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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
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The Athletic

Evan Bouchard’s first full NHL season a learning experience

• Bouchard ranks No. 45 among qualifying NHL defenders in five-on-five assists per 60 (.98), according to Natural Stat Trick. 
• As the season continues and Bouchard’s excellence becomes more obvious, expect the Oilers coaching staff to play Bouchard close to full time on the top pairing.
• In combined time with McDavid and Draisaitl this season, Bouchard’s goal differential is a plus-9 (14-5). Barrie is 14-12 in the same situations.
• For Bouchard, it’s important to move from where he is now, a brilliant young defender, to where he needs to be with Tippett.
  • The danger is that trust never comes. Oilers fans saw the result of that scenario last summer, when young defencemen Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones were traded for more veteran help.
• His five-on-five shot (52.8 percent) and goal (54.8 percent) differentials are quality, and Bouchard’s suppression numbers are excellent compared with the other Oilers’ regular defencemen.

• In something of a surprise, he has also been a strong penalty-killing option for Edmonton; Bouchard’s 4.4 goals-against per 60 ranks 24th among NHL defencemen with 30 or more minutes in the scenario.

BLH’s Thoughts: It didn’t matter when Bouchard started his NHL career full-time, there was always going to be bumps in the road. That said, I would be willing to bet my neighbor’s cat that he’s going to have a really good 2nd half to the year and then we’ll be off to the races with him. He’s a ridiculously smart hockey player and all he needs is some reps to work out the kinks. 

Oilersnation

Random Thoughts

• Last night against the Kraken, the Oilers got scored on within the first minute of the game and it was yet another example of the team not being ready to go, which is endlessly frustrating and makes winning that much more difficult.
• Even worse is the fact that I don’t know what the solution is or how Dave Tippett and his staff can fix it, but what I do know is that chasing nearly every game at the NHL level is an excellent way to start piling up losses.
• One of the bright sides from Friday’s disappointment was that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins registered his 500th-career point in his 678th game, becoming only the 10th Oiler to ever reach that mark.
• With 500 career points now under his belt, the next markers he’ll be checking off have to do with games played as RNH will soon pass Charlie Huddy, Wayne Gretzky, and Craig MacTavish on the Oilers all-time list.
• I legitimately cracked up laughing when I heard the news that Jesse Puljujarvi had submitted a trademark application for his new nickname Bison King.

BLH’s Thoughts: Do the Oilers need an energy to start the games with in order to get into the right frame of mind? We heard Yanni Gourde say during the intermission of the SEA/EDM game the other day say that he’s always looking to drag guys into the game and I wonder if Edmonton could use that sort of player.

Say, isn’t Brendan Gallagher looking to get out of Montreal?

All I’m getting at is this team added a bit of “Son of a Bitch” to the lineup when they inserted Markus Niemelainen, but they need some more now that Zack Kassian has become a pacifist. 

Max Domi?… 

I dunno… Where’s that bloody cloning machine? Somebody kidnap Pat Verbeek pronto! 

All Hail the Bison King!

The Daily Goal Horn

• Some teams that may have interest in acquiring (Braden) Holtby by the trade deadline include the Maple Leafs, Rangers, Oilers, and Avalanche.
  • This season, he has a 4-4-1 record with a .927 SV% and a 2.30 GAA.
• “Chicago has not made up their minds yet,” ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported. “If a trade proposal does come for Marc-Andre Fleury they are definitely open to listening to it..”
• Other notable goalies up for grabs are the Blue Jackets Joonas Korpisalo, and the Rangers Alexandar Georgiev.

“Since 1993, the team has been running in circles,” Roy said to Le Journal de Québec. “What do they have to lose by giving me the chance to see what I can do with this club? At the same time, I understand the situation. The club is owned by Geoff Molson and he’s the one pulling the strings. It’s his team and at the end of the day I might not be the guy for him. I accept that.”

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Lowetide.ca

• The Oilers have two games in hand on the Calgary Flames, but are three points behind and trail marginally in winning percentage.
• That said, it’s a good day for the team to reassess in some areas. Kassian can’t keep making mistakes and stay in the lineup, and Ryan has played 19 games, giving up 14 goals allow the way (at five-on-five).
• Speaking of the Flames, I’m constantly surprised at the rage some Oilers fans feel toward them. The best part of sports is to have a rival who is equally strong, and this year Calgary has done it, maybe too well.
• After all those years of one Alberta team (or both) being in the ditch, why not embrace what should be a strong battle through the rest of the season?
• Personally, I’m hoping the Oilers and Flames meet in the playoffs. Not because I know the Oilers would win the series, but rather because I don’t know the outcome.
• That’s the best part of sports.

BLH’s Thoughts: Nope. I love how Sutter’s got Calgary playing because I think the Oilers should be doing it like that, but there’s not way in Sam’s Holographic Hell that I’m cheering for the Flames to win games. Especially this year when they’ve got a team that could absolutely shut the Oilers down like Winnipeg did last year. 

The best part of sports is watching your team beat the living daylights out their opponents.

Oilersnation

Is Jake Debrusk a good fit for the Oilers?

• Once again, rumors are linking Debrusk to the Oilers. Nick Kypreos stated last Monday that Edmonton was among several teams that showed interest in him (other teams that reportedly asked about him included Calgary, St. Louis, and Carolina).
• In my personal opinion, I think a large reason for Debrusk’s numbers deteriorating is simply due to bad luck.
• Debrusk’s lofty goal-scoring totals in 18-19 were never sustainable, considering he had a 17.3 SH% that year, but the opposite has occurred in his two most recent seasons – he’s posted merely a 6.3 SH%. In addition, his on-ice shooting% in the past two seasons is even lower, at 5.2%.
• An interesting comparison to Debrusk is Ryan Strome. After posting 50 points during the 2014-15 season, Strome’s production declined over the following years, but his prior production rates gradually returned to form with the Rangers.
• Debrusk is also a solid puck-mover, placing in the 60-70th percentiles in both zone exits and zone entries. His transitional abilities are probably one reason for his above-average chance generation results.
• While his 20-22 results are not strong, Debrusk has generally posted above-average defensive results over the past four seasons. Statistically, one area he especially excels in is suppressing high-quality chances. 
• In spite of his recent struggles, Debrusk has still produced at a higher rate than both Warren Foegele and Zack Kassian in the past four seasons, and Debrusk’s play-driving metrics are superior to Kassian’s.
• Insider Darren Dreger has also reported that there’s a “bidding war” for Debrusk, so Boston will most likely receive superior offers in comparison to just a one-for-one Debrusk for Kassian deal. Perhaps the Oilers could add a defenseman or a pick to make it worth their while?
• Others have speculated about a Debrusk for Yamamoto trade. In my opinion, that’s a loss for Edmonton. Yamamoto is younger, has a more reasonable contract situation, and has more upside in my opinion.

BLH’s Thoughts: Tell ya what, if Yamamoto for DeBrusk is on the table, you get Boston to take back Kassian in the deal and you get it done. There’s only a two year age difference between Yamo and Louie’s kid and for me, that’s marginal because I’m of the belief that Jake could put up more than 6pts playing alongside one of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in a 20+ game stretch. 

I know somebody is going to scream, “BUT THE QUALIFYING OFFER ON DeBRUSK’S CONTRACT!” and if I’m not mistaken, both parties can agree to a deal before the current contract expires without even considering the qualifying offer. 

That’s a lot of sunshine and roses, the one backfire is if the Oilers did acquire Jake and he lit it up and decided he was worth more than the team figured. Surely, that’d be a scenario where you simply pony up and cut your losses elsewhere?

Here’s what it’s going to come down to and it’s dumb, I know, but it’s a thing. Yamamoto’s size. He’s not Marty St. Louis and he’s not Theo Fleury. He’s not a game breaker and if you’re going to be a professional NHL player at 5’6″ or 5’7″ and 160lbs (maybe), whatever he is, you’ve got to bring more than great penalty killing skills to the table. You’ve got to produce and Killer isn’t. 

He doesn’t have DeBrincat’s shot, he doesn’t play on the edge like Marchand, he can’t win draws like Derek Ryan, and he doesn’t pass like Aho. 

Conversely, none of those guys can go into the corner or along the boards and dig the puck out like Yamo…

I’m not trying to shit on the guy because he’s a fantastic role model for little guys all over the world playing hockey. All I’m pointing out is that the Oilers may or may not be thinking the same thing and when we get to the post-season and everything ratchets up, can the club put their trust in Yamamoto like they could DeBrusk (who has a bit of a strong history of playoff performances). 

The Hockey Writers Rumors

• Mitch Marner and Jake Muzzin collided in practice and Marner was not happy about it… Marner did leave practice early and they called it a precautionary decision.
• Marner was heated after the hit and Keefe noted, “I was told there was a little bit of an exchange … but, especially those two guys, I don’t worry about that kind of stuff at all. Things happen out there … our team’s really close & that kind of stuff will be shaken off pretty quickly.”
• As per TSN’s Darren Dreger, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion is likely already talking to teams about potential trades, but also notes that the Senators believe the solution to their recent slide has to come from within.

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Oilersnation

2021-22 Edmonton Oilers in Seven part three: Are the Oilers good?

• At the time of writing this Thursday afternoon, Edmonton has the best points percentage in the entire NHL and are somehow navigating missing like… every defencemen they have.
• …the last seven games were a weird stretch for the Oilers… the Oilers powerplay cooled off a little bit but still operated at a 23.8 percent clip
• Unlike before, the Oilers didn’t really jump out as being elite in any single sense of the term. Instead, they were about average in nearly every category…
• Even with their top two left shot defencemen, the Oilers have been giving up far too many goals against for what you’d like to see.
• Over this recent stretch, the Oilers had a +3 goal differential. Good, but not great by any means.
• Complacency is the enemy and Edmonton can’t let their great start slip away.
• Over the next seven games, the Oilers have a great chance to stay hot at home… This seven-game set sees them play six of seven at home.
• Over the last two years, the Oilers have posted the league’s 12th best home points percentage at .658 — a great target for them to hit to keep pace.

BLH’s Thoughts: The road is killing the Oilers this year, eh? Five of their six losses have come away from Edmonton… They might want to clean that up a little or that great start that the ON writer is talking about will get chipped away slowly over the remainder of the season. 

Can anybody explain to me why a team this good can’t start a game on time? Why does it take a period or two for the Oilers to get going? Is it coaching? Is it playing personnel? What in Sam’s Hell could it be?!!!

The Athletic

Analyzing Cody Ceci’s importance to the Edmonton Oilers and future deployment

• Ceci averaged 21 five-on-five minutes a game in the four contests after Nurse left the lineup, delivering a 52 percent shot share and 52 percent expected goals with young partner Broberg. Edmonton went 3-1-0 in those games, with Ceci playing heavy minutes.
• Ceci at five-on-five this season has a goal differential of plus-1 (8-7) when playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. When away from the dominant centres, he is minus-4 (7-11) so far this season.
• Ceci is a better puck mover, has more impact on the team offensively and Edmonton will score more and allow more goals when he is on the ice than the club delivered a year ago with (Adam) Larsson.
• If he’s playing with Keith, then a third-pairing deployment is the smart play. If a player like Broberg emerges, Ceci may benefit from playing more with the younger defender.
• The bottom line is Ceci is delivering on expectations, and the Oilers are in a period of transition on the second-pairing deployment.

BLH’s Thoughts: One thing you probably won’t see with Ceci that we did with the Iron Swede last night, a crosscheck to the head of Leon Draisaitl. Adam, he’s got some dirt in his game. 

Tell ya what, I can’t wait to see Ceci back in the lineup again. I’m a full-on believer of the guy now and the faster he can get in there, the better. Not that I don’t enjoy seeing the young Scandinavians do their best, but the kids are getting their shows run but the opposition’s aggro forecheck. Edmonton’s defense needs the kind of stability Ceci brings. Plus it’ll get a lefty back on his strong side, be that Russell or Broberg, and Edmonton will be able to bring down some of the TOI of the fellas who’ve been covering for the former Senator, Leaf, and Penguin since he got bit by The ‘Vid. 

By my count, Darnell Nurse should be back very soon and Ceci in about 5 days or so. So what do you do with the defense then? Two guys got to go and I’m thinking Lagesson and Broberg should. Give Russell a rest because he deserves it and give me more Markus Niemelainen.

Love that Huge Finn so far! If he can get acclimated to the pace of the NHLsooner, he might be just what the doctor ordered in City of Champions. Reckon he reminds Ken Holland of Jiri Fischer, who he had in Detroit before a cardiac arrest on the Red Wings bench one night and a subsequently discovered heart condition ended his career. Pretty similar players stylistically if you ask me. 

Spector’s Hockey

• MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan wondered what effect the Canadiens’ recent management changes will have upon Jeff Petry’s future with the club… Cowan speculates Petry could be one of the players the Canadiens move if new executive VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton decides to rebuild the roster.
• TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports he’s spoken with several playoff contenders who value Ben Chiarot… Chiarot carries a 10-team no-trade list submitted last summer. LeBrun believes the lack of quality rental defensemen could make Chiarot a hot commodity and perhaps fetch a first-round pick.
• TSN: Darren Dreger believes Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is looking for some help for his struggling club.
• OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators’ last-place status in the standings won’t push Dorion to make a move simply for the sake of doing so.

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Lowetide.ca

• Ideally, they are the players who are occupying those roles (first line, second line, etc) but it rarely works that way. Here are the current Oilers forwards and their ranks at five-on-five per 60 among the 384 most deployed forwards in the league this season.

1. Leon Draisaitl 3.05 (No. 14) First Line
2. Connor McDavid 2.71 (No. 30) First Line
3. Jesse Puljujarvi 2.14 (No. 80) First Line
4. Zach Hyman 2.10 (No. 84) First Line
5. Zack Kassian 1.95 (No. 106) Second Line
6. Warren Foegele 1.70 (No. 154) Second Line
7. Ryan McLeod 1.52 (No. 190) Second Line (just shy of qualifying)
8. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1.41 (No. 209) Third Line
9. Kailer Yamamoto 1.05 (No. 279) Third Line

• This is very good. Music! 

BLH’s Thoughts: Music indeed! It makes sense though that as the Oilers grow older and get better that their numbers also grow with them. It’s a real indication, along with their place in the standings, that this team is on the up and up and if one of Connor or Leon miss some time (knock on wood), the team isn’t up shit creek without a paddle. 

I will say though, do Kassian and Yamamoto deserve to be up there? They’re both producing at 4th line paces. That might be something Ken Holland needs to address this year… 

Cult of Hockey

Promotion for the Bison King plus Kailer Yamamoto slips into new job that might suit him very well

• Zach Hyman and Kailer Yamamoto are the two best defensive wingers on the Edmonton Oilers. Having them with McDavid frees him up to take on more of an attacking role, as he can be more certain that one of Hyman or Yamamoto will cover for him, especially in the defensive slot where little Yamamoto is a cagey and effective defender.
• JP is one of the Oil’s top attackers. It settled down the third line to have him play there, as he’s also a decent defensive winger, but his real value to Edmonton is in a Top Six role.
• When it comes to making major contributions to Grade A shots, McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and Puljujari are all well ahead of their pace from last season.
  • Drai has gone from 4.0 major contributions to Grade A shots per game to 6.0, McD 5.4 to 6.3, RNH 2.9 to 3.5, JP 2.0 to 2.7.

BLH’s Thoughts: So, how did the line changes work for you against Seattle? They didn’t last very long, did they? Par for the course with Tippett when shit hits the fan and the Oilers find themselves chasing a game, isn’t it?

Wouldn’t it make more sense if Edmonton could deploy wave after wave of offense when they’re down a goal or two? I mean, I suppose it would help if they weren’t icing a handful of rookies on defense, but I think you get the gist of what I’m saying.

What I’m noticing is that it doesn’t matter where you put Pulju, he’s going to produce throughout. Yamamoto on the other hand… Things are still up in the air with him. 

The Daily Goal Horn

• Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff recently put out his top trade targets list and ranked Tarasenko third. “He’s still hoping that the Blues will in turn honor his desire to be moved,” Seravalli writes. “His trade request from the summer has not been rescinded.”
• “Ben Chiarot, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, I spoke with a few contending teams today who value him greatly and here’s a guy who can absolutely fetch a first-round pick given the dearth of rental defensemen available,” Pierre LeBrun said on Insider Trading… Several of those contenders looking for some help on defense are potentially the Islanders, Avalanche, Leafs, and Oilers.
• With so many former quality NHL head coaches available, how long before we see a change behind the bench?
  • Philadelphia’s skid has now reached three straight losses to go with being winless in their last seven… In two plus seasons as Philly’s bench boss his record is 74-53-19. That’s good for .572 points percentage, but likely not good enough if the losses keep coming. The rumor mill already has former Flyers fan favorite Rick Tocchet as AV’s successor.
  • The situation is bad in Vancouver and despite (Travis) Green getting a contract extension this offseason, it doesn’t make his job any safer.
  • (Todd) McLellan, 54, is entering his third season with the Los Angeles Kings. After a solid start, his Kings have faltered and are sporting a 9-9-4 record. If GM Rob Blake believes this is a playoff team now that Drew Doughty is back, could he bring in the fiery John Tortorella as a replacement? That would be interesting.

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!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

Cult of Hockey

Player grades: Young defenders play well, not enough teammates follow suit as Oilers fall to Kraken

• #6 Kris Russell, 3. He’s done a lot of heavy lifting this last while, and on Friday it looked like those minutes may have caught up to him.
• #22 Tyson Barrie, 3. Very little going on offensively or defensively, with 0 contributions to Grade A shots by the Oilers while being beaten on 4 in his own end of the ice.
• #42 Brendan Perlini, 3. Got back into the line-up but did nothing with the opportunity, brief as it was (just 6:29 ice time).
• #44 Zack Kassian, 2. Started the game on the third line and ended it on the fourth, and deservedly so after making critical mistakes on 2 Seattle goals… he got 2 shifts in the third period.
• #56 Kailer Yamamoto, 3. Had a large contingent of family and friends for his first official NHL game in his home state, but was clearly pressing and had an ineffectual night.
• #75 Evan Bouchard, 7. A second consecutive 1-goal, 1-assist night for the young rearguard who has passed Barrie for the team lead in blueline scoring (4-11-15) despite getting less than 20% as much time on the powerplay.
• #80 Markus Niemelainen, 6. Looked right at home in his second NHL game, providing a commanding physical presence on the back end. Indeed, he was credited with almost as many hits (7) as the rest of his team combined (9).
• #86 Philip Broberg, 6. Became more prominent as the game progressed and really emerged in the final frame when he was paired with Bouchard, primarily in a group that included McDavid, Draisaitl, and Puljujarvi.
• #13 Jesse Puljujarvi, 6. Played a solid game with 2 dangerous shots on goal. Earned a secondary assist on Bouchard’s goal.
• #29 Leon Draisaitl, 7. Playing in his 500th career game, he was involved in all 3 Edmonton goals.
• #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Led the Oilers with 5 shots on net including a dangerous shot in the final minute which tested, but couldn’t solve, Grubauer.
• #97 Connor McDavid, 7. Played a massive 25:53 to lead the Oilers, with 6 shot attempts, 2 hits, and 5/14=36% on the dot. Struggled to break through the defensive net that Seattle cast on him, though he did draw 2 penalties in the process.

BLH’s Thoughts: Paging Darnell Nurse! Paging Darnell Nurse! The Edmonton Oilers require your services at the front desk! 

Russell and Barrie did what they could for as long as they could after playing well above their level for the week prior. I won’t be casting too much of a negative shadow on them for having an off night. 

However, I was really impressed with Markus Niemelainen. I love the physical presence he brings to Edmonton’s blue line. I think he’s even more of a wrecking ball than Adam Larsson was as the Swede tended to pick his spots a bit more and I also remember Larsson being a bit dirtier (Leon knows all about that now). With the Finn, opposing wingers now have to worry about carrying that puck across the Oilers’ blue line on his side because there’s a good chance he’s going to hammer whoever tries as he did with multiple Kraken last night. Dave Tippett’s squad doesn’t have enough assertiveness and Markus brings that in droves. 

Broberg and Bouchard are going to be an awesome pair someday and we got a glimpse of some that potential. They’re not ready yet but give it a couple of seasons and the Oilers will have a very special partnership patrolling their end. I wonder if Tippett will give this pair a go against LA in Edmonton’s next game?

Pulju… He’s getting the chances and that means he’s going to the right areas. The ketchup will flow again, mark my words.

Now for the not-so-happy part…

I think it’s time for a change of scenery for Zack Kassian. Nothing is working for him under this coach’s guidance. He’s a ghost of his former self and in terms of positive production anywhere on the ice, he’s wading into Perlini waters. Reckon Tippett sits him for a game, promotes Sceviour, and throws Kyle Turris in? That has to be on the table at this point. 

So, in front of his home crowd, Kailer Yamamoto failed to make any sort of impression. This funk of his is going into its second season now and it no longer seems to be an outlier, but a trend. How long can Holland afford to wait on Killer to find his hands before saying enough is enough? 

The Athletic

Jake DeBrusk trade scenarios, Evander Kane landing spots and Patrick Roy’s Montreal fit

• Even though there’d be some symmetry in DeBrusk landing in Edmonton, that doesn’t seem like a natural fit. The Oilers’ greater needs are for a top-six right winger plus a No. 3 center. DeBrusk seems as if he’s only suited to play left wing, and that’s an area that’s well covered with Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
• Now, if the Oilers go shopping at all, closer to the deadline, what fun it would be to pluck Phil Kessel out of Arizona (to play the left side) and Nick Bonino out of San Jose (to play center). Those two were key members of the Penguins’ championship clubs back in 2016 and 2017, and could either play together or play apart.
• Question: if the Sharks were to pick up half the contract, then who among the league’s usual bargain hunters might be willing to take on Kane?… Carolina is forever swimming against the conventional NHL tide, and was willing to take a chance on Tony DeAngelo this summer when no one else would.
• (Patrick) Roy would be a bold choice (for Habs GM), though he might be a better down-the-road option as a coach. Some NHL commentators I know believe Roy would be a fabulous coaching hire, and it would solve the problem of who is actually speaking for the team on any given day. It would be Patrick.

BLH’s Thoughts: Even the pundits out of the major news outlets don’t see DeBrusk going to Edmonton, but Duhatschek’s suggestion of Kessel and Bonino would fit Ken Holland’s past trading profile. 

Kessel could go up with Leon and RNH, Yamo to the 3rd line with Bonino and Foegele, and McLeod to the 4th line with Sceviour and Shore or Dylan Holloway when those two are healthy.

The Hockey Writers Rumors

• According to Darren Dreger, who made an appearance on TSN 690, when asked if any teams might have interest in Brendan Gallagher out of Montreal, he responded that he would think so. He noted, “I do because of the character of the individual.” He adds, “It’s not an easy move to make though. If you’re a contending team chances are you’re a cap team, so what are the Canadiens taking back?”
• …defenseman Ben Chiarot knows it’s likely he’ll get moved by Jeff Gorton ahead of the trade deadline. He said, “You see it every year, guys on expiring contracts get moved.” One NHL executive said, “There’s been chatter in the market about Chiarot for weeks already.”
• The newest member of the Vegas Golden Knights, Jack Eichel, is making progress towards a return to the NHL. The center was seen back on the ice just three weeks after disc fusion surgery.