Tag Archives: william lagesson

Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Prospects

BREAKING NEWS: Oilers Defenceman Released!

This just in, Edmonton Oilers defenceman William Lagesson has been released… From his contract with Swedish Allsvenskan club Vita Hasten due to the club already having four NHL loans already (Adam Werner (COL), Simon Holmstrom (NYI), Linus Hogberg (PHI), and Marcus Sorensen (SJ)).

Since Lagesson signed his new two-year deal with Edmonton, he’s now considered an NHL loan and therefore cannot continue with Vita Hasten.

His coach/GM Tony Zabel had this to say to HockeySverige.se (via Google Translate):

“We knew this was going to happen sometime. I had hoped it would be later, but it is as it is.”

In 11 games played, Lagesson had three goals and six assists for nine points. A team-best for blue line scoring and good for third-best in the entire league. He also contributed ten penalty minutes and was +6.

Lagesson was clearly the club’s best defender and going from what Zabel said and the tone, Wild Bill was quite valued and as he should be. He is a top-pairing defender in the American Hockey League, so he’s obviously good enough to play in the SHL and the Allsvenskan is a step down from that.

No word on where Edmonton’s #7 d-man is headed yet but I can’t see him being off the ice too long. I would imagine he’ll catch on with a different club in Sweden, most likely in the same division. If not, there’s no doubt in my mind that he is talented enough to make a positive impact in any European league.

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM42: Rangers @ Oilers – 3P2W – Changes Are Coming…

For the first time in the 2019/20 NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers are on the outside looking in on a playoff spot. They’ve been passed by the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Las Vegas Golden Knights, and Arizona Coyotes and now sit at 5th in the Pacific Division. Why is that and are we 100% sure that it means the Oilers will be in a position to win another draft lottery?

The underlying numbers have been poor all year and the cynics within the Oilers fanbase will be rejoicing in the fact that “they’ve been saying it all along” but the fact of the matter is, nobody could’ve predicted Edmonton’s best players would begin to shit the bed. Some analysts are saying that if Connor McDavid wasn’t carrying the offensive load for Edmonton that they’d be competing with the Red Wings for last place, I think that’s predicated on some fantasy where McDavid isn’t an Oiler maybe, I don’t know. Those kinds of claims don’t take the conversation anywhere for me. Are we saying if you take a team’s best player away out of their lineup that that team might struggle in the area where that player excels? Not exactly mind-blowing analysis.

What we should be asking is why Leon Draisaitl can’t stop racking up minuses or why in the world is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins producing at an AHL player’s rate? What happened to the Nurse/Bear pairing all of a sudden and what’s the reason for Oscar Klefbom’s race to the green jacket?

From 12/1/2019 to today, the Oilers have five forwards (out of fourteen) with negative metrics in the category of expected goals for %,

  • Jujhar Khaira (-6.21)
  • Zack Kassian (-2.88)
  • Leon Draisaitl (-17.02)
  • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (-3.82)
  • Connor McDavid (-3.48)

Every other forward on the Edmonton is in the plus. So, when those players have been on the ice, it’s been tilted the other way.

When a team’s best players can’t keep the team afloat, get your life jackets out folks.

Now, what’s funny is that none of the analysts I’ve read are mentioning PDO, or puck luck basically. Draisaitl has a PDO of .881 and Oscar Klefbom’s is .899. That is ridiculous and at some point will come back to normal. James Neal has a .910, RNH’s is .922, McDavid’s sits at .955… Edmonton’s best player in that category is “Dwight” Joakim Nygard with a 1.042.

Now, knowing these things, how does that change our outlook on the season? I still feel there’s a playoff club here and that they’re going through a tough spell. Do Edmonton’s stars need to buck up defensively? Yes. 100% and not because they’re slacking, but because it would help the team win. Would I like to see the Oilers make some changes to their roster? I’m always down for some chaos in that regard…

Changes Are Coming

Markus Granlund and Brandon Manning are on their way to Bakersfield while Kailer Yamamoto and William Lagesson are in Edmonton.

If you’ve had your ear to the ground you could probably have seen this coming. Changes after Christmas is what I was told and here we are today with two more notable ones. Now, what these two moves tell me is that Ken Holland is still grinding away looking for some deals to improve the club externally but feels the right thing to do is to offer an opportunity to those within his club first.

Yamamoto is going to bring tenacity, quickness, and as I’ve been saying for a long time now, an ability to draw penalties. He does that very well. The other thing he does is he thrives in the trenches and has no fear. He looks a bit thicker this year and I’m hoping that contributes to him being able to stay healthy during this latest stint in Edmonton. I don’t believe he would’ve been called up had Josh Archibald not blocked that shot with his knee against Calgary though.

It’s my belief that the Oilers are discussing trades with multiple teams and William Lagesson, as well as Kris Russell’s name, has come up in said discussions. Plainly put, somebody is getting showcased here. “Wild Bill” is ready to take the next step and he’s spent a lot of time playing alongside Caleb Jones during their time in Bakersfield (AHL) together. It makes sense that they’d play together again in the future.

Lagesson is a fine player. He’s like a Mattias Ekholm lite. Big, tough, can make a pass, skates well, and can make a play on offense if needed… Great head of lettuce too.

I see a lot of fans saying that it should be Tyler Benson that should’ve been called up and I get that sentiment. He’s a local lad and a great story, but not only that, he’s the straw that’s been stirring the drink down in Bakersfield. I watched him this weekend and his skating has improved marginally. I think he might end up having boots like Jordan Eberle once he makes the show. That said, he plays LW and the Oilers don’t require a left-winger at the moment. Should they finally take the plunge and move JJ Khaira this year though, that’s when you’ll probably see Benson get called up.

If you’re not satisfied with these moves, I don’t imagine any transaction is going to satiate your appetite. Ken Holland is 6 months into the job and stated at his introduction presser that he’s going to bring stability to the club and he’s going to practice drafting and developing players. He wants to build a team that can make the playoffs every year, not just once every three or four years.

I know it’s hard to be patient, but that’s the way it has to be. If you still can’t accept that, could you maybe take solace in the fact that the Oilers are right in the mix for a playoff spot?

Three Players to Watch for the Rangers

  • #16 Ryan Strome – The former Oiler has seven points in his last five games whilst centering Panarin. It’d only make sense if he continues to pile up the points against his old club since that seems to be what every former Oiler does.
  • #9 Artemi Panarin – 17pts in his last ten games and is always a threat to score when playing Edmonton. The Breadman is as electrifying as it’s going to get on the Rangers and Edmonton’s defense will have their work cut out for them.
  • #89 Pavel Buchnevich – In the back of my mind I feel like this is the player that Edmonton might be angling for in a Jesse Puljujarvi trade. This Russian has been in and out of David Quinn’s doghouse this year and he just the right guy to flank one of Edmonton’s big centers. He’s a big-bodied winger with outstanding hands, a laser of a wrist shot, powerful strides and strong on the boards. His concentration can waver and I reckon that’s what gets him in trouble with coaches.

Three Players To Watch for the Oilers

  • #56 Kailer Yamamoto – Game one of the 2019/20 season for Yamo. I’ll really be looking forward to watching how his game differs at this level compared to what I’ve seen from him in the AHL.
  • #10 Joakim Nygard – Four points in his last ten. He’s starting to get his feet back under him and his speed is drawing penalties.
  • #74 Ethan Bear – If Coach Tippett keeps his lines from last practise, Bear is up with Klefbom on the top pairing and he’ll be seeing a lot of New York’s best players. Tanks like Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad will offer formidable challenges to the rookie defender.

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: If Holland Is In, Who’s He Shipping Out?

As the days pass on, the likelihood of Ken Holland leaving the Detroit Red Wings and joining the Edmonton Oilers as their new GM (autonomy included) becomes greater and greater. The weekend is still young and so there is still time for the two sides to walk away, but from what I have gathered over the last couple of days, I’d be getting used to the idea of Holland as Edmonton’s new general manager.

I’d like to begin by talking about this prospective hire and then talk about some of the moves the team might make if it indeed does come to fruition.

WHY YOU HAVE TO BE ANGRY?

The unhappy portion of the fanbase point to lost trades and poor contracts as to why they wouldn’t support this hiring. I think they are being short-sighted and the reason for that, I feel, is that this is a team that believes in drafting and developing. That mantra has been a pillar of the Red Wing franchise for decades and what better way to live by that than to make it very difficult for the team’s prospects to break into the 1st team by re-signing veterans to extensions?

Can you show me the last trade made by Holland that could be considered a Brandon Manning-esque loss? You’d probably have to go way back to 2015 to the Erik Cole trade (Dallas ended up with Janmark and Hintz in the end there) or perhaps the Datsyuk salary dump where Holland had to sacrifice Jakub Chychrun to move their star Russian’s salary. But even then they managed to get two fine prospects in Filip Hronek and Dennis Cholowski in that trade…

Frans Nielsen has been a bit of a disaster, but Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, and Tyler Bertuzzi are on some very team-friendly deals. When Justin Abdelkader was 28 years old and coming off a second consecutive 40+ point season, Holland signed him to a seven-year extension worth $4.25M per season. A deal that was only 250k more than the one Benoit Pouliot signed in Edmonton that so many were up in arms about when he was bought out.

So you’ve got these vets holding spots warm for the likes of Givani Smith, Filip Zadina, Axel Holmstrom, Jonathan Berggren, and Joe Veleno.

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But maybe we can look to how Holland has shaped his defense as a weakness but you can’t deny that he rewards loyalty. Now whether you see that as a pro or a con, that’s for you to decide. Danny Dekeyser was a highly sought after college free agent but he’s never lived up to his salary. Niklas Kronwall, on the other hand, had two of his most productive seasons at the ages of 33 and 34. Mike Green had two really good years in Washington and has been riding those seasons every since then. He is still good for 30+ points a year but they’re unhealthy years.

Detroit’s AHL team has Ville Saarijarvi, Filip Hronek, and Joe Hicketts developing there. As for the prospects that have yet to make it to Grand Rapids, Jared McIsaac, Alex Regula, and Gustav Lindstrom well on their way. And I shouldn’t forget about Dennis Cholowski, the 19-year-old who appeared in 52 games for the Red Wings and 25 for the Griffins this past season.

In net, the trust factor comes into play again. Holland should’ve moved on from Jimmy Howard sooner than later but he’s has been in Detroit his whole career. He signed Jonathan Bernier to a 3-yr deal worth $3M per year in what I’m thinking was a move aimed at having the former Maple Leafs goalie replace Howard.

Filip Larsson is a Swedish netminder who signed with Holland’s team after a very nice NCAA career (if you want to call one season a career). Just this last season he played 22 games for the University of Denver and posted a 1.95 GAA and a .925 save percentage. The season before that he played for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL and in 30 games accrued a 1.65 GAA and a .941 save percentage… He’s only 20 years old right now and will start his pro career next season. It shouldn’t be long before he’s netminding for the Red Wings.

The mess that the new general manager is walking into isn’t one for a rookie GM, in my opinion. And this isn’t the Oilers potentially bringing in Peter Chiarelli. Ken Holland is a person who actually talks to people and brings others in to help with decision making.

When Scotty Bowman stepped down in 2002, Holland went around to everyone, including the players, and got all the intel he could to make that hire and what was decided was that their assistant coach Dave Lewis would be that guy.

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The point I’m trying to make here is that if the Oilers want a guy who’s top attributes are communication, patience, being steady-handed, and experienced; then who better?

Another thing that is very important about hiring the Vernon, BC native is that he’s learned from some of the very best in the business (Jimmy Devellano, who learned from a legend in Bill Torrey) on how to manage a hockey team and he’s passed that knowledge on to such executives as Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill and now current Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman.

The Oilers wanted to hire Keith Gretzky as their GM but the air around the team is toxic right now and instead, I believe the plan is to give Kretzky the assistant general manager’s position but with heightened responsibilities and then have him mentored by Holland.

WHO’S COMING AND GOING?

  • This week there was quite a bit of chatter about Sean Burke joining the Oilers but not as GM. If I had to take a guess, I think that this is still on the cards and that if he did sign with the Oilers, he’d be hired to replace Duane Sutter as director of pro scouting.
  • Bob Green is the director of free agent scouting for the team and my guess is that the team will probably move on from him too. The Tobias Rieder signing was horrid and anybody that would’ve done their homework would’ve seen that from his play in LA prior to joining Edmonton.
  • Craig MacTavish has done a fine job building Bakersfield into what it is today, so there’s a slight possibility that he could stay on.
  • I can’t see Scott Howson continuing in his current role. I think he spends most of his time at his home in Columbus anyhow.
  • If Gretzky gets more responsibility that’ll mean someone will need to take over the amateur scouting, I’d assume that to be Tyler Wright who’d be coming with Holland from Detroit.

So those are my guesses as to the front-office changes. As for the roster changes, there are a few.

  • As per my source, Milan Lucic f*cked up with that interview in Vancouver. Belief is that Gretzky is working on a deal with Jim Benning to send Lucic to the Canucks and possibly have Loui Eriksson come back. Brandon Sutter is also an option.(I suggested they send Lucic, Russell, and a pick/prospect to Vancouver for Eriksson and Sutter. That way it would improve the Oilers PK (in theory) and it’d open up a spot on the 2nd pairing. An area that I believe needs a major upgrade. The Oilers could also stick RNH on the 2nd line and have Leon/Connor run wild on the NHL again.)
  • Looks like Tyler Benson, William Lagesson, and Caleb Jones will be getting the push next season.(I asked about Bear and was told that he had a bit of an injury-plagued year, so perhaps one more year in Bako.)
  • The team has been scouting Europe for the last couple of weeks. I heard a major emphasis was placed on defenders.
  • The Oilers will be listening on offers for Kris Russell, Andrej Sekera, and Jesse Puljujarvi this summer.
  • Edmonton is desperate to improve the defense with puck-moving defenders and Jake Gardiner’s name came up as a free agent target this summer.
  • Matt Benning is in tough to stay with the club given the emergences of Jones, Lagesson, and Bear. Wouldn’t be surprised if the rumored Connor Brown for Benning deal gets completed this summer.
  • I feel like there’s an appetite to re-sign defenseman Kevin Gravel.
  • Nugent-Hopkins is at the end of his rope with the organization. They need to show improvement or he’s gone.
  • Todd Nelson is a name to consider as a head coach candidate.

Now that’s a lot of movement, right? And the new GM hasn’t even been named. So take all of that for what you will.

My personal feeling is that if Ken Holland is the new boss, a guy like Jesse Puljujarvi will get another chance to show what he’s capable of. Maybe the Oilers hire Todd Nelson and he works some of that magic with Pulju as he did with Yakupov?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

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

Oilers/Ducks G3 Review Plus: I Know Who’s Getting Moved This Summer

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Chills… So proud of the folks back in the YEG.

First things first, apparently Oilers prospect William Lagesson is on his way to the SHL in Sweden. At least according to the tweet below. It’s only rumored right now and nobody from the Oilers has announced it, so I suppose we’ll play the waiting game on this one but would it surprise you at all with all of the depth on the left side in the organization already?

Klefbom-Sekera-Nurse-Oesterle-Reinhart-Jones etc. I’m sure I’m missing someone but just off of the top of my head, Lagesson is behind all of them.

The draft lottery was something eh? Taylor Hall, man that guy has ZERO luck with the NHL teams he plays on aside from their sweet lottery wins.

The question I have is, will the Devils go the old Oilers route and take the skilled winger OR will they take the stud center who’s been compared to Sean Monohan and Mark Scheifele but has major injury concerns.

My advice, trade down Ray! Trade down!!

Philly and Dallas must’ve had horseshoes up their butts. Wow! Did they ever luck out! Philly, in theory, should get that dynamic winger in Hischier they’ve been looking for for quite some time and Dallas’ options are WIDE open. Maybe they go for the sharp-shooting Owen Tippett?

Burning the Midnight Oil

The start to last night’s game was horrendous, to say the least, but with that said, the comeback was glorious! I think I could hear the roar of the crowd all of the way over here in Taipei after Connor scored that beauty.

Another player who was on his game was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Wow, he was firing on all cylinders from the get-go and I wondered aloud if Todd McLellan might be tempted to get him out there a bit more often. I haven’t checked the TOI in the 3rd but I know McDavid and his dash three didn’t play all that much once the game was out of hand. So maybe RNH did, in fact, get more ice-time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcJXIkO6i9E

The Wagner goal was unfortunate though and Darnell Nurse is struggling. I think Nurse really wants to make a difference but he’s not quite there yet and he’s hurting the team a bit.

Is it time to take him out for a game? Just a break to watch the game from the box and get his head squared away. Could Eric Gryba fill in for a game?

Can somebody answer me this? Why do I keep seeing Benning and Nurse out at the same time as Connor is on the ice? You’d think you’d want your best pairing w/97 out there. Maybe that is Nurse/Benning though… Either way, it’s seems off and I expect to see Klefbom and Larsson. Just thinking out lout here.

Here’s the thing though the Oilers kept the pedal to the medal and had their chances to score after that 4th goal by the Ducks but John Gibson stood on his head and Anaheim got a few more bounces their way.

The Oilers are still up 2-1 in the series. Let’s keep that in mind.

To address the title of my post, I’d like to start with a tweet from Mark Spector.

https://twitter.com/SportsnetSpec/status/858884974774112256

I’m right with ya there Spec! And I really think that Edmonton will do their damnedest to move Eberle and his $6M deal out of Edmonton and it’ll be another deal you don’t like on the surface but the difference between this year and the Hall trade from last year is that you trust Chiarelli’s judgment now.

I did hear that the Oilers were looking at the Sabres before the season ended and before Tim Murray and Dan Bylsma were axed. Maybe there’s a fit in Buffalo for Ebs but in my opinion, their offense isn’t the no.1 problem.

Can’t really say as to what the Oilers would want back for the button-hook assassin. Where do you think the Oilers need to address?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Corey Mitchell, Edmonton Oilers, Prospects

Oilers Prospect Profile: European Depth

Part 7 of Prospect Profile takes a look at a few players of European nationality that should provide the Oilers with some significant depth this upcoming season.

It’s no secret that the Oilers have found great success with European players in the past, having the likes of Jari Kurri, Ales Hemsky, and hopefully Nail Yakupov pull on the sweater. Here are five players the Oilers are hoping can follow in those footsteps.

Roman Horak

Contrary to popular belief at the time, Roman Horak was not the focal point of the Ladislav Smid trade from a few seasons ago. That doesn’t diminish his potential as a depth player for the Oilers, however, if he decides to come back to North America.

While it may seem like Horak has been around the professional ranks for some time, he’s actually only dressed for 84 NHL games, with most of his career taking place in the AHL, with his best season being in 2013-14. That was the year he was acquired by the Oilers along with Laurent Brossoit, with Ladislav Smid and goaltending prospect Olivier Roy going to Calgary. Following the trade, Horak would pile up 48 points in 53 games, including 21 goals. That production was enough to get Horak a brief 2 game look with the Oilers, registering 1 goal.

It could be that lack of consistent production at the NHL level that seems to have side tracked Horak a bit, as he spent the last 3 years bouncing between the NHL and AHL. Along with that, he’s already been featured in two trades in his brief pro career, as the Flames originally acquired Horak from the New York Rangers in 2011, before he even played one pro game. Last season saw him sign in the KHL with Chekhov Vityaz, where he went 18-13-31 in 53 games. While he remains Oilers property, it doesn’t look like they will be able to access Horak this season, as he’s already begun the year with Vityaz.

Anton Slepyshev

Upon the announcement earlier this year that Anton Slepyshev had signed his ELC with the Oilers, social media lit up with excitement in regards to the Russian winger. Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft, the 21 year old has remained in the KHL, and is coming off his 5th professional season, which was also his third season with Ufa Salavat Yulayev. It’s the fact that he’s already played five years of high end hockey against men that has fans excited to see what he can bring to the Oilers.

Last year saw Slepyshev put up some modest numbers in the KHL, with 15-10-25 in 58 games. While those aren’t all-world level numbers, he’s still young. More than likely, Slepyshev will find himself counted on for secondary scoring in Bakersfield when he makes his North American debut. It’s not out of the question to see him put on a line with fellow Russian countryman, Bogdan Yakimov, to see if the two can build some chemistry.

Bogdan Yakimov

Speaking of the big Russian, Bogdan Yakimov is healthy, and ready for his second season in North America. Another player from the 2013 Draft, Yakimov is a center with size. Appearing in 57 games with the Oklahoma City Barons last year, Yakimov put up a respectable 12-16-28 while playing mostly a checking role. He should be looked at to provide more this season, and help with the transition of Slepyshev to the North American game.

Fans are anxious to see Yakimov play for the Oilers on a more consistent basis, if only for the hope that he can find some chemistry with Nail Yakupov. While there would have been a chance he could make the team out of camp if this was a few years ago, organizational depth has improved by leaps and bounds since 2013. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid have come up more than a few times while I’ve done this series. That depth has pushed Yakimov down the chart, much like it has for many players that may have had a chance to make the Oilers before. And again, depending on what happens in training camp, specifically where the Oilers feel Draisaitl benefits most from playing, is going to have a big impact on Yakimov’s development. The plus side again, is now there is no rush to get him to the NHL, and he can learn to thrive in the AHL.

Daniil Zharkov

It was at the trade deadline in 2011 when the Oilers moved Dustin Penner to the LA Kings for Colton Teubert and a couple of draft picks. The 1st rounder became Oscar Klefbom. And if you’re having trouble remembering who the Oilers drafted with the 3rd rounder, the answer is Daniil Zharkov.

While Zharkov has been plying his trade in the KHL the last two years, he is no stranger to the North American game, having played a year in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm, before moving to the Belleville Bulls of the OHL. Following a brief junior career that saw him total 48-31-79 in 109 games, Zharkov opted to return to his home country of Russia, signing with Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo of the KHL. His first season of professional hockey couldn’t quite be labeled a success, as Zharkov could only muster 2 goals and 5 points in 49 games. The following season was no better for Zharkov, as he was limited to only 9 games.

I assume Zharkov will probably play in the KHL again this year. He very much seems like a player the Oilers could be willing to walk away from at this point, unless there’s a team interested. At this point, Zharkov could be earmarked to fill out the roster in Norfolk of the ECHL if he elects to come play in North America again.

William Lagesson

Drafted with the 4th round pick the Oilers acquired from Minnesota in the Ilya Bryzgalov trade, William Lagesson is the only other European player on this list not from Russia, with Horak being the other.

The general consensus on Lagesson is that he has good defensive play, but his foot speed can be suspect. He played last season in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, registering 2-14-16 in his 52 games with the club. The stat that I like is the +18.

More than likely the 19 year old is going to continue play in the USHL this upcoming season, following the prospect tournament and mini-camp coming up in a few weeks. I’m curious to see how Lagesson looks against other teams top prospects. I remember him catching my eye when he was at development camp in June. The log jam of defensive prospects is a situation that should play out very well in Lagesson’s favor, affording him the time to continue to develop as a player. While I would personally like to see him follow in the steps of Caleb Jones, and choose to go to the CHL this year, there is nothing wrong with getting top minutes in USHL, which is a very competitive league in its own right.