Tag Archives: NHL

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: “Mike Babcock might be Holland’s answer.” Says Lowetide

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Edmonton Sun

OILERS NOTES: How can Yamamoto have no shots in six straight games?
  • He has played on the second line all season, either with Leon Draisaitl as his centre or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and he has five goals in 27 games. He has one assist.
  • His leash with the coaches has been very long. In part, there haven’t been a lot of alternatives as the second-line right-winger, but off his production should he still be the there?

“We ask our top guys who they want to play with and he would be one of those guys,” he said. “There’s a saying in the league that the players know who can play and who can’t. Our top guys like what this guy brings.” – Glen Gulutzan, Oilers Asst Coach

  • Goalie Mike Smith has been a full participant the last few practices but Mikko Koskinen and Stuart Skinner shared the starter’s net Wednesday, so maybe Smith, out for two months with an ankle injury, won’t play against Columbus.
  • Zach Hyman (shoulder) wasn’t on the ice Wednesday. “I believe he’s getting an image done. We’re hoping it’s a good image. He did skate this morning before our practice,” said Gulutzan.

BLH’s Thoughts: Maybe it’s time the coaches stopped asking the top guys who they want to play with? Considering that they’re the coaches, wouldn’t Tippett and Gulutzan have the knowledge to know which players should play with each other and if having Yamo on the top line because he keeps plays alive is the only thing keeping him up there, toss Hyman over on the right side and promote Foegele to McDavid’s line. Both of them are known for their fine work in the muck too. In addition to that, I thought the team’s bottom-six is floundering 5v5, so why not toss Yamo down there and task him with providing some more offense with Ryan McLeod and Zack Kassian on the Oilers third line?

Lowetide.ca

  • I blame injuries for the most part, most Oilers fans blame the coach. We’re at a point where logic and reason leave the room and chaos marries the wildest fantasies of ownership. Can you list any Oilers from the golden era who are currently coaches? Former coaches? Have expressed an interest in coaching? I know you’re thinking Jay Woodcroft and a large analytics department, but Mike Babcock might be Holland’s answer. We wait.

BLH’s Thoughts: Why can’t we blame both? Toss in the goaltending and some bad bets by the GM and you’ve got a team on an extended slump. 

But look, the Jets and the Avs aren’t exactly killing it either and lots of folks picked them to have outstanding years. 

Shit happens. But I will say this, watch when Mike Smith gets his first game between the pipes here in the next week or so. These Oilers play with passion when he’s in the net because he keeps them accountable AND they respect him…

So when Smith’s not in net and the attitude changes with Mikko, what does that say about the character and integrity of the team? And don’t give me any shit about Koskinen allowing bad goals or his dodgy glove hand because Smith is just as guilty of allowing questionable goals plus the guy can’t stay healthy and is one Ovie shot to the nuts from turning into dust. 

Maybe this team is in need of an emotional leader who plays out and stays healthy. Now, you get one to this level, but a Mark Messier or Wendel Clark-type. A player that when the chips are down can go out and provide some energy. I mean, if Tyler Benson was a better skater, he might be that kind of guy. 

Ryan Lomberg (FLA) might not be good at scoring goals, but his give a shit meter never falls below “try me” and Edmonton, in my eyes, needs one or two of these skaters who could give two shits about scoring goals and more about dragging the other team into the game. At least if you had a couple of them, the fanbase would never ask, “Where’s the passion?” like they are now…

NHLRumors.com

  • Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News: Dallas Stars pending unrestricted free agent Joe Pavelski hopes to be able to re-sign with the Stars… There would be several teams interested in Pavelski if he hit the open market next July as he’s still producing in a top-six role.
  • Andy Graziano: From a New York Islanders standpoint, they don’t seem to be in a position to make a trade to get back into contention… They should start looking towards the NHL trade deadline and moving the contracts of goaltender Semyon Varlamov and Josh Bailey. They could test the market on forward Cal Clutterbuck and see if they can get a draft pick for him.
The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!

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

Edmonton Oilers Gameday Reviews: Tippett-less Oilers Drop to 8th Place in West After Loss to Toronto

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Oilersnation

GDB 27.0 Wrap Up: Oilers actually started pretty well, get dummied 5-1 by the Leafs anyway
  • Colton Sceviour got the Oilers on the board (3-1) on the back of some hard work by the fourth line after they were able to outmuscle the Leafs in front of the crease and knock the loose puck into the open cage. The goal marked the first time in nine games where the Oilers actually got a goal from their bottom six.
  • Oilers outshot the Leafs by a 36-25 margin.
  • …the Oilers gave up the first goal of the game? You’re not are you. Six straight games, six straight losses.
  • …while I wouldn’t say that this loss was all on Kostco, I will absolutely suggest that he didn’t help matters much either. I mean, what can you say when your goaltender gets tagged with five goals on 25 shots against?

BLH’s Thoughts: Many of the fans in Edmonton wanted a coaching change… Well, I’ll just say be careful what you wish for because if it ever happens for real, this is what it’ll look like.

It’ll be Gulutzan behind the bench for the rest of the year, not a promotion for Woodcroft, not Mike Babcock coming in to run the season out like Ken Hitchcock did when the club axed Todd McLellan. 

You’ll get this guy,

So, it’s my belief that the Oilers aren’t going to pull themselves out of this on their own. For whatever reason, they don’t seem to believe in themselves enough to do it because they’ve got the personnel to, but they’re so down in the dumps and that first goal thing is eating them alive right now. 

I really think that it’s going to take a really shitty game from their opponent to get off the schneid here. Maybe Columbus sees the Oilers as easy pickings and goes into their next game a tad overconfident and McDavid burns them for it.

I just reckon the confidence is at an all-time low and everything that can happen to keep their heads down and shoulders slumped will, but all’s not lost. There’s tons of season left and don’t forget about that 2008 Stanley Cup-winning Red Wings club that I told you about recently. 

From January 17th to February 5th of 2008, Ken Holland’s previous team won eight games in a row, then from the 7th to the 29th, they only won once in eleven attempts. Funnily enough, the Red Wings only manager to lose four more times until the end of that regular season.

Talk about a roller coaster, right? 

It pertains to the Oilers because of the obvious GM connection, but also that even the eventual champions can go through some very dark times during the regular season. 

I don’t think Edmonton will win the Cup this year, but I also don’t think that anybody should be calling it a day on their season, either. 

Cult of Hockey

The losing skid for the snake bitten Edmonton Oilers hits 6 games: Cult of Hockey Player Grades
  • KAILER YAMAMOTO . 2. Hasn’t had a shot in 6 games, including this one. The official game sheet only docked him for 1 giveaway. But they were exceedingly generous, as I counted 3…one in each Period. Absolutely crushed in chances for & against (9-15, 37% 5v5). If this keeps up, he’ll be in the press box.
  • DEVIN SHORE . 3. Shore is a decent NHL player but he is not a full-time NHL Center. Evidence tonight came in a -3 performance.
  • MIKKO KOSKINEN . 4. Mikko Koskinen made most of the saves that he should have against the Leafs. But Koskinen didn’t make a single save that he shouldn’t have.
  • CONNOR McDAVID . 4. Not much rhymed for 97 on this night. 2 shots. Both his wingers had better outings.
  • EVAN BOUCHARD . 4. A high-event game for Evan Bouchard. 2 shots, 4 (!) give-aways in 18:49.
  • RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS . 3. 0 shots, -1. Its as if someone else was wearing #93 tonight.
  • JESSE PULJUJARVI . 5. Difficult to ignore the flow of play while he was on the ice. It was tilted on Edmonton’s favor. Puljujarvi had 3 shots and added 4 hits in a physical effort.
  • WARREN FOEGELE . 6. His effort (which was considerable) did not result in any kind of reward on the score sheet. Foegele had 4 shots on net to lead all forwards and did his fair share to drive the play North while he was on the ice.
  • DUNCAN KEITH. 6. By far and away the Oilers best defenceman. Duncan Keith very quickly and effectively moved the puck up, as was reflected in his 19-15, 56% CF at 5v5.
  • COLTON SCEVIOUR . 6. Colton Sceviour scored the Oilers only goal on the night, his 1 st as an Edmonton Oiler. And he earned it by going to the tough area in front of the Leafs net and was rewarded for doing so. 

BLH’s Thoughts: Killer was demoted to the 4th line by the third period eh? We’ll see if that becomes the norm considering Glen Gulutzan will be running the bench until after Christmas. No shots in six games and six points on the year? Does he have some unsavory pictures of Dave Tippett or Ken Holland stashed away somewhere? I mean, how else would that kind of production keep a guy in the top-six?

Sceviour was having himself a night and in fact, I was impressed with Kyle Turris’ effort too seeing as he hadn’t played for such a long time. 

Puljujarvi continues to be the most consistent player on the roster. It doesn’t matter if the team is streaking or slumping, you’re getting this kid’s full effort and with a smile to boot. Lock this guy up max-term, Kenny!

Foegele’s coming on. He’s going to score soon, book it! 

It did seem like the Leafs defenders were having troubles with Edmonton’s more assertive forecheckers, didn’t it. Hyman would’ve had himself a night if he were in the lineup, for sure! 

Spector’s Hockey

  • THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Matthew DeFranks reports the Stars sent Anton Khudobin to their AHL affiliate after he cleared waivers yesterday.
    • A source told DeFranks some teams show an interest in Khudobin but wanted to see him play more games first. Given his current minimal trade value, the Stars might have to package him with a draft pick or absorb part of his cap hit to move him.
  • PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski believes Khudobin would make a better backup for Penguins starter Tristan Jarry than Casey DeSmith. He pointed to Khudobin replacing sidelined Ben Bishop in the 2020 playoffs and backstopping the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final.
The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!

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

Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: “There is zero reason for the Oilers to consider bringing in…”

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

**NOTICE: THIS WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE DEC.14TH BUT UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES CAUSED THE POST TO MISS THE SCHEDULING TIME. OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.**

Oilersnation

Changes
  • Warren Foegele is going to get a look in the top six and even though he hasn’t produced a lot of offense this season, I don’t mind this move. Foegele knows how to get pucks to the net and his physical play might compliment Ryan Nugent-Hopkins rather nicely. 
  • I don’t understand the choice to put Zack Kassian in the top six. Granted, this may be a move that’s only happening because of the injury to Zach Hyman but still, Kassian has just one goal in his last 18 games and on top of that, his effort level has been wildly inconsistent.
  • I still have a bit of hope that Yamamoto can one day be a consistent top-six winger in the NHL, he is only 23-years-old at the end of the day, but the Oilers need to keep him in the bottom six for the time being.
  • There is zero reason for the Oilers to consider bringing in Khudobin.

BLH’s Thoughts: Kassian may have one goal in his last 18 games but it came while he was on a line with Connor McDavid and didn’t he also add an assist or two in that same game?

Watch, Zack will be fired up for this opportunity and he’ll have a real sense of accountability weighing heavily on his back. He’s going to smoke one of Toronto’s stars in the first period, book it. Maybe he’ll have to fight Kyle Clifford or Nick Ritchie too… Who knows?

But we’re past the whole “meritocracy” thing when it comes to lineup construction, so don’t get all enraged when Kassian and Foegele get moved up when Yamamoto has been sitting in the top-six all year despite only producing at a 4th line replacement level player. 

Foegs, Nuge, and Pulju on the same line? That will be an intriguing trio to watch because it’s a very physical group of players who excel in the muck and in front of the net. I’m very interested to see who they get matched up against. The Leafs don’t have a lot of beef in their top-six and if Toronto sends out Rielly and Brodie to defend them, I like Edmonton’s chances. 

Lowetide.ca

  • The 50-man list is the quickest way to get an idea about what the future may hold for an NHL team.
  • This year’s 50-man is unique because it’s not 50 men. Not close as a matter of fact. That’s going to change. Right?
  • UFA’s on this list are Mikko Koskinen, Alex Stalock, Kris Russell, Kyle Turris, Colton Sceviour, Josh Archibald, Seth Griffith.
  • RFA’s are Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, Ryan McLeod, Tyler Benson, Markus Niemelainen, William Lagesson, Tim Soderlund, Ostap Safin, Brendan Perlini, Cooper Marody, Dmitri Samorukov and Filip Berglund.
  • That’s seven UFA, 12 RFA. There are 26 names who are slated to return, 19 who may or may not return. It’s already Ken Holland’s team but the summer will put a stamp on it.

BLH’s Thoughts: Edmonton’s at 45 contracts but it might as well be 43 since Stalock and Klefbom aren’t coming back and you could stretch it to 42 if you include Archibald.

I’m just saying that Holland could add up to 8 contracts if he wanted and he might want to considering there’s nothing really going on in Bakersfield right now. It sounds like Rafa Lavoie’s discovered that at the professional level you can’t just show up with one tool in the toolbelt. 

I’m thinking that Holland may want to add some bodies with the ability to jump up onto the Oilers roster in certain scenarios. Basically, avoiding what is happening at this current moment where there’s a ton of stagnation in the lineup and it needs a fresh set of skates. 

The good news is that Xavier Bourgault is coming, Carter Savoie and Dylan Holloway are on their way in 2022, and I think Tyler Tullio will be able to join Bakersfield at the end of the OHL season too. They need to have that kind of depth in the AHL going forward so as to avoid their current conundrum and it also creates a bit of urgency amongst the guys on the parent club seeing as if they fail to hit the mark, there’s somebody in the AHL who could get called up and steal their spot. 

The Hockey Writers Rumors

  • At a minimum, the next three games for the Calgary Flames are being postponed after six players and one staff member entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol in the last 24 hours. Among the names affected are Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Adam Ruzicka, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have put together a committee that will be given the task of hiring the team’s next general manager. That committee includes owner and president Geoff Molson, new executive vice president Jeff Gorton, Canadiens’ minority owner Michael Andlauer, and Montreal great and former GM Bob Gainey.
  • David Schoen of the Las Vegas-Review Journal notes that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is one of the players who are now uncertain about participation.

“I’ve got four kids that are under the age of 3½. For me to be potentially locked up there for five weeks plus the Olympics, that’s a long time being away from my family. I’m not going to make a decision until we get all the answers, because those are kind of hard to come by right now. So, we’re all kind of sitting and waiting.” – Pietrangelo

  • According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, it turns out Francesco Aquilini had been talking to Jim Rutherford for a bit about the situation in Vancouver to pick his brain. What started out as simple conversations developed into something much bigger.

  • The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!

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

Edmonton Oilers Trade Talk: “I’ve heard the ask is massive…”

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Sportsnet: 32 Thoughts

  • The Oilers have considered upgrades in goal (depending on Mike Smith’s health), left defence and third-line centre.
  • Four out of seven Canadian teams (Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) have had jerseys thrown on the ice this season.
  • Arizona GM Bill Armstrong refused to comment when asked, but it now sounds like the Coyotes are gauging the market on Jakob Chychrun. I’ve heard the ask is massive, but that doesn’t mean opponents are running away.

BLH’s Thoughts: Would you trade Tyson Barrie, Philip Broberg, Kailer Yamamoto and two firsts for Chychrun? Seems like an overpayment, right? Maybe, maybe not. Consider he’s only making a tad over $4M for the next three years and he’s already a top-pair defender. Could you run a Nurse/Chychrun pairing even though they’re both lefties?

What kind of jersey got tossed on the ice in Edmonton because it surely wasn’t an Oilers one. Looked like some Walmart or Canadian Tire knockoff… Either way, who gives a shit. It says a lot more about the person who shelled out a couple hundred bucks to go to the game to look like an asshole than it does the team. The worst part about that is, the person who did the deed represents the entire fanbase whether they (or the rest of the fanbase) like it or not… 

Lowetide.ca

THERE’S THAT FIRST GOAL AGAIN
  • Giving up the first goal in a game is damned inconvenient but shouldn’t be a death sentence for the game’s result. The Oilers attention to detail is miserable, and coach Tippett isn’t using the pressbox as punishment. I would, especially with culprits who constantly put the team behind the 8-ball.
  • Edmonton’s starts have been alarming, I think this is something a young team (and the leaders are still young) has to learn. 
  • Because the first goal against is obvious, fans hold on to that thing and say ‘if they could just get that first goal’ but the truth is that the team’s attention to detail is not strong.
  • I’m old fashioned. I think players are going to need some time in the pressbox to drive home the point, and the coach is not yet there. That should be a concern to you.

BLH’s Thoughts: This was written BEFORE the Toronto game… Shitty thing about last night’s game is the team looked good again, the bottom-six especially were working their butts off, but the night was set in stone once Leon missed that sitter… 

The Daily Goal Horn

  • Per multiple reports, the Hurricanes will be one of the more aggressive teams leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 21, 2022.
    • Aside from going for Eichel, the Canes are attached to eventual trade deadline rental defenseman, John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars.
    • The Hurricanes are also probably looking at other top rentals to help them up front. Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers immediately jumps out to me, with Tomas Hertl as another possibility should the Sharks opt to make him available.
  • The Athletic confirmed that the Montreal Canadiens GM search has at least three women to be interviewed for the position.
    • Gina Kingsbury: Hockey Canada’s director of women’s national teams.
    • Emilie Castonguay: First female NHLPA Certified Agent in Canada
    • Danielle Goyette: Director of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the AHL affiliate Marlies
The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: At What Point Are Holland and Tippett No Longer Safe?

This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!

The latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation comes from all of the internet’s top sites like Spector’s Hockey, The Fourth Period, NHL Trade Talk, The Hockey Writers, Sportsnet, and TSN just to name a few!

If you’re short on time but want to keep up with the day’s Oilers news, you’ve come to the right place!

Give us a follow on the socials!

Edmonton Sun

OILERS NOTES
  • Oilers defenceman Duncan Keith, who has missed eight games, skated alongside partner Ceci at Monday’s practice. Tip-off he’s playing.
  • Goalie Mike Smith, out almost two months with a suspected ankle issue, practised hard Monday but will again watch.
  • Leafs winger Mitch Marner (shoulder) is out another month after colliding with teammate Jake Muzzin in practice.
  • Oilers defenceman Slater Koekkoek (sprained ankle) skated with the team for the first time. “For a while, we didn’t have enough defencemen, now we’ve got a plethora (at practice),” said Tippett.
  • The Leafs might have forward Ilya Mikheyev (broken thumb) playing his first game of the season. Defenceman Travis Dermott, who hurt the same shoulder in practice a week ago that he had surgery on in 2019, might return too.
  • With the Calgary Flames having six players test positive for COVID-19 after a Saturday home game against Carolina, and now two Hurricanes players, including Sebastian Aho, getting the same result after a Sunday game in Vancouver, where does that leave the Oilers, who, so far, have only had one positive case, Cody Ceci, before their home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins?

BLH’s Thoughts: Will it shock anybody if a few Oilers get hit with The ‘Vid before tomorrow’s game?

Mikheyev has been a pain in the ass for the Oilers because they’ve never had somebody in their bottom-six who could match his speed. Until now… Ryan McLeod can keep up with the lanky Russian no problem and I think maybe that’ll be a bit of a game changer.

Marner being out is a bit of a blessing in disguise because he usually does pretty well against the Oil. 17pts in 17gp is proof of that. Thanks Muzzin!

Oilersnation

Monday Mailbag – Where is the Oilers’ depth scoring?

What do you see as the silver linings to the Oilers’ difficulties we can hold onto?

  • “… they have shown that they can win despite having a pile of injuries, so that is one encouraging sign that’s come from all of this.” – Yaremchuk

Does Holland wait until the deadline to make a move, or do you see him being more proactive?

  • “I’d like to see him make a move sooner than later to bolster the lineup but I doubt it happens. He doesn’t exactly have a history of moving quickly.” – baggedmilk

Is the Oilers’ depth scoring as bad as the stats show or are there just too many players struggling to hit their potential?

  • “Many guys couldn’t score in a brothel with $500 in their pocket right now. They need some guys to find their touch, but they also aren’t blessed with a lot of offensive depth.” – Gregor

Do you think the team we have seen play over the last handful of games is the REAL Edmonton Oilers?

  • ” The record they have now isn’t far off what I expected overall, but the huge swings in performance are a surprise.” – Brownlee

At what stage do you believe Tippett/Holland internally is no longer safe?

  • “By nature of their positions, Holland has a longer shelf life than Tippett. Missing the playoffs this season — I don’t see that happening — gets the coach fired.” – Brownlee

BLH’s Thoughts: A) Silver linings? Markus Niemelainen is one. Without this injury crisis he probably wouldn’t have been called up and now it’ll be hard to send him down.

B) Holland’s Proactivity? Nope… Not unless the call comes from on high to start making some waves. He plays the long game and that’s not conducive to the way a fan’s mindset is when the times get tough.

C) Everybody is squeezing their sticks a bit harder and the big boys are running on fumes. It’s going to take some ugly hockey to get those pucks headed in the right direction I’m thinking. Maybe a few more point shots and crease crashes? Just to change things up because if the defense thinks that is your gameplan, they’ll adjust to it, then you can go back to the original one with the old lanes show up again. 

D) You’re never as good as you think you are nor are you as bad as they say you are… So, in Edmonton’s case, we wait for the middle ground to appear.

E) Holland’s safe. Tippett is on an expiring contract, so he’s the easiest to replace, but we also have to keep in mind that Ken Holland has never fired a coach either. He’s let their contracts run out, but never given a pink slip… So get comfortable with both unless the Oilers are a lottery team by the new year.

Spector’s Hockey

BLH’s Thoughts: Is there a world where you could see the Oilers acquiring Armia and Allen from the Habs? Would they be upgrades for Edmonton at net and in their bottom-six? I know for a fact that the club really liked Armia before he re-signed with Montreal. 

I’d love them to grab Gallagher because he’s exactly the kind of winger they need in their top-six, but the price will be high for him. That said, if Holland is determined to show Connor and Leon he’s willing to go “all-in”, Gally is man to go for. 

The new NHL franchise in Seattle already has their AHL affiliate worked out! Click the pick and grab a Karen shirt today!