Tag Archives: Rasmus Dahlin

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

The Edmonton Oilers and the Top Ten NHL Draft Prospects for 2018

January 28, 2018 Beer League Hero

First off I want to thank all of those on Twitter who I’ve had some pretty heated debates for being cool and stating their opinions. It’s been fun. I’d also like to thank the Oilers for going 5/5 on the PK versus the Flames and also for being 4-1 in their last 5 games. I did wonder aloud what would happen of the Oilers won three and lost one repeatedly until the end of the year if that would be enough to at least challenge for a wild card spot? Would it be enough to save the jobs of Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan?

What a game eh? Crikey I thought it was over after the 1st period AGAIN! But man, from the 2nd period until the shootout, THAT was an entertaining game. Brandon Davidson, right? You totally forgot Adam Larsson was out, didn’t you? Connor shit-talking the refs was outstanding! Ryan Strome’s game was fantabulous! It’s the kind of game you want to see every night, right? Do you think that a game like that is enough to make up for the Buffalo game?

I want to get into this post now and I’ll disclose this right off of the bat, I got the idea from an article I read at the Athletic. I don’t think it’s plagiarism because I’m certainly not ripping off the post word-for-word, but I am using the same premise.

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ON TO MY POST!

I have ten prospects from the upcoming draft that I’m going to be writing about and I get my rankings from MyNHLDraft.com. I love that site because it gives us a consolidated ranking from all the other rankings out there and it simply makes everything easier for a post like this.

Here are the candidates:

Rasmus Dahlin – (LHD) 6’2″ 181lbs – Frolunda (SHL)
What’s his deal? THE best defensive prospect to come along in a VERY long time. Everything is off of the charts with this guy AND he’s still growing. Could you imagine a defenseman that skates like Erik Karlsson, hits like Victor Hedman, and has the demeanor/hockey IQ of Niklas Lidstrom? Personally, I think he’s the next coming of Borje Salming.

How would he help the Oilers? “Dahlin to McDavid to Draisaitl, SCORE! Another goal for the Oilers league-leading powerplay!”

That’s one way he’d help the Oilers.

The Oilers would finally have a threat from the blueline. They’ve spent countless seasons trying to draft/trade/sign for one without success on a Dahlin-like level. Even at 17, he’s cool as a cucumber out there and Edmonton could use that sort of calmness on the back-end. They would have to bear with the kid though because he gambles sometimes and it doesn’t pay off but if the Oilers fan base could hold back from getting all over one of their players for once, he’d become an all-time great for them.
Andrei Svechnikov – (RW) 6’1″ 180lbs – Barrie (OHL)
What’s his deal? The younger Svechnikov (older brother is in the DET org.) is one of the best skaters in the draft. Pure skilled sniper and he’s not afraid to go to the blue paint to get his goals. Has been compared to Tarasenko and Hossa. He’s tearing apart the OHL at the moment with 19 goals in 24 games.

How would he help the Oilers? Those that are crying for the Oilers to add skill on the wing would love this guy. He oozes confidence on the ice and brings it every night. He’s got a frame on him that wouldn’t make it difficult for him to compete in the NHL as an 18 year old. He’d definitely be helpful on the PP but only if the coaching staff saw fit to allow him to contribute, right?

Now you have to ask yourself as an Oilers fan, do you want another baby on the wings? Do you think with the poor history of successful Russian hockey players in Edmonton, that he’d be the right pick?
Brady Tkachuk – (LW) – 6’2″ 194lbs – Boston U (NCAA)
What’s his deal? Best power forward in the draft. He has soft silky mitts and a beauty shot to go with it. He’s very physical, more so than his brother, and he’s also much more irritating than his brother. Tkachuk stood out in a very good way at the World Juniors.

How would he help the Oilers? Ratings for all of the Battle of Alberta games would shoot up. That’s one. He’s basically the new Corey Perry but a better skater. He’d draw a ton of penalties because he’s an annoying prick on the ice and knows how to get under the opposition’s skin. He’ll actually hit and physically, he’s ready to play in the NHL.
Adam Boqvist – (RHD) – 5’10” 168lbs – Almtuna (SWE)
What’s his deal? Erik Karlsson mini. Or maybe like Erik Brannstrom, who Vegas drafted last year. He can shimmy and shake and is the purest offensive dman in the draft I believe. Great shot, excellent passing and puck handling. He’s prone to getting caught out though because he takes a lot of risks. He’s not big but there’s a sort of revolution going on with small dmen coming into the league and Boqvist should benefit from it.

How would he help the Oilers? It would take a year or two before he could make a real impact with the roster but of course having the kind of offensive hammer from the blueline in the Oilers toolbox would pay outstanding dividends on the PP and the Oilers transition game needs a lot of help right now. This is an aspect of the game, once acclimatized to the NA ice/game, Boqvist would excel at.
Filip Zadina – (RW) – 6’0″ 198lbs – Halifax (QMJHL)
What’s his deal? 27 goals in 38 games in Halifax is his deal and how about that World Juniors performance?! He shoots and he scores. It’s that simple. Give him the puck if you want a goal. Craig Button says he’s the best goal-scorer in this draft and we’ve actually been hearing about him since he was 14.

How would he help the Oilers? Zadina is probably a better goal scorer than Svechnikov but doesn’t bring as much on the other side of the puck that the Russian will eventually bring. So if you’re looking for a Claude Giroux type, I reckon Zadina is your man. Gets points wherever he goes too.
Quinn Hughes – (LHD) – 5’9″ 168lbs – Michigan (NCAA)
What’s his deal? Red rover red rover we call Quinn Hughes over. Listen, this kid can flat out skate. One of the best end-to-end skaters I’ve ever seen probably. Very Coffey-like. It’s so good it masks how small he is but like I said above, there’s a size revolution going on in the NHL now. Smaller dmen are going to thrive in this no-hit NHL that’s being promoted. I think his on ice vision is quite high-end and his shot/pass are above average.

How would he help the Oilers? Transitioning the puck. Simple. When the opposition is tasked with finding a way to stop one of McDavid, Puljuarvi, Draisaitl, or Hughes coming at them, they’re going to trip all over themselves.
Oliver Wahlstrom – (C) – 6’0″ 195lbs – USNDTP
What’s his deal? Shootah! Wahlstrom is a shoot-first ask questions later type of player. Might not be the best goal scorer but could be the best shooter. 27 goals in 35 games for the USNTDP U-18 squad is massive! He’s slated to attend Harvard next season.

How would he help the Oilers? Lots of ppl clamoring for the Oilers to pick up a Hoffman or a Pacioretty, right? Well Wahlstrom would be able to take that mantle. He’s the kind of player that would thrive on a line with a centre who could dictate the play/hog the puck a bit and allow him to get open for a shot. I’m sure McDavid and Draisaitl fall under that category, no?
Evan Bouchard – (RHD) – 6’2″ 181lbs – London (OHL)
What’s his deal? Great poise. High hockey IQ. excellent passer. HUGE cannon. He’s also a right-shot which is very valuable these days. Look, the London knights basically traded away their best dmen this year (or lost them to the NHL) and asked Bouchard, a 17 year old, to take over. And that he has. He’s well over a point-per-game (58pts in 46gp) and he’s rising up the draft charts like a friggin’ rocket.

How would he help the Oilers? The big right-handed shot is one that the Oilers have been lacking for some time. I love the poise too. It’d probably take the same amount of time for Bouchard to develop as it did Nurse but if you were patient enough, the payoff could be ridiculous! I do wonder if we’re looking at a Jake Muzzin-type of dman in Evan Bouchard?
Isac Lundestrom – (C) – 6’0″ 185lbs – Lulea (SWE)
What’s his deal? Lundestrom is fast, gritty, has very skilled stickhandling abilities. He has a good handle on when and when not to move the puck. I asked a scout based in Sweden about him and he said that Lundestrom might not be a star in the NHL but he’ll be a very good hockey player whose coach and fans will really love.

How would he help the Oilers? From what I can gather, if all things turn out, Lundestrom will be a very good 2-way centreman. Now with McDavid, Draisaitl, and RNH currently taking up the top three, I imagine that we’re looking at an Elias Lindholm kind of player or to a much lesser extent, Henrik Zetterberg. Tenacious but skilled. I think that kind of player would benefit the middle-6 quite a bit. I think that a player like Lundestrom could help on the PK eventually.
Noah Dobson – (RHD) – 6’3″ 183lbs – Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
What’s his deal? Here’s another dman who’s rocketing up the draft charts. Dobson is a BIG boy and still growing, right? I think he’s looking a bit like Colton Parayko right now. But boy oh boy can this kid shoot the puck. Not only that but he can skate with the puck very well. Sam Cosentino said that offensively, the sky is the limit for Dobson and for a right-handed dman, that’s great to hear.

How would he help the Oilers? Evan Bouchard is the better dman all round but I’d argue that perhaps Dobson’s shot is better and maybe he’ll have a bit more success on the PP than Bouchard. I mean the Oilers prospect depth on D is pretty rude as it is but as we’ve seen in Anaheim, you can never have enough dmen coming up through the pipelines.

So what do you think? If the Oilers do happen to find themselves drafting in the 1-10 range, are there any players you’d stay away from? Are there any players, aside from Dahlin, that you’d be hell-bent on trading up for?

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors, Trades

What Will the New Year Bring the Oilers?

January 1, 2018 Beer League Hero

It’s been a while since I was left that emotionally frustrated by the Oilers but last night’s game versus the Winnipeg Jets had me near irate and I try my best not to let the team’s results control my emotions because it’s only entertainment, right?

I mean if we’re being honest, that was the first game in quite a while where Todd’s boys laid an egg. December was going oh so well until this latest skid and while I pride myself on being optimistic in the face of the ever-lingering pessimism that clouds this fanbase, I feel like I might be writing more draft dedicated articles soon.

THE COACHES’ FUTURE

There’s been a faction of the Oilers “supporters” that have been calling for McLellan’s head since the end of October and with every subsequent loss the Oilers are handed, I can relate with their angst. The usual response online is something to the effect of, “Haven’t the Oilers hired and fired enough coaches in the last ten years?”

The answer to that question is yes.

If we go back 10 years from today, the Oilers have had 7 separate head coaches.

Craig MacTavish
Pat Quinn
Tom Renney
Ralph Krueger
Dallas Eakins
Todd Nelson
Todd McLellan

From 1998 to 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks also had 7 different head coaches before finally settling on Joel Quenneville.

Dirk Graham
Lorne Molleken
Bob Pulford
Alpo Suhonen
Brian Sutter
Trent Yawney
Denis Savard

As a fan, you should be thankful, the Real Madrid football team went through 9 managers from 2003 to 2009. And that’s one of the most successful football (soccer) teams in history who’ve had some of the best players in the history of the beautiful game.

There’s a real possibility that the playing personnel and it’s coaches aren’t compatible. Maybe Todd McLellan and his staff are more appropriate for a team that isn’t driven by players so young. When he took over in San Jose, he had Thornton and Marleau right in their primes and a defense led by Rob Blake and Dan Boyle, an all-star goalie in Evgeni Nabakov, and the Sharks even added old cagey vets like Claude Lemieux and Jeremy Roenick to boot.

He does not have that in Edmonton at the moment.

The GM has basically two moves left to save his ass and that’s to make another trade in hopes that’ll jump start the team or to fire the coach and his staff but if he does fire the coach, his neck will be on the chopping block next. Usually, that’s the last card to be played before a GM is dismissed.

Now with that being said, the Oilers’ league-mandated week off is coming up and if a coaching change is going to be made in-season, that’s more likely when it’ll be. A pricey one might I add given that McLellan is one of the top paid coaches in the league.

My last thought on the coaches is that if they don’t have the answers to the special teams problems, something they’ve stated publicly, then who does? It is their job to come up with the solutions to the team’s problems and to inform the players, who then take that information and apply it on the ice. If the players aren’t doing that, then the coaches need to react appropriately. If the coaches reactions aren’t being taken seriously, then the GM has to take action be it by making a trade or by letting a coach go. If the GM is unwilling to do that, then… I think you get the point.

Are the players concerned enough about being traded to improve their play though? Are the coaches concerned enough about being fired to make wholesale changes?

SPECIAL TEAMS AKA THE PENALTY KILL

I’ve been taking a look at some of the goals scored vs. the Oilers PK in the last couple of weeks or so and I can’t find a constant error in their formation or tactics being used. What I do find are little brainfarts like over-committing, getting hung up on a teammate, dropping a stick, bad bounces, or not reading the ice properly that are costing the Oilers.

I was curious about the tactic the Oilers have been using on the kill, so I looked into it a bit more.

The Oilers, utilize something called the “Czech Press” on the PK. This tactic a more aggressive version of the “Triangle +1” or a “Wedge +1” and is described as thus:

The general concept of the Triangle +1 is that three penalty killers form a triangle shape down low, protecting the slot and net. The fourth penalty killer is the “plus-one,” focused on getting in shooting lanes, angling the play in certain directions, or pressuring the puck carrier. The key to understanding the Triangle +1 is knowing that the player functioning as the “plus-one” can shift mid-play, depending upon the location of the puck. If the play quickly transitions from left to right, the high forward can sag back into the triangle while the lower forward takes over the “plus-one” role.

Wedge +1

The same concepts of the Triangle +1 apply, but in the Czech Press, the “plus-one” forward is very aggressive. He actively attacks the high man at the blueline (usually a defenseman), and in the event of a pass to a forward on the half boards, he “presses” down on the new puck carrier to cut off space and time.(Source)

Czech Press

Here’s an example of what the Czech Press should look like if deployed properly,

According to the source from above, the Czech Press has it’s advantages and disadvantages,

The Czech Press, on the other hand, looks to actively force opposing power plays into mistakes. The result is more turnovers, but also more opportunities for dangerous chances, due to the chaotic play of the “plus-one” forward. Rapid puck movement has the aggressive forward constantly chasing, and can turn the formation into a “Triangle Plus-Nothing,” with three penalty killers in the slot just waiting to be eaten alive. (Source)

I think one of the things, apart from the possibilities discussed above, we’re witnessing this year with the Oilers is that teams are turning the extra man who chases the puck into the “nothing”. My understanding is that this formation when passive is used to combat the point shot and cross-seam passes. A team that doesn’t have the speed to use the Czech Press shouldn’t be using it in my opinion but maybe it’s more than that. One could argue it’s intelligence on the ice too because you can’t simply run around with your head cut off on the PK. The penalty kill is all about managing 2-on-1 scenarios, right?

Some players that are having good years on the PK according to some parameters set by Jon Willis (20 min TOI, GA/60, league avg=7 GA/60) on Twitter last night are:

Jujhar Khaira (36.1 TOI, 4.99 GA/60) – I believe that he’d be just as good as Pouliot on the PK if given the chance. He’s got good hands, a big body, AND he doesn’t take too many penalties.

Connor McDavid (47.9 TOI, 5.01 GA/60) – Of course he’s one of the best. He’s got the speed and agility to be used properly in the Czech Press PLUS he’s the smartest player in the game.

Brandon Davidson (33.3 TOI, 3.6 GA/60) – Matt Benning could use a night or two in the press box. He’s still young but he’s really hitting the sophomore slump this year and Davidson’s #s don’t lie here. Add to that Davy’s got a bit more experience and size on Benning.

Eric Gryba (29.43 TOI, 6.12 GA/60) – There’s not much to say about Grybs. He’s ineffective 5×5 and now he’s in the minors.

Other players that are hovering just over the league average GA/60 are Mark Letestu (8.79), Oscar Klefbom (8.98), and Iiro Pakarinen (8.85).

But the rest of the team are in double-digits. Drake Caggiula’s GA/60 on the PK is 17.81… Which is mad because he’s so fast and aggressive, right? You’d think that he’d fit right into this PK tactic. The worst dman is Matt Benning with 15.8 GA/60 on the PK…

If the Oilers don’t have the players who can effectively work within the penalty killing system, why use it? It reminds me of Dallas Eakins’ “swarm”. The coaches are trying to force it down the players’ throats and from what I’ve gathered, it doesn’t sound like the players are having anything of it anymore.

I think if you’ve noticed, that nearly every team that the Oilers get a PP versus uses the passive “triangle +1” because the Oilers are happy to pass it around the perimeter at their own pace. If the Oilers could move it around a lot quicker maybe by bringing the players on the wall a little higher to support the dman, they could open things up a bit better.

Another way to create scoring chances is… GO TO THE BLUE PAINT! Jesse Puljujarvi has scored but one from in the home plate if I recall correctly. I mean, I’m not a coach by trade but if the other team is parking the bus in front of the goalie, why not add some more chaos and throw three of your guys in front too and leave a 2-on-1 scenario for the remaining players. Then simply get the puck on the net for the players to battle over. I think an added bonus to those goal-mouth scrambles might be causing the other team to take more penalties due to the desperation of clearing the puck from so close to the net.

THE 2018 DRAFT

I suppose we’re going to have to start talking about it sooner or later… At this point, the Oilers are sitting pretty at 6th overall. Whether you’re the type to follow the draft or not, I’m sure you’ve heard who is going 1st overall, the Swedish Bobby Orr, Rasmus Dahlin. After Dahlin is a right-wing sniper who plays for Barrie in the OHL named Andrei Svechnikov.

Dahlin and Svechnikov will be going 1 and 2 at the draft, I have no doubt in my mind about that. But it’s from 3rd overall to 6th overall that it could get interesting. Right now I believe it’s a battle between a magical Czech forward named Filip Zadina and another Swedish Karlsson clone named Adam Boqvist for no.3. Matthew Tkachuk’s little brother Brady should go 5th and then the 2nd best skater in the draft, Quinn Hughes, a dman playing NCAA in Michigan should round it out.

We don’t know where the lottery balls will land come draft time but I’m not a huge fan of selecting a defender in the top 6 not named Rasmus Dahlin.

If the Oilers draft…

1st – Rasmus Dahlin (LD) – Swedish Orr
2nd – Andrei Svechnikov (RW) – Tarasenko V2
3rd – Filip Zadina (LW) – Very Barzal-like with his puck handling and shooting
4th – Brady Tkachuk (LW) – Better than his brother
5th – Adam Boqvist (RD) – Dazzling defender
6th – Oliver Wahlstrom (RW) – Shoots the lights out

Should the Oilers lose out in the lottery and be forced to move down, I think trading down to gather assets would be a good plan as the cluster from 7th overall to about 14th or 15th look to be a safe area for the Oilers to trade down to and still get a good player.

But if you’re wondering what some of those players look like, look no further than our 2018 November Top Ten Rankings over at the Beer League Heroes Youtube Channel!

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

Button’s and McKenzie’s Pre-Season 2018 Draft Rankings Released!

September 13, 2017 Beer League Hero

It’s the beginning of hockey season folks!!! Bob McKenzie and Craig Button have released their pre-season 2018 draft rankings and you can watch the videos below. In the past this has been a very important time of the year for Oilers fans but since we’ve drafted McDavid, the draft and its prospects have found themselves on the backburner a bit for some folks.

I admit last season, I couldn’t be bothered following it. There simply wasn’t the hype to be honest but this year’s crop of kids is going to be outstanding and even though the Oilers are expected to be picking 31st (hehe) in June, some players drop that shouldn’t (I’m talking to you Eeli Tolvanen and Timothy Liljegren) and some players rise.

My comments on the prospects, my own top ten, and the links to McKenzie’s and Button’s write-ups follow the videos below!

Let me know what you think about the rankings in the Youtube comments and please don’t forget to subscribe to our Channel!

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I think that we’re getting two VERY special players in 2018/19 in Dahlin and Svechnikov. This 2000-born draft class is going to be hailed as one of the best ever in my opinion because the talent doesn’t drop off after the first two.

If you simply want to read the rankings, click on the two links below!

What you’ll find is a pretty even keel list with Bob McKenzie and then something almost the opposite with Craig Button. Button usually has some players ridiculously low because he’s projecting how they’ll be in 3-5 years I believe whereas McKenzie is ranking in the now.

McKenzie’s 2018 Pre-Season Draft Rankings

Button’s 2018 Pre-Season Craig’s List

My rankings go as such:

Rasmus Dahlin – D
Andrei Svechnikov – RW
Brady Tkachuk – LW
Rasmus Kupari – C
Adam Boqvist – D
Joe Veleno – C
Quinn Hughes – D
Ryan Merkley – D
Bode Wilde – D
Filip Zadina – C

I didn’t put too much into these rankings, just a bit of personal opinion and from what I’ve been gleaned upon by others in the know. I value right-handers quite a bit. I like high-end offensive dmen and skilled power forwards. I’m not a fan of players who don’t offer a bit of dynamicism or entertainment value be that highly skilled goals/passes or big time hits. Steady Eddies are good for your team but bore this shite out of me.

I’m a little disappointed that Tkachuk and Wilde aren’t playing in the CHL, as I’d love to have seen them up against it in Canada. Filip Zadina is going to be an interesting case this year as he’ll be playing with two other first round projected players in Jared McIsaac and Benoit-Olivier Groulx. Ryan Merkley getting comparisons to Ryan Murphy is a little disconcerting and Quinn Hughes will be one to watch at the World Juniors because if you like puck-rushing dmen, he’s your guy.

Boqvist will have to work on his shooting accoring to Steve Kournianos as The Draft Analyst said on a recent podcast that he wasn’t impressed with how many times Boqvist missed the net with his shot. Of course, McKenzie has Boqvist being compared to Erik Karlsson… So there’s that.

Lastly, Joe Veleno will be playing alongside Oilers prospect Ostap Safin and given what I saw during the prospects tourney and the rookie game vs. the NAIT/MacEwan All-Stars, I really have no idea how that is going to pan out. Safin is pretty laid back and Veleno is a game breaker for Saint John.

This video was done at the beginning of September, so the top ten here will be a tad different!

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

Do You Really Want Iginla on the Oilers?

August 31, 2017 Beer League Hero 5 Comments

Jarome Iginla is a longshot at best to be an Oiler this season. That being said, If one of the younger guys on the right wing shit the bed during training camp or there’s an injury, I’d say that Iginla would be the first phone call.

“Bosco” says that the Oilers and Iginla are talking, Treenas Oil seconds that and they’re not completely wrong but it’s the timing of the conversations that they’ve got wrong.

Of course, the two camps (Iggy’s and the Oilers’) have spoken. Iginla is a free agent that has something to offer to the Oilers. How irresponsible would it be if Peter Chiarelli didn’t touch base with Jarome Iginla’s agent and see what it would take to bring him in?

Now, that being said, is it the right thing to do for the franchise?

PROS:

The shot never goes and Iggy can still find the back of the net.
Iginla is the right kind of veteran you’d want to bring into a young team like the Oilers.
He’s tough as nails and amongst the most respected players in the NHL.

CONS:

If you didn’t like Eberle’s 200ft game, you won’t like Iginla’s at this point in his career.
He can’t skate at the required level to be effective in the top 6.
He may very well be quite an expensive 4th liner.

I’ll just keep that brief. I mean, realistically, is Jarome Iginla going to usurp Zack Kassian, Jesse Puljujarvi, or Anton Slepyshev from a spot on the right side?

Peter Chiarelli has already stated that he’s looking to grow from within and let the kids take the reins this season. I’m with him on that one. I want to see if Slepyshev can flourish on a line with Lucic and Draisaitl. I want to see if Puljujarvi can find some offense playing on McDavid’s wing.

I don’t want to see a perfectly good young player pushed out right when he’s on the cusp of realizing some of his potential.

I like Jarome Iginla and I think there’d be elements of his game that would benefit the Oilers but maybe not in the regular season but the playoffs where his experience and leadership would flourish a bit more.

You do have to ask yourself why Matt Hendricks has a contract and not Iginla though and how much better is Iginla than Hendricks on the 4th line?

Lastly, what kind of Oilers fan would you be if you really wanted an old Calgary Flame who used to terrorize the Oilers for years, on the Oilers?…

Just kidding!!! Or am I?

2018 TOP TEN NHL ENTRY DRAFT PROSPECTS

Here’s the BLH September top ten for the upcoming draft featuring the likes of:

Rasmus Dahlin – Is he the Swedish Bobby Orr?
Andrei Svechnikov – A new Tarasenko?
Joe Veleno – Ripper of the Q!
Filip Zadina – The next elite Czech dangler!
Brady Tkachuk – You thought Matthew and Keith were beasts… Brady might eat your soul.

Hopefully, the Oilers aren’t in a place to be picking any of these players unless through a trade.

Watch the video to see who 6-10 are!

And please subscribe. We don’t make any money off of these videos but getting shares, likes, comments and new subscribers make it worth the effort!

Thanks!!!

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Stanley Cup Playoffs

Oilers/Sharks G5: That’s Not a Spear, This is a Spear!

April 20, 2017 Beer League Hero 1 Comment

Missing: One broom – Last seen in the hands of a Duck on its way to Calgary.

THE DRAISAITL INCIDENT

Yesterday the punishment for Leon Draisaitl’s spear was handed down and as expected it was only a fine but wow, did hockey fans go batshit over the punishment handed down. For me, I didn’t expect Leon would be handed a suspension, why would he? He has no history of this kind of behavior nor has he ever been suspended unlike Joe Thornton, who also was given a game misconduct in January for a spear on the St.Louis Blues’ Paul Stastny but also escaped a mandatory vacation for his action.

Here’s my contention though. Jumbo Joe actually speared a guy. I mean he took his hockey stick and thrust it into the midsection of the opponent and that my friend IS intent to injure. Look at the pic above! Thornton actually puts enough force into the spear to create a bow in his stick…

Betcha a lot of Sharks fans forgot about that eh?

Leon Draisaitl merely brought his stick up between Tierney’s legs to cause some temporary discomfort and it must not have been hard enough because Tierney came back to play.

I understand that what Draisaitl did is within the NHL’s definition of what a spear is but that’s not a spear. Check out this quick clip I made where I compared Leon Draisaitl’s spear with Thornton’s spear and then the mother of all spears, Marty McSorley on Mike Bullard and then tell me what Draisaitl did was THAT severe…

GAME FOUR and FIVE

7-0… But it could’ve been a lot different had Larsson’s shot went into the net and not off of the crossbar and if Nuge had buried that open net chance… Move on to game 5.

She’s a best of three and the Oilers have home ice advantage!!

The rubber match is tonight and I expect a fiery Oilers squad to come out and absolutely hand the Sharks a spanking. Nobody likes to be embarrassed like the Oilers were on Tuesday and everyone on that team will be fired up not to mention the fans. I don’t think it’s going to be a low-even game at all but I do have some questions going in.

Questions:

Will we see a timid game from Zack Kassian or will we get the human wrecking ball?
In games 3 and 4 Kassian was as much a passenger as the rest of the team. Personally, I think the fans are going to rev this team up like crazy and that first 10 minutes we’ve been seeing where the Oilers are on their heels, I think it’ll be the Sharks who will be on their fins.
How will Todd McLellan address Pat Maroon’s slump?
I wrote about Maroon’s lack of production after game 4 and we seen him dropped in the lineup in the latter stages of the game. Should the Oilers try using some more speed with McDavid? I mean, he’s looked okay with Cagguila at times and the Drake does have a gritty side to his game.
With the last change, will Draisaitl be up with McDavid again?
No doubt the Oilers are going to take advantage of having the last change but who should they deploy to stop the Marleau/Thornton/Pavelski line? Not sure I’d have Nuge’s line against them as RNH is literally the only real defensive player on that line. How about tossing Pouliot/Letestu/Kassian against them as those players are the team’s primary penalty killers. Surely they’d have success in that role.
Keep Nurse/Benning away from the Sharks top 6.

Just going from the eye test, Benning and Nurse had a shit time trying to stop the Sharks skillers.

Edmonton has called up seven players from Bakersfield right? Reinhart, Ellis, Lander, Oesterle, Fayne, Laleggia, and Khaira.
I can’t see any of them getting any action to be honest unless some real injuries take some of the top 6 out. But if I had to go from most likely to play to least likely I’d go Lander, Khaira, Oesterle, Reinhart, Laleggia, Ellis, Fayne.

The computer boys will have Fayne at the top of course but I can’t see it at all. He lacks a certain element of determination that McLellan likes in his bottom pairing dmen and he’s certainly not replacing Kris Russell. The thought alone makes me chortle aloud.

Now, Anton Lander can take faceoffs at least and Khaira can be a large presence on the wall but let’s be frank, Iiro Pakarinen and Anton Slepyshev are going to get the majority of the TOI because they’ve got size, they hit, they can skate well, and they can shoot. Oesterle and Reinhart shoot left so automatically they’re at a disadvantage and Nick Ellis is a total longshot to play unless Talbot loses a limb.

PULJU TO FINLAND

The Oilers loaned Jesse Puljujarvi to the Finnish men’s team so that he can play in the World Championships in Paris and Cologne. I suspect he’ll be reunited with his old World Junior linemate, Sebastian Aho. Too bad Patrik Laine is taking the tourney off. It would be something to watch this trio play after a year of pro hockey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn3AbZhENRU

Speaking of the Men’s World Championships, keep an eye on Swedish defender Rasmus Dahlin. He’s 17 I believe and is the youngest player to play on the Men’s team in half a century if I’m not mistaken. He’s eligible to be playing in the u18’s that are going on right now to put it into perspective. Some will compare Dahlin to Erik Karlsson or perhaps even Paul Coffey but they don’t do him justice because he’s basically doing what McDavid did to his opposition in junior but Dahlin is doing it versus men in the SHL.

Enjoy the Oilers game tonight folks! It’s going to be a beauty! McDavid is going to break out tonight and Edmonton is going to be electric!