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Corey Mitchell, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rob Cooke, Sunday Night Pint, Zach Laing

BLH Sunday Night Pint #5

Sunday Night Pint #5 is in session! Welcome back to those that have been here before and It’s good to see you if you’re new to the Sunday Night Pint. This is our weekly post where we gather a few of the writers here at BLH and go over the week that was in the world of hockey, sometimes more specifically the Edmonton Oilers.

This week we’re joined by Corey Mitchell (@corn_cwm), Zach Laing (@loweded), Rob Cooke (@cooke_rob) and The Oilers Rig’s Alex Thomas!

If you don’t know, Mr.Thomas is the brains (not the beauty, that belongs to Jackie Dawson) behind The Oilers Rig. He knows his hockey and he certainly knows his Oilers! Keep an eye out for him in the future as he could be on your TV sooner than later. Follow Alex on Twitter @alex_thomas14.

The topics today are as such:

So if you’re comfortable in your seat and beer is in hand, let’s get started!

1 – Ads on Jerseys, Yeah or Nay?

AT – Honestly, it totally depends. I would hate it if the jerseys looked like European hockey jerseys or like soccer jerseys. The logo needs to be front and center, not a sponsor. That said, if they elect to go the AHL route and have a minor sponsor, I’d be fine with it. I like the jerseys as is, but I don’t think it’s ruining something sacred like many believe. If the NHL is making money, and they will off this, and the change isn’t too radical, I’m okay with it.

CM – Jersey ads have been a unique conversation point in recent years. You look back to the NHL implementing the “no tuck” rule a few years ago, and the instant conclusion was that ads were coming. And from what I can see on social media is most fans don’t want to see them. Of the four major sports in North America, the NHL has the best looking uniforms, from the color scheme, to the logos on the front. To ruin that look with big money sponsors seems so wrong for so many reasons.

You look at hockey in Europe. Club teams have almost no space left on their sweaters, and the clutter of ads is a major visual turn off. It’s nice to see once in awhile, like during the Spengler Cup, but that’s not something I want to see for an 82 games season, and then playoffs. Unfortunately, the trademark of the Bettman Regime has been to find revenue in non-traditional ways. And if you look at a league like the CFL, ads are small, and don’t take away from the look of the uniform as a whole. So if the NHL follows that model, a modest corporate logo on the sleeve or something, and as long as I can purchase ad free jerseys, I really don’t have a problem with it.

ZL – Aesthetically, I am not a fan of having sponsors on the jersey’s however I do realize that the NHL will more than likely be having sponsors on jersey’s sooner rather than later. It provides a chance for NHL owners to receive more money, and anytime you can add revenue to a business that is a positive. Like with when the NHL first introduced ads on the boards in the 1980 season, fans didn’t like it but they eventually got used to it. Just like we will have to do with the ads on jerseys.

RC – I don’t particularly like the idea myself. With that being said I think that the vast majority of fans will feel that way as well but I don’t see any of us owning a team so realistically our opinions don’t really matter. The league and team owners will see the added dollar signs that will be coming with the addition of jersey advertising. The almighty dollar will win out here and there isn’t really anything that fans will be able to do about it…

BLH – Listen to me when I say this. An a supporter of the Edmonton Oilers, YOU WANT ADS ON JERSEYS! The reason is simple. All these years of sucking ass has landed the Oilers with arguable the best crop of young players in the league. How are they to keep all of them under the cap without extra revenue?

2 – Would You Trade Jordan Eberle for Kevin Shattenkirk (St.L)?

AT – No, I wouldn’t. Jordan Eberle is a tremendous offensive talent, easily the top RW on this roster. I like Shattenkirk as a player, but he’s more of a second pairing guy in my mind. He’s great offensively, but to me, Shattenkirk’s defensive game leaves much to be desired. To me, Shattenkirk is what Justin Schultz should be. He’s a good player, but he’s not a game changer on the blue-line. I’d rather keep Ebs.

CM – For a long time now, I’ve reserved myself to the fact that the Oilers need to sacrifice one of the kids to obtain the assets they need to be a winner. And I’ve stated many times on Twitter, that it should be Jordan Eberle. Hall and Nuge, now with McDavid, have a much higher ceiling than a Jordan Eberle, as much as most fanboys and girls will disagree with me. And if part of the package coming over is Kevin Shattenkirk, than by all means that move should be made.

Two season ago, I was really liking the idea of an Eberle package to Nashville for Shea Weber, which at the time I felt was very realistic. Now, the general consensus is that Weber is a pipe dream at best, but you can do far worse than adding a Shattenkirk to the revamped blue line. I think that deal has more moving parts than just Eberle for Shattenkirk straight across

ZL – This is a very interesting proposal. TSN’s Ray Ferraro suggested the Oilers look for a trade surrounding Jordan Eberle for Patrick Berglund and Kevin Shattenkirk. Shattenkirk is a very interesting player and is thought of to be a player that will soon develop into a top pairing defender in the NHL. He doesn’t necessarily bring a lot of size to his game (6’0”, 202lbs) but since joining the league in 2010-2011, he has scored 215 points ranking him 12th among NHL defenseman since then.

If the Oilers were to make a trade with Eberle and Shattenkirk being two main pieces going back and forth, it could certainly benefit both teams.

RC – Yes I would! Everyday and twice on Sunday! I know Ebs is the current best option on the right side but defenseman with the skill set of Kevin Shattenkirk do not become available very often. I’m sure that the advanced stats will back up my opinion but that is something I will leave to our stats guru, Walt Foddis (@waltlaw69) to discern.

BLH – I would also do this trade but I’d expand it horribly into a blockbuster and try for David Backes as well. Maybe you throw in Draisaitl with Eberle and they send back Backes and Shattenkirk. Seasoned vets have a certain value to teams like the Oilers who are coming up and big mean veterans who have a good 5 – 6 years left who’ve work the ‘C’ on their chest for a good portion of their career is something I’d be willing to pay dearly for.

3 – Who Are Your Top 5 International Players of All-Time?

AT – My top five? Oh Jeez, that’s tough. Being so young, it’s hard for me to look back and pick the top-five international players ever, but I’ll try…. In no particular order, I’ll take Wayne Gretzky, Mike Eruzione (Come on, that’s the best hockey moment, like, ever), Dominik Hasek, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier.

CM – My top 5 international players? Obviously no list is leaving off Jari Kurri or Teemu Selanne. Add Pavel Bure to that, and now you’ve got three. My last two might go off the board a bit. Sergei Makarov and Vladislav Tretiak, two of the great players from that powerhouse Soviet team.

ZL – Wayne Gretzky, Viacheslav Fetisov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Sidney Crosby, and the obligatory Connor McDavid. Hehehe!

RC – Obviously as a Canadian born and raised guy my list is made up of some of the best Canadians to ever play in some form of IIHF tournament. Wayne Gretzky has to top the list for sure. How can he not? At the 1987 Canada Cup he lit up everyone for 21 points in 9 games and Gretzky himself says it is the best hockey that he ever played.

His linemate at that tournament would be my second choice for this list. Mario Lemieux was a fantastic player on the international stage and one of very few people that can claim to have won the Stanley Cup, Canada Cup, World Cup, and Olympic gold during their career.

Next on my list is Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth. No player has represented this great nation more than Smytty. He has done everything that can be done internationally and when I call him Captain Canada I do so because it is a very well deserved moniker for him.

Following Smytty is Jordan Eberle. He was the most clutch player I have ever had the pleasure of watching at the World Junior’s and his goal against the Russians in the dying seconds of the game is right up their with his first NHL goal for highlight quality.

My final choice for the list is likely one that not a lot of people will agree with but I am going to go with Eric Lindros. At the junior level the Big E was as dominant as any player I have ever seen and his 42 points in 29 international junior games is pretty damn impressive. Of course that isn’t even including the 34 points in 36 games at the men’s level. Those 34 points include 1 goal that he managed during the 2002 Olympic games.

BLH – Jeez Cooke, you damn near have a post on its own there. Lol. My top five international players of all-time are Valeri Kharlamov, Peter Forsberg, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Slava Fetisov.

Bonus – Who’s Your Favorite Player to Hate?

AT – My favorite player to hate? That’s tough, but I can’t stand Zack Kassian and Ryan Kesler. Really, I hated those good Canucks teams, they had a cocky arrogance to them even though they have never won a thing. Kassian was a total goon, just a guy with no regard for other players. Kesler just killed the Oilers and played a pest game. That said, even though I hate Kesler as a player, I have a lot of respect for him.

CM – My most hated player, for whatever reason, is Ryan Kesler. I’m guessing it’s got to do with how much he really personified what being a Vancouver Canuck meant while he was with them. I never want to see him win a Stanley Cup. And actually, throw the caveman Kevin Bieksa on this list too. Two guys that I cannot stand watching play the game, throwing dirty shots on the ice, and turtling until a ref for linesman comes in.

One of my greatest joys recently as an Oilers fan was watching Kesler get tuned in by Sam Gagner. So yeah, forget those guys. Didn’t like them as Canucks, don’t like them as Ducks. And just to cover all my bases, Aaron Ward can take a walk off a bridge too

ZL – Anybody on the Calgary Flames. Just because I live in Calgary, and it’s not easy being an Oilers fan in Calgary.

RC – This is a hard question for me because the Oilers have really been irrelevant the last half decade and it is hard to really get a hate on for anyone when our team was so god awful. If I have to pick one player that I truly hated it would have to be Ryan Kesler. To me he epitomized the “whiny player”.

He is known as a diver and a player that isn’t afraid to embellish a lot if it will get him the call he wants. He has always managed to play fairly well against Edmonton as well so that kind of irritates me a little bit more about the guy.

Another guy that definitely deserves some hate mail from Oilers fans would be the goof Zack Kassian. After his stick swinging incident from a couple seasons back where he nearly decapitated poor Sam Gagner I find it very hard to feel anything but loathing when his name is mentioned.

BLH – We have quite the Canucks theme going on here… But it really is hard not to hate at least 3 players that were on that team in the last 5 years or are currently on. Kassian, Kesler, Bieksa, and Burrows come to mind immediately. I imagine Prust will fill the void this season. But I have a feeling the kid Ferland in Calgary is going to creep into these lists in the very near future.

So there we have it! Jersey ads are cool… Kinda. Ebs is on his way out and everyone hates the Canucks and Flames! Obviously.

Thank you for joining us for the Beer League Heroes Sunday Night Pint #5! We hope you enjoyed the read! Let us know in the comments below what you think about ads on jerseys or a potential Eberle trade!

As always, if you’re looking for a sweet t-shirt to show off your NHL ’94 pride, head on over to the Beer League Heroes T-Shirt Shop and find your favorite player in 16-bit! You can also pick up the Official Beer League Heroes shirt and the NEW “Straight Outta Oil Country” top!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Take care and until next time!

– BLH

**PS** Thanks goes to all of the readers who participated on Facebook! You’re all AWESOME!

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Lindsay Ryall, NHL, Rob Cooke, Sunday Night Pint

BLH Sunday Night Pint #4

Welcome back to another edition of Sunday Night Pint!

This week we’ll have Rob Cooke (@cooke_rob), a hungover Lindsay Ryall (@lindsman77), and myself, BLH (@beerleagueheroe) rattling off some value bombs for you fine folks!

The Topics:

  • Pacific Division predictions!
  • Oilers enforcers!
  • Raising the dead!
Let’s Get This Party Started!

 

1. Pacific Division Predictions

BLH- I think it’ll go down like this: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Edmonton, San Jose, Calgary, Vancouver, Arizona.

I’m not sold on San Jose as a functioning squad this year. Their goaltending is unproven, the lack scoring from the wings and their new coach has done nothing to prove that he’ll take the Sharks any further that where they stand now, out of the playoffs. I’m also convinced that Calgary is going to hit the wall this season. Too many years now of lucking out. Either their young guys, their goaltending, or the coaching dries up this year. Vancouver and Arizona will be in competition for Auston Matthews, Jakub Chychrun, and Jesse Puljujarvi so who cares about them.

L.A. should be good for 2nd place but then again looked what happened to Boston last year…

Edmonton on the other hand is trending up. They’ve improved their roster immensely since last season. I’d say they’re on the opposite end of the spectrum as San Jose. Their top 6 has the potential to be the deadliest in the league and Talbot is entering the prime of his career after putting up some deadly numbers last year in New York. The secret weapon won’t be a player but an aura called The McDavid Effect.

LR – Ducks: The Ducks core is in their prime and they keep getting reinforcements on a maturing D and in goal. Getzlaf, Perry and crew easily have the talent and experience to easily push for another final four appearance and maybe even another cup as Chicago suffers under cap restraints. Finish 1st, 108 pts.

Kings: Many would see the Kings problems as a sign of potential implosion, but the bulk of their core remains intact and the addition of Milan Lucic means they are tougher and heavier in their top six. They could use more depth on D but finishing out of the playoffs will provide tons of motivation for this veteran-laden team only two years removed from a cup. Finish 2nd, 102 pts.

Flames: I hate the Flames, but I have to admit they have the best D in the Pacific and defense gets you wins and points in the NHL today. Look for highly touted rookie Sam Bennett to suffer a severe upper-body injury by mid-season but the rest of the forward group are serviceable if unspectacular and play very well within Bob Hartley’s system. Finish 3rd, 98 pts

Sharks: I predicted this team’s erosion a couple of years ago but they have stubbornly remained relevant… Until last year when they missed the playoffs. Not even Logan Couture’s daunting overbite can save them now. Unproven in goal and leaderless they will continue to drift. Finish 4th, 88 pts.

Oilers: After the draft I took a sip of the Kool-Aid and I liked the taste. Nonetheless, I’m not ready to label this team as playoff bound just yet, still too inexperienced on D and it’s not certain what impact Nurse and Reinhart will have. Nevertheless, they will take a huge step forward and position themselves to challenge the following year. Look for a 75 point season from the Nuge to go with 65 – 70 points from McDavid as he becomes the Oilers’ first Calder Trophy winner. Finish 5th, 84 pts.

Canucks: The Canucks have done nothing to help themselves and continue to drop in talent even further. The Sedins are well into their 30’s and aren’t magicians, so no playoffs for Vancouver. Finish 6th, 82 pts.

Coyotes: The Coyotes have the makings of a very exciting team… In about 3-4 years. Besides OEL they don’t have an impact player and it’s unsure Mike Smith can bounce back from a disastrous season. Missing the playoffs by a lot and being in the thick of the Auston Mathews sweepstakes. Finish 7th, 62 pts.

RC – Anaheim, Los Angeles, Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose, Vancouver, Arizona

2. Who’s Your Favorite Oilers Tough Guy?

McDavid SMASH!

BLH – My favorite Oilers tough guy is the team’s all-time leader in penalty minutes (1747) Kelly Buchberger. He lost more fights than he won but there was no backing down when push came to shove. The list of guys he fought is legendary: Probert, Pronger, Neely, McSorley, Kordic, Grimson, McCarty, Tim Hunter, Brashear, Kocur, and Odjick just to name a few. #BraveMan

LR – Dave Brown: This is a close call as I’m also a big Georges Laraque fan, and who could forget Semenko, but Brown was just so devastating. He didn’t just beat people up, he destroyed them.

RC – Dave Semenko without question. I grew up watching Cement Head take on all comers and I loved the epic battles of Alberta even more when Semenko and Hunter would go at it!

3. If You Could Bring Back Any Hockey Player From The Dead To Play For The Oilers, Who Would It Be?

BLH – I’d bring back Maurice “The Rocket” Richard. I remember reading a children’s illustrated book when I was small boy that featured The Rocket and I can’t remember what the name was but the message was about tenacity. I didn’t know what that word meant but by the end of that short story I knew all I needed to know about the word and the player! This man played the game with as much honesty as you could ask for and never asked for anything in return. Not only that but he managed to get an entire city to riot after he was suspended.

LR – Eddie Shore: Shore was much more than a footnote in the movie Slapshot, he was the original two way defenceman. Shore could beat you with toughness and scoring from the blueline, both of which the Oilers could use on their team today.

RC – This is a really tough one for me because the vast majority of the players that I grew up watching are still alive today. I decided that rather than select a former all star from another organization that I would select a player that left us way to young and had a ton of potential. Kristians Pelss was an Oilers prospect when he tragically died in a swimming accident in 2013 in his home country of Latvia. I have always wondered what he could have become had we not lost him.

Well that wraps it up for us here. Let us know in the comments below your Pacific Division predictions, who your favorite tough guy was or who you’d bring back from the dead to play on the Oilers.

As always you can catch up with us on Twitter @beerleagueheroe or on Facebook!

And if you have it in your heart, please share this post and tweet it out! Thanks guys and gals!

Take Care!

-BLH

 

Beer League Hero, Brennen York, Corey Mitchell, NHL, Sunday Night Pint, Zach Laing

BLH Sunday Night Pint #3

Welcome ladies and Gents to another Beer League Heroes Sunday Night Pint! If this is your first time frequenting the weekly SNP let me tell you what you’re in for. Hard hitting questions regarding the Edmonton Oilers! It’s not all serious though, we toss in a bit of fun at the end to lighten the mood.

This week we’ve got the wonderful Corey Mitchell (@corn-cwm) joining us, Zach Laing (@loweded) is driving this beast and riding shotgun is our Draft Guru, Brennen York (@draftgeekdotca)! We’re going to be touching on Leon Draisaitl, the Calgary Flames, and the playoffs! Also, what does the perfect hockey player look like?

 

Is Leon Draisaitl Part of the Team in 5 Years?

CM – McDavid has changed everything with this team, including Draisaitl’s place on the roster. I’m strongly of the opinion that Drats should be playing this whole upcoming season in the AHL. He benefits more playing a 1C or 2C role in the AHL than he would playing third line winger with the Oilers. That being said, the top two spots in the middle are locked up long term, as I can’t see McDavid or Nuge going anywhere. So where does that leave Drats? As much flak as I might get for this, it leaves him as trade bait. If it comes down to him and Lander competing for the 3C slot, I think Lander is much more suited to the role, and will cost less to lock up long term than Drats will. So in five years, is Drats an Oiler? I’m guessing unless he becomes world class like McDavid and Nuge, he’ll have become the centre piece, pardon the pun, in a trade that makes the Oilers a serious contender.

ZL – Definitely. I foresee him moving to the wing and being a dominant top 6 player for the Oilers for years to come.

BY – With the lack of sizeable forwards in the organization I would say yes. He was unfairly rushed into the NHL last season, and we didn’t get to see the dominant game he possesses. Five years from now he’s going to be too good to be a third line center, so it’s a question of whether or not Ryan Nugent Hopkins is traded. If he is (in a package for a defenceman), then LD takes over that spot quite easily, if not then he fills in the second line left wing spot.

BLH – In 5 years the Oilers are going to be contending with some mad contracts. Every notable player on the team will have been extended and not cheaply. I think we’ll see Leon playing for the Oilers at the expense of maybe Nail Yakupov and/or Jordan Eberle. His size, his ability to protect the puck and his vision are all things I believe the Oilers would be better off having.

What Will it Take to Make This Team a Legitimate Playoff Contender?

CM – There’s work to be done, that’s for sure. But the easiest answer to this question is experience. This team needs to learn what it takes to win together. And then they need to learn what it means to lose together. Yes, they have already experienced losing. Too much, in fact. But they haven’t lost in the playoffs yet. I look back to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007. After losing to the Senators in the first round that year, I didn’t see disappointment on the Pens bench. I saw determination. I saw Crosby talking to Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi, asking what it would take to reach the next level. The following year, they made it to the Cup Finals, and won the Cup the year after that. Much like those Penguins, and even the Oilers in the 80’s, this team needs to learn what losing in the playoffs means, so they can learn what winning in the playoffs gains.

ZL – A little bit of luck, and a lot of hard work. I don’t believe the Oilers are very far out of being a playoff team. However, I think this team needs a few years (2-3) to gel and for a lot of the players to get their legs underneath themselves. I do think the team needs another solid top 4 defender to help round things out.

BY – Defence. Plain and simple. If you look back at the previous Stanley Cup Champions (Chicago, LA), their top two or three defenders have all been homegrown draft picks. That being said I think the most critical thing the Oilers have to do to become a contender is develop Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom. Along with the development of the defence, I still feel the right side is something that’s been forgotten about. Grabbing a guy like Dougie Hamilton would’ve meant playoffs sooner than later, so if they go out and grab a top flight right defenceman, I believe the process of making playoffs will be much quicker.

BLH – Brent Seabrook and David Backes. I’m of the belief that the team is STILL too young and is lacking players that play in an assertive manner. The experience that Seabrook and Backes would bring to the team would be felt instantly in the squad and in the standings.

Are the Flames still the Oilers biggest rivals?

CM – After the moves both teams made this summer, the Battle of Alberta should be alive and well. But to say the Flames are the Oilers biggest rivals? I’m not sure about that. Not yet. The Flames have been running the Oilers show the last few years, much like every other team in the NHL. Hard to say it’s a rivalry when it’s been so one sided. From a fans point of few, and mine, it’s got to be the Canucks. Whenever the Oilers and Canucks play, twitter blows up with absolute resentment for Vancouver. But as for an official rivalry? We need to get some deep seeded hatred through playoff series, much like when Edmonton would face Dallas yearly. The new format should help with that, and with teams in the Pacific Division all improving, we should be treated to some of that soon

ZL – Living in Calgary, let me tell you that whenever I wear my Oilers gear around town I have people giving me slack. The rivalry is still there.

BY – Not right now, but they will be. I believe the Canucks are the Oilers biggest rivals given the Kassian incident, the Nuge – Hamhuis fight, and the fact there always seems to be some tension in the air when they come together. That will change quickly given the additions to both the Oilers and Flames roster and it will be exciting to watch.

BLH – Oh yeah! Both teams are young and are on the up swing. I love the idea of McDavid going head to head with Sam Bennett. Nuge going up against Monahan. Hall vs. Gaudreau, Nurse vs. Hamilton… It’s on like Donkey Kong but I don’t know if we’ll ever see the viciousness that was displayed in the 80s.

Using Attributes From Players Past and Present, How Would You Build the Perfect Hockey Player?

CM – Gretzky’s vision, Coffey’s skating, Lemieux’s size, Smytty’s character, Weber’s shot, Pronger’s nastiness, and Pat Kane’s skill

ZL – Someone (on Oilers Now) was quoted as saying Connor McDavid has the speed of Bure, skill of Lemieux and the head of Gretzky. I think that sounds like a pretty good hockey player to me.

BY – Can I just clone Connor McDavid and give him Pronger’s size and nastiness? That would be fun to watch. If I were to pick apart different players best assets I couldn’t pass up on P.K. Subban’s mindset. He’s such a smart player and brings this excitement factor not every player has. I’d mix in some of RNH’s skills (he’s going to have a big year), and I’d also throw in Brendan Gallagher’s give-a-shit levels. Throw all that into Jaromir Jagr’s body and you’ll have one hell of a player.

BLH – The perfect player would have Gretzky’s vision and passing, Lemieux’s hands, Paul Coffey’s skating, Bobby Hull’s shot and Brett Hull’s release. Said player would have Mark Messier’s character and Wendel Clark’s fearlessness. All of this would be packaged in the body of Gordie Howe.

Thank you for reading everyone and let us know in the comments below what your feelings are on the topics discussed today!

If you’re feeling chilly or nostalgic about the good ol’ days of NHL ’94! Head on over to the Beer League Heroes T-Shirt Shop and check out your favorite players in 16-bit! You won’t find a better price online!

You can always catch up with is on Twitter (@beerleagueheroe) and Facebook as well.

Take Care!

-BLH