Tag Archives: Matthew Tkachuk

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM50: Flames @ Oilers – 3P2W – It’s All Happening! Or Is It?

Everybody is going to be in the building tonight when the Edmonton Oilers take on the Calgary Flames for part three of five in this season’s Battle of Alberta. George Parros (Head of the Department of Player Safety), Stephen Walkom (NHL’s Director of Officiating ), Colin Campbell (Director of Hockey Operations) will all be in attendance for this one leading some to believe that there might be some messages sent that are the kinds you only get in person… So they can’t be traced or brought up at a later date… No evidence any talks actually took place…

The local media has been hyping the living sh*t out of this game as if it was the next coming of Christ, but I have a feeling that she’s gonna be toned down a bit. I’ve heard some media believe that Matthew Tkachuk will drop the gloves with Zack Kassian at the earliest convenience and that’s fine but do you really expect Tkachuk not to just tie Kassian’s hands up and hold on for dear life or for the officials to jump in as soon as a helmet falls off like they did when Darnell Nurse and Sam Bennett got into their tilly last year?

Both teams have inserted some extra muscle into the lineup for this one. Bud Robinson, a 6’6″ behemoth was called up right after the all-star game for Calgary and Edmonton is throwing Jujhar Khaira and Matt Benning into theirs. Both Benning and Khaira can chuck the knucks and offer some real sandpaper.

I wonder though might it be a bit quieter than expected? Oilers play-by-play colorman Bob Stauffer noted on his radio show yesterday that most recently the shenanigans have been taking place down in Calgary. I mean, there’s a ton on the line for Edmonton here. They really need to come out of this game AND the next installment of the BoA that takes place on the weekend with at least three out of four points in order to further solidify their place in the playoff race this year. But should this game be a throwback, the Oilers are fully capable of handling whatever Calgary wants to throw at them. It’s not even a question.

So maybe things get concluded early on and then the two teams settle down and play some hockey. I’m thinking with the way the standings are right now, that sounds exactly like what both coaches will be preaching before the game starts. Leave it all until game 82…

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The Next Ten Games (41-50)

  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – The Oilers should be bitter as hell coming back from the Christmas break and looking for retribution. In terms of gf/ga on the year, the Flames are -12 and Edmonton could feast on that. The Oilers have taken two of the past three contests. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. New York Rangers (17-15-4) – Edmonton will get its first look at 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and welcome back former Oiler, Ryan Strome. This should be a scheduled win for Edmonton as the Rangers aren’t anything special this year. The Oilers have won three on the trot vs. the Rags. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Buffalo Sabres (17-14-7) – Generally, over the years the Oilers have had pretty good luck in Buffalo, but this year Jack Eichel is a man possessed and last time Rasmus Dahlin was out of the lineup. If Dahlin is back in for this game, he’ll add a significant threat. I like Edmonton’s chances here though. (WIN)  OT LOSS
  • @ Boston Bruins (22-7-9) – The Bruins went into the Christmas break on a bit of a slump going 2-4-4 in their previous ten. This is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to win even when Boston is at their worst and there’s no better team to bust a slump against than Edmonton, right? (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4) – Toronto’s confidence was sky high before baby Jesus’ bday, but guess who comes to play each time he’s back home. That’s right, Connor McDavid. It will take a complete team effort for the Oilers to beat their nemesis, Freddy Andersen, though as he’s really had Edmonton’s number. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • @ Montreal Canadiens (18-13-6) – I really enjoyed Edmonton’s performance against the Habs in their earlier match. If the Oilers can replicate that, I don’t see why a win is out of the question. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Round two! Ding. Ding. In Calgary, I think the Flames might be able to muster up a win here. (LOSS) LOSS
  • vs. Nashville Predators (18-12-6) – Is Pekka Rinne in net? If so, I’ll give this one to the Oilers. If it’s Saros, the Preds have a much better chance of success. They’ve been an interesting team to watch this year and are playing in a tough division. Their 42pts at the break had them in 3rd last in the Central… (WIN) WIN
  • vs. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4) – Hallsy’s back and if the Oilers would like to go that extra mile, they could show him how much of a powerhouse they plan to be next season by wiping the floor with Arizona, but it’ll be a tough game. Arizona is a lot deeper than the Oilers and their netminding has been much better. This needs to be a game where Edmonton’s defense shines. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Coming off of a 10-day break, Mikko Koskinen and the Oilers will be well-rested. In theory, they should be as ready as they’re ever going to be to take on their inter-province rivals. (WIN)

(Standings as of December 26th, 2019)

I thought I was being a tad facetious when I predicted that the Oilers’d come out of this 10-game stretch with 14 out of a possible 20 points. Well, they’re going to get at least 15 points if not more here. 6-2-2 (7-1-1) and that’s just fine by me. I hope this long break gives them the rest they’re going to need going into the final 32 games because they’re going to be playing nearly every two days until their last game of the year against… Calgary… Where they’ll have their longest break since the one they just had, a three-day rest. So buckle up Oilers fans, the rollercoaster is just about to begin.

Tonight’s Game

  • Calgary went 3/4 on the powerplay against St. Louis last night, so it’s probably safe to say that the Oilers need to stay out of the penalty box. That’s what burnt them last time out against the Flames and they certainly do not need a sequel to that movie.
  • That advice is something the Geoff Ward’s troops will need to heed as well. Edmonton has the best PP in the league and with the director of officiating watching, maybe the game gets called a bit tighter…
  • As I mentioned above, Calgary is on the back half of a back-to-back, the Oilers need to capitalize on their fresh legs and early because the Flames have scored most of their goals this year in the final frame and the least amount in the first period. Whereas Edmonton has scored the majority of their goals in the first and the least in the third.
  • That said, Calgary is the 2nd-best team in the NHL this year when trailing first. Edmonton is 26th in the league.
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Three Players to Watch for the Flames

  • #19 Matthew Tkachuk – Does anybody know the last time this guy actually scored an even-strength goal?
  • #10 Derek Ryan – Three points in his last five matches and now he’s up on the 2nd line with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The former U of A Golden Bear is a crafty player and can be used in nearly all situations thanks to his skill on the dot.
  • #33 Dave Rittich – Big Save Dave will have to be on his mark for this one as I believe the Oilers are going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him. He’s had a down year but in his last three outings, he’s 1-2-0 with a 2.32 GAA and a .925 save percentage.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #44 Zack Kassian – Kass has already been downplaying what his plans are for this game. I reckon he’ll play the game and try to help his team win but if there’s an opportunity to hit a guy or if someone wants to go with him and the time is right, he’ll do it. He did say he got his licks on Tkachuk already though… So we’ll see where this goes.
  • #54 Jujhar Khaira – The ice couldn’t be any thinner for JJ. He needs to make an impact in this game and show his coaches what he’s got to offer or he’ll be playing somewhere else shortly. I think he’ll drop the mitts with someone. Maybe Lucic?
  • #25 Darnell Nurse – He was pretty invisible before the break and these are the kinds of games we need him to step up. Be that on the scoreboard or with his fists, Nurse needs to remind these boys from down the QE2 that the Oilers are far from pretenders.
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM 48: Predators @ Oilers – 3P2W – Kassian/Tkachuk Fallout

Can you believe how good that hockey game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames was the other night? It has been quite a while since we’ve seen the intensity revved up that high in the Battle of Alberta. I’m talking decades possibly. We had highlight-reel goals, massive open-ice body checks, a scrum that made national headlines, and some ridiculous goaltending. As a fan of hockey, what more could you have asked for?

More on Zack Kassian/Matthew Tkachuk later.

Edmonton’s next opponents are the Nashville Predators and it would be prudent for the Oilers to re-focus and lock their targeting systems on the Preds right now because they’re going to need all of that concentration not to take the men from Music City lightly even though they’ve been having a down year. Even more so for the reason that since the Predators fired Peter Laviolette and hired John Hynes, they’ve not lost and find themselves a mere four points behind the Oilers in the wildcard race.

A win for Edmonton would mean a spot back in the Pacific Division’s top three but that might only be temporary if the other teams they’re competing with also win. So it’s quite imperative that the Oilers pick up points in this game and the next one against Arizona before they begin their annual bye-week.

Kassian/Tkachuk

Before I get into my thoughts on this, I want to give fans of the Calgary Flames an opportunity to read something that will help justify their opinion and Matthew Tkachuk’s actions. Click here for that.

So Zack is going to be sitting two games for protecting himself because the league and its officials couldn’t be bothered but isn’t it interesting that the NHL’s Department of Player Safety only game Kassian two games thus setting up a mid-week hockey game that normally would go unnoticed in parts of North America not named Alberta. Now, everybody will be tuning in to see what Mr. Kassian has in store for Matthew Tkachuk… Clever decision George but will the refs let them play or decide that they won’t be embarrassed… Again.

Have you seen the list of ex-NHLers that have come out in support of Kassian?

Now, what’s happened here is that the league has said that it’s okay with players running around making hits like Tkachuk did in that game and to be honest if that’s really the decision, then I’m all for him. I’d love to see the return of the big hit, but you cannot punish a man for sticking up for himself if you’re letting the other players run him.

I talked to a current NHLer about this and he basically told me that that game was insane but he loves the way Tkachuk plays. I asked a gentleman who played for the Oilers but is retired now about this whole debacle and he mentioned that you can never make a player like Tkachuk go away and that’s why you target the Gaudreaus. He added that sometimes it’s not so easy to turn on the nasty and become the aggressor all of a sudden. Likened it to running up an escalator in that you might make some progress but you’ll never get ahead and it’s more effective just to start the game with that plan than to try and play catch up.

Matt Tkachuk has put his teammates in a very precarious position. They now have to watch their backs on the ice at all times because Edmonton is going to make it a priority to chip away at them until Keith’s boy decides he’s all grown up and can do the right thing when the bell is rung. There are going to be some long nights ahead for Calgary’s goalies, Johnny Gaudreau, and Sean Monohan, Oliver Kylington and Rasmus Andersson and they’ll be able to thank their Tkachucky Cheese for that. The other thing that’s going to happen is that the spotlight that is on him is going to grow a bit brighter each time he does something like this and eventually they’ll tell him to stop or it’ll be a 41-game suspension…

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The Next Ten Games (41-50)

  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – The Oilers should be bitter as hell coming back from the Christmas break and looking for retribution. In terms of gf/ga on the year, the Flames are -12 and Edmonton could feast on that. The Oilers have taken two of the past three contests. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. New York Rangers (17-15-4) – Edmonton will get its first look at 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and welcome back former Oiler, Ryan Strome. This should be a scheduled win for Edmonton as the Rangers aren’t anything special this year. The Oilers have won three on the trot vs. the Rags. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Buffalo Sabres (17-14-7) – Generally, over the years the Oilers have had pretty good luck in Buffalo, but this year Jack Eichel is a man possessed and last time Rasmus Dahlin was out of the lineup. If Dahlin is back in for this game, he’ll add a significant threat. I like Edmonton’s chances here though. (WIN)  OT LOSS
  • @ Boston Bruins (22-7-9) – The Bruins went into the Christmas break on a bit of a slump going 2-4-4 in their previous ten. This is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to win even when Boston is at their worst and there’s no better team to bust a slump against than Edmonton, right? (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4) – Toronto’s confidence was sky high before baby Jesus’ bday, but guess who comes to play each time he’s back home. That’s right, Connor McDavid. It will take a complete team effort for the Oilers to beat their nemesis, Freddy Andersen, though as he’s really had Edmonton’s number. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • @ Montreal Canadiens (18-13-6) – I really enjoyed Edmonton’s performance against the Habs in their earlier match. If the Oilers can replicate that, I don’t see why a win is out of the question. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Round two! Ding. Ding. In Calgary, I think the Flames might be able to muster up a win here. (LOSS) LOSS
  • vs. Nashville Predators (18-12-6) – Is Pekka Rinne in net? If so, I’ll give this one to the Oilers. If it’s Saros, the Preds have a much better chance of success. They’ve been an interesting team to watch this year and are playing in a tough division. Their 42pts at the break had them in 3rd last in the Central… (WIN)
  • vs. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4) – Hallsy’s back and if the Oilers would like to go that extra mile, they could show him how much of a powerhouse they plan to be next season by wiping the floor with Arizona, but it’ll be a tough game. Arizona is a lot deeper than the Oilers and their netminding has been much better. This needs to be a game where Edmonton’s defense shines. (OT LOSS)
  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Coming off of a 10-day break, Mikko Koskinen and the Oilers will be well-rested. In theory, they should be as ready as they’re ever going to be to take on their inter-province rivals. (WIN)

(Standings as of December 26th, 2019)

Three Players to Watch for the Predators

  • #59 Roman Josi – In Nashville’s last ten matches, Josi has SIXTEEN points… Safe to say, he’s a scoring threat that Edmonton should watch carefully.
  • #15 Craig Smith – Six goals in his last ten games. He was a perfect candidate to acquire earlier in the season when he was shooting blanks. Now he’s scoring goals left and right and the price has increased.
  • #33 Viktor Arvidsson – I really love watching this little guy play. He’s like a Swedish Brendan Gallagher but with a better shot. He’s not been as healthy or effective this season, but he’s always one to keep an eye out for given he doesn’t offer you much choice in the matter.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #15 Josh Archibald – I reckon that Archie will take Kassian’s spot on the top line to begin with. He offers the speed and tenacity in the corners that will be absent w/o Kass. He’s also got six points in his last ten performances.
  • #18 James Neal – Three goals in his last five games and he’s facing a former club. Does that work for current Oilers? I mean, can they turn it on against a team they played for in the past? I feel like it only works for skaters that leave the Oilers though…
  • #74 Ethan Bear – He’s had a couple of off-days recently and Edmonton needs him to get back to form. The Predators have threats on all four lines, so it won’t matter who he’s lined up against. His work is cut out for him (and his partner…).

The lines below will change undoubtedly with Kassian’s paper suspension in effect. Either Patrick Russell or Jujhar Khaira will come back in to shore up the forwards unless Coach Tippett wants to go seven defensemen but I think that’s unlikely. Personally, I hope Russell makes it back in but I’d understand if they decided to insert Khaira given his previous role on the PK. Mike Smith will be back between the pipes.

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Edmonton Oilers Opinion: Puljujarvi Tearing Up the AHL, Matt Tka-turtle and McLellan’s BS

The Edmonton Oilers had a chance to take 2 points from the Calgary Flames last night but gave it away chasing Matty Tkachuk around the ice thus exposing Todd McLellan’s inferior coaching once again this season.

The team is now 9-9-1 and can either go over .500 with a win over Vegas tonight or fall under .500 with a loss.

How long is Todd McLellan’s leash do you think?

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Todd McLellan’s BS

If I were Peter Chiarelli, I’d be phoning up Darryl Katz and getting permission to move forward with a coaching change. This is getting ridiculous.

Cooper Marody played a shade over 3 minutes last night… THREE FOOKIN’ MINUTES! What was the point of inserting him into the lineup? McLellan said they couldn’t get him back into the game because of all the penalties and then by the time they could, they’d shortened the bench.. Geez…

Then the new guy couldn’t break 10 minutes because the coach decided to put Lucic up on the McDavid line to combat Matthew Tkachuk who, by the way, was having NO IMPACT on the actual playing part of the game.

Now, I have no problem with Lucic taking a shift or two now and then with Connor or Leon but the entire 3rd period when the team was looking flat?! No no no no no no. You get Spooner back in the game, you get Marody back in there, and you start playing hockey again. Enough running around looking for payback or at least if you’re looking for blood, start taking out the Gaudreaus, the Lindholms, the Monahans.

Did RNH even play last night? I hardly noticed him.

Like, how is McLellan even running that bench? His decisions are costing the team in a season where he’s coaching for his job…

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Matt Tkachuk

I’ll say this, I think he’s elite and what I mean by that is, he’s the best player in the NHL at not getting caught.

How many times was he punching an Oiler in the face, taking a run at someone, or getting his shots in after the whistles? Yet, no penalties. He’s Teflon. Nothing sticks to that kid and at the same time I hate it and love it. He’s perfect for the game today because he throws chaos into every game he plays. Chaos is good in a league that is so rigid and planned.

That said, he’s playing a very dangerous game. Zack Kassian and Milan Lucic could’ve really hurt him last night (yes, there was a part of me that was hoping one of the Oilers tough guys would’ve knocked him out).

Mark my words. His day will come and it might not even be him getting tuned in. Maybe next time Kassian grabs Gaudreau in the same manner John Scott went after Phil Kessel years ago. Just an apology before the puck drops and then POW! RIGHT IN THE KISSER!

Stauffer made an interesting point on Twitter after the game.

The Oilers could’ve won that game easily had Leon Draisaitl or Jujhar Khaira scored on the three breakaways they had combined. So there’s that.

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Jesse Puljujarvi

I’m so happy I bought the Bakersfield Condors package from AHLTV. I’ve watched both games that Jesse Puljujarvi has played in since being sent down and let me tell you… WOW! Not a sign of poor confidence that I’ve seen.

Remember how Pulju was looking during pre-season when we all thought the Oilers RW depth was sorted? Well, he looks even better than that vs AHL competition.

In his first game, the Condors played ex-Oilers coach Dallas Eakins and the San Diego Gulls. Jesse lined up with Josh Currie and Kailer Yamamoto to start but Woodcroft did end up switching things up later in the game.

The Condors spent WAY too much time in the penalty box and the Gulls made them pay for it. They actually chased Al Montoya from the net early in the game forcing Shane Starrett to mind the net for the rest of the match.

The game will most likely be remembered for career minor-leaguer Corey Tropp sticking Jesse Puljujarvi in the nuts and then proceeding to fight the big Finn after Pulju slapped his stick away. It was not a great showing for Jesse in that department but in the hockey playing department, he was looking like that kid who was dominating the SM-Liigga as a 17-year-old.

He was hitting, skating, shooting, making plays, and just being the end-to-end force we know he can be. Seriously. I have never seen him play like that apart from maybe the World Juniors but even then I’m not sure the physicality was there. He was truly a beast in that game but unfortunately, the Condors dropped the decision 4-0.

The next game was against the Colorado Eagles and Pulju was back at it alongside Josh Currie (again) and Tyler Benson. Jay Woodcroft even had him lined up on the PP in his old trusty spot, half-wall left side. I just remember him and Ethan Bear passing it back and forth trying to figure out who was going to take the one-timer.

I love how Woodcroft is using him. He knows exactly how to use him and it’s so refreshing. You see, Puljujarvi is a line driver. He, like Connor and Leon, loves to swoop into the d-zone and gather the puck in order to drive it through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone but Todd will not allow that on his team. Only Connor is supposed to be doing that I’ve heard.

Great way to put a guy in a position to succeed.

Anyways, Pulju ended the night with a goal and an assist. I believe the goal was the GWG to boot with the Condors winning 4-2. Tyler Benson also had 2 assists.

In both matches, Jesse Puljujarvi was slicing through AHL defenses like a hot Finnish blade through some Valio. It could be the adrenaline but I’m willing to bet that he’s just too good for this league with the way he’s punishing the opposition.

I will add this though, he’s taking shots but they’re a lot like the ones he was taking in Edmonton. From the outside and at distance. He needs to get right in there and flick the wrists as Lemieux used to when he’d score bar-down on a nightly basis in the 90s. That’s my only gripe.

After the first game, where he was bulldozing players and getting into scraps, I felt really proud of Jesse because it’s not easy to take a demotion like that and the way he has chosen to channel that emotion really impresses me. He’s using it to be the better player on the ice and if he continues to play like this, he’ll earn a call-up to the Oilers in no time. Hopefully, by then the Oilers will have a new bench boss that will use him properly.

Just a quick note on some of the other players for Bakersfield.

  • Hebig has been invisible the last two games.
  • Benson is already dominating at this level as a two-way playmaker.
  • Ethan Bear will not be ready this season even though the Oilers could use his passing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s available in the right trade.
  • Yamamoto has been hot/cold these last two games. He’s good at the AHL-level but he still needs some refinement.

I’ve really enjoyed watching this minor pro hockey. It’s very unpredictable whereas NHL hockey is getting too regimented. Almost like watching football. Set plays are everywhere. I love the mistake-laden hockey as it offers up way more chances.

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Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Spooner Acquisition Just the Beginning?

She’s been a busy weekend here in Taipei and I haven’t had the chance to comment on the Strome/Spooner trade. So I’d like to do that right now and also address some possibility of future moves being made by the team.

The Trade

I like the trade but how much longer will Peter Chiarelli put up with Todd McLellan’s BS? More on that in a second.

Ryan Strome was spinning his wheels in Edmonton on the third line and the PK. Funny, this was the second season in a row where the elder Strome started the year horribly. Remember when Nick Kypreos went on Hockey Night in Canada early last year and let it be known that the Oilers weren’t happy with Strome’s performances and might be looking to move on from him?

Well, I guess Chiarelli didn’t want to wait for Kyper to get his meathooks stuck in again this year and pulled the trigger on a deal to bring in a former 2nd round pick of his.

Full disclosure, I have never really paid close attention (or any attention at all really) to the career of Ryan Spooner so I had nothing to really go on until I watched him vs. Calgary last night and what I saw didn’t disappoint me. Although, he’s got to tie his man up a bit better than that in front of the net.

He’s quick and he looks like he doesn’t mind taking a shot which is good. I think the Oilers could use a few more shoot-first players.

Getting back to Strome a bit here. I never really minded his game but one of my pet peeves regarding how he played was that he spent far too much time on the perimeter. He can skate and he can stickhandle and shoot but he really had no time for the interior of the ice and that’s not how you’re going impress the coach. I thought he could’ve done more to become a more dominant defensive player though.

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More Deals Coming?

Maybe. What I was told was that if the Oilers keep up with the sub-par performances, changes will come. They still want that PP QB and possibly another centre.

The way I interpret that is the coach will be replaced. We can talk about how the Oilers could move Zack Kassian or Milan Lucic but trades are difficult to make I feel. Axing the coach and bringing in a new one is just a matter of getting the owners approval because it’s going to hit him in the wallet.

Now, I can’t say one way or another if the Oilers would hire Joel Quenneville but I will say with certainty, if the Oilers do go out and get him, they’ll be paying a very dear price to hire him on.

My question would be, do you think he’d only come in on the interim basis? The reason I ask that is that Pittsburgh is absolutely floundering right now. Would they axe their coach and bring Quenneville in? Which sort of team would Coach Q prefer?

Before I end this, I just want to float a few names your way and you tell me if you think they’re too far-fetched, ok?

  • Nikita Zadorov (COL) – LHD – The hard-hitting Russian is in Bednar’s doghouse.
  • Phil Kessel (PIT) – RW – How long will Rutherford keep Phil the Thrill during this slump?
  • Jeff Carter (LA) – C – How far will LA go in dismantling things?

Lots of questions to be asked and so… We wait.

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#PackYourShit

Some big decisions are about to be made folks! Will Chia Pete deal off Taylor Hall to fit Milan Lucic into the lineup and get that prized blueliner that we haven’t heard about yet? Might the Toronto Maple Leafs have interest in Nail Yakupov? Does Ryan Nugent-Hopkins get moved to a team like the Minnesota Wild? I want to talk about these things and more…

STAUFFER’S LATEST

Just a few notes from yesterday’s edition of Oilers Now:

  • Watch out for these teams at the draft and this summer:
    • Colorado – looking for a change in organizational philosophy.
    • Chicago
    • Montreal – PK Subban is all the rage!
    • New York Rangers – want to move out salary.
    • New York Islanders – Hamonic. Will he stay or go?
    • Columbus – they’ve got to move some fat contracts and what will they do with #3 overall?
    • Ottawa – Cody Ceci is a name to remember.
    • Minnesota – Stauffer didn’t like Brodin and was iffy on Dumba.
    • New Jersey – Bob wondered about a Yakupov plus a third for Damon Severson.
    • Calgary – Stauffer talked about a possible Wideman for Korpikoski deal
    • Winnipeg – No on the Nurse for Trouba. Wondered why the Jets would want to move Trouba instead of Myers and the Jets are in the market for a centre.
  • Barrie could still be available. Stauffer said that Sakic mentioned the same thing when he was asked about Ryan O’Reilly last year. Burnaby Joe said ROR was a priority for the AVs then 8 days later he was dealt.
  • In regards to the Milan Lucic sweepstakes Bob said to keep an eye on Anaheim, Vancouver and Edmonton.
  • Yakupov’s value is going down because he’s going to have to be protected in the expansion draft whilst the #4 pick overall’s value is going up because that player will not have to be protected.
  • Iiro “The Hero” Pakarinen should be signed to a 1yr 1-way deal in the next couple of weeks for no more than 850k.
  • Stauffer said that he doesn’t think the Oilers will move up in the draft and that Chiarelli would have to be overwhelmed to trade down.
  • It’s Matthew Tkachuck or Mikhail Sergachev for Bob if he had a choice.

CONNOR MCDAVID CALDER SNUB

This is fucked. I don’t know who votes for the rookies of the month but if those are the same guys that get to vote for the Calder Trophy, then that was some fixing that got done there. McDavid was clearly the best 1st year player in the NHL. It’s a god damned joke that Panarin was even considered by the PHWA on a common sense level.

NAIL YAKUPOV

Fack. This makes me want to puke in my mouth a little bit. Yak can’t get any love from the NHL or his own National team… A bloody third rounder?! How about we throw a hearty double bird Dallas Eakins and Craig MacTavish’s way for trying to make Yak a “two-way” player instead of playing to his strengths…

I will say this though. NEVER will an Edmonton Oilers prospect ever don the number 64 again after Yakupov is traded. It’s cursed.

EXPANSION DRAFT PROTECTION LIST

So that got me thinking… Who would I put in the Oilers expansion draft protection list.

  • Taylor Hall
  • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
  • Jordan Eberle
  • Leon Draisaitl
  • Andrej Sekera
  • Oscar Klefbom
  • **New Guy**
  • Brandon Davidson
  • Cam Talbot.

But here’s the rub, how long will Nuge and Ebs be part of the Oilers team? Especially if a player like Milan Lucic or Troy Brouwer are acquired?

 

TAYLOR HALL

I don’t think we can call what we’re reading on Twitter “rumours” anymore. We’re experiencing a full-fledged game of telephone here. One person says one thing to another and they pass it on down the line and then the person at the end of the line says what they were told… It’s never what the first person said, right?

But with that being said, I mentioned this on Twitter (@beerleagueheroe) earlier in the day, Taylor Hall is a great hockey player. He drives the play for the Oilers, gives the opposition team another superstar to contend with, and he’s a top three left wing in the National Hockey League BUT he’s not THE best. He’s not Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, or Wayne Gretzky and I think a lot of fans have a tough time thinking about an Edmonton Oilers team that doesn’t have Taylor Hall on it. And they should try because there are actually other good players on the team and the Edmonton Oilers might actually be okay without Hall.

Personally, I’d like to see this team win WITH Taylor Hall because I think he deserves as much. He’s grown on me a bit and the data that has been shown and explained to me by Darcy McLeod (@woodguy) and Alan Hull (@alanhull) has been quite eye opening. But if he does get dealt, I’ll be eager to see how the new players fit in and help the team get to the next level.

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