folk on the Twitter machine say that Team Canada is making a mistake not naming Hall to the team but if you haven’t noticed, the men tasked with creating the roster have a bloody good track record when it comes to winning international events, no?
  • So it’s no surprise to me that the team went with Thornton and Marchand (Both whom I said would be better options than Hall back in March), Duchene (Who looked much better than Hall in the Gold Medal Final at the WC vs. Finland), and Giroux (This selection I’m a little perplexed by due to the surgery he’s just undergone that will keep him out for up to 12 weeks).
  • To me it looks like Hockey Canada was going with the hot hands. Marchand was a scoring and shooting beast this year and Joe Thornton had an outstanding season at the age of 36. I can’t speak for Duchene and Giroux though.
  • But I am surprised that Corey Perry didn’t make it. Maybe his dirty ways have caught up to him a bit.
  • Ryan O’Reilly not being named was also a little shocking.
  • Team Canada named 11 centers? There’s a positional shift coming I believe. The days of the “Natural” (fill in the position here) are slowly dying off. In the future players will have to be able to play all positions minus the netminder.
    • You can see it when we talk about Tkachuk vs. Dubois.
      • Some people will pump Dubois’ tires because he can play centre AND wing. It’s not such a bad thing. It’ll force players to be better skaters, better thinkers of the game and better 200ft players.
    • We also see it with defensemen. What happened to the strictly offensive defender or the dman that was specifically a shut-down player.
      • Now it’s “two-way” blueliners that can skate, move the puck, and think the game at a higher level. Physicality is fine but not required as much as it was in the past.

Team North America

  • Mark Scheifele, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Auston Matthews were the final forwards named to the U24’s.
    • Scheifele I have zero problems with. He was a defensive stud for Canada at the WC’s. Played a very smart game with Ryan O’Reilly, and Mark Stone.
    • Jonathan Drouin’s selection must infuriate a lot of people given he only played during the playoffs. But even so, he was one of the best players in the playoffs and completely filled the hole left by Stamkos’ absence.
    • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ experience and two-way game get him on this team but I reckon it was barely. He’s still rehabbing a hand injury, so here’s to hoping he’s got that sorted out by the beginning of the tourney.
    • Auston Matthews… This is going to be fun. Who else sees him playing with Gaudreau and Eichel?
  • Matt Murray will be the no.1 goalie going into this. He got his NHL team further than John Gibson got the Ducks. That position went from the team’s no.1 question to no question at all.
  • The entire team is going to be a lot of fun and I think that if one were to be a betting person, they’d bet on a Team Canada/Team North America Final. I haven’t checked but is that even possible?

The Draft

  • Matty Tkachuk was hurt the entire Memorial Cup but still found a way to scored the overtime game-winning goal to win the tournament for London… Gotta love the balls on this guy. Would’ve loved to watch the game… Lucky Zach Laing…
  • Former writer of the blog, Kris Hansen had a good comparison between Matt Tkachuk and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Stylistically, no but situationally, yes.
  • I’m torn on what the Oilers should do with that pick. I’m a draft geek at heart and using it on Tkachuk would not bother me one bit. Trading it outright would piss me off and trading down with it would leave me unsettled given the high probability the pick and/or player acquired could fail.
  • Recently on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, Jim Matheson said, and I’m paraphrasing so don’t quote me, that unless PK Subban was part of a deal; he couldn’t see the Oilers dealing down. Now that doesn’t mean the 4th overall for PK Subban, just a trade involving those pieces.
  • If I’m not mistaken, the Oilers trading down at the draft has not been a story book filled with wonderment and happy endings as it is. I say take Tkachuk and laugh all the way home about it.
  • Here are my top 5 options for the Oilers at no.4 overall
    • Matthew Tkachuk (LW) – grit, smarts, and size.
    • Pierre-Luc Dubois (C/LW) – powerhouse that plays multiple positions.
    • Mikhail Sergachev (RD) – apparently has the highest ceiling and is a lefty but plays right side.
    • Alexander Nylander (LW/RW) – creative mastermind that can play either wing.
    • Olli Juolevi (LD) – cool and calm, very good puck mover.
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2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup, Beer League Hero, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Zach Laing

2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup: Knights surge past the Rebels 6-2 in the tournament’s opening game

Multi-point efforts from Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak led the London Knights to a 6-2 win over the host Red Deer Rebels to open the 98th MasterCard Memorial Cup. Rob Wallator/CHL Images

The game started off strong for the Red Deer Rebels.

The first half of the first period was driven by the Rebels and they looked very much into the game. Banging, crashing and taking straight lines to the Knights, they certainly gave the London Knights a warm welcome to what playing WHL hockey is all about.

Both teams traded chances early in the game until Rebel Defender Hayden Fleury got into it after the whistle with Knights Winger Matthew Tkachuk. Despite the fact that the two had been pushing and shoving, the Knights got the last laugh as Fleury was penalized two minutes for roughing.

“We got a good start for the first ten minutes but penalties changed the momentum of our game,” said Rebels Head Coach during his post-game availability. “London was able to regroup and create some offense.”

It didn’t take long for the the Knights to capitalize, as on the powerplay drawn by Tkachuk, Mitch Marner and Tkachuk contributed assists on an Aaron Berisha goal.

From that point on, the Knights began to pour it on the Rebels. Christian Dvorak capitalized on two great set ups in front of the Rebels net in thanks to assists from Olli Juolevi and Mitch Marner on both goals.

Much like the second period, the first chunk of the second was quite even. However, Mitch Marner continued to shine and put the Knights up 4-0 seven minutes into the period.

Marner’s uses his speed and his ability to see the play before it happens gave him the chances to make the Rebels look silly. I always knew Marner was a player, but to have the chance to see him up close you begin to realize how special he is.

Hayden Fleury and Matthew Tkachuk exchange pleasantries during the first period. Fleury took a two minute roughing call on the play. Rob Wallator/CHL Images

“They’re talented and skilled,” said Suter when asked about the performance of the Tkachuk, Dvorak and Marner line.

“When you give them ice and allow them to do things and don’t play a hard game against them, they’re going to dominate you.”

Every time the trio were on the ice, the Knights spent almost all the time in the Rebel end. If teams can’t find a way to shut down this incredibly dominant line it is going to be very difficult to beat the Knights.

Tkachuk, who is the 2nd ranked North American skater by the NHL’s Central Scouting service, had a solid performance notching one assist alongside 10 shots on net and a +3 rating.

“To start off 1-0 is perfect,” said Tkachuk after the game.

“I hope the other team’s notice that we are here and we are here to win.”

Pair that alongside the stellar play of Knights G Tyler Parsons, and they could very well be the team to beat in this years Memorial Cup.

“Tyler Parsons made some amazing saves even when we had the lead, he kept us in the game,” said Knights head coach Dale Hunter.

“He gave us the momentum in the first ten minutes when Red Deer was putting a lot of pressure. It is a big win for our first game tonight.”

5’10, 174 lb 2016 Draft eligible Knights Defenceman Victor Mete scored a great goal in the second picking up a loose puck in the slot and firing it above Rebel G Rylan Toth.

His speed and offensive awareness could make him an interesting selection in this years draft. Mete led all OHL defencemen with a +53 +/- rating, and is currently rated .

The story behind the game wasn’t the fact that the Knights poured it on the Rebels, but simply the fact that Red Deer was unable to shut down the dynamic line of Matthew Tkachuk, Christian Dvorak and Mitchell Marner.

Every time the trio were on the ice, they spent almost all the time in the Rebel end. Simply put, if teams can’t find a way to shut down this line it is going to be very difficult to find a way to beat the Knights.

Pair that alongside the stellar play of Knights G Tyler Parsons, and they could very well be the team to beat in this years Memorial Cup.

“Tyler Parsons made some amazing saves even when we had the lead, he kept us in the game,” said Knights head coach Dale Hunter.

“He gave us the momentum in the first ten minutes when Red Deer was putting a lot of pressure. It is a big win for our first game tonight.”

I will be in Red Deer for the games over the next week covering the Memorial Cup live, so be sure to follow me on Twitter so you don’t miss a beat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8mIcgbSRHk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6S216eoEE

Edmonton Oilers, Kosmic Burrito, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

Kosmic’s Top Ten 2016 NHL Draft Prospects: #4 Olli Juolevi

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What’s going on, all you trippy, sexy people out in the BLH Universe? Here we are, almost through the 2nd week of April already. One thing we do know as of now, we officially didn’t finish last this year, and now possess the second best odds at taking the 1st overall pick. My dude Laine is getting a big push lately, and deservedly so! The kid is Magic Beans baby! Now that’s totally not taking anything away from Matthews, or any other kid on this list for that matter! Is it just me, or is this 1st Round Draft Class not starting to look better and better? Man oh man, soooo many excellent options.

So continuing the trend, let’s get down to biz…checking in next on the list is an elite defensive prospect. This choice was hard for me, as it basically boiled down to him, or another top notch defender. Don’t get me wrong, both of them look like sure fire, money in the bank, safe bets on the back-end. So here we are, checking in at #4 on the list:

If you haven’t read no.5 through no.10 on our list, check them out below! And please keep in mind that these are my projections based on the Oilers’ needs as an organization.

#10 – Alex Nylander
#9 – Pierre-Luc Dubois
#8 – Mikhail Sergachev
#7 – Matthew Tkachuk
#6 – Dante Fabbro
#5 – Jesse Puljujarvi

Will this Finnish rearguard be the first dman whose name is called at the draft this summer?

Olli Juolevi – D
London Knights (OHL)
6’2″ 185lbs
57GP 9G 33A 42PTS 16PIM 38+/-

I’ve said it before, I love me a London Knights prospect! The kids just seem to step into the big show more ready than others. I’ll be honest, I don’t expect anything less with Olli Juolevi. This kid is some top shelf shiznit ladies and gents! He’ll piss you off in your own end of the rink, and then piss you off some more in his. Juolevi is a premier two-way defender, who isn’t afraid to finish his checks with ferocity from time to time. Now I’m not saying that he’s overly physical, but he definitely knows how to us his size well. He possesses great skating ability that allows him to jump in on the rush, or back-check with ease. This allows him to constantly be a part of the play, and his elite vision has him consistently making smart plays. Speaking of consistency, Olli always gives 100% every shift and is constantly competing on the ice. His puck handling ability, and elite play-making skills help set him apart from almost every defender in his draft class. If you mix it all up, you have one helluva sweet defensive prospect with an excellent hockey sense. I would be INCREDIBLY happy if we land this future stud d-man.

“He’s a poised minute-muncher with very good size and strength for a young defenseman. He makes excellent plays in the defensive zone, using his stick and body to take pucks away and clear the zone. He does a very nice job of moving the puck, showing a sharp first pass and excellent vision. Understands the game extremely well and also has good mobility. Juolevi’s poise consistently stands out.” – futureconsiderations.ca (source)

“The Helsinki, Finland native adopts a cool and calm approach to all facets of his play; never panics and is always in astute positions to lead a charge up ice or make a staunch defensive play. Due to his calming style of play, he gives his forwards a considerable amount of confidence as they know he will address the defensive duties allowing them to push up more offensively” – David Burstyn, McKeen’s Hockey (source)

NHL Comparable(s): Olli Maatta (fellow Knights alumni) is said to be an exact clone.

Why would this player be on the Oilers Draft List? Seriously? Ummm maybe because we suck on defense? In all seriousness, we would be very lucky to land this player. Olli would help to fill up our glaring need on the back-end. He can move the puck well, and has excellent play-making ability. Something that we’re going to need a lot more of moving forward. Somebody has to get those pucks to all those skilled forwards that we have. They only issue that I have is, we’d most likely need to move a defender out. As Juolevi is yet another LHD. What are your thoughts?

BLH’s Comments: I think if the Oilers are in a position to draft Olli Juolevi, they should trade the pick. As good as Juolevi might be, he’d be surplus to requirements in Edmonton. Now if he was a potential 2nd round pick, that’s a different story but in the top ten there are simply better organizational options for the Oilers. I’m a tad concerned that he could get beat up in the Western Conference as well but let’s say the team did draft him, it would be an imperative that he’s sent to Bakersfield for two-three seasons or back to London for another year or two. 

Well thanks again folks, as always, it’s been my pleasure. Have an awesome day, and stay tuned for #3!

Follow me on Twitter @kosmicburrito

Edmonton Oilers, Kosmic Burrito, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

Kosmic’s Top Ten 2016 NHL Draft Prospects: #7 Matthew Tkachuk

Heyyyyyyyy BLH Universe…I literally had to drag my ass out of bed this morning. How’s everyone else doing? 1 more day people…1 more day. We can do this….collectively! Ok, so just reminding people that this list isn’t necessarily a top 10 list of rankings, these are the prospects that I think the Oilers should be most interested in. The great thing about being fans, is that we can debate this shit until the cows come home. As always, I’m open to your views, ideas, comments, etc..and you can always link me on Twitter. So getting down to business, here is #7:

But before we do get to #7, check out #8-10 below!

10 – Alexander Nylander
9 – Pierre-Luc Dubois
8 – Mikhail Sergachev

Will Matthew Tkachuk be able to follow in his father’s footsteps and be a dominant NHL power forward?

Matthew Tkachuk
London Knights
6’1” 194lbs
57GP 30G 77A 107PTS 80PIM 45+/-

What’s not too say about Matthew Tkachuk, the kid is awesome. Sure he plays on a stacked London Knights team, but they seem to be consistently stacked and a perennial playoff threat. But the one thing that I do like about Knights prospects, is that they seem too be the most NHL ready. London has amazing programs in place to help the junior’s get ready for the big show.

So we all know that Matthew’s father is none other than former NHL great Keith Tkachuk, but the NHL bloodlines don’t stop there. Tkachuk also has family ties to former player Tom Fitzgerald, and current NHL players Jimmy and Kevin Hayes. That’s a massive family, fucking man mountains they are!

So what’s to like about Tkachuk? Tons! He’s a dominant forward who can impact a game in many different ways. Matthew loves too play a high energy, nasty, agitator role and throw his body around and mix it up. Something the Oilers desperately need (but again, what don’t they need?). Tkachuk’s skating though, is unreal, and is one of his skills that separate him from his peers. He has excellent balance, and speed, which enables him to play at such a high energy level. His scoring touch is quite good as well, as he is able too score from many different areas of the ice. Tkachuk has all the necessary tools to succeed in the NHL, and would make a fine addition to any team.

NHL Comparable(s): His Daddy Keith Tkachuk, Jeff Carter, and Rick Nash

In this forceful, rigid yet graceful sport, there are few who possess a diverse resume of skills necessary to display a consistent level of dominance practically on a shift-to-shift basis. Terms like “the complete package” are often used to describe these rare birds, and as cliche as it sounds, it certainly is the best way to sum up players like Matt Tkachuk. – Steve Kournianos, thedraftanalyst.com (source)

A multi-dimensional energy winger that plays a pro-style, adaptive game. Well-versed as a guy who can consistently put up points, but also as an agitator who plays with a little bit of bite and nastiness. Skates with excellent balance and speed, outclassing many in his age range. No lack of offensive instincts and knows how to score in many different ways. Confidence in his abilities and playing to the extent of his capabilities strengthens his work ethic and creativity. All-in-all, a unique and effective forward who defines his own limits and seeks to exceed them, along with all on-ice expectations. – Curtis Joe, Elite Prospects (source)

Why would this player be on the Edmonton Oilers Draft List? Honestly, I’d much rather the Oilers take a defenceman, but I wouldn’t be upset if we landed Tkachuk. It was hard for me too choose between Dubois and Tkachuk, but I like Tkachuk’s overall game better. He doesn’t take as many stupid penalties as Dubois, and his skating is far more superior. All in all, I’d much rather an addition to our defence, but if I had to take a forward, Tkachuk would rank 4th on my radar in regards to forwards. Like I said, I definitely wouldn’t be upset if we land Matthew Tkachuk.

BLH’s Comments: There’s not much more I can add that Kosmic hasn’t already said. I have heard that he’s a very smart player out there on the ice and he’s got quite the mouth on him. For me, I think I’d go the opposite way as Mr.Burrito though, I’d rather have Dubois’ unpredictability and brute strength. 

Next up in the series is #6, any guesses as to who I’m leaning towards?
As always, you can catch me on Twitter @kosmicburrito

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I9yYqnTL28