Well, how are you this morning? I hope well considering the stunning amount of disgruntled Edmonton Oilers fans who took to Twitter last night after the draft to let their feelings of discontent be known regarding who the club took in the first round of the 2020 NHL entry draft and how bad GM Ken Holland did at the trade deadline considering he’s letting Andreas Athanasiou and Matthew Benning walk.
Well, if you’re feeling deflated that perhaps this blog post will turn that frown upside down as I got bombarded with DMs late last night letting me know what Edmonton is attempting to do this week.
Now keep an open mind when reading these rumors and consider the time we’re in. A lot of unique and unorthodox transactions may very well take place, so anything can happen even if they don’t seem all that realistic right now.
The team is interested in bringing in the following players,
Jacob Markstrom
Taylor Hall
Tyson Barrie
They’re also looking at a top-four defenseman in the Eastern Conference. Someone who can definitely play on the 2nd pair but in times of need can hop up into the 1st. I was told someone like Brett Pesce or Brady Skjei. Not those players necessarily but ones like them.
I was also notified that the team has the slightest interest in Justin Abdelkader (surprise!) and that Oscar Klefbom’s career is in serious jeopardy due to a chronic shoulder problem that surgery may not fix.
There are also some people who believe that the club may move Mikko Koskinen in order to bring in a higher-tier goalie. I’m told there’s a chance Edmonton could possibly get a 3rd round pick for him.
Another way the club might be able to bring in some upgrades is to move James Neal to free up cap space.
Lastly, there seems to be a bit of pressure on Holland to find that top-pairing stud on the blueline and bluechip defender Evan Bouchard is being used as trade fodder to make that happen. I’m of the belief that the team thinks that Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov have a higher ceiling.
Other News
Yesterday, Bob Stauffer said that the Ottawa Senators aren’t done adding size to the club and they’d like to add another big body to the team which means they’re looking at someone on the Oilers.
He also said to expect an announcement detailing the signing as soon as Friday of a veteran AHL goalie to help out in Bakersfield and maybe in Edmonton in a pinch.
During the same show, Mark Spector mentioned that the Oilers should be announcing the signing of Jesse Puljujarvi any day now.
I’m sure more will come in the following days! Enjoy day two of the draft everyone!
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Jonathan Willis reckons that the Oilers have at least three players who are solid candidates to be traded this season. Matt Benning, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Kris Russell, in Willis’ opinion, are the likeliest options to be moved due to the fact that Benning is both useful and expendable, Russell being a reliable veteran presence with to offset a team going through a youth movement, and Puljujarvi’s growing value due to age (21) and how well he’s performing for Karpat in the SM-Liiga. (The Athletic)
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BLH’s Thoughts: I have a feeling that there will be a trade in the new year but I’m not sure if it will feature any of these players. Should the Oilers continue on the pace they’re currently on, I don’t think they’ll want to sacrifice their veteran defenseman going into the post-season. If anybody gets moved, it’s Puljujarvi, but there’s a part of me that wonders if Holland is playing the long game with him in hopes that he can get the big Finn to change his mind and return to the Oilers.
Teams Who Need an Early Season Trade
Lyle Richardson recently blogged about five teams who could use a trade to shake things up because their campaigns have started off in a rather pedestrian manner.
Richardson cited Eric Francis, Darren Dreger, James Mirtle, and Elliotte Friedman who all commented on potential trades between the Calgary Flames and the Toronto Maple Leafs that included names like Tyson Barrie, Travis Hamonic, and TJ Brodie. (source)
BLH’s Thoughts: Are any of those players really going to make a real difference for either team. Calgary’s stars are shooting at ridiculously poor percentages and the Leafs simply need a shakeup. Hopefully, the firing of Mike Babcock brings that because I feel like the playoffs are better with Toronto in them. Even if they only last one round.
Then the man behind Spector’s Hockey moved on to a trade proposal from ESPN’s Greg Wyshynskiwhere Puck Daddy threw out the idea of a Tyson Barrie plus sweetener to Pittsburgh for Justin Schultz.
BLH’s Thoughts: That sweetener would have to be a helluva player I’m thinking. I get that Jultzy has had some injury problems but what if Tyson Barrie is no better in Pittsburgh than Toronto? I just feel like Sheldon Keefe might have better luck with Barrie if he gets some time with him. From an Oilers point of view though, Tyson Barrie would look good on their blue line as a rental…
It’s widely known that the Buffalo Sabres have a surplus of defenders on hand and are looking to make a trade. Richardson suggests that there could possibly be a deal to be made centered around defender Rasmus Ristolainen where the Sabres would send him to Vegas for one of Jonathan Marchessault or Reilly Smith.
BLH’s Thoughts: Interesting proposal. Not sure about Marchessault moving but Smith for Ristolainen is an intriguing idea.
Wild GM Gauging the Market
Directly from Richardson’s main site, there’s a bit talking about what the Minnesota Wild are up to. Elliotte Friedman has reported that Bill Guerin is working overtime to assess the market on his roster.
It’s been rumored Wild forwards Kevin Fiala, Ryan Donato, and Joel Eriksson Ek are available. They probably don’t have much value in the trade market. Fiala and Eriksson Ek have shown some improvement of late, but likely not enough to entice a lot of interest. (source)
BLH’s Thoughts: As an Oilers fan, Kevin Fiala would be a player to keep an eye on. In my opinion, he would be a great addition to the Oilers middle-six forwards. If we’re talking Puljujarvi though and I’m Ken Holland, I would try to take advantage of the fact that Minnesota’s first-rounder from this past draft, Matthew Boldy, is having a real tough go in his first season at Boston College with only 1 goal in 11 games. I’d be finding out what the price is for Boldy AND Fiala.
Team Canada Names Coaching Staff for Spengler Cup
The Team Canada coaching staff for the upcoming Spengler Cup has a familiar feel to it for Oilers fans. Former head coach Craig MacTavish, ex-teammate and hall-of-fame defender Paul Coffey, as well as Vegas Golden Knights Director of Hockey Ops Misha Donskov will guide the Canadians through the annual tourney that will run from Dec. 26th-31st this year.
Canada’s Spengler Cup coaching staff includes Craig MacTavish as head coach and Paul Coffey and Misha Donskov as assistants.
BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t really have any feeling for this tournament to be honest. But it seems like MacTavish and Coffey are really trying to get back into the coaching game. I wonder if Seattle will be keeping a close eye on one or both of them?
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Tough game for the Oilers last night. Vegas simply wasn’t the team they needed to be playing on the hind end of a back-to-back. Something else that the team didn’t need was for their coach to be playing Mikko Koskinen and they got burnt because of a silly decision on Hitchcock’s part.
The three-meter man can’t be fully absolved from that performance mind you. He did let in some questionable shots on his glove hand and 5-hole which has resulted in a mad witchhunt from Oilers fans and media alike.
This morning on Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer and Brenden Escott were discussing the big Finn’s performance and had this to say,
Escott: He’s got to sort that out (glove hand) if he’s going to be a bonafide starter in this league.
Stauffer: That’s low-hanging fruit because it’s so easy to focus on. What I would say is this, Mikko Koskinen did not start back-to-backs over in the KHL. The moment the Oilers traded Cam Talbot, they partially did that to alleviate, not the tension, but the fact that we had two goalies here and both were UFAs. Koskinen got the extension but from that point forward Mikko’s had to have a couple of back-to-back starts.
He was not very good at handling pucks and he was poor no angles early in the year and he’s worked a lot on that. But when he starts in back-to-back games Brenden, I think what happens is fatigue sets in and maybe he drops is glove even lower and the book’s out on him. And in this league, unlike the KHL, guys can score from anywhere because they can really shoot the pill and they can make that shot. They’re closer to the net, they’re not as boxed out.
So what I would say is, 100% the criticism is fair and it played a factor last night. He wasn’t very good last night. Absolutely fair criticism against a good team. BUT what I would also say is he works really hard.
If he doesn’t get it straightened out, he’s only going to be a 1a/1b goaltender. He’s only going to be a 45-game-a-year guy and they’re going to have to get somebody else to be it. But if he works as hard on the glove going forward and gets more conditioned to, and I do think the Oilers have to create a situation where they got another goalie here that’s good enough to push him, it’s not just 70 starts and 15 starts. I think that’s completely unrealistic.
I know how hard he works in practise and I see him out there every morning before everyone else.
If he doesn’t get it fixed, he’s only going to be an average starter. If he does get it fixed, he has a chance to be a legitimate top-20 no.1 goalie that gives you a chance to win every day.
What I will point out is that Koskinen is one of the main reasons the Oilers are even competing in this playoff race and since Talbot has been traded, Mikko has taken the starter’s role and ran with it.
Koskinen did not have a good game tonight and I'm attributing that to the opposition and the dumb coaching decision to keep playing him. That said, in the last month his #s are good.
— B.L.H. (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast) (@BeerLeagueHeroe) March 18, 2019
Folks might complain about his glove hand but let’s not forget about all the goals that used to go over Talbot’s shoulders let alone all the goals he let in on the first shot of the game or period…
Mikko Koskinen is NOT the problem.
Goalie charts are updated.
So, Gibson's no surprise — he did this last year too. Vasilevskiy doesn't shock either. Bishop, Greiss, and Lehner have fared well better than one might've guessed.
I would add to this that the Oilers could not pass the puck if their lives depended on it last night. Darnell Nurse and Kris Russell were horrid with the puck movement. Their favorite teammate to pass to was the boards and the glass. I lost count at the number of times an Oiler defender rimmed it around the boards to a Vegas Golden Knight. Dave Staples made a funny comparison on his post-game vlog with Bruce McCurdy last night. He said that Nurse and Russell were Smid/Staios 2.0…
I do believe that the Oilers will re-vamp their defense this summer and two guys I wonder about being elsewhere in 2019/20 are Nurse and Russell.
The Oilers need puck moving defenders and scoring wingers. Full stop. Kris Russell and Andrej Sekera aren’t going to bring you a top-6 winger. The Oilers will most likely have to pay to have those players moved but Darnell Nurse will bring you that winger and with players like Caleb Jones, William Lagesson, Ethan Bear, Evan Bouchard, and Joel Persson looking to make the squad next season; I think it’s very fair to say Darnell Nurse’s position on the team could be under threat due to his inability to pass the puck.
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What the naysayers will come back with is Nurse’s numbers this season and to that I’d say, he’s capitalized on the PP he’s been given by Hitchcock. His 5×5 numbers are on par with last season when his TOI was elevated due to Klefbom being out of the lineup. So what happens when you take that extra TOI and cherry time on the PP away… I would venture a bet that his offensive stats would decrease…
He’s not what those stats suggest. He’s a fine top-4 shut-down defender but he gets spread thin when he’s asked to take on a more offensive role too. A better skating Adam Larsson if you will. The fact that the league has been tamed down has nullified one of Nurse’s strongest attributes, his meanness.
After watching him for his whole career, I’m just not sure about the hockey IQ. He’s still young mind you and there’s lots of room to grow but even if you look at it from a financial point-of-view, do you think that he’s worth more than $5M per year? $6M that he’ll probably be asking for? I don’t and it’d be in the Oilers best interests to move him while his value is high and Edmonton has the prospect depth it does.
William Lagesson can do what Darnell Nurse does for a fraction of the price plus he’s been brought along the right way so the peaks and valleys will be smaller. In theory.
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I do believe the Oilers will try to acquire Tyson Barrie this off-season due to the fact that the Avs will have Cale Makar and Connor Timmins competing for a spot on their blue line in 2019/2020.
So let’s say for shits and giggles, the Oilers find a way to open up cap space by dealing Russell and not take any money back in the deal. The difference between Barrie and Russell is $1.5M and I would have to guesstimate that in order to bring in a player like Tyson Barrie, Edmonton would need to move a package of players that would include a top prospect and a roster player or a high draft pick. That would also alleviate some cash from the Oilers payroll given the top prospect would probably be someone from this group:
Jesse Puljujarvi
Kailer Yamamoto
Ethan Bear
Ostap Safin
Kirill Maksimov
Ryan McLeod
Dmitri Samorukov
Apart from Puljujarvi, I don’t think any of those players will be making an impact at the NHL level next season. Are the Oilers a better team if their defense looks likes this going into next season?
Klefbom/Larsson
Nurse/Barrie
Sekera/Jones
Persson
There’s a puck mover on every pairing here. Now you might argue that the first pairing lacks a true puck mover but I happen to believe that both Larsson and Klefbom are very smart players.
Edmonton could go all-in as well and use Larsson to bring in a skilled winger. I think there’s a very plausible reason that we heard Larsson’s name connected to Toronto at the trade deadline this year…
Don’t rule out Jared Spurgeon, Justin Faulk, or Rasmus Ristolainen either.
STAUFFER THROWS OUT TWO NAMES
Before his segment ended on this morning’s Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer threw out two more names that might interest Oilers fans. One I’ve already mentioned on the blog months ago.
You know Vegas had two guys last night playing down in the American Hockey League, Daniel Carr and Brooks Macek. Those guys would be playing for the Oilers and be better than some of the options Edmonton has.
As I said, we’ve spoken about Carr before. He’s a local lad (from Sherwood Park) who I’d say looks like Brendan Gallagher-lite. He can skate at the NHL level, his edgework is good, he’s tenacious, he likes to shoot… There’s a lot to like with this player.
Brooks Macek I’m not as familiar with, but if Bob is throwing his name out there, that’s a good indication that the Oilers probably have some interest or have had interest in the player.
According to Eliteprospects.com, Macek is 26-years old and was a 6th round draft pick of the Red Wings in 2010. He’s 5’11” and 181lbs.
This season with Chicago, Macek has managed to post up 60pts (26g/34) in 63 games.
Interesting to note, after five years in the WHL with Tri-Cities and Calgary, he spent the next five years seasons playing in Germany where he scored 183pts in 255 games.
I think both could be had for under $1M per season and it would be prudent for the Oilers to start adding these sorts of players to their roster. I’m not of the belief that Cooper Marody or Joe Gambardella will be able to cut it at the NHL level unless they do something about their skating. They are great AHL players and would be VERY useful there but you in today’s NHL you have to be able to skate or else the Linus Omarks and Anton Landers of the world would be everyday NHLers.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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Today Josh Morrissey signed a two-year bridge deal worth $3.15M per year to basically set the marker for Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers.
I can’t see Nurse is going to get much more than that. The Oilers have been holding strong at $3M and Morrissey’s deal might bring that up a bit but it certainly shouldn’t bring it anywhere near the $4M valuation that Anton Thun has of his client.
Then there’s this from our friend Bruce McCurdy replying to an excellent idea from Supernova:
Interesting to compare the platform seasons, esp. boxcars:
Like I said yesterday on Twitter, I wouldn’t be surprised if Darnell Nurse was on the plane to Germany but he didn’t play because he missed all of or the majority of training camp because hi agent only sees short-term dollar signs.
Plan B
Chiarelli was asked if there was a “Plan B” the other day and he said yes. I imagine that plan includes sending out feelers on such defenders as Tyson Barrie, Justin Faulk, and the newly-minted free agent Jake Dotchin.
Jake Dotchin is a new one and I haven’t heard what really happened with him and the Lightning but he must’ve really stepped in it in order to get thrown on unconditional waivers. To be clear, as far as I know, his contract hasn’t been terminated yet. Dotchin has cleared unconditional waivers though so the next step is cutting Dotchin loose.
Hockey teams are usually pretty lenient and don’t want anything to do with NHLPA filing grievances on their players’ behalf. It’s a weird situation but regardless, I asked one of my sources what the deal was there and I was told that he’s a young guy and the Oilers like him.
Personally, I don’t see him as much better than Matt Benning and if we’re being truthful, wouldn’t it be more prudent to aim a bit higher than Jake Dotchin?
Max from TPE Hockey is back with his 2019 NHL draft prospect rankings for the month of September.
This time we threw in a little stat called “Age-Adjusted NHLe” and since most of the seasons haven’t started for these players, we’re using last year’s point totals to find our age-adjusted NHLe.
Draft eligible prospects don’t all play in the same league, and aren’t all the same age, so it doesn’t make sense to judge their statistics as if they do.
League/Age Adjusted Points Per Game can help us put all the prospects on even ground. To do this, we simply multiply the PPG of a player by two numbers: an age multiplier and a league multiplier. These multipliers adjust the PPGs of players to show how they would produce if they were all the same age, playing in the same league. In this case, that league is the OHL, the top Canadian junior league, and that age is exactly 17.
The numbers will look a bit odd, especially for the high-end players like Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. I asked my friend Sam Happi (The Puck Authority and @DraftLook) about this and he said that the league translation factor, which is meant to represent the average player, doesn’t really do players like Hughes justice since they are so far above average. I’d also add to that that the competition from league to league can really vary. The SM-Liiga where Anttoni Honka and Kaapo Kakko play full-time is much more competitive than the USHL where Hughes plays most of his games or the BCHL where Alex Newhook plays.
So just keep that in mind when you’re looking at that. I do remember asking Rob Vollman about the USNTDP translation factor in Auston Matthews’ draft year and was told that since nobody makes the jump from that program to the NHL, there was no need to do up a factor for it… I imagine most people are using the USHL’s translation factor for the time being but I bet that’ll change in the future.
If you’d like a list of the translation factors for each league, click this link.
You can check out a little video before that and/or his previous summer rankings here.
1) Jack Hughes C (USNTDP, USHL) – 179cm, 73kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 18pts)
The undisputed #1 pick will revolutionize whatever franchise drafts him. Jack Hughes is the brother of last year’s 7th overall pick, Quinn Hughes. Just like Quinn, Jack is an elite skater and reads the game better than anybody. Jack will spend this season with the USNTDP in the USHL. Hughes will rip up that league as last year he was the best player in the USHL at only 16.
2) Kaapo Kakko RW (TPS Turku, Liiga) – 186cm, 82kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 11pts)
Kakko is everything you want in a winger. He’s a big guy but sacrifices nothing because of it. He’s quick on his feet and just as quick thinking. Kakko is ultra-skilled and has all the offensive talent to become an elite NHL winger. Whenever he’s on the ice everybody knows it, he stands out instantly.
3) Anttoni Honka D (JYP Jyväskylä, Liiga) – 179cm, 77kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 17pts)
Brother of Julias Honka, Anttoni is already a star in the Finish pro league at 17. Honka spent last year in the pros on JYP playing 20 games with them. At the start of this season, Honka became a top pairing defenseman for JYP. He played in the Champions Hockey League and stood out every game.
4) Alex Turcotte C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 88kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 10pts)
The two-way center out of the USNTDP played in the shadow of Jack Hughes, but that doesn’t diminish his game. Turcotte is a high-intensity player that combines speed, size, and skill with great defensive capabilities.
5) Alex Newhook C (Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL) – 180cm, 83kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 8pts)
Newhook is all about speed. He can zip into the offensive zone and great opportunities for his team. Newhook is mainly a playmaker, but he does have goal scoring ability. He’s also good in the defensive zone and competes very hard.
6) Dylan Cozens C (Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL) – 191cm, 80kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 12pts)
The 2018 WHL Rookie of the Year is an all-around offensive player. Cozens is a big bodied center who is also very fast. He is mainly a goal scorer but does have playmaking abilities. Cozens has a sick release and super accurate shot.
7) Kirby Dach C (Saskatoon Blades, WHL) – 192cm, 84kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 11pts)
Dach was a standout at the Hlinka tournament where he was the best draft eligible Canadian. He is a pure playmaker who can drive offense for any team he’s on. He uses his vision of the ice to open spaces for teammates and create scoring chances.
8) Raphaël Lavoie C/W (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL) – 193cm, 87kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 10pts)
Lavoie is the first player hailing from the QMJHL. He’s a big guy who is super dangerous around the net. That combined with his shot allowed him to score 30 goals as a rookie in the QMJHL. Lavoie went to the U18 World Juniors last season and scored 5 goals in 5 games. He also was taken on the U20 Summer Showcase roster for Canada.
9) Bowen Byram D (Vancouver Giants, WHL) – 183cm, 81kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 6pts)
The Vancouver Giants pick is a player that can control every part of the game. His skating, passing, and vision allow him to dictate what happens when he’s on the ice. Byram is also great on the rush he uses his speed, lateral movement, and hands to work around defenders.
10) Peyton Krebs C/LW (Kootenay Ice, WHL) – 180cm, 78kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 11pts)
The 2016 WHL 1st overall pick is a small playmaker coming out of Kootenay. Krebs is a lot like Johnny Gaudreau. Krebs is an elusive player who can easily avoid physical play. He also has good hands, speed, and a wicked wrister.
11) Vasili Podkolzin RW (Vityaz Podolsk U17, Russia U17) – 181cm, 75kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 5pts)
Podkolzin exploded at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He led the tournament in points and goals playing with Russia. He showed his unbelievable highlight reel skill and clutch play. Podkolzin is super strong, and at top speed, he can’t be stopped.
12) Cole Caufield RW/C (USNTDP, USHL) – 168cm, 70kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 13pts)
The 168cm (5’6”) goal scorer is one of the most fun players to watch. Caufield was a goal a game with the U17 and U18 USNTDP teams. Caufield is electric but is written off because of his size. Even with his size, Caufield finished 2nd in points at the U17s only behind Jack Hughes.
13) Jakob Pelletier C/W (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL) – 175cm, 72kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 12pts)
Pelletier was statistically the best player coming out of the QMJHL. He is an all-around offensive player who can make plays and score. He also has all the skating abilities to make for a great NHLer.
14) Cam York D (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 75kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 5pts)
York is the star defensemen for the USNTDP. He played a lot with the U18 team and went to the U18 World Juniors. Even as a 16-year-old at the tournament he was the best defensemen for the Americans.
15) Ryan Suzuki C (Barrie Colts, OHL) – 183cm, 78kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 10pts)
The 1st overall pick of the 2017 OHL Draft is one of the smartest players and best passers in this draft. He makes plays that no one sees coming, it’s almost as if he has eyes in the back of his head. Like his older brother Nick who was recently dealt to Montreal, he has a solid wrist shot that can pick a corner from the dot.
16) Mikko Kokkonen D (Jukurit, Liiga) – 180cm, 86kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 4pts)
Kokkonen has had a great start to his first season in the Finish pro league. He’s gotten two nice assists in his first two games. Kokkonen has been leaned on a lot by Team Finland in international competition. If Kokkonen can continue to produce in the Liiga he will fight for a top 10 spot.
17) Simon Holmström RW (HV71 J20, SuperElit) – 181cm, 78kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 11pts)
We could be talking about Holmström tearing up the SHL right now. Unfortunately, he is currently out with an injury. He was brilliant in the U20 Swedish league as a 16-year-old but didn’t get to play internationally because of injury. He is the strongest candidate to rise as he gets more exposure.
18) Philip Broberg D (AIK J20, SuperElit) – 190cm, 90kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 6pts)
Philip Broberg was the breakout player of the Hlinka tournament. He showed his amazing speed and skill on the rush. At that tournament, Broberg looked easily like a top 5 pick. Although, there are concerns with Broberg’s game. He had trouble producing in league play and international play before the tournament. Broberg needs to prove he can do what he did in the Hlinka on a regular basis.
19) Trevor Zegras C (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 72kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 9pts)
Zegras is a dangerous player with the puck. He has stellar stickhandling, high caliber speed, and is very smart. He loves to rush the puck but sometimes turns it over in the neutral zone when doing this. His shot is also something to watch out for from the slot.
20) Tobias Björnfot D (Djurgårdens IF J20, SuperElit) – 183cm, 85kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 5pts)
Björnfot has struggled a lot in international competition, but thrived in league play. This season he is starting in the U20 Swedish league and looks to try and crack the SHL roster for Djurgårdens. Björnfot is defiantly a player to keep an eye on this year.
21) Nils Höglander LW (Rögle BK, SHL) – 174cm, 84kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 5pts)
While splitting time between the Swedish 2nd pro league and Swedish U20 league Höglander was on a point per game pace in the U20s before being moved up to the 2nd league. He is a primarily small and skilled player with a physical edge to his game, much like former superstar Theo Fleury.
One of my favorite players for 2019 draft is Nils Hoglander. Shifty, skilled little guy playing in Sweden. pic.twitter.com/eJHl8YJB08
22) Maxim Cajkovic W (Saint John Sea Dogs) – 180cm, 85kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 7pts)
The 1st overall pick is this year’s CHL Import Draft was put on the map after leading the U18 World Juniors in points per game and was second to Jack Hughes in points. Cajkovic is an offensive-minded player with all the tools to be a big-time producer in the QMJHL this year.
23) Marshall Warren D (USNTDP, USHL) – 180cm, 73kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 5pts)
Marshall Warren is a perfect all around defensemen coming out of the USNTDP. Warren is one of the best athletes in the draft too. His skating allows him to play a two-way game as he uses it to defend and great space in the offensive zone.
24) Arthur Kaliyev LW (Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL) – 188cm, 86kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 10pts)
The U17 leader the OHL in goals and points is the top American outside of the USNTDP. Kaliyev is an aggressive power forward who was an important part of the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs.
25) Pavel Dorofeyev W (Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk, MHL) – 184cm, 74kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 11pts)
Dorofeyev is a dangerous goal scorer out of Russia. His shot is his best attribute, but he is also very skilled. He was able to play on the Russian U18 team last year which is very impressive because the Russian program is known to heavily favoring older players. Dorofeyev scored 4 points in that tournament.
26) Blake Murray C (Sudbury Wolves, OHL) – 188cm, 81kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 11pts)
Playing on a very weak Sudbury team Blake Murray managed to produce well for an U17 player in the OHL. Without much support on his wings Murray scored the 2nd most goals of U17 OHLers.
27) Dustin Wolf G (Everett Silvertips, WHL) – 183cm, 68kg
Last year’s WHL break out goaltender has continued his great play into the WHL pre-season. Currently he is 3-0 with a .927 Sv%. Last year Wolf got some good time as the starting goaltender and managed to win the CHL Goaltender of the Week. The hit on Wolf is his size at only 183cm (6’0”). Wolf standout quality is his puckhandling. Last year at 16 he got 4 assists in 20 games. In my mind he is the best puckhandling goalie in junior hockey. For more info check out my full article on on Wolf and this year’s goaltending crop.
28) Matthew Boldy C/W (USNTDP, USHL) – 183cm, 79kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 1pts)
The American power forward is a monster in front of the net. Boldy also has very good playmaking abilities and offensive IQ. Boldy was unfortunately snubbed from being able to play with the U18 team at the USNTDP.
29) Albin Grewe C/RW (Djurgårdens IF J20, SuperElit) – 182cm, 80kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 7pts)
Grewe left a lot to be desired after last season with Djurgårdens J20 and international play. Despite this he broke out at the Hlinka and then has been great in the Swedish U20 league and is currently at a point per game pace.
30) Alex Vlasic D (USNTDP, USHL) – 196cm, 86kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 4pts)
Vlasic is an enormous shut down defensemen who plays a lot like Zdeno Chara. He uses his long stick to block passing lanes and has a booming shot. The cousin of the Shark’s shutdown defender Marc-Édouard Vlasic plays a lot like Marc-Édouard too.
31) Moritz Seider D (Alder Mannheim, DEL) – 192cm, 83kg (Age-Adjusted NHLe: 1pt)
The German monster playing the German pro league is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. So interesting that I wrote an entire article on him.
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During last night’s Oilers/Sharks game I was pleased as punch to see Edmonton kicking the snot out of San Jose in the 1st period. I thought we might have something here… And then the hit.
Look, the play was moving quickly but that’s no excuse to the clown in stripes with his eyes fixated right on the play in question. It’s no wonder the NHL’s stars are openly mocking the refs and throwing their equipment at them on the ice. It’s BS.
The other thing that was BS was the lack of a response from the Oilers after the incident occurred. Where was Matt Benning’s backup? At least one of Klefbom, Draisaitl, Rattie, or Cammalleri could’ve bull rushed Kane…
I remember a lot of this during Taylor Hall’s days as the de-facto “leader” of the Oilers. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. To me, it displays a lack of togetherness on the club despite what I’ve been told by those I’ve talked to who are VERY close to the players.
Just quick I want to talk about the goals that came after the Kane incident.
First off, it’s a team game and so everybody can take a slice of the blame pie but did Cam Talbot have a chance on any of the remaining goals?
Sharks 2nd goal from Braun was tipped by Lucic.
Sharks 3rd goal went off of Sekera’s leg.
Sharks 4th goal was a roof daddy special but Talbot was out of position anticipating the pass across.
Maybe the 4th goal Talbot could’ve done a better job but I have a hard time faulting him for the first two. I’d say get outta the way Milan on #2 and Leon, you gotta do a better job containing Meier so he doesn’t walk out and get a clean chance on net for goal #3.
If really feels like the other teams are scoring at least 1 flukey goal a game vs. Edmonton this year. I think the Oilers should fire Peter Chiarelli because of that… What?!
Milan Lucic is leading the team in posts hit this year, right? How much would have that turned the course of the game had he scored on that wide open cage?
Anyways, that game is over. Now to look forward to the remaining 19…
This is what I want to see from the Oilers to play out the season:
Keep Leon and Connor away unless it’s an absolute imperative that they must be reunited.
Put Nuge on Connor’s LW because we need to see what Strome and Khaira can do down the middle. If all three perform well in their given assignments, that will do a few things:
It’ll give the Oilers a scoring LW instead of having to trade out for one.
It’ll give the Oilers their bottom-6 centres.
It’ll give the Oilers a chance to simply focus on re-signing players instead of having to focus on acquiring new ones.
Good, consistent performances from the players who are underperforming this year. Those include:
Matt Benning
Drake Caggiula
Oscar Klefbom
Zack Kassian
For Puljujarvi to go on a nice scoring run to show everyone there’s a player there. Maybe the addition of Pontus Aberg helps that?
Connor McDavid’s march to the Art Ross should be fascinating as well
But don’t discount Leon Draisaitl’s ongoing assault on the scoring charts. Can he make it into the top ten despite having an “off” year?
Funny thing with Jesse, he’s “only” scored 11 goals and 14 assists in 74 games to date but did you know that by the time Phil Kessel had played 70 games, he only had 11 goals? Did you know Jakob Voracek only scored 9 goals in his first 80 games or that Matt Tkachuk had only 13 goals by game 76. Even Marian Hossa took more than 66 games to score 15 goals.
This is a 19-year-old man-child growing up in front of our eyes. He’s not McDavid and he’s not Leon but he’s going to be a force for this team someday. Book it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0H7LfylDeY
Bloody kid almost fluffed it too… I wonder when he’s going to do something about that twig of his… Seems like it’s more a hindrance than a tool of scoring destruction. Good to see the Grinnin’ Finn smiling again though!
Now sometimes I make the mistake of heading over to Hockeybuzz to read Matt Henderson’s BS and something usually sets me off. Well, today it happened.
In addition to questionable standard scoring stats, Aberg has been challenged to maintain decent possession numbers relative to his team. He was at the bottom of Nashville’s forward group in Corsi, Fenwick, Shots, and Scoring Chances. All the shot metrics. All of them!
What Henderson didn’t tell you is that Pontus Aberg was near the top of Nashville’s team (and the whole league for that matter) for goals for % (GF%) and high-danger goals for % (HDGF%).
Even higher than Connor McDavid has for Edmonton.
Aberg’s GF% was 62.96% (6th best LWer in the NHL) and his HDGF% was 69.23% (4th best LWer in the NHL). Those numbers are for LWs who played more than 390 minutes and at 5×5 and they’re courtesy of naturalhattrick.com.
If I’m correct, what this means is that when Aberg’s line was on the ice nearly 63% of the goals were scored by his team and nearly 70% of the high-danger chances were converted into a goal for.
And I’m not sure if Matty-Boy has noticed but the increased possession totals haven’t helped the team score goals let alone win games. As illustrated by the Minnesota Wild being 30th in the league in CF% and Chicago being 3rd.
It’s fine to be good in the shooting metrics but you can’t base your opinion of a player simply on shooting stats.
And one more number to help everyone feel better about the addition of Pontus Aberg. His sv% is 3rd in the NHL at 95.52% and what that tells us is the other team has a helluva time scoring when his line is on the ice.
Now I know that taking a player who’s played not even 60 games and trying to pump his tires isn’t the best use of statistics but it goes the other way too when you’re criticizing a player. His possession numbers are horrid, it’s easy to see that but… #smallsamplesize
So I’ll add Pontus Aberg’s impact in the final 19 games as one of the things I’m looking forward to watching.
Lastly, I was listening to yesterday’s Oilers Now and a few things jumped out at me.
Chiarelli had minimal offers coming in.
This coincides with what the Oilers GM said at his presser, that the market was pretty dry. Stauffer also said that Boston trading for Rick Nash hurt Maroon’s trade value and the return Vancouver got for Tomas Vanek killed it.
Was Peter Chiarelli aggressive enough at the deadline? Nobody can be sure but pushing on a closed door is a good way to get shot.
Stauffer said he knows for a fact that Tampa was “bird dogging” Maroon because of the questions he was being asked by other scouts AND seeing Tampa Bay’s AGM Pat Verbeek at the Oilers games.
This is interesting because the pundits said there was ZERO interest in Maroon from Tampa…
Stauffer also said there was action on Strome.
I’d keep an eye on this. Strome is still a young player and one that can toss up 15 or more goals a year. Could he be sacrificed to bring in an older player at the same price point? I guess that depends on how his final 19 games go, right?
I’ve come to really like Strome. He’s finally finding his stride in Edmonton and his work on the PK since going there full-time has been quite good.
Stauffer and Spector asked each other, would you do Klefbom for Barrie or RNH for Barrie?
Both said yes to offer A and no to offer B and I’m in agreeance.
I believe that a lateral move here wouldn’t hurt the team. To me, Oscar Klefbom is a solid 2-way defender but he’s the one with the value and he plays in a position that is a point of organizational strength for the Oilers. His contract is good, his age is good but he’s not making the impact that this team needs.
So if the Oilers could get Barrie for Klefbom, do it. If the Avs insist on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers must insist on Barrie and the 1st round pick that Colorado obtained from Ottawa in the Duchene deal because that could very well turn into Jack Hughes aka Pat Kane v2 minus the dirtbaggedness.
Chiarelli also mentioned adding speed to his team, more spcifically w/regards to moving the puck.
I assume Chiarelli is talking about his defenders.
This has been one of my major pet peeves this season. Slow puck moving from the defense and I’m surprised that the coaches haven’t altered their gameplans because of it. Have the forwards come down and gather the puck if the defenders can’t pass it fast enough or rush it up the ice.
Whatever he does, it’s sure to divide the fanbase even further. lol
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