Now Cody Franson is off to Chicago on a professional tryout offer but who does that leave for the Oilers to pick up that would come in under say $2M? I’ve got a couple of ideas, some realistic and some not.
Dennis Wideman
What has Chiarelli been known to do with the Oilers and something Glen Sather used to do quite a bit? Pick up reclamation projects, build ’em back up, and then sell then on the high.
Dennis Wideman is a player Chiarelli has traded for and traded away before. He’s familiar with him, Wideman is a righty, he’d be an okay add for the PP due to his shot if that’s something you’re concerned about, and he’s a vet.
He seems to tick off the boxes plus my man on the inside has said they spoke earlier this summer.
PLUS
If the refs decide to screw the Oilers over, Wideman’s there to take care of that… Just kidding!
Cody Franson
If the Oilers were one of the last two teams in on Franson before he decided on Chicago, there’s the very real possibility that Edmonton could pull out the “Versteeg” card and watch how he does during Blackhawks training camp and if Franson impresses, sign him before he signs with Chicago.
Mark Stuart
I can’t see him being any better than Eric Gryba but the PK could use him.
A Trade
The verbiage on McKenzie’s tweet said “add” an experienced defenseman. So, we shouldn’t rule out a trade either. “Experienced” tells me that the candidate would probably be a player in the last year of his deal and closer to 30-35 years old than a younger RFA given the kids coming up.
Bob Stauffer has mentioned Mike Green on numerous occasions. He’ll be a UFA this summer, he’s a right shot, and he’s probably more of a PP specialist these days than 30 minutes a night defender but he’s got a hefty contract to be adding him for the entire season.
Toby Enstrom and Jason Garrison are also upcoming UFAs who could work the man-advantage. Although Enstrom is a lefty.
A long shot might be 40 year old Zdeno Chara. I’ve mentioned him before and of course I realize the relationship between Chiarelli and Sweeney is frosty at best but if Boston is out of it and/or Chara wants out to try and win another cup, the Oilers could afford his salary with ease. He’s not a like-for-like replacement for Sekera but the two played together at the World Cup last summer very well. Chara is a helluva mentor to the young dmen too.
What do you think? Should the Oilers even sign/trade for someone with the plethora of younger depth they have coming up through the minors? Not only that but there’s the new signings from earlier this summer like Auvitu or Stanton.
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Letestes and Hendricks combine for some Veteran love vs. the Bruins. Photo Courtesy of Andy Devlin.
As a fan of the Edmonton Oilers one has to ponder how bad this season would be if Anders Nilsson wasn’t here. Instead of being 9-15-2, would the team be sitting at 5-20-2? Or worse? I’m not sure if it was the Oilers that were playing good or the Bruins that were playing poorly? I suppose it doesn’t matter at this point does it? The boys in orange and blue got the 2 points and are now in a tie for last place in the NHL. It’s nice to share, isn’t it?
According to the game summary over at Oilers Nerd Alert, which you can find here, the Oilers were second best in the fancies. I can believe that. The Oilers never really dominated the Bruins for any stretch of time. I want to say they got pretty lucky but I also believe that you create your luck and Matty Hendricks and Mark Letestu did just that on their short-handed goal half-way through the second frame.
When the Oilers top guns aren’t firing on all cylinders it really is nice to see the veterans pick up the slack. Hendricks and Letestu are far from skilled and Mark Letestu has been a less than stellar signing so far but tonight they stood out in a good way. Hendricks was the game’s 1st star as he racked up a goal and an assist along with 4 hits. Letestu might’ve been the 4th star if that were allowed. The native of Elk Point, AB equaled his linemates stat line sans the hits but was 62% on the faceoff dot.
Boston did find a way to tie the game at one with ninety seconds left but the two veterans combined again in the third to put the Oilers up by one. A nifty little pass off the wing, nutmegging the Bruins defender found its way to Sir Hendricks’ stick and whilst being tied up by Colin Miller, tappity tip and it was in with a zip!
But as the third period wore on I got the feeling that the Bruins were going to get one to tie it up. They had the Oilers hemmed in their own zone for a good 3 or 4 minutes in the latter parts of the period and low and behold they managed to find a way. Somehow Teddy Purcell and Iiro Pakarinen lost Zdeno Chara. Don’t ask me how you lose someone as big as the sasquatch from Harry and the Hendersons but they did it and Big Z found himself wide open in the slot and with a deft little pass the puck was behind Anders Nilsson.
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The game would stay tied and 3v3 OT was played to no avail. A shootout was required and luckily for us we have some of the game’s best shootout players and also a netminder who is performing very well.
The game in total wasn’t anything amazing. Anders Nilsson had an outstanding game and every time he puts up these kind of performances you have to wonder how long until Cam Talbot realizes he could be a free agent next season. Although when you think about it, if the Oilers could get him signed on the cheap it would be worth it. You might not think he’s any different from that of Scrivens, Fasth, or the final days of Dubnyk but he’s mentally much better. Not quite as fragile as those others.
The Oilers did extremely well on faceoffs and Patrice Bergeron didn’t. It was an off night for one of the NHL’s best draw takers. All that much better for the Oilers I say.
How about that little skirmish between Hall and Chara? Hallsy sure knew when to get out of there eh? It made me chuckle a bit.
I think Eric Gryba will be sitting down for a few games after he popped Jimmy Hayes’ head like an over ripe zit. You can check the hit out below. When I seen the hit I was like, “Oh shit… Goodnight Jimmy and enjoy your vacation Eric.”
So Dallas is coming to town eh… Yikes! That’s a scary proposition. They’re the sexiest team in the league right now and it’s only a matter of time until the media start praising the Dallas Stars model of rebuilding… Trade trade trade! lol.
Anyways, I can’t see the Oilers pulling this one out but we seen what happened in the Oilers second game versus the Washington Capitals right? The first one, a blowout. The second one, tighter than a nun’s cootchie. I’d love to see a win here to take the team out of the NHL’s basement. It’d be a huge step for the team for sure!
Let me know your thoughts on the game versus the Bruins or the game coming up against the Stars in the comment section below!
Helluva roller coaster we’ve been on eh folks! First losing 4 in a row and then winning two on the trot whilst beating the two teams that feel the greatest to beat! I mean really, beating Calgary and Vancouver is damn near orgasmic, especially after losing the way we did to the Stars…
Well this week’s Sunday Night Pint is a beaut! We’ve got Zach Laing, Madison Moroz, Corey Mitchell and myself; BLH, to serenade you with our whimsical tones which are akin to that of a capella group comprised of cats in heat. Too much? Well we’re no Jethro Tull if that makes it any clearer. Cue Laing’s flute solo!
We’re going to be touching on the Oilers PP, the search for the Oilers’ new goal song, and roster changes or potential roster moves. So as my father used to say, “Get your hands out of your pants and let’s get going!”
The Oilers Power Play… Woes or WHOA!!!
ZL: Well, the power play seemed to click against the Flames the other night as the Oilers were finally able to connect on one of our chances. I think the thing is that these groups just need to gel. McDavid should be on the point IMO. His speed will allow him to get back and make defensive plays. Patience folks.
CM: Same way everyone else is suggesting. Split that first unit up. Hall, Nuge, and Ebs (when he’s back) with Klefbom and Schultz on the back. 2nd unit is McDavid, Yak, and Pouliot, with Sekera and Reinhart. Keep your forward lines together on the PP to keep the chemistry there
MM: Id fix the PP by slowing things down, and working it more down low, use the speed and skill and open up the point shot more. Having the penalty killers gravitate lower in the zone, opening up that point and just going hard to the net, getting some garbage goals and boosting this power play’s confidence. Especially when working down low, I’d like to see the d-man or 4th forward slide into the slot for a one timer or at least a diversion.
BLH: Well I was crying for the team to spread out the offence a bit between the two PP unites and what did they do? Spread it out. And what happened? Goals! I just couldn’t stand seeing Lander, Yakupov, Purcell, Sekera and Letestu trying to work a man advantage… Like nails on a blackboard… If only they had a player with a cannon from the point… (Too bad Brad Hunt isn’t an NHL defender… Or is he?)
Do the Oilers Need to Make a Roster Change?
ZL: No I don’t think so. I would love to see Draisaitl and Nurse up with the big club, I think we are better off holding where we are and seeing where we progress to. That’s a decision we could make in November.
CM: I would send Slepyshev to the AHL. He’s outclassed at the NHL level at this stage. Yes, he’s played pro hockey in the KHL, but it’s a different game here, and he needs to learn the nuisances. Also, with Chara rumours flying around right now, I would make that trade. A huge shot, plays mean, and has a massive veteran presence on the blue line. Those are all things we all say Edmonton needs. Chara would be a massive benefit to this team.
MM: No roster changes for me right now, after these two wins it appears like the team has some great chemistry and some real balance within the lineup, I’m not ready to hit the panic button quite yet, if they can continue to do what they are doing now, they wont need to make any changes. Every line is doing something out there, especially with a nice 1-2 punch with our top lines, you can tell teams are finding it difficult to decide which line they want to much up with, and the third line has been effective at keeping up the momentum in their favor. Everyone is firing on all cylinders.
BLH: Guess who’s value is going up as we speak? Said player also has a very VERY affordable contract for the next two seasons… If you said Matt Hendricks you’re wrong. It’s Nail Yakupov. Look folks, let’s have some real talk here. The team has just rang off two wins, what if they go the rest of the month without a win? Will all this hoopla mean anything? The defence is still having trouble. It still needs an upgrade and playing Fayne higher than no.4 is going to bite the team in the ass more often than not.
Eberle is going to come back and then what? Hendricks and Klinkhammer have serviced Nuge and Hall with an element they haven’t seen yet and it’s working wonders for them. And not only that but coaches are all about pairs not trios when it comes to making up lines.
Would you deal an Eberle or a Yakupov if it got you a top pairing dman? I might… And the names that tickle my fancy are Ryan Ellis, Seth Jones, and Jared Spurgeon. All puck moving dmen stuck behind veteran NHLers on their respective squads.
A New Goal Song!
ZL: Classic Metallica!! (BLH NOTE: Zach picked the lyrics youtube clip but this sweet comp of hits and fights fits the bill perfectly.)
CM: If you follow me and Twitter, you know I’ve been very vocal in the need for a new goal celebration song. Stadium Love is absolutely brutal, and does nothing to engage the crowd when a goal is scored. Song 2 by Blur is an obvious choice, but if it were me, I would have the PA system cut straight into the chorus of Get Free by the Vines. High energy rock song to really get Rexall shaking after the Oilers score. Stadium Love? No wonder there’s a lack of offence from this team
MM: Its an oldie but always a goodie!!
BLH: My goal song would be “Beer” by the Reel Big Fish. It’s got the woos and the whoas to get that eve so important crowd participation (think the Anaheim Ducks goal song “Bro Hymn” by Pennywise) and the uptick in tempo that would keep the team from coming down from that goal scoring high. Plus come on, Beer… Beer League Heroes… It makes sense. Check it out:
That’s it for today boys and girls! Thanks for reading and leave your thoughts in the comments section below. The ugly lights are coming on and I don’t care where you go but you can’t stay here!
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I’ll leave you with Ryan Robinson’s latest Oilers vlog! Take care and see you next time!
Ohhhh BOY! Those Bruins are in trouble. Dennis Seidenberg just had lower-back surgery and is out for two months, Zdeno Chara played 4 minutes the other night before leaving the game and Joe Morrow took a slapshot in the leg during the same game. The Boston Bruins are having a fever of sorts and the only cure is a trade with the Edmonton Oilers.
Look, the Boston Bruins defence would look like this if the regular season started tomorrow:
Joe Morrow (maybe) – Torey Krug
Zach Trotman – Adam McQuaid
Kevan Miller – Matt Irwin
Linus Arnesson/Colin Miller/Chris Kasto
And these were the pairings for the last game on the 22nd courtesy of Dobber’s Hockey:
Chris Casto – Joe Morrow
Torey Krug – Adam McQuaid
Linus Arnesson – Kevan Miller
This would be a chance for Don Sweeney to mend some fences with Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli after F-ing him over at the draft in the Hamilton deal… I’m still miffed about that. The Oilers have a glut of men on the back end that could be of service to the Bruins.
Ship ‘Em Out!
Andrew Ference is a former Boston Bruin and one has to wonder if he’d be okay waiving his no-trade clause to go back to the place where he found success. I think the Oilers probably wouldn’t mind him heading that way as well so they could get this captaincy business off the table and so they could let Griffin Reinhart know he can find a place in Edmonton to live in. His value can’t be more than a 5th or 6th round pick right now.
Nikita Nikitin would be the ultimate apology from Sweeney. Even if the Oilers took on some salary to force this deal through, it would be a blessing for them. Nikitin has done jack shite this preseason so far despite what Jack Michaels and Bob Stauffer have been saying during their radio broadcasts. You can even hear it in their voices as they since Nikitin’s praises, it sounds like they’re going to puke. Nikitin’s value surely sits at “Steaming Pile of Rhino Dung”, so if Chiarelli could get a late draft pick I’d see that as a major victory.
Brandon Davidson, if I’m not mistaken, will have to clear waivers to go down to the AHL this year and there’s no way he’s making the team with Reinhart and Nurse sitting there. Personally I think he’s 50/50 to get claimed and he’d probably have the most appeal to the Bruins apart from maybe Ference. Davidson’s a young guy still and I reckon he’d probably go for a 4th rounder.
Mark Fayne doesn’t seem to be in the foreground of Chiarelli’s mind and I wonder aloud if he’s going to be one of the Oilers GM’s trade chips this year. Fayne doesn’t really standout when he plays but he’s a very steady Eddie type and at this point he’s still a serviceable NHL defenceman and the Oilers should hold on to them in fear of becoming what the Bruins are right now. But with all of that said, is he really a no.4 dman or is he more of a no.5/6? I could see Fayne’s value at around a Chris Kelly or a 3rd rounder.
A Bear Market
So what is it that the Bruins have that maybe the Oilers would covet? We know that Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan like heavy teams and Chiarelli said in his interview with Bob McKenzie that he’d like to acquire some “heavier” players. The way I read that is he wants some higher-end foot soldiers. Yes men that make it easier for the skillers to work their magic.
Unfortunately the only players that fit the description of “heavier” players are players that the Bruins just signed, have ugly contracts or will never leave the team.
Matt Beleskey is a gritty winger coming off a career season but he’s a recent signing and Benoit Pouliot is doing a fine job. Not gonna happen here.
Jimmy Hayes is an interesting character. He’s 6’6″ 220lbs, can skate and is a shooter. He put up 19 goals and 16 assists last year for the Panthers and would be a nice replacement for say Nail Yakupov if he were sacrificed. Not gonna happen here either.
Patrice Bergeron? Not unless Nugent-Hopkins is going the other way…
Loui Eriksson isn’t quite the player that comes to mind when I think heavy and his contract is ugly. But even then, as unfair as it would be, Nikitin for Eriksson straight across might rid each team of a headache as their contracts are identical ($4.5m for 2015/16). Do the Oilers really need him though? Somebody would have to be sacrificed to fit him in the top 9.
Chris Kelly… He’s probably the guy with the greatest potential of becoming an Oiler but how much better is he than say Rob Klinkhammer or Tyler Pitlick?
So as it looks, any deal that could potentially take place between the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers would most likely see the Oilers taking back draft picks or prospects that might never see the light of the NHL.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
The big bad Boston Bruins are no more thanks to last season. If you’d have told me last fall that the Bruins were going to miss the playoffs, trade Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic, and waste three consecutive first round picks in the McDavid draft (Zboril might turn out), I would’ve told you to take a walk of a short pier. Unfathomable is the word that comes to mind. How can a team drop from 3rd in offense to 22nd? But they found a way to do it and I’m thankful for it because through all of that Peter Chiarelli was fired and the Oilers snatched him up.
Key Additions: LW Matt Beleskey, RW Jimmy Hayes, LW Zac Rinaldo, and D Matt Irwin
Key Departures: D Dougie Hamilton, LW Milan Lucic, F Dan Paille, F Gregory Campbell, F Carl Soderberg, F Reilly Smith
The Losses of Soderberg, Hamilton and Lucic are huge to say the least. Still to this day I haven’t the foggiest clue as to why shiny new GM Don Sweeney and Seabass (Cam Neely) caved under the pressure of an offer-sheet and traded Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins were in a prime position to let Zdeno Chara gracefully ride into the sunset. Now they have to ride him like an old mule and it’s not going to be pretty.
Adding Beleskey and Hayes MIGHT soften the blow but they’re 3rd liners at best. They’re used to playing 4th line minutes so we can expect to see those shooting percentages to come back to earth. And signing Zac Rinaldo will prove to be the dumbest move of them all. Matt Irwin could have some value though. He’ll add some punch to the PP which already features some big clappers in Chara and Krug.
Projected Lineup
Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak
Matt Beleskey – David Krejci – Jimmy Hayes
Loui Eriksson – Ryan Spooner – Brett Connolly
Chris Kelly – Joonas Kemppainen – Max Talbot
Zdeno Chara – Torey Krug
Dennis Seidenberg – Adam McQuaid
Kevan Miller – Matt Irwin
Tuuka Rask
Jeremy Smith
Roster Contenders: F Alexander Khokhlachev, D Joe Morrow, F Joonas Kemppainen, G Malcolm Subban
2015/16 is going to be a tough one to endure not only for the veterans on the team who must be scratching their heads and wondering WTF, but for the fans as well. Their key players are only getting older and more beat up every year, especially Chara. So don’t get your hopes up.
I can’t see Boston ending the season in the basement of the Eastern Conference but I reckon they’ll be playing the roles of spoiler come the playoff drive. They’ll be sellers at the deadline that is for sure and expect some big names to get thrown around like Chara, Seidenberg, Eriksson, and Marchand. Maybe Bergeron and Rask if Sweeney and Neely put their heads together like they did on the Hamilton deal.
Then again they were supposed to make the post-season last year and they didn’t. Anything can happen. David Pastrnak is looking a player and if David Krejci can stay healthy who knows? That’s the beauty of hockey right?
Thanks for reading! I hope you’re enjoying our Season Primers series and let us know in the comments below if you agree with our assessments.
Alex Thomas from the Oilers Rig tells me that Boston can be a pretty cold place in the winter, so why not head on over to the Beer League Heroes Merch Shop and pick up a nice sweater, hoodie or long sleeve shirt with a 16-bit Boston Bruin on it? We’ve got Bergeron, Chara and Rask currently and all for a very recession-friendly price!
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