Tag Archives: Tyler Benson

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

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Scott Wheeler on Benson, Savoie, Broberg, and More!

Recently, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler was on the Lowdown with Lowetide (TSN1260) talking about the upcoming World Juniors in Edmonton, but he also took the time to talk about a few of the Edmonton Oilers’ prospects like Tyler Benson, Carter Savoie, Dylan Holloway, and Phillip Broberg.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

On Dylan Holloway

Dylan’s a special player in that he’s a bit of a throwback. He’s not like a lot of these other kids. Canada has brought a roster of talent that is built primarily around skill. We all know that Canada has typically built around roles at this tournament. In this year’s, they went a little bit of the other direction. I think it’s the right direction to go and ‘Let’s just go with the best players available and let’s figure out the rest later”. Holloway kind of fits into that group at the low end of the skill totem pole, if you will. 

He’s always going to be one of those players who just fits. He can penalty kill, he’s arguably the fastest player on the team, him and Alex Newhook will play on the same line, I would argue that they are the two fastest players on the team along with maybe Peyton Krebs. So they’re going to play with a lot of speed on that line. He’s more physical than the other forwards and he just brings them something a little bit more different. 

He’s going to be able to play that sort of North/South game on the wing and he’s going to finish all of his checks and be pesky. He’s got the skills to finish his plays and get open for his linemates and ultimately score goals as a shooter too. 

He’s a modern pro player and often times I don’t think that those modern pro players are great fits for this tournament because they become such a track meet and sometimes they lack that sort of finesse junior skill that these kids have that really pops but Holloway just makes a ton of sense for me. 

I think Dylan’s going to be a big big part of this team.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m very excited about this player. I see him as a sort of Charlie Coyle-type in that he truly can play the game any way you want him to and he’s able to play across the board on forward. He’s such a versatile player and that is going to come in extremely handy for the Oilers in about three years when he’s ready to make the jump to the Oilers from the Condors.

The way I see it, he’ll only get two years at Wisconsin, then one in Bakersfield, and by year three, he’ll be playing on Edmonton’s third line. Could he be part of the new “Kid Line” with someone like Carter Savoie and Raphael Lavoie? 

On Phillip Broberg

He’s going to play a HUGE role for that defense (Sweden’s) this year. He’s one of those kids who fits into that top-four when you look at their defence. Heading into the tournament this year you expected Victor Soderstrom, Phillip Broberg, Tobias Bjornfot, and Albert Johansson to be the four and that’s how it’s shaped up more or less. 

Victor Soderstrom will I suspect will be “the no.1 guy”, but if you’re looking for a no.2 guy between Broberg and Bjornfot, I think that Broberg has got a really good chance to play 20, 25 minutes-a-night, to be on both special teams units; likely the 2nd PP but maybe the top PK and then his skating and physicality, his athleticism and his ability to play a transition game should really benefit them (Sweden). 

I’ve never been super fond of Broberg’s game in the offensive zone. I think there’s a little bit of sloppyness to it. In terms of that track meet I previously talked about, he’s perfectly built for that. He’ll be a big transition defender for them.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he had a big tournament and he’s one of those four or five defenders that’s in the conversation for the 2D spot on the tournament all-star team.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve heard some lofty comparisons for Broberg in the past (Hedman), but to me, he looks like he’s developing into a player Oilers fans know well, Jeft Petry. 

Phillip is big, rangy, can skate, is powerful, has an offensive element to his game, plays solid effective defence, and passes the puck very well. I’d be willing to be that if there was no pandemic this year, he’d be in Edmonton by now forcing one of the vets out, especially with Klefbom being hurt. 

On Carter Savoie

He’s a player who attracted a lot of attention for good and bad throughout his draft year and a lot of it was, frankly, warranted. A lot of the sort of disappoinments with him, he was the kind of player who would drift in and out of games, he cheats up ice, he floats, he is a perimeter player in many cases when he doesn’t have the puck, and there are shifts when he goes out there and he’s having a negative impact on the defensive zone play of his team.

But then, in a split second in terms of raw talent and the ability to crack open a game, you could count on one hand the sort of players who could make those dashes like he can. I wouldn’t say he’s a terribly athletic kid, that’s another thing that was a knock on him. He’s always carried a bit more weight that most strenght and conditioning coaches would like out of a player who’s an elite athlete, but he can shoot the puck as well as anyone in that draft (2020) and his hands are up there. It was all kind of there for him. He was one of those kids, on skill, was just too talented to pass on once you were, say, out of the 2nd round.

BLH’s Thoughts: Remember Mike Comrie? Carter Savoie might be a better version of him. 

Full disclosure, I was put off by the reports of his less-than-savory character. But as Lowetide and Wheeler talked about, when you base your judgment of a player solely on his faults, it can come back to bite you in the ass and in spades when it comes to players who are so talented at goal-scoring. Sure, he might take the odd shift off, but as we’re seeing, he has a Brett Hull-like ability to put the puck in the net. 

Now, I’m not saying Carter Savoie is going to be a 500-goal scorer in the NHL, I’m just using the comparison to illustrate how good Savoie is at finding the twine with his shots. Also, nobody ever got far complaining about the Golden Brett’s two-way game.

So, and this applies to myself as well, maybe it would be more prudent to give players like Savoie or Noel Gunler and I’m suspecting Fabian Lysell in this year’s draft, as I’ve already heard whispers about him, a bit more leash and really focus on the things they do best. 

On Tyler Benson

Benson is an interesting prospect because he was such a name growing up in the minor hockey circuit early on in his WHL career and he’s kind of gone the opposite direction of a player such as Savoie where he had all of the skill in the world and then the skill never took that next step and he had to remold his game. 

He’s never going to be a high-end goal-scorer by any means, but I think if he can give you 10-15 goals and 25 assists and be a 40pt player at the NHL level, he still has some of the other tools now that he’s developed over the last couple of years to be able to round out that game and be a useful even strength player. 

He’s just a player who’s, and it’s a cliche, but he’s become one of those “good at everything” players” who’s great at a small number of things.

He’s a fun player to watch. I really enjoy watching him, I think he’s smart and intelligent and kind of sneaky/crafty when he’s on the ice. He’s got really good playmaking instincts, but he’s not going to be the player that we probably thought he was going to be growing up many in the Western Canada hockey circle that he was going to be.

Now, the clock is ticking and can he make the jump from very good AHLer to decent NHLer?

BLH’s Thoughts: This is a pivotal season for Benson, in my opinion. In the two years prior to this one, his skating was the issue. Now, I haven’t watched his games in Europe, so I can’t comment on whether his boots have improved, but if they haven’t; I just cannot see how he makes it to the NHL when the league is transitioning to roster construction where three skill lines are the onus. 

It’s true, he’s a very VERY smart hockey player, and in some cases that intelligence on the ice can supersede a player’s lack in other areas. We saw glimpses during his showcase in 2020 for the Oilers, but with the way Ken Holland has built his roster this year adding Ennis, Kahun, and keeping Nygard for another year, it doesn’t bode well for young Benson. 

I hope you enjoyed the read, if so, please give us a follow on the socials!

Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!
Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Trade Deadline 2020: Insiders Say It Could Be A Quiet One

Yesterday on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, noted hockey man and NHL insider John Shannon spoke with the host about the Edmonton Oilers’ possible future plans for newly-signed defender Darnell Nurse and the trade deadline this year.

On Nurse

This (new contract) also makes Darnell Nurse a much more attractive commodity if the Oilers are forced to trade him. If, this summer, at some point they feel that in order to get the right bodies back that Darnell could be part of the package if you can guarantee the guys you’re trading with you give him two years, that’s a bonus. 

That’s very interesting and says to me that the idea of moving on from Nurse is on the table. Even more interesting was Stauffer’s response to this,

Sometimes you’ve got to let go of guys you like. 

Stauffer is a smart hockey guy with his ear to the ground and if he didn’t think that this was a reality, he would’ve said something contrary to that.

More Nurse Talk

When you look at his approach to the game you want to know at times, why isn’t he more dominating? And that’s something that I’m sure Dave Tippett and Jim Playfair will happily work with for the next couple of years.

The other obvious one to say there, Bob, is that when you look at the strength of the Oilers farm system there are a couple of pretty good defencemen down there and when you think about cap issues and you talk about players on entry-level deals or lesser deals than what Darnell is making or is going to make in two years; then you have-, it’s not fun but that 10% chance that you talked about in the future, you at least have to talk about it.

Shannon asks a very fair question there. Why isn’t Darnell more dominating. He’s got the tools to be an absolute wrecking ball on the back end and he is one of the league’s top-scoring defenders 5×5 over the last two years. This is a player that should much more noticeable for his strengths than his weaknesses.

The Trade Deadline

There’s two options, I think it’s either that they need a third-line center or do they need somebody else for Connor. And just as importantly, I think that this is the part that Ken Holland is struggling with, as he starts his time in Edmonton; what’s he prepared to give up? What does he really want to give up? Do you want to give up picks?

I, for one, everybody talks about you don’t wanna give up your first but you’re prepared to move a second. I’ll tell you what, the success rate of second round picks in the NHL is pretty high and if you have confidence in your scouting staff, I’m not sure you want to get rid of a second round pick. 

So we can sit here and talk about do they need another scorer for Connor? Yes. Do they need a defensive center or a third-line center? Maybe. But I’m not sure I’m prepared to give anything up. So perhaps Kenny is in one of those scenarios where unless he knows he’s got a bonafide player that he’s prepared to sacrifice something off this roster, I’m not sure he does very much. 

Stauffer replied,

I tend to concur with you. I’m not even sure- I think we both know Puljujarvi’s going to get traded at some point.

Bob and John go on to talk about how Jesse won’t be an Edmonton Oiler past the draft in Montreal this summer.

Where I was going to go with this, you talked about the left shot options and we know Broberg is at some point going to play in Edmonton whether it’s two years from now, a year from now, time will tell… There’s another left-shot defenceman, Dmitri Samorukov, who’s playing for Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson. I’m not even sure I’d move him. 

Shannon’s comments on Dima,

Let’s face it. Samorukov got off to a slow start in Bakersfield this year. Lots of people were disappointed in the way he played in October and November in the AHL. But it was a similar start he had when he went to Guelph (OHL). Once he got the grasp of it- remember last year’s OHL playoffs, Bob. Samorukov was better than Bouchard. He was better than Bouchard. Samorukov has HUGE upside. I wouldn’t not be anywhere near touching him if I was the Edmonton Oilers unless, again, as I said, they’re getting somebody bonafide back

Just as I was saying on Twitter yesterday evening, any GM calling the Oilers asking for Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, Dmitri Samorukov, and/or their 1st rounder won’t be talking trade for very long. Those players are off of the table and deemed untouchable at this point right now.

Shannon went on to say that Ken Holland is here for the long run and there’s no way he will be mortgaging the future just for one playoff run.

You can check out the full segment here.

Random Oilers Thoughts

  • Tyler Benson wasn’t going to get a lot of time in Edmonton and anybody that’s been watching him this year knows that there was little to no chance he was going to get any time in Edmonton’s top-6. He simply doesn’t have the wheels and a brutally honest fact might be that he may never have them. But that doesn’t mean there’s no future in the NHL for him because he has other skills that are NHL-caliber.
  • I love the Nurse contract and I’m not worried one iota that it walks him to free agency. I do think that what we see today is probably what he is as a defender though and not to expect much more in terms of dynamic growth. He’ll play an important role for Edmonton as they develop the Samorukovs and the Brobergs.
  • Does anybody else simply not trust the Oilers’ with injury releases since McDavid blew out his knee? Coach Tippett told us after the game that it WASN’T the same knee that was bruised and then we learned yesterday that it WAS the same knee… Is it even bruised? Now we’re forced to simply wait to find out. Maybe Sportsnet will make another documentary on it…

*EDIT* I knew it… Just announced. Connor is out 2-3 weeks with a “quadricep” injury and he could miss up to seven games (CHI, TB, FLA, CAR, BOS, MIN, LAK). Is it even a quad injury? Why would he need to go all the way back to Toronto to have that looked at? You know those times when the media guy says, “We’re going to see what this team is made of now.”, this is one of those times. 

  • I read somebody comment that Jesse Puljujarvi has the potential to be another Andre Burakovsky and I think that’s a fair comparison for potential. I feel like the Oilers are going to look for a deal similar to the one that saw the Coyotes send Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini to Chicago for Nick Schmaltz, but who could that be? Andreas Athanasiou? Josh Anderson? Kasperi Kapanen? Alex Tuch? or what about Nolan Patrick?
  • Speaking of Kasperi Kapanen, his name and that of Connor Brown’s is still coming up in the rumor mill connected to the Oilers. I was told that Edmonton probably won’t go big game hunting this year but with McDavid’s injury coming at such a timely date you have to wonder if the plan has changed?
Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!
What does Kassian 3:16 mean to you? Click the pic above and get this design today!
The one time it’s okay to be a JERK! Grab this shirt while supplies last!
Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!
Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM51: Oilers @ Blues – 3P2W – Local Star to Make his Debut for Oilers

It’s going to be tough to play up to the quality of the last hockey game that the Edmonton Oilers played, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all if tonight’s game against the St.Louis Blues was as entertaining from more of a hockey purist’s standpoint. I can’t see this match getting as physical as Edmonton’s previous one, I think this one will be much more of a chess game than an MMA event.

The Blues have taken the two previous games outscoring the Oilers 7-3 in the process and with seven different goal scorers no less. Connor McDavid, Zack Kassian, and James Neal have been the only Oilers to beat Jake Allen so far.

Edmonton will need their newly-formed second line to step up for them tonight and for their defense to shut any sort of offense down that the Blues mount. I’m hoping Mikko Koskinen gets the start since he was in net for the 2-1 loss and hasn’t started since before the Oilers bye-week/all-star break.

Just before we get into the Oilers most recent roster moves, I want to direct your attention our latest draft post. Keith Fries and I do up a 2020 midseason top-15 mock draft in addition to Keith giving out his top 100 prospects for the 2020 NHL entry draft. Check it out here draft geeks!

The Call-Ups

It’s finally happened and unfortunately at the sacrifice of Joakim Nygard and Kris Russell. The Oilers have called up local minor midget superstar and their AHL team’s leading scorer Tyler Benson as well as one of my favorites, William Lagesson.

Congratulations to Tyler! He’s come a long way in his young career and he deserves this chance.

Now, if you follow the blog or me on Twitter, you probably have seen me say that we should temper our expectations with this player. He’s not going to blow you away with offensive skill. Meaning, he’s not a dangler or a sniper per se. He’s a very clever and intelligent playmaker. A point producing predator of sorts I’d say. He’s got really outstanding vision in addition to his smarts.

The reason I tell you that perhaps we should not get overexcited for him is that his boots aren’t quite at the NHL level yet and he tends to get quite a few points on the PP. Case in point, this YouTube clip below of his hat-trick from a couple of months ago. Two PP goals and an empty netter.

I don’t know if he’ll equal his point totals from last year as he’s already played 42 games and he’s only up to 35pts (9g 26a). In 2018/19, he had 66pts (15g 51a) in 68 games. If I’m being honest, I think that production might’ve been propped up by that massive winning streak the Condors went on in addition to some AHL players playing way above their level thus benefitting Benson. With that in mind, you cannot take away what he’s accomplished to date.

Could he survive in the big leagues? Absolutely. He’s got what it takes between the ears and he can play a grinding role if need be. But after watching what Jesse Puljujarvi did down there or Kailer Yamamoto and comparing it to Benson, he’s a step behind those players skating-wise and in today’s NHL, you’ve got to be able to skate and if you can’t, you’d better have an elite skill elsewhere.

Alls not lost for him in the skating department. If Ethan Bear and Leon Draisaitl can make massive jumps over the course of an off-season in their skating, so can Tyler Benson and from what I’ve been told, this guy is one of the hardest workers out there in the off-season. My source (former NHL player) was emphatic in his praise for his training habits and said his comparison to Chris Kunitz was “very fair”.

I’m rooting for this guy! There’s no better story than a local lad working his way up the hockey ladder!

*UPDATE* Not a minute after I hit the ‘publish’ button on this article did I realize that Benson wouldn’t be in the lineup for tonight’s game. My apologies!

Three Players to Watch for the Blues

  • #18 Robert Thomas – Centering a line with vets Alex Steen and Tyler Bozak on his flanks, Thomas has 6pts in his last five games played. He’s fast and shifty and very intelligent. I do wonder what the Blues have in mind for him because he’s kinda blocked from moving up the lineup with O’Reilly and Schenn playing on the top two lines.
  • #27 Alex Pietrangelo – I can’t believe they haven’t re-signed this guy yet. The offers he’s going to get this summer if he makes it to July 1st will be mind-blowing and no doubt Toronto would be at the front of the line. I wonder if Edmonton would get it on him?
  • #33 Jordan Kyrou – The Blues’ top youngster is getting TOI on the top line with Schenn and Schwartz but hasn’t been able to produce much. He’s a fantastic skater, lots of speed, and can really rip the puck. Only four points this season so far though and this is a player that some had connected to a Jesse Puljujarvi swap… No way I’d do that deal today.

This is St. Louis’ lineup for the last game. I haven’t seen any chatter saying that it’s going to change and a new one hasn’t been posted.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #29 Leon Draisaitl – He took a suspension-worthy slash from Matthew Tkachuk last game and I’m curious to know how bad it caught him. The last thing Edmonton needs is for that second line to go quiet.
  • #39 Alex Chiasson – Chaser has been fantastic this year. He’s a guy that gets it. He’s given a role and he doesn’t try to do more or less than asked. He just goes out there and gets his job done. Love the net-front presence he brings on the PP too.
  • #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Quite the tilly he got into with a player outside of his weight class in Sean Monahan eh? I give Nuge the decision there too. He’s a sneaky good fighter but I was a tad worried about that hand he had work done on earlier this season.

This is Edmonton’s roster from the Flames game but Nygard and Kris Russell are out. I think there’ll be a few changes. It’s Gaetan Haas’ birthday today, so it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility if he was inserted into the lineup. Word is, Patrick Russell will come in for Nygard and Caleb Jones will replace Russell and be partnered by Matt Benning. Also, Mikko Koskinen WILL get the start.

The Next Ten Games (51-60)

  • vs. St. Louis Blues (31-12-8) – I’m not 100% sold that the Oilers will be focused on this game seeing as they play Calgary the next night. They have played well against the league’s best this season at times though. Can McDavid and Draisaitl beat the Blues in this one like they did at the All-Star game? (WIN)
  • @ Calgary Flames (27-19-6) – If you thought last night’s game was fun with all the fights and cheap shots, this game is going to be bonkers. It always seems to be in Calgary. Losing three times to the Flames and that post-game celly by Rittich will be eating away at the Oilers. They’ll be doing their damnedest to bring home the two points. (WIN)
  • @ Arizona Coyotes (26-21-5) – The Oilers put up a touchdown on the Coyotes right before their bye-week and I don’t imagine that sat well with Taylor Hall and co. That said, they’re on a bit of a slump in their last ten (4-5-1) and Edmonton is flying high as of today (6-2-2). On the other hand, just when the opportunity presents itself to the Oilers they usually take the night off. (LOSS)
  • vs. San Jose Sharks (22-26-4) – Man, this Sharks team is bad. With Vlasic, Karlsson, and Burns on the back-end no less… Can you believe the Golden Knights fired Gerard Gallant to hire San Jose’s old coach? I think this will be a scheduled win for McDavid’s boys. Watch out for shenanigans from Evander Kane and Timo Meier. (WIN)
  • vs. Nashville Predators (23-19-7) – Since the Preds hired NJ’s old coach, they haven’t been scoring much and that’s not a good sign when you go into Edmonton. Couple that with Pekka Rinne’s game falling right off of a cliff and the Oilers should be able to walk away with two points. (WIN)
  • vs. Chicago Blackhawks (24-21-6) – The Hawks are coming on as of late and I think they could pull this one off in Edmonton. Maybe Drake Caggiula does the ex-Oiler thing and scores. (LOSS)
  • @ Tampa Bay Lightning (30-15-5) – This will be a fine test for the Oilers. Tampa has found their stride at the right time and are looking very dominant. Might we see another ex-Oiler in Pat Maroon score or drop the flippers? I expect McDavid to be flying in this one. (LOSS)
  • @ Florida Panthers (28-16-5) – This match-up is going to be a fun one. The Panthers have some really fun players to watch like Huberdeau, Barkov, and the very underrated Vincent Trochek. Which Sergei Bobrovsky might we see if he gets the call though? (WIN)
  • @ Carolina Hurricanes (29-18-3) – It’s hard not to like what they’ve build in Carolina. Andrei Svechnikov is already a scoring phenom at 19-years-old and it’s hard to overlook the wonder Finns (Aho/Teravainen), right? How will this team be sans Dougie Hamilton though? Can the Oilers sweep back-to-backs again? (WIN)
  • vs. Boston Bruins (29-10-12) – Edmonton goes from one team who doesn’t lose in OT to a team that seemingly only loses in OT. The Oilers gave the Bs a pretty sound beating last time they played and we’re close to the trade deadline here so I’m not sure what the rosters will look like. I like Boston for this one though. (LOSS)

(Standings as of January 20th, 2020)

What does Kassian 3:16 mean to you? Click the pic above and get this design today!
Grab this sweet Nintendo parody shirt! Click the image above!
Click the image above and get this sweet Leon’s parody shirt!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Pageau, Strome, Broberg, and Edmonton’s Summer Plans

Edmonton Oilers insider and play-by-play colorman Bob Stauffer has had some really interesting things to say this week regarding his feelings on some of Edmonton’s future plans. I’m going to show you some of his comments over the week that has passed so far where he’s touched on the Oilers 2020 trade deadline plans, who he thinks the Oilers will target at the 2020 NHL draft, and some very fascinating news on some of Edmonton’s prized prospects.

Two things before we get into all of that though. I recently wrote that I thought the Oilers should forget about adding a significant piece to their top-6 and focus on improving their bottom-6. Most notably their third-line center. Well, to my surprise, TSN’s Frank Seravalli has pointed out that Ryan Strome could be someone who might be available over the next month according to long-time New York Rangers beat writer Larry Brooks.

Listen, if Ryan Strome is available it really is incumbent on Oilers GM Ken Holland to see what he can do about re-acquiring him. He’s the perfect 3rd line center who probably won’t cost the team an arm and a leg, unlike JG Pageau.

A better scenario would be Holland bringing both in, but that would most definitely cost the Oilers dear and it doesn’t sound like something that would fall under Holland’s plan for the Oilers since he was hired.

The other thing, Elliotte Friedman reported in his 31 Thoughts post that the Oilers are working on extensions for a trio of players. Riley Sheahan, Josh Archibald, and Joakim Nygard. Man, Edmonton’s GM works his ass off, eh? In addition to those three players, he’s been trying to nail down a deal for Zack Kassian and has had preliminary talks with Darnell Nurse’s camp too. Toss in the trade negotiations he’s been going through… Respect.

What does Kassian 3:16 mean to you? Click the pic above and get this design today!

Now, speaking of JG Pageau, the aforementioned Bob Stauffer recently had this to say about the Sens star pivot,

Now, I did hear over the weekend, ’cause I was of the belief that Pageau there was a high likelihood that he would re-sign in Ottawa. I was told “Not so fast there Stauffer. There’s been a little bit of fatigue that has taken place in that relationship.” 

That changes things a bit, doesn’t it? Pageau has been on Edmonton’s radar basically all year and it wouldn’t surprise me if they did find a way to acquire him. This situation reminds of the draft when about a week (I think) before the draft it came out that the Oilers were going to take Philip Broberg. Nobody believed they’d let everyone know who they were picking, but that’s exactly what they did.

As for Pageau’s price, Stauffer said this,

I’d heard that Pierre Dorion (Sens GM) was looking for a guy back with term. Like a guy like Nugent-Hopkins. Seriously. Which I would not do. I would not do that trade. OR a first round pick. Now if we’re talking Puljujarvi and a second-round pick, I might consider doing that, but Ottawa would have to take a swing on Puljujarvi.

I know what the immediate reaction to the RNH comment is and I can’t blame you. That said, what if the Oilers could pick up both Pageau and Strome with contract extensions that didn’t eclipse the $8M per year total?

I agree that the first-rounder shouldn’t be in play for Pageau if it wasn’t in play for Taylor Hall. The second-rounder and Pulju is an intriguing proposition though but I think you have to pass on that too. Could the Oilers pick up a player better suited for their team’s development plan for that package?

A lot of debate this season has been which defenseman might be on the move and from the beginning of the year, two names have dominated that discussion, Adam Larsson and Kris Russell. Mr. Stauffer commented on both of those players this past Monday during the call-in portion of his show.

People say, would you trade Larsson, as an example right now, for Kasperi Kapanen? I wouldn’t do that deal during the season. I may evaluate something in the offseason and in terms of Kris Russell, he’s a $4M cap hit. I think there’d be some limitation on the takers around the league on that. I do think Larsson would have some currency for teams looking for defensive shut down D, but the Oilers need him right now. – January 20th on Oilers Now

The next day Stauffer and Sportsnet’s Mark Spector also spoke about the pair of defenders,

They need Larsson right now, do you now agree on that? Well, let’s see what happens in the offseason… Here’s the thing, there’s teams in the league that like Larsson, no disprespect to Kris Russell, he’s got a year left at $4M; that’s a tough contract to move.

Adam Larsson? You can move that contract. There’s teams that would do a deal. I mean, I think Toronto would probably consider doing a deal sooner rather than later, I just don’t think the Oilers can afford to at this time. Edmonton’s built a bit of depth there. Benning, we’ve got to see where he’s at as well in terms of his return to the lineup cause I think he’s a useful player. Some might say he makes too much at $2M. – January 21st on Oilers Now

I don’t know what it sounds like to you, but to me, it sounds like Bob is of the belief that the Oilers will be moving on from Adam Larsson or at the very least, IF they wanted to, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to do so.

Personally, I wouldn’t move him. I get the urgency to transform the defense into more of a mobile puck-moving unit, but the Oilers do not have another right-shot defender that can do what Larsson does at his current ability coming. Plus I reckon Ken Holland likes his physical shutdown defenders that come from Sweden. We have to consider what a great contract Larsson is on too. Two more years at $4.166M for a top-pairing 20+ minute per night defender is damned good in today’s NHL.

As for Russell, Edmonton might have to include a prospect with him in order to facilitate a trade. That said, there are teams like Colorado ($17M), the Islanders ($14M), and the Jets ($10M) who have a ton of cap room who would value a gutsy player like Russell for a playoff run. Would those teams be on his 10-team trade list though?

OILERS PROSPECTS AND THE UPCOMING DRAFT

I’m just going to put these comments in point form for the sake of time. If you’d like to check what Stauffer or his guests said if full, I’ll include the audio at the end of this segment.

  • Oilers Director of Player Development Scott Howson said Phillip Broberg might be spending another season in Skelleftea next year.

Howson also believes that if the European players aren’t ready to come over, the Oilers should just keep them over in Europe and allow them to come over when they’re ready. He felt that Evan Bouchard will be more of an offensive defender than Broberg but that the Swede would end up being a top-4 defender.

  • Due to improved skating, Broberg’s d-partner in Skelleftea, Filip Berglund has more than put himself into consideration for the Oilers to sign him before they lose his rights this year.

If Evan Bouchard graduates to the NHL by next season, the Condors will be in need of an offensive defender on the right side. I suppose Joel Persson could be an option should he agree to re-sign with the Oilers, but I’m not 100% confident of that happening. Phillip Broberg could come over as well and be paired up with his SHL partner and in fact, that very well could be one of many determining factors for him.

  • Markus Niemelainen is another player the Oilers need to make a decision on. Howson said that he’s now playing 20-22 minutes a night for his club in the SM-Liiga as a defensive defenseman. He noted that he moves really well, has range and size (6’5″) but he’s average with the puck and that will be the issue with him but there are lots of guys playing like him in the NHL that can skate and move but are merely adequate puck movers. Howson also said that Niemelainen is content with who he is as a player and not worried about point production.

This player sounds a lot like Martin Marincin, doesn’t it? There’s a possibility that both players (Niemelainen and Berglund) could come over and play in Bakersfield next season but it sounds like there’d need to be some extra work into convincing Ken Holland that they’d be worth it given they’re not his guys. Howson felt that these players have really improved to the point to where they’ve forced the Oilers to seriously consider them.

  • Howson believes that Raphael Lavoie has get stronger and become a better skater cut out some of his junior habits like taking breaks on the ice when he’s been playing too much. He figured that since Lavoie’s TOI has been cut down since his trade to Chicoutimi that this would happen naturally. Howson called him a “one-shot scorer”.

I’m not as convinced with this player as some are. To me, he could end up being either an Alex Chiasson or a James Neal. Depends on him. I like how he’ll graduate to the AHL next season though as I want to see more of him. He was decent at the World Juniors but not a game-breaker. What I want to see from him is more urgency in his game. He’s a big guy so I want to see him use that frame accordingly.

  • Stauffer mentioned that he wouldn’t trade either the first or second-round picks in the next draft and he’d try to acquire a forward using Jesse Puljujarvi in order to replenish Edmonton’s cupboards.

If the Oilers were drafting today, they’d be picking 19th and 50th I believe. In those spots, I reckon Edmonton could come away with a very good shooter like Jack Quinn (Ottawa 67s) or possibly Hamilton’s newest import forward Jan Mysak in the first round and in the second round, it wouldn’t be out of the possibility to see a player like Barrie’s Tyson Foerster, Sarnia’s Jacob Perreault, or Sherwood Park Crusaders forward Carter Savoie still on the board.

I wonder though if Edmonton Oil Kings star Jake Neighbours is around when Edmonton is picking after the first round, would they take him? He’s got a ton of heart and as much skill to go with it.

So could you imagine Holland being able to add that much firepower to the pipeline in Edmonton AND another talented player with a Puljujarvi trade over the summer? Now think three years down the road when these players are closer to being NHL ready and the Oilers are an annual playoff team. Holland is sitting pretty with a bunch of talented young forwards that he could either use in the lineup OR as trade fodder at the deadline.

Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!
Grab this sweet Nintendo parody shirt! Click the image above!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

2019 Edmonton Oilers GM47: Oilers @ Flames – 3P2W – TONS of Oilers Rumors Today!

The latest installment of the Battle of Alberta should be a beauty tonight. I will ask though, what kind of game are we going to be treated to by these two clubs? Might we get something that would remind us of the old days? Hits and fights galore with some scoring sprinkled in? Or might we be offered something akin to the most recent meeting where it was a one-sided affair?

With the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Zac Rinaldo, and Milan Lucic in the lineup; it appears that Calgary is happy to play the game anyway Edmonton wants to. When the Oilers release their roster for tonight’s game, we’ll see which way they’ll be leaning. With only Sam Gagner and Patrick Russell available to bring into the lineup, I’d argue that Coach Tippett will be looking for his team to play a solid two-way brand of hockey. It is the BoA though, so expect a few fireworks at the very least.

Regardless, the importance of this game cannot be understated for both teams. First place in the Pacific Division and some extra separation from the wildcard teams is up for grabs.

The Latest Edmonton Oilers Trade Rumors

  • Josh Anderson (CLB) – This week Oilers colorman Bob Stauffer mused upon the Columbus Blue Jackets prized power forward after a caller texted into his show and offered up a trade proposal that featured Jesse Puljujarvi going to Columbus in exchange for Anderson. Stauffer laughed that off, gave it a “not. a. chance.”, and rebutted with what he figures the demand would be from the Blue Jackets for the currently injured winger. That being either Ryan Nugent-Hopkins OR a first-round pick and Philip Broberg or Evan Bouchard. Stauffer went on to say that he believed that Anderson’s next contract will be starting with a five. Meaning five million dollars per year or more.
  • Andreas Athanasiou (DET) – Stauffer also commented on Athanasiou saying that he thought the demand for him would be a 2nd round pick and a prospect. He wasn’t the only Edmonton Oilers pundit to make his opinion known on the NHL’s green jacket leader, veteran scribe Jim Matheson also spoke up on this and he just said that Ken Holland loves Athanasiou’s speed, he’s a restricted free agent and that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman didn’t draft him.
  • Nick Bonino (NSH) – Matheson didn’t stop there. He tweeted about Nashville’s overpaid third-line center. Edmonton would have interest if Nashville picked up part of his salary was the message relayed.
  • JG Pageau (OTT) – Mark Spector was asked about the Ottawa pivot during his spot on the daily Edmonton Oilers radio show and he figured that it’d make more sense to invest more into current Oiler Gaetan Haas than to pay the price it would take to acquire Pageau. Lots of speculation that Pageau will re-sign with the Senators at over $5M per year in the summer.
  • Jesse Puljujarvi – Brian Lawton was on Oilers Now this week and he was asked about Pulju. The only real think of not that I took away from the topic was that he thought that IF the Oilers were going to move the Big Finn, it’d be closer to the trade deadline. Maybe a week before it.
  • Lias Andersson (NYR)/Puljujarvi Swap? – Elliotte Friedman and Bob Stauffer talked about this on Friday and the Sportsnet insider said that both the Rangers and the Oilers talked about it but at the end of the day neither team was comfortable with the players they’d be receiving and weren’t convinced it was going to work.
  • Jujhar Khaira – The big Oilers winger could be traded tomorrow for a small quick forward who plays in the bottom-six according to the host of Oilers Now. Bob Stauffer also said that if Khaira were to hit waivers he would get claimed.
  • Tyler Benson – Lots from Stauffer this week… He said that he believes that Benson will be in Edmonton by at least February 15th.

I’ll say this. The Edmonton Oilers may very well be first in the Pacific Division after tonight’s game, so why deviate from the plan that is in motion? It doesn’t mean the team has to get cold feet and do nothing, but what’s the point in spending assets if the team is in a good spot come the deadline? Holland’s message to the fanbase in Edmonton when he was hired was that he was going to build a team that could compete year after year, not just be a flash in the pan and make the playoffs every now and then.

That being said, if there’s a deal on the table that makes sense, then fine. I would just prefer the team not blow things up and see what the internal options can do for the club this year and perhaps to try and deal out some big tickets that aren’t producing on the ice like a Sam Gagner or a Kris Russell. As much as I love what those players bring to the locker room, there are younger players who are ready to step up in my opinion. No, I’m not talking about Benson or Bouchard. I’m speaking to the William Lagesson’s and Patrick Russell’s of the world. Yamamoto is here to stay, so I’ll not include him.

The Next Ten Games (41-50)

  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – The Oilers should be bitter as hell coming back from the Christmas break and looking for retribution. In terms of gf/ga on the year, the Flames are -12 and Edmonton could feast on that. The Oilers have taken two of the past three contests. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. New York Rangers (17-15-4) – Edmonton will get its first look at 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and welcome back former Oiler, Ryan Strome. This should be a scheduled win for Edmonton as the Rangers aren’t anything special this year. The Oilers have won three on the trot vs. the Rags. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Buffalo Sabres (17-14-7) – Generally, over the years the Oilers have had pretty good luck in Buffalo, but this year Jack Eichel is a man possessed and last time Rasmus Dahlin was out of the lineup. If Dahlin is back in for this game, he’ll add a significant threat. I like Edmonton’s chances here though. (WIN)  OT LOSS
  • @ Boston Bruins (22-7-9) – The Bruins went into the Christmas break on a bit of a slump going 2-4-4 in their previous ten. This is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to win even when Boston is at their worst and there’s no better team to bust a slump against than Edmonton, right? (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4) – Toronto’s confidence was sky high before baby Jesus’ bday, but guess who comes to play each time he’s back home. That’s right, Connor McDavid. It will take a complete team effort for the Oilers to beat their nemesis, Freddy Andersen, though as he’s really had Edmonton’s number. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • @ Montreal Canadiens (18-13-6) – I really enjoyed Edmonton’s performance against the Habs in their earlier match. If the Oilers can replicate that, I don’t see why a win is out of the question. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Round two! Ding. Ding. In Calgary, I think the Flames might be able to muster up a win here. (LOSS)
  • vs. Nashville Predators (18-12-6) – Is Pekka Rinne in net? If so, I’ll give this one to the Oilers. If it’s Saros, the Preds have a much better chance of success. They’ve been an interesting team to watch this year and are playing in a tough division. Their 42pts at the break had them in 3rd last in the Central… (WIN)
  • vs. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4) – Hallsy’s back and if the Oilers would like to go that extra mile, they could show him how much of a powerhouse they plan to be next season by wiping the floor with Arizona, but it’ll be a tough game. Arizona is a lot deeper than the Oilers and their netminding has been much better. This needs to be a game where Edmonton’s defense shines. (OT LOSS)
  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Coming off of a 10-day break, Mikko Koskinen and the Oilers will be well-rested. In theory, they should be as ready as they’re ever going to be to take on their inter-province rivals. (WIN)

(Standings as of December 26th, 2019)

Three Players to Watch for the Flames

  • #39 Cam Talbot – Talbot is on one of his heaters lately and playing very well. That said, there’s always glove high on this guy and he’s susceptible to early goals in periods. Which Talbot will show up?
  • #28 Elias Lindholm – Can’t say I expect him to move to center and for his countrymate, Mikael Backlund to go to the wing, but it’s worked out. Backlund offers some defensive conscience to the first line and Lindholm brings some scoring punch to the second line.
  • #93 Sam Bennett – It really hasn’t been his year at all and I think the Flames will look to move on from him and his Lanny McDonald impression soon. That said, he usually gets up for these games against the Oilers and is, for me at least, an entertaining player to watch due to his old school brand of hockey that he can play.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #23 Riley Sheahan – There are three players who don’t have a goal for the Oilers in their last five games (Kassian, Nygard, Khaira) and Sheahan isn’t one of them. He’s been playing a fantastic brand of defensive-first hockey and I’ve really enjoyed his addition to the club this year. There’ve been some instances this season where he’s absolutely dominated along the boards in the offensive zone and I have a hard time remembering the last bottom-six center who was as good at it as Sheahan is.
  • #29 Leon Draisaitl – Ever since Leon started to emerge as the star he’s become, the games versus Calgary have been “Must-See” TV. Even in that thrashing the Oilers took not too long ago from the Flames, Draisaitl was out there trying to get it done.  I expect the same to occur tonight with a bit more effectiveness given how well his line has been playing lately.
  • #44 Zack Kassian – Kass hasn’t scored a goal in a little while and he was even taken off of McDavid’s wing in their last game for a time. He knows what he has to do to get his engine going though and I hope he brings his “A” game tonight because when Kassian is out there banging bodies and crashing nets, he opens up space and that’s something Connor McDavid and James Neal could always use a little bit more of.
Click the image above and get this sweet Leon’s parody shirt!
Hey Flames Fans! Neal with it! Click the pic above and grab this beauty!
F*ck Tkachuk! Click the link and grab one of these beauties!