Oscar Klefbom, chosen No. 19 overall in 2011, spent the early portion of his career being known as ‘not Jonas Brodin’. In the last year or two, the conversation has turned around completely—it now appears the Oilers have themselves a major piece of a successful future. Home grown, drafted by Edmonton management outside the lottery. How good is he? Folks, he might just be the rarest of all things, a complete blue drafted by the Oilers and retaining a wide range of skills upon arrival in the NHL. Hey Oscar? Stay healthy.(Young Lions)
OSCAR KLEFBOM 15-16
- 5×5 points per 60: 1.09 (1st among regular D)
- 5×4 points per 60: 3.27 (2nd among regular D)
- Corsi for 5×5 %: 50.5
- Qual Comp: 2nd toughest among D (first pairing)
- Qual Team: 4th best available among D (second pairing)
- Corsi for 5×5 % REL: 6.8
- Shots on goal/percentage: 48 shots/8.3%
- Boxcars: 30gp, 4-8-12 .400
- Information via Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com, behindthenet.ca and hockey-reference.
VOLLMAN SLEDGEHAMMER
RE 16-17: 55GP, 5-16-21 .381
- How good can he be? Top pair. You would want to see him play for 250 games, and you would like them to come in three seasons (including playoffs), but this is a very promising player—who is already established as an NHL player.
- What were his injuries last season? He had a finger injury on December 12, day-to-day. After that, it was various descriptions (lace bite, staph infection) but it was real and it was serious.
- When was the last time you were this concerned about an Oilers player? Probably Fernando Pisani. We still don’t really know if he can come into camp and perform at par. The young man has missed a lot of time and there has to be at least some concern about the lace bit problem coming back again.
- This RE number seems low. The GP is the big item, this is actually a 31-point season if he played the entire way. Klefbom needs to prove he can stay healthy. Major, major story for 2016-17.
- He should be a 40-point projection. I would refer you to the dictionary meaning of reasonable. If Oscar gets a lot of power-play time and plays 82 games, he could post a big number. I am estimating that big number would be 31, and that he will not play 82 games.
- How big is this injury story? The Oilers badly need this guy. He is a big piece.
- They didn’t compromise the foot? Klefbom: “I think it’ll be 100 per cent. I just want to put this behind me.” Source
- How important is Klefbom to the build? Massive. You could see it after he went down in December. The team was addled the rest of the way. If he can’t join this group for the next decade, it will fall upon the next group to replace—not reinforce—the defense. A major distinction and a possible derailment of this rebuild. It is a big damned deal.
- Who did he play well with? His three partners were Justin Schultz (54 percent 5×5 Corsi for percentage), Mark Fayne (50.1) and Brandon Davidson (49.0). Source
- What player-type is he? There is substantial evidence now that he is a complete defenseman. Mobile, wide range of skills, 6.03, 210, sturdy, rugged—and now that he is away from the Swedish assist police, we know he has an offensive game.
- What could he be? I wish you could have seen the old timey Habs (I hated them) back in the day. You would see them early in the year and some new guy—like Bob Murdoch or John van Boxmeer—would catch your eye. You would run to the latest Hockey News to see his AHL numbers, and wonder if he was going to be a star. Chances were, the guy would not be back that season. Crazy. Oscar is so good he could have been a Habs farmhand in 1972. Almost all of them had a wide range of skills. It was a factory.
- So, Oscar could be Murdoch or van Boxmeer? Better. I believe he could be better, by some margin.
- What is the best thing you can say about him? The Oilers are miles better with Klefbom on the roster and if he is healthy next season we should see a more balanced defensive group.
- How good could he be? I do not recall the last Oilers defensive prospect with this kind of range. He covers the entire spectrum, and his mobility is terrific. He can move left and right quickly, skates well in any direction, is a rugged player who can battle and has no fear.
- Do you want to talk about the quote? Your choice, it is here.
- Is there any way for this to be a non-story? The nature of these things is that they are forgotten until the next time. I will tell you this: If New Jersey or Edmonton has a season outside expectations, it will have a new life. If Hall performs very well or poorly in NJ, it will have a new life. It is now a part of public record.
- I wish it had never happened. Ever since the world began, Euro hockey players go home and talk to the local media. They are far from the team, feeling relaxed and they let their guard down.
- He backed off the original quote. Yeah. And he does not strike me as an outspoken person or a bad teammate. Matty came to his defense right away, he has seen the wars and would know if Oscar was a different sort. Mostly, hockey players are alot like other hockey players.
- Does that do anything for you? It doesn’t change the original quote. I don’t think it makes Oscar a bad person or a horrible teammate, but it will be with him for a long time.
- Why can’t you let this go? Has nothing to do with me. This is about Oscar Klefbom and a quote that saw the light of day. We can discuss damage control (he did a pretty good job of it) but it is out there now, nothing anyone can do. And it will come back.
- How much do you have Oscar playing? I have him at 22 minutes a night, same as Larsson. I think they will be a very effective tandem when together.
- How did you break it down? 18 minutes at evens, two and two. Larsson’s 22 are 19 minutes at evens, three on the penalty kill.
- How much do you have him on the power play? Oscar is my No. 2 LH option, behind Sekera. Maybe he emerges as No. 1, maybe Brandon Davidson passes Oscar. We are dealing with an unknown.
- Could he score 40 points eventually? I don’t know. His Swedish league totals did not imply this kind of offensive ability, and his shot is good enough to warrant PP time (as indicated).
- Why this song? Oh, youth. Get everything out of it you can, and then put the pedal to the metal for one more spin, baby. You won’t regret it when you are 50, and have more stories to embellish. This is Oscar’s time, and if he is healthy, perhaps these young lions will finally climb from the depths of the second division.
There were a lot of very good players on the Canadian and US Olympic team that year. Anderson was the best player on both squads.
Anderson, Gregg, MacLean, Nill, Watters, Nill Broten, Johnson, Christian, Morrow, Ramsey, Pavlich, Silk
11 Stanley Cups on Canada, 5 on the United States…for example.
Glenn Anderson wasn’t made by anybody. He was going to be a star wherever he played. He had 30 goals in two thirds of an NHL season as a rookie, when Mark Messier was still in his training wheels.
The Russians pissed around with their goaling too, iirc.
Canada finished 6th. They beat the Netherlands, Poland and Japan. They lost to Finland, Czech, and the Soviets.
The Americans did get lucky.
The point is that there were not very many good players on US/ Canada. Few amounted to much in the pro game. Anderson was one of the best, but he did not have a lot of competition.
Saying he played for the Olympic team in 1980 doesn’t mean that much.
Ah, I misunderstood. My apologies.
Hall played mostly with a 20yr old C and Teddy Purcell and still finished 8th in the NHL in total 5v5 points.
Had to finish the year after the deadline with the 20 year old and a mix of non-NHL (Pakarinen) and a marginal NHLer who was gassed (Kassian)
8th in the NHL in 5v5 points.
Man.
The one thing I thought of when I read this line was that didn’t Hall dismiss Yakupov – a current teammate – just before the start of the 2014-2015 season, referring to Yakupov as a European or Russian player who never had to learn a system under Krueger. That kind of statement is way worse than calling a former teammate the best player on the team who wasn’t able to single-handedly beat the best teams.
Am I totally out-to-lunch regarding the Hall comment? I cannot find a link to it, but I remember being put off by it at the time.
EDIT: I bring this up to make the point that these young men are all imperfect, and I think it’s a bit excessive to hold Klefbom accountable to a potential translation issue when his fellow teammates have said worse.
Lowetide,
You misunderstand me LT. I was commenting on Asia’s obvious pot stirring so soon after the Last Chance Texaco Debacle.
Phil Kessel is my comparable.
If I was pot stirring I would have said something like Phil Kessel without the laser shot, or possession numbers mean nothing if they result in harmless opportunities.
That said, Kessel is one of the most gifted players in the league. Leading in to his draft year, iirc, there was actually some quiet debate about Kessel v Crosby based strictly on offensive talent but then the Kessel “issues” knocked him down a few spots in that draft.
Out of respect for you LT I’m going to leave it at that.
Tarasenko/Gaudreau/Giroux/Voracek and big name Stamkos.
All in the same range of all situations P/60 if we are going to question his PP
Not really. Phil Kessel is a helluva player. Aim lower.
This is a funny way to stir the pot.
Phil Kessel
I really do worry that Klef may turn into whitney..
If not we should have one helluva of a player there. Only time will tell for sure. As for ice time.. I think Davey is really gonna challenge Klef on that stat. Call it a gut feeling but i think Davey breaks out to become our best D this year.
For the first time in like forever we finally have some proper competition for ice time rather than having it gifted like we did with Jultz for years.
Just the mere fact that we do NOT have Jultz any longer makes this D core sooooo much better.
Klima's_Bucket,
Their best song, and that’s saying something.
Klima's_Bucket,
And now I like them just a little bit more…
bendelson,
The Weakerthans song One Great City sums up my thoughts on Winnipeg and the Jets.
With a line that says “The Jets were lousy anyway.”
And a simple chorus of “I hate Winnipeg.”
Check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLlsjEP7L-k
Thanks to a newfound ability to one-time a puck.
Answer: Constantines and The Weakerthans.
Question: Name two great Canadian bands Bendelson had never heard of until he saw them mentioned repeatedly on a hockey blog.
You may not consider yourself ‘cool’ LT, but your blog sure as hell is…
Awesome.
How else will the PPG v games played debate get started?
Here’s another angle: If we limit the stats to just the last six seasons, Kessel hasn’t missed a game while scoring at a 0.869 PPG rate.
Certainly. We were just chatting, but there is no rule saying we need to compare him to anyone.
Why does Hall need to be compared to another player. Hall is Hall. He compares well with Hall. He will continue being Hall.
G Money,
That looks like a Beck song!
I think Anderson would be remembered like Rick Middleton if he played his career on an average team.
Not at all remembered.
Every moron knows that NHL players were not on the 1980’s Olympic team. The Soviet Union was still the Soviet Union, And Czechoslovakia was still Czechoslovakia.
And the Anderson-led Canadian team was competitive with everyone, including the Americans.
The only difference is that the Americans got lucky in Lake Placid, and the Canadian team, not so much.
Anderson was the best player on the North American teams…better than Broten and Johnson.
Anderson was NOT made by anybody. He rode nobodies coattails. He would have been a Hall of Famer anywhere. Arguably the Oilers hurt him, because the Oilers were so good, he was a bit of a slacker when the Oilers got big leads. And his power play numbers were depressed because he didn’t get the PP time in Edmonton that he would have gotten elsewhere.
These are interesting facts, but I would take Hall over Kessel. As mentioned previously, Hall’s points-per-game is superior, and others have chimed in with his possession numbers and 5×5 play. I could be wrong, maybe Kessel is the better player—he is a very good one.
You guys seen the little utility that takes your tweets and turns them into a poem?
Quite amusing.
The Oilers Nerd Alert poem: http://i.imgur.com/LUrvbpy.png
Coolsville, daddio!
*clears throat, decidedly more alto*
Coooooooolsville, daddio!!!!!
*punches mirror, runs away crying*
– Not once has Hall scored more goals than Kessel. Kessel has had 30+ goals 5 times
– Hall’s best year, he and Kessel tied for points.
You apparently don’t realize that pro players didn’t play on the 1980 Olympic team. Hardly a stacked roster http://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/Team-Canada/Men/Olympics/1980/CAN-Roster
I was not criticizing Anderson or Hall. Merely pointing out that Anderson wouldn’t have been “clutch” or a Hall of Famer had he played on lesser teams.
stevezie,
Lowetide,
Anyone can be cool, but awesome takes practice.
Hall faced PvP
Seguin; Benn only recently grew into men (1st comp)
Tavares will have to be a man now that nielson is gone (1st comp)
I just found out my brother in law is a bigger dork than I thought he was.
Congrats! Beers are on Pouzar (don’t mention The Hip).
I think Klefbom has had injury issues his whole hockey career (all different injuries though?) which would be reasonable to expect it to continue to happen. Otherwise I agree with everything especially the last sentence.
Just found out my brother in law secured tickets for us from his family for both games Winter Classic weekend.
Anyone else making the trek? I’ve never been to Winnipeg before.
LT, I understand that your REs are mostly based on averages from previous years, but what do you think is going to cost Klefbom almost 30 games this year? Have you docked him for the Hall comment? This will only become a recurring thing if people in the media continue to bring it up. I expect he was simply elated to have a fellow swede, and competent RD, as his partner, and felt it necessary to justify this. Did you ever say anything silly in your early twenties?
I think that Hall’s struggles on the PP vs EV display his strengths and weaknesses quite clearly. The man has rocket skates and if he catches a team on the rush, he gets his chances and pushes the river even when he doesn’t score. On the PP, teams are prepared to defend the box and Hall lacks the finesse to beat NHL D from a stand still. He is certainly elite at gaining the zone, but I do believe it will work more consistently to have our D transitioning the puck to the forwards.
I believe Klefbom/Larsson could be one of the best first pairs for value in the league over the majority of their contracts.
Maybe lose the toque?
Me either.
frjohnk,
I know, i was just trying to jump on board.
I’ll never be cool.
In regards to the first question, nikitin was most likely at the top of the league in ” passes on the tape to the wrong team per 60″.
Anyways. The jab at EBERLE was more a jab at the narrative that EBERLE NEVER back checks.
I think it’s probably a wise idea to back off on the Klefbom expectations just a wee bit. The guy has played a grand total of 107 games in the NHL. To think of him as one of the most important players on the team is really sad actually. Not only are these unrealistic expectations, they are unwarranted. Davidson is a great prospect at LW as well and we also have Sekera. We are banking much more heavily on Larsson, one of the few decent RDs in the entire organization. At least he’s played 275 games. Don’t get me wrong. I think Klef is a great prospect with wonderful offensive upside. However, it’s probably a lot more healthy to temper our expectations.
You can’t accurately predict how they will do. It all depends on their D partner the forwards on at the same time and the actual level of competition. Looking at the past is simply a generalization.
Because as we all know, rookies are the answer!
Now what was the question…
Keep in mind, all my projections (including Klefboms above) this season take into account the new goalie equipment. Also, the NHL fired and then hired a bunch of new Refs. Perhaps more actual power plays?
frjohnk,
What do you want to do, just start passing to the other team? Start shooting on Talbot to keep it fresh?
Great twitter feed: https://twitter.com/LeafsIastCup
Lowetide,
I owe you a coke.
If you’re still taking suggestions, Hawksley’s “Clever Not Beautiful” and Dusty Tucker’s “Outranked, Outgunned, and Too Pretty” are pretty great cancon titles (and songs).
You do realize that Anderson was the best player on Canada’s Olympic team in 1980 at age 20. And in a seven game series, the Canadian team probably would have beaten the Americans.
Anderson wasn’t carried by anybody. He would have been a star in his own right whereever he played.
If he scores more does that mean he has to backcheck less?
Since 2010 ( using 150 games)
Points/60 5 on 5
Hall ranks 11th with 2.27
EBERLE ranks 18th with 2.16
Kessel ranks 36th with 2.11
Getting into the slot and getting a shot attempt away per game
Hall ranks 9th with 1.18 per game.
EBERLE ranks 31st with 1.004 per game.
Kessel ranks 32nd with 1.000 per game.
These guys have many similarities including having to play for a gong show of an organization for every year except last.
Here is the post from sunilagni Re: Hall and PP. Haven’t had a chance to go through it again just found it.
http://www.coppernblue.com/2016/3/18/11257196/the-oilers-powerplay-hall
This is a good point that I didn’t consider. Gaining the zone is super important. Did Sunil do some data on shot attempts awhile ago looking at Hall? I wonder if the team shot attempts on the PP were still high even if he isn’t cashing in on points?
AND one suspects Eberle’s point-per-game average is about to spike.