This’ll be a quick one but I got two messages from two different sources that a coaching change is coming for the Edmonton Oilers.
Word has it that McDavid is tired of McLellan’s stubborn ways and all the line blending.
The brass is furious about how the season has started but of course I got the message before the Oilers came back from 4-1 to tie the game with the Jets in the 3rd period.
Weird what happens when Puljujarvi is placed with skilled players…
no news on who might replace McLellan. Probably someone internally but keep your eyes and ears peeled. I feel like something is going to shake out sooner than later here.
But I should remind you that things can change at the drop of a hat and if nothing happens, don’t be surprised either.
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PHEW! The Oilers fanbase collectively let out a sigh of deep relief after the final buzzer sounded in New York Saturday afternoon. Connor McDavid scored the winning tally on the PP in the 3rd and the Rangers couldn’t claw back into it despite the Laurel and Hardy act between Cam Talbot and his defense with 10 minutes remaining.
The 3rd line of Jesse Puljujarvi, Ryan Strome, and Drake Caggiula dominated the shot share throughout the evening and gave us a glimpse of what they’re capable of doing when on top of their games. Too bad they couldn’t put one behind future hall-of-famer Henrik Lundqvist.
*Did you know that Henrik Lundqvist played at the Viking Cup in Camrose for Sweden back in the day?*
Speaking of great goaltending, apart from the brain fart, Cam Talbot was on his game Saturday afternoon. He looked like his old self and that has to shower the team in confidence knowing they don’t have to worry about the goaltender.
Another player that really impressed me was Kailer Yamamoto. I know I’ve been harping on McLellan for putting him in the top-6 without “earning it” but yesterday he had his “A” game. I loved his quick stick and his ability to draw penalties versus the Rangers. He drew two in the 3rd and the Oilers capitalized on one, the game-winner.
Does anybody else think that Yamo’s ability to draw infractions from the other team is a reason he’s drawing into the roster every game?
There was a shift near the end of the match where Oscar Klefbom had the puck in his own zone and was looking to carry it out but the forwards wanted a change and so he stopped and cut back into his zone keeping his chest and eyes forward to see what lanes opened up. If I recall correctly, he simply moved it to his D partner who I think was Adam Larsson (Who was looking about as good as he’s looked since joining Edmonton. Man was he wallpapering Rangers left and right!) and they then proceeded up the ice but it was such a mature and technical move. I was really impressed.
Not that there weren’t any poor shifts for the Oilers, the two posts from Zibanejad could’ve really put the team in a spot of bother, I saw a team that was moving the puck WAY faster and WAY better. Be that because they were playing a team that is expected to be a major player in the Jack Hughes sweepstakes or because this team, take a breath, actually has the ability and skill to play a “fast” game, it does not concern me.
The 2 points are in the bag! Bring on the Jets!
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TPE HOCKEY’S TOP-31 2019 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS
1) Jack Hughes C (USNTDP, USHL) – 179cm, 73kg
Not much left to say about Jack Hughes. He’s the guy, the nearly undisputed number one for the 2019 NHL Draft. While some have said that Kaapo Kakko could challenge Hughes, I personally don’t buy it. Hughes has the ability to make any game he plays belong to him game. He can take over any game and nobody can stop him.
2) Kaapo Kakko RW (TPS Turku, Liiga) – 186cm, 82kg
Early this season Kakko shocked everyone with a point per game pace in the Liiga (FIN pro league). This would’ve outdone stars like Laine and Barkov. This lead to a lot saying that Kakko could go 1st overall. Since then Kakko has slowed down a bit but still looks amazing. With Kakko’s performance, we could see another Matthews and Laine situation with Hughes and him. When he is on the ice you know it because he’s such an impact player.
3) Anttoni Honka D (JYP Jyväskylä, Liiga) – 179cm, 77kg
Like Kakko, Honka came out flying early this season. In his early Liiga games, Honka was producing as a top pairing defenseman for JYP Jyväskylä. Although, he then slowed down quite a bit and now only has 4 points in 12 games. Still, Honka is a top pairing defenseman in Finland’s professional league. Rarely do we see this from such a young prospect. I would say that we won’t see something like this again for a long time, but 2020 eligible Kasper Simontaival became the first 2002 born player to play professional hockey for Tappara of the Liiga.
4) Alex Turcotte C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 88kg
We haven’t had a large sample size to see Turcotte this season, so there isn’t much to say. He’s a point per game in 2 games for the USNTDP and we’ll just have to wait and see. Although the next two on this list are seriously threatening Turcotte’s hold on the #4 spot.
5) Dylan Cozens C (Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL) – 191cm, 80kg
Cozens has exploded early in his 2nd WHL season. Cozens holds the #4 spot in WHL points per game with 5 goals and 7 assists in 6 games. He’s flashed his amazing goal scoring ability and playmaking skills too. If Cozens keeps up this pace he will move up.
6) Kirby Dach C (Saskatoon Blades, WHL) – 192cm, 84kg
Dach has played similarly to Cozens early this season. While last season Dach was mostly a playmaker, he’s now shown more scoring ability. My criticism of him last year was that he had scoring ability, but favored passing too much. This year, Dach has started to take advantage of his scoring ability even scoring a hat-trick in his second game.
7) Alex Newhook C (Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL) – 180cm, 83kg
Newhook has dominated his league much like Cozens and Dach. His 16 points in 12 games is impressive but not as impressive as what the two ahead of him are doing. Newhook is playing very well in the BCHL, but the BCHL is not as competitive as the WHL.
8) Raphaël Lavoie C/W (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL) – 193cm, 87kg
With 7 goals and 3 assists in 7 games, Lavoie has performed quite well. The big-bodied, versatile forward has played very well so far for Halifax. His size and power allows him to play a hard game around the net. This style of play lets him pot quite a bit of goals.
9) Peyton Krebs C/LW (Kootenay Ice, WHL) – 180cm, 78kg Now wearing an “A” for Kootenay, Krebs has performed quite well so far. Krebs has shown his Gaudreau like abilities in the offensive zone. Few guys in the WHL can combine skill and playmaking ability like he can.
10) Bowen Byram D (Vancouver Giants, WHL) – 183cm, 81kg
So far Byram has flashed his ridiculous skill and vision on the ice. His puck skills and passing ability has gotten him in quite a few highlight reels. The problem is that Byram hasn’t produced. He’s got 5 points in 8 games, but has only gotten a point in 3 games. He hasn’t produced nearly to the point per game rate he was in last year’s playoffs.
11) Ryan Suzuki C (Barrie Colts, OHL) – 183cm, 78kg
The OHL’s leading scorer is one of the highest risers this month. Last season we saw Suzuki’s staggering playmaking abilities and slick wrister. Although, it didn’t translate to a lot of points until this year. Taking a bigger role with the Barrie Colts, Suzuki has been simply amazing. If he continues this pace he could end up in the top 5-10 as soon as next month.
12) Vasili Podkolzin RW (Vityaz Podolsk U17, Russia U17) – 181cm, 75kg
The powerful, skilled, all around winger has shown his ability to dominate at the Hlinka tournament. Since then, Podkolzin hasn’t produced at the rates we’d hope in the MHL (Russia 20). In other international U18 competition Podkolzin has looked good, but he has to produce in the MHL.
13) Cole Caufield RW/C (USNTDP, USHL) – 168cm, 70kg
The goal scoring machine has continued his dominance with the NTDP. In their game against the highly ranked Norte Dame team in their NCAA crossover competition he played a great game and potted a goal for the Americans. Despite his size, Caufield and his goal-scoring ability cannot be stopped.
14) Cam York D (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 75kg
York has been pivotal in the great performance of the USNTDP. This season York is off to a hot start and has contributed in every situation. So far he has been the best defenseman on the ice every time he steps out.
15) Mikko Kokkonen D (Jukurit, Liiga) – 180cm, 86kg
The finish defenseman has broken out early this season. Producing at almost half a point per game as a 17 year old in the Liiga for Jukurit is very impressive. What’s even more impressive is that he’s done it playing mostly third pairing minutes.
16) Jakob Pelletier C/W (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL) – 175cm, 72kg
The small, two-way forward has continued his great play into this season. Pelletier is one of the smartest players in this draft. My problem with Pelletier is that so far I haven’t seen to much improvement from this season to last. While last season was great in terms of performance, not showing much improvement is concerning.
17) Arthur Kaliyev LW (Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL) – 188cm, 86kg
After a weak showing at the Hlinka tournament early this season, Kaliyev has exploded. In his first 3 games he scored 9 points in an amazing showing. He’s slowed down a bit now, but has shown a lot of improvement since the Hlinka.
18) Philip Broberg D (AIK J20, SuperElit) – 190cm, 90kg
The slick defensemen is considered by many, including me, to be one of the most overrated players in the draft. Although this certainly doesn’t mean he isn’t a great player. He’s not the top 5 talent he was touted to be after the Hlinka, but he’s been impressive in the Allsvenskan (SWE 2nd league). He has all the skill and talent. He just needs to put up some points.
19) Trevor Zegras C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 72kg
The Boston University commit has been a reliable center for the U18s. He’s a constant offensive threat and not bad in the defensive zone. Zegras has been stuck behind Jack Hughes throughout all his time with the USNTDP. We haven’t seen Zegras get all the opportunities he’s earned and deserved, so he’s often overlooked.
20) Pavel Dorofeyev W (Stalnye Lisy/Metallurg Magnitogorsk, MHL/KHL) – 184cm, 74kg
The skilled Russian sniper just recently earned a promotion to the KHL. He’s one of the youngest player competing in the 2nd best league in the world. Dorofeyev has definitely earned the spot, but he has to compete hard to keep it.
21) Matthew Boldy C/W (USNTDP, USHL) – 183cm, 79kg
Boldy has risen for a lot of people as of late. At the All American Prospects Game he was given player of the game and looks fantastic. The big forward has learned to use his size and strength to his advantage over the summer. Boldy is definitely a guy to keep an eye on.
22) Nils Höglander LW (Rögle BK, SHL) – 174cm, 84kg
After a solid season in the Allsvenskan (SWE 2nd league), Höglander is now playing in the SHL. Despite being pointless in 7 games he can still hold his own against men. Höglander needs to improve his offensive production to hold a 1st round spot this season.
23) Albin Grewe C/RW (Djurgårdens IF J20, SuperElit) – 182cm, 80kg
After outdoing expectations in the SuperElit, Grewe got a promotion up to the Djurgårdens SHL squad. The team out of Stockholm, Sweden is one of the better in the SHL. It’s a tough team to make, and doing it as a 17 year old says a lot of about Grewe.
24) Moritz Seider D (Alder Mannheim, DEL) – 192cm, 83kg
The youngest player in the German professional league has played well in a sheltered role for Alder Mannheim. He’s only got 1 goal in his 8 games, but that’s in one of the better professional leagues outside North America. Seider has held his own pretty well, but he has to start putting up points.
25) Dustin Wolf G (Everett Silvertips, WHL) – 183cm, 68kg
The Everett Silvertips have leaned hard on then 17 year old goaltender. Wolf has played every single game for the Silvertips. So far he has played quite well, he had one rough game, but otherwise he’s been very good. With a .922 Sv% he’s been one of the better starting goaltenders in the WHL. He is a top candidate for the 2019 WHL Goaltender of the Year Award.
26) Nathan Légaré F (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL) – 182cm, 89kg
Légaré is the biggest riser this month. He’s gone from unranked to the first round in only a few weeks. Légaré was at one point 1st in QMJHL scoring and not sits at 4th. Légaré plays center or either wing. He’s physical, tenacious, and a power forward that can score and distribute the puck.
27) Maxim Cajkovic W (Saint John Sea Dogs) – 180cm, 85kg
Cajkovic and the Saint John Sea Dogs came out flying early this season. With 4 points including 1 great goal in his first 2 games it looked like Cajkovic was going to be a big riser this season. Since then, he’s scored 2 points in 8 games. He still has the talent to be a first rounder, but he has to produce.
28) Tobias Björnfot D (Djurgårdens IF J20, SuperElit) – 183cm, 85kg
After a weak the Hlinka performance, Björnfot hasn’t performed up to expectations. His defensive play has still been good, although his offensive production isn’t up to par. It was hoped that Björnfot would get a shot at playing in the SHL this season, but it seems unlikely now.
29) Alex Vlasic D (USNTDP, USHL) – 196cm, 86kg
Vlasic is one of the safest picks late in the first round. He’s a towering, smart defender that plays a very good two-way game. He’s been used as the USNTDP’s shutdown defender, but also has shown offensive capabilities.
30) Simon Holmström RW (HV71 J20, SuperElit) – 181cm, 78kg
Right now we aren’t completely sure who Holmström is. Last season he looked very good in his appearances in the SuperElit (SWE U20). Although we didn’t get to see him at the Hlinka tournament, nor this season at all. Injuries have taken Simon Holmström out long-term and there is no concrete information on his return.
31) Marshall Warren D (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 73kg
Warren has performed well in his appearances in the USNTDP collegiate series where the U18s take in college squads. He’s shown off his offensive ability by scoring in two consecutive games against the highly ranked Notre Dame and Michigan teams. Warren continues to also display his stellar two- way game.
Here we are at game three of the 2018/19 season and we’re already into “Must-Win” territory. Is that f*cking insane or what?
The Oilers have lost both of their games so far to teams who are playing very well to start the year. Fair play to Boston and New Jersey could be said and bad luck to Edmonton could also be said.
The New Jersey game was a travesty of an effort but the Boston game was near completely opposite in terms of the compete level and I think Edmonton simply had poor puck luck. Here’s what I mean,
Goal #2 for Boston bounces off of Caggiula’s leg through Benning and Talbot – FLUKE
RNH hits a post on the PP – Bad Luck
RNH hits another post in the 3rd where the puck straddles the goalline – More Bad Luck
In a league where one goal can be the difference between 2pts or no points at all, those three examples gone the other way might’ve meant a 1-1-0 start for the Oilers, not a 0-2-0 start.
Yet, as I awoke today I read that the Oilers are in this “Must-Win” situation and I can agree with it to an extent. The New York Rangers are the least likely team to beat the Oilers this month but usually when Edmonton meets an opponent like that, it’s a closer game than not.
But let’s look at the teams Edmonton will play this month because I think there are flaws in their rosters that the Oilers could bring to light.
New York Rangers – New coach, new systems/philosophies, young defense that is vulnerable.
Winnipeg Jets – Win the bottom-6 battle. Jets are starting slow w/4pts in 4 games.
Boston Bruins – 1 line team. Shut it down for better success. Slow defence.
Nashville Predators (2x) – Yikes. Hope that their goalie shites the bed?
Pittsburgh Penguins – Pray that Matt Murray is still out by then?
Washington Capitals – Win the special teams battle.
Chicago Blackhawks – Get McDavid on the ice every time Manning is out there.
Minnesota Wild – Take advantage of the Wild’s aging slower roster.
Personally, I think it’s as possible the Oilers could win 5 out of the 9 games here. The Rangers, Wild, Blackhawks, Jets, and Bruins are all teams I could envision Edmonton taking 2 pts from.
The line in the sand sits at 5-5-1 or false .500. Right now the Oilers are 0-2-0, so that means they need to go 5-3-1 for the rest of the month. So here’s to hoping they take some of the monsters they’re about to play to OT a couple of times.
Losing to New York will only pour gas on the fire though…
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Will the Oilers Fire McLellan and/or Chiarelli This Month?
I talked to a friend of mine who used to work with OEG and she said that she’d talked to some people who are still working there and when they went to work today (Friday), it was like walking into a morgue.
Then you have Uber insider Elliotte Friedman saying on Calgary radio and then again on Oilers Now on Friday that it’s tense in Edmonton and everyone is feeling it.
I have said before that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oilers let McLellan go in October and that’s not a new sentiment online. It’s a pretty quaint scenario actually because the Oilers’ schedule gets a bit easier after this month and if they find a way to turn things around, McLellan can be blamed and the new coach praised.
Now should he be fired? I think it’s probably time to at least consider some new blood and I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment but there will be some who think that we’re only 2 games into an 82-game season and this kind of talk is silly. To them, I’d say that they are right except the performances and results are simply a continuation of last season.
There will also be those who think that Katz won’t fire McLellan because he’s got term left on his deal. In the past, I would share those sentiments but we must not forget that after the game in Dallas last year, Katz wanted a coaching change. And it’s probably not a coincidence that Bovada has McLellan as the odds-on favorite to be the first coach axed.
Gregor reported on his show Friday that the players told McLellan in their exit interviews last year that they line shuffling was something that got to them and now he’s also said that Manny Viveiros isn’t running the PP, a job he was brought in to do. McLellan hasn’t really integrated Chiarelli’s new signings into the roster as best as he could either and don’t forget Chiarelli axed McLellan’s long-time assistants over the summer.
Look at that picture closely. I have never attended an NHL practice so maybe this is completely normal but when the coach is speaking don’t you normally look at him? I see more than one player in that pic gazing at the ice and that possibly says something about how the players are taking the coach’s directions. Then again, maybe the players are being lit into. In that case, nobody wants to make eye contact with the aggressor.
Is McLellan’s ego getting in the way? Is he keeping the lines the way they are, like Yamamoto on the 2nd line and Pulju on the 3rd or the d-pairings or the all-lefty PP unit for example, in spite?
See, I’ve always been confused by McLellan’s “earn it” philosophy. Like, how has Matt Benning earned it? Does his play in the first two games of the year tell us that Benning is ready for the season or does it tell us that maybe he should take a game or two to watch from the press box and Jason Garrison given a chance to show what he’s got?
When asked about Puljujarvi, Craig Button echoed that feeling on Gregor’s Friday show.
Strudwick: I believe that Jesse Puljujarvi is where he should be and if he wants to move up he has to earn that, do you see that as well Craig?
Button: In the same breath, has Kailer Yamamoto earned it?
Later on in the conversation Button had this to say,
Yamamoto and Puljujarvi are similar ages, 98 borns. Yamamoto’s resume isn’t even close to Puljujarvi’s.
Can’t argue with that, can you? The other thing that Jesse has that Yamamoto doesn’t is a shot. Wouldn’t that be a nice thing to give Leon on his right-wing? Someone who can shoot the pill? Yamamoto doesn’t have an NHL-level shot. Yet.
But for some reason, this coaching staff are fully on-board Yamamoto Airlines and have given Puljujarvi the middle seat between the McCrary Twins.
Of course, Button goes on to say how poorly the Oilers have handled Puljujarvi since they drafted him and even mentions him in the same breath as Markus Naslund in the event of a trade. The second person to make such comparison, first being Bob Stauffer earlier in the day.
If you’re not sure about the reference, Markus Naslund was a promising player for the Pittsburgh Penguins but was taking a bit longer to realize his potential. Pittsburgh got impatient and dealt him to the Vancouver Canucks, where he realized his potential to say the least, for a tough guy by the name of Alex Stojanov. The rest is history.
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So what I mean by that is, Yamamoto can play a grinding game because he’s got that mindset instilled into him from playing as the smallest guy on the ice his whole life and having bigger players roughing him up but he can also play a skilled game to compliment top-6 centers. Pulju needs to have skilled linemates who see the ice like him, who’ll give him the puck in stride, and the only place we find those players on the Edmonton roster is in the top-6.Tell me if I’m out to lunch here with this next thought. I see Kailer Yamamoto as the kind of player that you can basically plug and play with many different kinds of linemates and that’s awesome to have that sort of versatility whereas Jesse Puljujarvi needs to play with players of skill.
So Puljujarvi has gone to the minors and played significant amounts of time there in his first two seasons and now he’s getting his first taste of full-time NHL hockey. I’d say he’s “earned it”, no?
How much time has Kailer Yamamoto spent in the minors? Why doesn’t he have to climb the ladder as Jesse did? What is he doing that is so much better than Pulju that he’s not required to go the same route? Draisaitl spent time in the AHL as did Nurse, and Klefbom. It just doesn’t make sense to me other than perhaps they’re waiting for Chiasson to be ready to go before sending Kailer down.
This is the one roster management question I have that bugs the shite out of me. If the Oilers give Jesse the same amount of time with Leon and Milan as they do with Kailer, I can same with near certainty that Pulju will outscore Yamo.
But it all comes back to McLellan, is he listening to his players and doing as they wish or is he just being obtuse?
As for Chiarelli, man has he screwed the pooch the last two off-seasons. Not that he’s been helped by the injury to Sekera this summer but I think he’s safe in that he’s employed not only as general manager but also president of hockey operations. So the Oilers might just remove the GM tag from him and scoot him upstairs.
In my opinion, the playoffs are the only thing saving the jobs of the coaching staff and the management staff this season IF they survive the opening month. It would make the most sense to make the changes in October IF the organization was looking to salvage the season.
A new season means a new design! Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!Grab this sweet Nintendo parody shirt! Click the image above!Click the image above and get this sweet Leon’s parody shirt!
I think David Staples summed it up pretty well but I’ve got a couple comments to add as well.
It’s interesting how the nonsense of “your team must squeak into playoffs for its top player to win MVP” took over the narrative with hockey writers this year. It eliminated McDavid but also Malkin, Wheeler and Kucherov from serious contention.
Can we go over why each of these candidates were nominated?
Taylor Hall – Outstanding individual season. No doubt about it. But would NJ have made the playoffs without the ridiculous heater that backup goalie Keith Kincaid went on? $6M starter Cory Schneider was AWOL since Christmas and was no help during the playoffs either.
I say that without the goaltending the Devils got they would’ve had a 90pt Hall and a good shot at Rasmus Dahlin. Basically the same situation Claude Giroux is in.
Nathan MacKinnon – Here’s a guy who until the end of the season had the team on his back and took them from being a 40pt team to a playoff team but he also played on one of the best lines in the league all year. Mikko Rantanen was on fire with 70+pts! But the former 1st overall selection did fade later on and only had 1 goal in his last 10 games.
Anze Kopitar – Kopitar is THE best 2-way centre in the NHL today and what a bounce-back year for him. Not only is he a threat 5×5 and on the PP but he’s a premier penalty killer. Something that Hall and MacKinnon can’t say for themselves. But LA had an elite goaltender in Jonathan Quick and a Norris candidate in Drew Doughty to play alongside.
If it were my pick, Hall wouldn’t even be a consideration. I’d go with Kopitar over MacKinnon.
I know there’s tons missing from the argument but I don’t want this section to drag on. All three players were on teams that squeaked into the post-season and combined for a total of 3 wins. So what happened? Did their Hart Trophy mojo go away once the puck dropped in game 1 of the playoffs?
Nikita Kucherov led the league in scoring for much of the season AND was a major factor in their 1st round series vs. Hall’s Devils. Not an easy thing to do. Claude Giroux changed positions this year and still maintained his high-scoring pace. Evgeni Malkin was bossing it this year but all of that is forgotten because Hall, MacKinnon, and Kopitar just made it into the playoffs.
Lastly, Connor McDavid blew the Art Ross Competition away and was a point-per-game player even when he was sick as a dog and lost 15 pounds. If they only counted his ES scoring, he’d have been in the top-15 in league scoring. His 84 ES points had him 18 points ahead of the next person. But because the Oilers couldn’t get their PP together and they missed the playoffs, significantly I should add, he’s not considered for the Hart? Bull shizzle!
COACHING CAROUSEL
Fleming out! Bergford out! Johnson out! Herbers out! Woodcroft, pack your shite! You’re the new coach in Bakersfield.
There’s not much more to say here that you won’t read in the links below. McLellan is thrown a life preserver and Chiarelli uses his get out of jail free card on the assistants instead of the entire coaching staff.
If the rumors are true and the Oilers are indeed adding Trent Yawney and Glen Gulutzan, then I’m looking forward to the team doing a complete 180 from last year and being a top 5 in both the PP and the PK as well as making the playoffs.
Now if Woodcroft is heading to the AHL, I wonder who his assistants will be there? Also, there’s room for one more coach in Edmonton, will that be Manny Viveiros?
Chiarelli had better get the roster moves right this summer. I don’t think there’ll be a massive trade like there’s been in the previous summers but I could be wrong. Maybe they’ll deal someone out and bring in a guy like Evander Kane which would require a massive exodus of cash in order to do that. Meaning one of Lucic (very unlikely as long as Chiarelli is GM), Sekera (more likely), RNH (unlikely as long as Chiarelli/McLellan are employed in Edmonton), or Draisaitl (ain’t happening) would have to go.
BLH’S FINAL TOP TEN 2018 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS
This is the last ranking of the year folks. Thanks for following along on the YouTube channel and I’m thinking this year’s draft is going to be some entertaining. There are some real high-end players available and I’m hoping the lottery is going throws everything for a loop again like it did last year.
However, I do reckon that the Oilers will not be picking in the top end this year and like the Puljujarvi draft, they’ll move down in the ranking probably. They’ll get a very good prospect like Joe Veleno, Joel Farabee, Rasmus Kupari, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ty Smith, maybe Noah Dobson if they’re lucky, or if the hockey gods are really feeling generous, Quinn Hughes!
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OILERS NEWS
Edmonton Oilers fire pair of assistant coaches, reassign another to AHL – Jay Woodcroft has logged more than 1,000 games as a National Hockey League assistant coach, which has a nice ring to it, but there comes a time when you take a step out of that comfort zone and run your own pro team.
The Edmonton Oilers arrive at compromise, as the club re-works its coaching staff – I also believe that Peter Chiarelli was frustrated with some (or many) aspects of how Todd handled his lineup and bench. And while Chiarelli believes McLellan is a good coach and believes in his choice to hire him, the G.M. could also see some stale and/or ineffective tactics being employed.
Chiarelli talks coaching changes – After last season went sideways, it seemed inevitable that the Oilers were going to make some kind of changes in terms of coaching or management personnel, and today we got a first look at what’s to come.
Are we at the point to where it’s safe to say that the Oilers will be hiring Trent Yawney as one of the new assistant coaches for next season? I’d put the odds in favor of yes just simply due to his previous working/playing relationship with current head coach Todd McLellan.
But I’ve got a new theory I want to throw out there. I believe it was Bob Stauffer throwing out Paul MacLean’s name recently in a minor rant on the status of the Oilers’ head coaching evaluation. If I’m not mistaken BS was mentioning hiring assistant coaches who’ve had experience as head coaches in the past (Like Yawney with the Blackhawks and MacLean with the Senators) and this triggered a thought in my head and it has something to do with this article’s featured image.
Paul MacLean worked with Todd McLellan in Detroit under Mike Babcock, Trent Yawney worked under Todd McLellan for 3 seasons in San Jose alongside Jay Woodcroft. So we can establish a connection there.
But there’s another connection.
Yawney and MacLean both worked under Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim for 1 season during the 2015/16 season. The Ducks were 1st in the Pacific and 3rd in the Western Conference. They lost out in the 1st round that year to the Predators.
Minnesota recently fired their GM and generally, a new GM wants to hire his own coach. Is Boudreau on thin ice in Minny? Could he be let go in favor of somebody with fresh ideas?
Would the Oilers hire MacLean and Yawney this year as safety guards in case the season got off to a slow start? Meaning if the Oilers wanted to fire Todd McLellan they’d have two qualified coaches already on the bench to take over and maybe Boudreau doesn’t get his pink slip this year but next, then he just slides on over to Edmonton and into a familiar working environment.
Stauffer has been talking about Boudreau as of recent on Oilers Now…
GETTING SOME GLUE INTO THE LINEUP
This from Darren Dreger during his appearance on a Buffalo WGR 550 show called, The Instigators,
You look at the Edmonton Oilers and how they missed a glue guy in that dressing room like Matty Hendricks.
I see Matt Calvert being somewhat similar in terms of what he brings. He’s healthier, so physically speaking he’s going to be able to contribute on a higher level than maybe Matt Hendricks can.
There’s going to be a strong market for Matt Calvert. He’s going to get paid. He’s going to get a decent increase in his salary. And if he’s not good enough for John Tortorella, off the top of my head I can probably name 15 teams that would have an interest in the type of game that Matt Calvert brings to the table.
Now those are 3 separate quotes from the same appearance but I ordered them in the way displayed on purpose.
Matt Calvert is a player that the Oilers should absolutely stay away from. He’s never healthy for one (averages about 50-55 games a year), he’s only good for about 25 pts a year for two, and if he’s getting more than Zack Kassian, that’s a problem, for three.
Dreger compares him to Hendricks and that’s madness in my opinion.
From a points perspective, maybe Hendricks and Calvert are in the same ballpark but nowhere else are they comparable on the ice…
We know that Matt Hendricks is a guy that’ll go through a brick wall for his teammates and often tries, right. I think part of Aaron Ekblad is still stuck behind the net from that time he wall-papered him in Edmonton. Hendrick’s 123 hits in 60 games whilst averaging just over 9 minutes a game puts Calvert to shame. The Columbus Blue Jacket was getting a bit more than 13 minutes TOI/gp this season and could only manage 61 hits and 24pts in 69 games. Calvert had 1 fight this year, Hendricks had 5.
I can’t speak to what Calvert is like off the ice but that’s only half the battle. You can be a good guy in the dressing room (good guy, tries hard) but if you want guys to follow your lead, you have to show it on the ice too and I’ve never heard Matt Calvert’s name in the same sentence as the words “glue guy” until now.
He’s simply not gritty enough. He doesn’t block enough shots. He doesn’t do enough of the little things and the more I think about it, it sounds like Dreger is doing Calvert a favor by putting his name out there in the same vein as Hendricks to try and drive up some interest…
Besides, the Oilers have Drake Caggiula, who in my mind is already on his way to becoming a grittier Matt Calvert-type anyhow. The Drake had 12 goals, 20 pts and was 2nd on the team in hits with 147.
But if the Oilers WERE looking to add some energy to their bottom 6 via the UFA market to push the skilled guys up the line-up, what about these fellas? Not only are they cheap but they’re fast skaters and disciplined.
Tim Schaller – C/W – (BOS) – 12g, 10a, 132 hits and played 82 games this year. (775k)
Tommy Wingels – W – (BOS/CHI) – 179 hits but only 45 PIMs w/17pts. (750k)
Lance Bouma – W – (CHI) – 132 hits in 53gp and only 36 PIMs. ($1M)
If you want to move the price point up a bit, there are players like Jay Beagle (would be great for the PK), Antoine Roussel (mega-pest!), and Blake Comeau (another great character option for the PK).
Personally, I don’t have any problems with the Oilers NOT adding an energy player to the bottom 6 of their lineup and I don’t think that hitting necessarily means energy either. Watching Tampa Bay and seeing their speedy forwards zip up and down the lineup also adds energy.
At the moment, this is how the Oilers bottom six appears:
Lucic-Strome-Puljujarvi
Caggiula-Khaira-Kassian
Slepy I don’t think is returning so I didn’t pencil him in there.
What I think we’ll see come opening night is this bottom six:
Khaira-Strome-Aberg
Caggiula-New Guy-Kassian
You know Lucic and Puljujarvi are moving up. I’m not 100% on Aberg and I would like to see Kassian in that 3LW role because I think he’s got the skill to play there but not the trust from the coach. But that 4th line has the real potential to be your traditional buzzsaw line, right? Lots of grit and speed there.
If the Oilers could sign/trade for a player or two, I’d like them to emulate the Vegas franchise a bit there and go for speed, tenacity, and experience.
My options: Derek Ryan or Jay Beagle. Both affordable, RH’d, and experienced. And if I had my way, I’d sign them both and sort things out after. Maybe move Strome to the wing and make Aberg the 13th forward.
OILERS NEWS
Kris Russell no longer welcome in Edmonton? Huh?! –it’s the age of the Twitter mob, and if a dedicated mob of zealots makes a big enough and angry enough noise, it can quite easily down out the more reasonable majority.
Oilers Goaltending Depth Chart for 2018-19 – The recent rumors around the Edmonton Oilers potentially signing Mikko Koskinen brings forward some interesting questions about the goaltending depth chart heading into 2018-19.
CHECK UPSTAIRS w/ Color! Click the pic to see this design and more!Welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to the NHL in style! Click the image above to pick up this sweet t-shirt!
