Yesterday was a bit of a sh*t show for myself on the old Oilers Twitter machine and thanks to all of those who felt compelled to back me up (What’s up JT!), that was very kind of you, I appreciate it and I won’t forget it.
I was summoned by a grand member of the Oilers blogging community (I won’t say who, if you were privvy to the interaction consider yourself lucky, but if you really want to know, it won’t take long to find out) to retract my Laraque/Hall post because said person thought it that since Big Georges had done it, I should do so as well because I was spreading false information.
So I’ll do the same thing with this as I did with the Laraque comments, post the tweet (which I can’t now b/c it’s been deleted… Good thing Chapman included it in his article.) and let the mob concern themselves with it.
In a french radio interview, I mentioned that years ago Taylor Hall had to go through rehab, info I got from an NHL hockey agent. After further verifications I can say that this information was 100% wrong, I was wrong and apologize to Taylor for the mistake.
Look, this is fine, I have no problem with folks coming at me but it was that person’s method in which it was done, using shame, that irked me.
Now, I don’t use foul language online often when I’m angry but I did yesterday because that’s how strongly I felt about it. You can hit up my Twitter T/L if you feel the need to see what I said but you won’t get to see what the other fellow tweeted because it’s been deleted. Which is a kind gesture albeit an unfortunate one because it won’t give any context to the tweet that said it was being taken down.
I don’t hold any grudges towards that person. We all make decisions based on emotion and usually live to regret them. It happens. Live and learn.
So let’s be clear here for anybody that thinks I have this site up for reasons other than my own amusement.
I write for me and those who enjoy reading what I share. If you are one of those who don’t like what I have to share, you’re free to visit other sites. If you’re one who is curious about my POV and wants to talk, I’m here for you.
Ah well. Who really gives a shit, right? It is what it is and now it’s done. There are better things to concern ourselves with regarding the Oilers!
OILERS NEWS
Oilersnation – 100 Reasons to Watch – Connor McDavid’s quest for his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy (NHL leading scorer) continues tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, another team battling for a playoffs spot.
Oilersnation – Three Thoughts: Bringing the Fire – While there are exceptions here and there, when it comes to truly great players, the common denominator isn’t the fastest feet, the softest hands or the highest hockey IQ, although every one of those traits matter. For me, what separates the very best from the rest is…
Oilersnation – The Oilers and Their UFAs – While the three players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st won’t get much attention, they could all provide cheap roster depth. The decisions that Peter Chiarelli makes with them are still very important ones and will impact the organizations’ offseason plans.
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It’s over! It’s all over! The 2018 NHL Trade Deadline is over and f-me, as an Oilers fan, am I glad. Now we can finally go back to watching hockey like normal people. But boy is it going to be weird watching an Oilers team without Mark Letestu and Pat Maroon.
As everybody knew would happen, as soon as the Pat Maroon trade came in the Oilogosphere immediately went up in flames! Bloody Oilers fans eh?… lol
This is what happens when teams with uber deep prospect pools start whispers about upgrading. If you’re truly pissed off, blame the pundits because they are the ones that told us Jordan Kyrou or Taylor Raddysh could be used to acquire upgrades for their teams.
The reality of today’s NHL is that teams aren’t moving those high-end players as often anymore because they need them for their own club. Be that to help cushion the blow of a tight salary cap or simply for talent.
The NHL is getting younger and younger every year. So don’t expect too much out of the NHL draft either. The insiders will sell you on the idea that some big names are going to move in Dallas this summer at the draft but don’t believe them. Some guys will of course move because teams don’t have to worry about the salary cap during the summer and they’ll have that whole time up until the beginning of October to get their financials straight but I would say that TB and STL will be keeping their prized prospects.
THE TRADES
Pat Maroon to NJ for Joey Dudek+2019 3rd round pick
Everyone thought when the Grabner deal went down that the market was set for Patty but boy were they wrong. I even noticed some asking why Maroon didn’t bring back a 1st rounder or even a 2nd rounder. Well, to explain why here are a couple of tweets I sent out that should explain things clearly:
Well NTB, let's look at the players who garnered 2nd round picks this year.
Grabner (fast) Tatar (fast) McDonagh/Miller (better) Plekanec (better) Turris (better)
Maybe expectations were a bit high but I'm part of that group who thought he'd get a late 1st maybe… so… https://t.co/jshffJig0i
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) February 26, 2018
Trades that involved a 1st round pick at this year:
McDonagh to TB Tatar to VGK Kane to SJ (Conditional) Stastny to WPG Hartman to NSH Nash to BOS Brassard to PIT Duchene to OTT
Not sure if any of the players the #Oilers traded deserved a 1st rounder in return.
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) February 26, 2018
Peter Chiarelli said the market was tough. Well, you can’t say he was lying. You might say he could work on his negotiation tactics though :p
My Thoughts: Well I wanted to say that this was a clear loss but it’s not a clear one at all. The players that are comparable to Maroon only netted their teams marginal NHLers (Motte/Jokinen) or late round draft picks.
It’s my understanding that Maroon’s lower body injury played a part in the negotiations as well.
I’m going to give this a passing grade. It’s not a win but it’s not a loss either. Fact is, the Oilers traded a 3rd rounder and Martin Gernat to acquire the Big Rig AND they got ANH to retain salary. Now, they’ve dealt the UFA-to-be for a 3rd rounder and a prospect with speed and skill.
This Dudek kid is intriguing though. He’s a former 6th rounder (like Brandon Davidson).
Dudek has elite-level skill and skating. When he is on the attack, he is a team player first. He gets his teammates involved with good vision and decision making with the puck. He needs to get stronger and quicker on the ice, but he has shown in the past his commitment to becoming a better overall hockey player. – Hockey’s Future (source)
I fully expect the Oilers to re-visit Pat Maroon’s agent this summer and for the Oilers to offer him a contract.
Mark Letestu to Nashville for Pontus Aberg
Letestu has no intentions of coming back to Edmonton this summer and the Oilers need speed and skill from the wings.
Pontus Aberg fits the bill perfectly in terms of what Chiarelli was looking for at the deadline this year and the Oilers needed a real human, not a pick, to put into the lineup for the rest of the year.
I’ve heard that Aberg has the Linus Omark skill but with a much better attitude.
My Thoughts: Straight out win for the Oilers here. Letestu is a UFA and even if Aberg doesn’t pan out, they get to give the Swede a test-run and he’s cheap. I think a shade under 700k if I’m not mistaken. I’m not exactly sure of his waiver eligibility though. If he is okay to go to the minors, that would make this trade even better.
Brandon Davidson to the Islanders for a 3rd round pick in 2019
I hated to see Davy go because I loved his attitude on the ice. He was a tough customer out there and gave it 100%. He didn’t bring much offense to the game mind you but he was a solid bottom pairing defender on this 2nd go-round with the Oilers
My Thoughts: Anytime you can turn a waiver pick up into a 3rd rounder, you do it. This is a clear win for Chiarelli.
Could we have used Davidson next year? I think so but I think he needs to be qualified at $1.6M and that’s too much for a no.6/7 dman I guess.
So at the end of the weekend, the Oilers lose three roster players and add 1 back. They add two more picks to their stable for 2019 which is good because that supposed to be an insane draft. That said, Chiarelli told us that he would like to use those picks to acquire young prospects who are near NHL-ready.
So we’ll have to wait and see what he does with those picks IF he gets the chance.
The Oilers lost three good men at the deadline this year. Players that are your glue and character in the dressing room. Maroon and Letestu were the buffers between the coaches and the players. Now we’re going to see what this group is made of and for me, as long as they show me effort and score some goals, that’s all I can ask for.
Give me effort and give me goals.
RANDOM NOTES
Be wary of the upcoming NCAA playoffs starting this week. Some NCAA free agents will become available this weekend and I expect the Oilers to be in on some. Max Veronneau is one to keep an eye on.
Those expecting Milan Lucic to start losing all of that cherry TOI now that the deadline is over are going to be disappointed. McLellan will definitely ride that guy until he’s off the schneid. He’ll be McDavid’s partner until then.
Jordan Eberle had 13 goals at this time last year. Ryan Strome has 12… Weird.
Mike Cammalleri wasn’t being shopped despite playing top-6 minutes. I wonder if the Oilers bring him back for next season?
Don’t be surprised if the Klefbom/Krug rumor start to pick up as we get closer to the draft. The Oilers need a PP specialist and Krug is exactly that!
Lastly, the best deal is sometimes the trade you don’t make. If you’re feeling down about the deadline just think, the Oilers still have Nurse, RNH, Klefbom, Slepyshev, Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, etc. The future is bright!
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I don’t want to say that the season is over quite yet. Especially with so many games left (20-ish) versus the Pacific Division where they have the 3rd best record behind Anaheim and San Jose since Chiarelli, McLellan and McDavid came on board.
The Oilers have two games left before their bye week and they’re back-to-back Friday and Saturday. Luckily neither are afternoon games, amirite?
Listen, everybody is going to think that the Oilers will walk all over the Coyotes and that the Golden Knights are going to walk all over the Oilers but we know better, it’s going to be the opposite isn’t it?
Actually, I have tons of faith in the boys that they’ll come out with 3 or more points this weekend and those games could very well be the catalyst that sparks a serious 10 (or more) game streak of positive results.
Of course, I’m less a realist and more an optimist, so naturally, I’ll take that route of thinking. I just find that reading any sponsored Oilers blog (Oilersnation, Oil on Whyte, The Oilers Rig, Copper and Blue, etc) or their Twitter personalities to be a real pain in the ass. WAY too negative. I mean good god people. Let’s take a step back and realize that we’re getting upset at something that’s way out of our control. But I suppose it’s a bit easier for me not being in Edmonton or Alberta or Canada for that matter as I can go out in public with my Oilers swag on and nobody gives a flying fart.
Anyways, I’m not writing today to bitch and moan about other sites. I want to get into my thoughts on the team looking back and going forward into this summer. Talk about some roster speculation and what not.
IS THE TEAM A WRITE-OFF FOR 2017/18?
I don’t believe it is because anything can happen but it’s harder and harder to tow that line every week as the divide between the Oilers and the rest of the Pacific grows. That said, if Edmonton can outright win most of their remaining games vs. their division rivals, that’d go a long way to getting into a playoff position. Securing it is another story. Gotta have a good rest of January though.
WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AWAY FROM THIS SEASON?
The parity is real. Take what the media says with a grain of salt at the beginning of the season. Never get too high on your team but never get too low on them either.
The failures of this team are on the players and the coaching staff. I refuse to blame Chiarelli for this even though he made a poor trade dealing Eberle for Strome (Even though Strome has more goals than Eberle in the last month… hehe). Even with that deal and the apparent lack of depth on the wing, the Oilers have shown the ability to keep up with the major NHL clubs.
You could say that the Oilers failed to replace Sekera but when people say this they never offer a solution. Sekera is a $5M player, right? So were the Oilers supposed to find another $5M dman? I thought Auvitu was supposed to be the critic’s choice anyhow?
Did Chiarelli fail to shore up the goaltending behind Talbot? Go take a look at Brossoit’s numbers last year and tell me you would’ve replaced him this year because you still felt nervous…
What Chiarelli did wrong, in my opinion, was that he put his faith in the Caggiulas, Bennings, Slepyshevs, and Yamamotos. I really feel that in today’s NHL you MUST have great veterans on your team when you have the likes of McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Nurse on your team. I love what Toronto did in signing Marleau and I loved what Calgary did in signing Jagr even though that’s not working out. But back to Toronto for a second, they’ve got a great group of older players insulating Matthews, Nylander, and Marner and I simply think that’s how you do it. If you go the route that Edmonton has, you risk having the highest of highs and the lowest of lows more often.
When you build a team you build from the spine out. That means centre depth, D depth, and goaltending depth. Then after that, you sort out the wings. This is the first time in probably a decade where the Oilers have had this kind of depth down the spine but that’s not good enough for the “diehards”.
Special teams, bad starts, injuries, and basically all the things that went right for the Oilers last season have gone wrong for them this year but I do believe that things happen for a reason and this year will be a great learning experience for the players, coaches, management, and ownership.
With those supposed failures are some successes as well.
Jesse Puljujarvi is going to be one of the best 21-and-under players in the NHL very soon. Darnell Nurse has turned a corner in his development. Kailer Yamamoto will most likely be in the NHL next season (possibly on McDavid’s line), Tyler Benson has found a way to stay healthy (knock on wood), Kirill Maksimov is ripping up the OHL, and in the minors, Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear are coming along very nicely!
One more thing on Puljujarvi, he’s looking like he’ll score most of his goals from in tight until he learns to be more creative with his shot and that’ll come with experience and more confidence. He’s already one of the team’s best defensive players due to that long stick/reach and quick forechecking. He’s an untouchable for me on this team.
The Oilers have a top-5 PK on the road… With the same players… The same coaches… The Same GM… Same puck, sticks, ice, and skates. Top 5 people. Let that sink in before calling for someone’s head. Or at least offer a tangible solution
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CHIARELLI’S LATEST AVAILS?
I feel like he told us a lot without telling us anything. He’s a trained lawyer so he knows what he’s doing there. He pissed off a lot of people telling them he was going to stick with the grander plan and pissed off, even more, explaining the Eberle trade.
So, here’s the thing with him saying what he did about that trade. If what he said angered you that’s probably because you feel as if you deserve some sort of transparency on his part but you don’t. You’re a fan, why should Peter Chiarelli or any other GM give two shits about your feelings regarding a trade, how it got done, how long it took, or how many permutations of the deal there was before the final one was decided on.
Oh you’re a fan and you pay your money, well if it means that much to you, stop! Stop paying for things Oilers related. Stop buying products from companies that sponsor the Oilers (good luck with that) because your money doesn’t pay for access to the GM’s conversations and justifications for what he feels is the right move for the club.
Now, every year the Oilers hold an event where you have access to the brass and you can voice your concerns right to their faces and even use a buzz word like, “fireable offence” in their presence but only if you’re season ticket holder 🙂
Peter Chiarelli said he had a 5-yr plan when he got hired, we’re halfway into that plan. He said he was going to build a team that would compete in the Pacific and as I mentioned above, the Oilers are the 3rd best team vs. the Pacific since he took over. He said he wanted to get bigger, improve the defence, and upgrade the goaltending too. All three accomplished.
What he didn’t say was that he was going to keep the smaller skilled players around that weren’t helping them make the playoffs anyhow.
DEADLINE PRIORITIES
This really depends on where they are but let’s say nothing has changed and the Oilers are well out of the playoff picture. In that case, it’s time to get out the auction bell. Typically Chiarelli likes to get his business done early as most teams are doing now (because deadline day is about as anti-climatic as something can get nowadays) but I wonder if we’ll see him wait it out this year and try for the best deal possible.
Pat Maroon is as good as gone, I’d say the same for Letestu and Mike Cammalleri. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of their RFAs get moved and other RFAs come in though.
My question is, do the Oilers move out Slepyshev, Caggiula or Benning or give them another year? Another thing on my mind is the future of Oscar Klefbom. His inconsistent health/performance must be giving the brass fits and the Oilers are in dire need of a RH’d PP dman.
We do have an idea that the salary cap will go up, but how far and will it go high enough to keep Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the team or is HE the guy that will bring back that RH’d PP dman?
Back to the priorities at the deadline.
Acquiring draft picks in 2018
Moving out pricey/unneeded contracts
Take advantage of Cup contenders
Skill for the farm
I’m a huge proponent of adding picks in rounds 1-3 every year. It’s where the majority if NHLers are selected after all. If Pat Maroon can get you a 2nd and a 3rd in 2018, RAD! If you have to add a pick to upgrade that to a 1st, AWESOME! If Letestu can net the Oilers a 3rd rounder in 2018, that would be outstanding!
The Oilers have quite a few contracts in the minors and part of the black aces that could use new homes. Eric Gryba and Ryan Stanton, Mark Fayne and Ty Rattie come to mind. If the Oilers aren’t going to do anything with Joey Laleggia, let him have an opportunity somewhere else. I think I’d add Laurent Brossoit to that list too now that Al Montoya is an Oiler and signed for another year.
The Stanley Cup contenders like Nashville, Tampa, Columbus, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, or Vegas might be willing to give up on some tasty draft picks and/or prospects to solidify their playoff rosters and I’d like to see that opportunity used to stock up the farm.
Speaking of the farm, I do have a list of AHL/NHL fringe players that tickle my fancy a bit too.
Ivan Barbashev/Dmitri Jaskin (STL)
Hudson Fasching (BUF)
Ville Saarijarvi (DET)
Jared McCann (FLA)
Daniel Carr (MTL)
Josh Ho-Sang (NYI)
Josh Leivo/Nikita Soshnikov (TOR)
Jonny Brodzinski/Paul Ladue (LA)
Frederick Gaudreau (NSH)
Jeremy Roy (SJ)
I reckon that the big names in the trade market will get scooped up because the Oilers don’t have those kinds of assets. If I were to predict what we’ll really see at the deadline, I imagine it’ll be a few lateral moves and trades to set something up for this summer.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR?
I want to see this team compete night in and night out like they’re playing in game 7 of the Stanley Cup final with 2 minutes to go and a goal down. Balls to the wall compete. I want to see the coaches stop f*cking around (if they keep their jobs) and start making some changes. I want more ice time to the younger players who’ve been taking it in the chin since game 1. What better time to give them the experience they need?
I simply want to see a team that cares and plays with intensity. Score some goals along with that and I’ll be a happy fan 🙂
Fack! This is a long one mate! I’ll sign off here but before that, take a gander at the new December 2018 Top Ten NHL Draft Rankings from ourYoutube channel!
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The Edmonton Oilers are the first team in the Vegas Golden Knights’ history to put up 7 goals against them! They’re also the first team to put up 8 goals as well. lol.
Overall, I thought the whole Oilers team played well and it’s hard to pick players who didn’t play well when Edmonton won the game 8-2 but Yohann Auvitu wasn’t great. Sometimes he handles the puck like it’s a hand grenade and other times he’s passing the puck like it’s an egg. Like Jokinen, we’ll touch on him next, I can’t see where he fits on the roster and I wonder if he’s the next to go with Andrej Sekera due to come back soon.
THE TRADE
A couple of hours before the game tonight Peter Chiarelli pulled the trigger on a deal with the LA Kings dealing struggling veteran Jussi Jokinen for Mike Cammalleri.
First off let me say that this is the way you right a wrong. The Jokinen gamble didn’t pay off and Chiarelli found a way to correct it.
Now, I will warn you that if you didn’t like Jordan Eberle’s lack of backchecking, you’ll hate Cammalleri’s… When he’s not scoring he’s not doing a whole lot else. So let’s hope he’s scoring more often than not.
At first glance, you can’t help but dig the trade. Both players make similar money and are winding their careers down on whatever team will take them. What you will find separates them is that Jokinen has VERY good possession stats and Cammalleri never has… Ever.
“We made this trade to improve our shooting. Mike’s always been an effective offensive player with his shot and ability with the puck,” Chiarelli said prior to Tuesday’s game. “At the end of the day, improving our offence will obviously take a collective effort but will be given an opportunity to help improve it.” – source
The stats analysts are pointing to the return of Kyle Clifford and Marian Gaborik as possible reasons and that Cammalleri’s fancies are wretched compared to those of his teammates and the player he was traded for.
I’d offer that Cammalleri has never really been a “glue guy” in the past and speculate if that had anything to do with it. I mean he did have 7pts in 15 games, so it’s not like he was underperforming.
Now with the Oilers putting up an 8-spot on Vegas, who will come out of the lineup for Cammalleri? Is there an urgency to put the 35-year-old veteran in right away? I think it’ll be Pakarinen that does come out for him after seeing the Finn get buckled by a point shot in tonight’s game.
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
The Oilers are coming back to life.In their last 10 games, the Oilers are above .500… FINALLY!
On the Oilers most recent road trip they scored 8 goals, add that to the 8 goals they scored tonight, that’s over 3 goals per game and in a 3-2 league, you need that.
We knew it was coming, well those who are like-minded with me knew it. The team couldn’t go as long as they were without scoring more than 1 or 2 goals a game. The goals (and the wins) are going to come now and I think the team will be a +.500 team for the rest of the year.
McDavid vs. Nugent-Hopkins: Who’ll score more goals this year?You wanted to know who was going to replace Eberle’s goals? We asked this when Hall was traded and it was Maroon that covered the difference last year. Somebody always fills the void. Now, it might not come on your timeline but the goals always come.
But at this point the top three for Oilers scoring looks like this:
Oscar Klefbom and JJ Khaira post good numbers for a second straight game2pts for each of these beauties! Things are really turning around for both of these players after starting the year out slowly.
With those 2 pts, Klefbom overtakes Kris Russell (What?!}) as the Oilers’ leading point producer on the back-end.
Edmonton’s out of the basementWith that 8 goal explosion, the Oilers climbed from 31st in the NHL for goals for into 25th says ESPN.com. Good timing eh?
Don’t look now but…Connor McDavid had 3 pts tonight and has jumped into a tie for 6th place in NHL scoring according to the un-updated stats page on ESPN.com.
Next up the Western Conference-leading St.Louis Blues are in town and they were just the recipients of a 7-4 beatdown from the Flames. I imagine they’ll be in a touchy mood and the Oilers will need to make sure that the tandem of Jaden Schwartz/Vladimir Tarasenko see very little of the puck or else they risk getting lit up.
One saving grace might be the Blues’ PP and PK are sitting 20th and 21st in the league respectively. The Oilers could really do themselves a favor by taking advantage of them there!
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