By the end of this month, we’ll know which way the wind blows. Seasonal coverage will continue every morning here, but if the playoffs become a distant bell, we’ll drill down on the draft. Edmonton has a lot of picks this year, my early view of the consensus lists has about a dozen great defensemen and less than 10 great forwards. Considering the spot Edmonton is likely to draft, that means blue on blue. Not ideal based on Edmonton’s established needs.
THE ATHLETIC
Great Christmas offer! Includes a free 7-day trial so you can try The Athletic on for size free and see if they enjoy the in-depth, ad-free coverage on the site. If you don’t feel it’s worth the $4.49/month, cancel anytime during trial before getting charged. Offer is here.
- New Lowetide: Should the Oilers trade their 2018 first-round pick?
- New Jonathan Willis: Rejuvenated Oilers set sights on post-season.
- New Corey Pronman: Team Canada WJ preview.
- Lowetide: Connor McDavid: The Athletic’s Person of the Year!
- Lowetide: Anton Slepyshev
- Lowetide: How much skill is bubbling under for the Oilers?
- Lowetide: Jesse
THE 2018 DRAFT, OILERS PICKS
- No. 5 overall
- No. 36 overall
- No. 67 overall
- No. 98 overall
- No. 129 overall
- No. 160 overall
- No. 191 overall
It’s a stretch to suggest the Oilers are going to pick fifth overall, but we’re approaching the halfway point of the season and another slump probably means draft talk. The value of a No. 5 overall pick to a team that already houses Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, Jesse Puljujarvi and Darnell Nurse is clearly enormous. The elite cluster could always use another knight. If this team drafts No. 5 overall, there will be changes.
THE 15 BEST PLAYERS IN THE 2018 DRAFT
- LD Rasmus Dahlin, Frolunda (SHL). The complete package, with size, speed and skill. Two-way acumen and he’s already playing well (26, 5-6-11) in a top flight pro league. Absolute franchise.
- R Andrei Svechnikov, Barrie Colts (OHL). Another complete talent, fleet winger (shoots left) who has a well rounded game. He brings size as well and is regarded as a plug and play right after the draft.
- RD Adam Boqvist, Brynas (SuperElite). Undersized puck moving defender who is very creative. Fast, brilliant, excellent in all areas with the puck on his stick.
- L Filip Zadina, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL). Another fantastic skill winger, he brings size and shooting ability to the game. He’s in the upper tier of offensive prospects in this draft.
- RC Akil Thomas, Niagara Ice Dogs (OHL). Undersized center with all of the tools, plus his work ethic gets mentioned a lot. Speed and skill (RH), another player who is underrated based on current rankings I’m seeing.
- LD Ty Smith, Spokane Chiefs (WHL). Nice range of skills and impressive offense, he’s smooth and makes smart decisions with the puck. Underrated based on rankings I’ve seen.
- L Brady Tkachuk, Boston University (NCAA). Rugged power winger with two-way skills, he has soft hands and can post offense. He’s shy of his brother offensively but an excellent prospect.
- LD Quinn Hughes, Michigan (NCAA). Fast as lightning defender, smooth as silk and very creative with the puck. Small (5.09) and electric, prototype for the modern game.
- RD Jett Woo, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL). Coolest name in the draft (Charlie Finley would have chosen him on that alone) he’s a fine two-way prospect and a rare righty. Offense seems to be underrated in draft lists I’ve seen, he might be available when Edmonton picks.
- RD Ryan Merkley, Guelph Storm (OHL). Another undersized puck mover, Merkley has holes defensively but is a ridiculous offensive package.
- LC Joe Veleno, Saint-John Sea Dogs (QMJHL). Good size and speed, creative center who has 25 assists in 31 games this season. Improved in a big way season over season.
- R Oliver Wahlstrom, U.S. National Development Program (USHL). Pure scorer with good size, he’s done well in international competitions. Plus shot.
- LC Ryan McLeod, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL). Late ’99 has size, speed and skill, plus the tools to flourish in all three disciplines.
- RC Rasmus Kupari, Karpat (Sm-Liiga). Skilled center who has rocketed up the Finnish hockey system in the last 18 months. His offense is the big selling point, continues to progress. Offense obscured by playing in a pro league.
- L Joel Farabee, U.S. National Development Program (USHL). Speedy winger with legit skill, he’s a little undersized. Smart player.
I think the Oilers, if they’re drafting around No. 15, are going to get some nice options. I think the top eight players will be gone, but one of Woo, Merkley and McLeod may be available. Miles to go, centers and blue are going to be the best options when Edmonton is on the clock. Pretty sure.
White face, black shirt White socks, black shoes Black hair, white strat Bled white, died black
Yesterday, the Edmonton Oilers made a flurry of moves and there may be one more today. Let’s review all of them before we get to the new 50-man list:
- Greg Chase traded to the Florida Panthers for future considerations
- Mark Fayne loaned to Springfield of the AHL
- Oscar Klefbom placed on IR
- Anton Slepyshev recalled
- Nathan Walker waived
Greg Chase has real talent, although it didn’t shine in the minors during 2+ seasons in the Edmonton system. I ranked him No. 51 in his draft year, he was chosen No. 188. It didn’t work out in Edmonton, hope it does for him in Florida. Mark Fayne gets to play the final stretch of his contract out east, wonder if he sees the NHL again. I think he can still play.
Oscar Klefbom going on IR feels like it could have happened at any time and is a damned good idea. Let the young man heal, get him back in a week and see if he continues his climb toward Top Oscar. Anton Slepyshev is among the 12 best forwards on this team, don’t think Todd McLellan thinks so, though. Sail on, Nathan Walker, we hardly knew you.
WHO COMES OUT OF THE LINEUP?
Once Andrej Sekera is activated (right soon!) and Klefbom returns, who comes out of the lineup? My guess is injuries and slumps will dictate, but we would be wise to remember Sekera may not be Sekera right away.
50-MAN LIST
This assumes Nathan Walker is plucked off waivers, Bob mentioned yesterday several teams put in a claim at the same time as the Oilers. The biggest in-season addition (for the franchise) is clearly Jesse Puljujarvi, I think, but Mike Cammalleri and Brandon Davidson have helped, too. Mark Fayne remains on the 50-man.
BRIAN FERLIN
Several of you have asked me about Brian Ferlin. He hasn’t played since December 3, and this is a good story waiting to happen. Is he hurt? We’ll find out this morning from Ryan Holt. Photo by Mark Williams, who is a worthy follow.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
A busy morning on the show, beginning at 10, TSN1260.
- Darcy McLeod, Because Oilers. Was Todd McLellan stubborn with Jesse Puljujarvi?
- Eric Fawcett, Press Basketball. Great Christmas day schedule, what’s going on with my 76ers?
- Ryan Holt, Bakersfield PBP. Ferlin, Bear, and your questions.
10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio!
204 comments
Oh my word….how did I forget those guys lol…Prime Rib on the brain.
New draft rule…Best Moosehead Available.
Tried one back in the Fall…well….that didn’t work out too well.
Will do..thx for the feedback!
I would think the logical candidate is Gryba.
Auvitu’s results have been better and the coach has already played him at F for a bit this year.
Having a player who can play D or F as your 23rd player on the roster is probably pretty attractive for McLellan.
They are clearly cognizant of the one game left until he loses his waiver exemption.
With that said, I don’t think they plan on sending him down again – when Klef comes off IR we pretty much have to re-assign a d-man (Gryba/Auvitu – subject to waivers) – I can’t imagine them keeping 9D on the roster.
The grief about Russell is amount and term vis a vis where he slots on the roster.
In more than a few games the coach plays Russell the least among Dmen, including last game.
I consider him a 4/5 and his biggest boosters like Stauffer and Spector think fancystats guys are way off base and consider him a 4/5. 🙂
You don’t pay your 4/5 $4MM x 4 years and give him a NMC, especially with 97 and 29 getting paid.
Another 1 year contract would have been ideal, 2 max. Doesn’t bring enough for term.
Russell wasn’t enough cover for the current roster though.
Assuming full health at the beginning of they year everyone’s establish NHL ability was:
77-6
4-x
25-83
81 was a flier on an interesting player and 62 is a 7/8
Now 25 is far exceeds expectations and that’s great.
Even with that you still needed cover if one of 77,6,4 goes down or 25 doesn’t exceed expectations.
Giant hole at 2RD that was never addressed and still isnt’ imo.
Coaches playing 83 on 2nd pair despite him getting his head kicked in all year speaks to this.
I think Peter might deal a LHD for a RHD in his signature summer move.
I would be surprised if Slep draws in. i feel management wants to have control over him and maybe send him down to Bakersfield if they don’t get what they want in a trade for him.
I mentioned this on one of LT’s Athletic posts, so I thought I’d mention it here in light of Friedman’s article:
I fully expect a RFA clearout at the deadline, to avoid getting stuck with contracts this summer, or relinquishing rights without getting something in return.
60 games or so should painting a good picture for Chiarelli as to who the RFA keepers are and who aren’t.
I suspect Both Slepyshev and Caggiula to be out shortly after or part of our winger trade, and Davidson has made Benning more expendable too. So far only Nurse is a sure thing, with Strome on the bubble, and playing better as a wing with Leon.
I wonder if Cammy or Slep draw in for Walker today?
I’d like to see them both in and Drake out but Drake “was tenacious” last game and McLellan loves that tenacity.
Apparently you’re supposed to cut them first.
Hope to see the boys put in the same effort they have the last 6 games and come away with a couple of points in the standings.
Can’t wait to see Reggie back in the lineup – hopefully he can have a calming effect on Benning on that third pairing and can help the PK.
VOR,
2014? A strong draft that quite a few people slept on.
Pouzar,
You forgot a few of my favs 🙂
Nathan MacKinnon: Colorado Avalanche. …
Jonathan Drouin: Montreal Canadiens. …
Marty Frk: Detroit Red Wings. …
Nik Ehlers: Winnipeg Jets. …
Jakub Voracek: Philadelphia Flyers. …
Nico Hischier: New Jersey Devils. …
Timo Meier: San Jose Sharks. …
JP has only played 45 NHL games and doesn’t yet have any man strength yet.
he is going to be an absolute monster in this league…not the pierre Macguire (spits) kind of monster, the man-bear-pig Sasquatch kind of monster. JP is a going to be a 250 lb finnish beast, pizza sauce on his face, flying down Connor’s wing and plowing through board battles….
Speaking of Pierre Macguire (spits) I guess having Drew Remenda as colour commentator isn’t the worst possible scenario.
~ Strome, LB, Rattle.~
bendelson,
This was my immediate guess also. That said the Oilers gotta get in the dance to have a chance. If they get in they could be a Nashville. I fully see that. But they have got to go on a streak soon to reel in the pack.
Let’s go streaking!
VOR,
2011
TB
EDM
3 core players each?
Edit: 4 core players from Edm (if you include Stome)
Also interesting: Picks 1-10 – all solid players (if you include Strome)
Also of note: All four of Edm’s players picked before any of TB’s…
Thinking about the Draft – Part Four – The Greatest Draft of All Time.
There are obvious ways to rank drafts. Tomorrow I am going to list them. I have spent years developing ways of projecting forward and looking backward. And tomorrow I am going to talk about those tools.
For now I just want to say that as a result of the all that research I concluded that their is a strong contender for the greatest draft of all time. One with no asterisks. One passing through the NHL right now.
There were no prophets who foretold their coming. There are still no experts confirming my analysis. The math as you will see tomorrow says this group of young men are something incredibly unique. But at the time of draft the best anyone could say is they were blah and meh.
If my math is right this spring two teams with core players from the draft in question are going to meet in the Stanley Cup final and then people are going to notice. If I am right one of those teams will be the Edmonton Oilers.
Yeah, not buying it. Sorry.
Phlegms damn it. Huge win for them. And they controlled the Blues’ attack. No time to be celebrating back to back wins. Gotta make it 3 before you can make it 4.
Tried cooking a sirloin tip steak tonight, and I can only describe my efforts as being chew-tile.
Those things need the ‘lowe and slow’ method.
If we are going to use a different measure, say, who you play for and how many people around the world know who you are…ie. your legacy, then the greatest drummer of all time is
The Little Drummer Boy
p.s. yeah I saw him live. He played Jingu Stadium in Tokyo during a reunion tour in 1984.
I thought it was a tribute to the founding of le Club de hockey Canadien.
All you Phil Rudd haters can go piss up a rope!
Incredible range of topics today: Hockey Draft, Music Drummers and How to Sear A Prime Rib.
Came across this quote:
Sports, is at once the most sublime and the most trivial of human pursuits.
It works in the minutest crannies and open out to the widest vistas.
It bakes no bread, and yet it can inspire our souls.
Abridged from W. James
Just a wild guess that 1909 was your birth year….I’m probably wrong.
Beethoven hasn’t got many fans left who remember him live either.
hunter1909,
Did you see him live?
Gotta be:
John Bonham
Keith Moon
Neil Peart
Dave Grohl
Levon Helm(best vocals/percussion)
Good read:
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/david-perron-vegas-golden-knights/
Greatest drummer of all time?
The one and only Chick Webb.
Well, DYLAN Strome just got reassigned to AHL, so RYAN is certainly the better bet. Dylan has done all of sweet nothing at the NHL level – if I was Coyotes management I’d be getting pretty nervous right about now.
Woodguy v2.0,
My question for you is: How would Chiarelli fair in the wood business?
Bingo. A long, long time ago, I was told it was Christmas sensimilla.
Figured out later that Christmas = snow.
True dat, although with a roast where you’re feeding a few people, you might want some variance to suit different preferences.
Is it like a baculum
US beat Belarus 14-0 in an exhibition game.
Yamamoto and Kemp each had a goal but not sure about their complete lines.
I thought he looked really good at the oilers camp.
The oilers seem to have a knack for drafting dmen late.
Woodguy v2.0,
I don’t understand this.
Why are we giving him grief about not signing enough depth to cover for klefbom and Larsson, but on the other side giving him grief for signing Russell?
Most of the dmen moved this summer have issues, whether it be contract, ability, age, whatever.
So why complain about signing Russell when we need depth.
Are Ruutta or Franson really that much better than gryba or auvitu? Or fayne for that matter? These guys are third pairing specialists for the most part, with there own warts.
Shame averted.
Gerta Rauss,
The experience was accidental – as in never accept a joint from someone you don’t know. They might be messing with you. No, it’s not golf.
First viewing of Safin.
Very impressed with his wheels for a big guy. Don’t think he has ever crossed the D zone hashmarks this game. Will be interested to see that is a natural cherry picker bent, game plan or just trying to do too much offensively given that his team is so overmatched.
I am telling you, cook it low and slow and then use the reverse sear methodology, you will never cook it any other way, Kenji Lopez is a mad food scientist and is an awesome source for all things cooking. This is how every top end steak house cooks their Prime Rib and it is an awesome technique….Lopez goes into the science behind the technique….you will not regret trying this!!
http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/12/step-by-step-food-lab-reverse-sear-prime-rib.html
RINGO
When the Beatles were asked “Is Ringo the best drummer in the world?”
One of them responded: “No, he isn’t even the best drummer in our band.”
🙂
GREATEST HITS OF THE GREATEST DRUMMER OF ALL TIME
The drum of drummers, the McDavid of Drumming, the one drummer that Conan O’Brien and Bruce Springsteen trusted with their live show. Not many drummers can keep a straight beat in their own life and pilot their own helicopter to a safe landing. This guy could.
I rarely object to any comments here but I must take a stand.
Now ask yourself seriously, can any drummer anyone listed in Lowetide (above or below this post) keep the precise of perfect rhythm that he displays in this greatest hits video. Doubt it.
Don’t take my word for bible truth… just watch this short clip and analyze “My Hometown” in slo mo (again again and be amazed)? You will never say that the best is subjective – sometimes you have to agree the high hat cream rises to the top.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fTs5o9UjMI
#1-900-DRUM-BOY
PS. Lowetide, Woodguy and Kinger – glad you enjoyed my Stones story. And glad my question to Lowetide turned into list of greatest drummers. Gonna check out those links all posted.
https://lowetide.ca/2017/12/19/gonna-walk-before-they-make-me-run/comment-page-1/#comment-698678
Damn Seth Jones is so good. Wish that trade had gone down. Would have cemented the D for sure. Lock up 1RHD for a decade.
And I say that having always loved Nuge.
Speaking from experience, it’s not golf
OriginalPouzar,
Safin looks big and mobile also playing RW. Can’t tell what line he’s on. The Czech’s have some big forwards.
Wish we had Ferraro instead of Remenda.
Seen Kemp good at the (I think it was) U-18’s. Seemed to get around the ice well and was on the right side of the puck mostly. Hope he develops and is a 7th round steal.
stephen sheps,
Thanks Stephen. I’m going to try that, although I’m not sure if I have 48 hours worth of patience;-)
Speaking of which…The other nifty piece of cookery equipment that’s often overlooked is the pressure cooker. My mom used to pull out her old GE electric every week. Made great food. I’d almost forgotten about it.
I’m going with the Breville Fast Slow.
Lots of talk about the Oilers heading overseas next year.
China because they are a league focus and McDavid.
Also potentially Germany as Drai is a huge draw.
It would be kind of cool but I wish they wouldn’t go. Extra travel, messes with camp, etc. I remember how bad it messes with the Canuck camp this year.
Tough to really get a read on Safin as the Canadian team is so much better the Czechs are just chasing.
Yamamoto is in the US top 6 tonight playing with Logan Brown and Brady Tkachuk.
Phil Kemp also draws in on D.
Melvis,
just as good if not better. the reality is that using the sous vide, you’re still cooking the meat in its own juices. You still finish the roast by searing it (I like cast iron, but others swear by the broiler and others still prefer the BBQ) but the one real advantage is completely even temp throughout. The trouble with conventional roasting techniques, especially with the 4-boner style Pouzar described above (hehehe boner… hehehe) is that it’s harder to cook it evenly. You’ll get a section that’s either closer to medium or closer to rare than you might actually want. Sous vide solves that problem, if you consider such things to be an issue.
I was adamantly against the sous vide coming out of the restaurant world, until having some convos with some other chefs who are far better than I am (and still in the biz) about whether they’d consider using them. At first it was like a secret shame, but now it’s more like a club we’re all very happy to be a part of.
The Anova is real cheap and totally worth picking up.
stephen sheps,
I’m curious about the roast sous vide style. How does it compare flavor wise with traditional oven roasting?
I picked up a few cross rib roasts on special a couple of weeks ago for a grinds and stews. I brined one overnight for a roast, just for the hell of it. I’ve only ever tried that with chicken and turkey. Worked prettay good, but it was in a low oven for about four hours. Turned out like pulled pork and makes for a great hot beef sandwich.
Woodguy v2.0,
Ha! Leave it to you to do the work of many. Thank you!
Not sure why, but i thought Oleksiak would have been worth more than a 4th. Is speed the issue?
Please do let me know how it turns out! I made a similar (non prime rib) roast the other day, but as is my more recent tradition, it was a 48 hour in the sous vide style rather than the old school, actual technical way of cooking.
I think the Padre and I are mature enough to share 😉
I deleted my reply to that one.
There’s another dude that slipped my mind. Among Nashville drummers…Shannon Forrest.
Glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that…
Pouzar,
Reminds of my youth.
Why? They could sure use him on the Condors and I bet they wish he would have cleared.
48 contracts would have been fine.
A little awkward with Padre hanging around though.
Thx for this SS…sounds like you know what you are doing.
I will report back this weekend!
Cheers!
Bone in…proly a 4 boner.
Pretty sure if there was a player available who was known as the Zimbabwe Gretzky, they’d give him a shot too.
Being a long-term drummer, just wanted to throw some props to Justin Peroff from Broken Social Scene. The You Forgot It in People album is drumming gold.
Side,
Nugent can’t touch Couturier defensively, no offense. Couturier the kinda guy to get positive corsi with 43% offensive zone start.
Add not getting a backup goalie Coach would trust to play. Although LB making TM look smarter than PC on that one.
Woodguy v2.0,
You’re absolutely right. There’s never a thing as too many dmen. What does the starting 6’s play on average with each other 7 games? (Opening night 6)
So Peter’s bet was everyone would stay healthy and happy?
The second they had some cover they put Klef on IR.
What if Klef’s shoulder was so bad he had to come out earlier?
What if Larsson’s concussion kept him out 20 games and not 8?
What if Russell breaks a foot blocking a shot?
Whatifwhatifwhatit?
That’s why it was a bad bet and could have been mitigated.
What ifs happen all the time and every year.
RyMosh4,
I’m not a crowd but……..
FAs
Franson 1yr $1MM
Quincey 1yr $1MM
Morrow 1yr $1M
Wiercioch 1yr $650
Trades
Van Reimsdyk 2nd rounder
Schlemko – 2019 5th (reason Davidson was waived btw)
Elemlin – 3rd rounder
Demers – Salary dump (McGinn)
Redmond – Deslauries
Davidson – waived so was probably available for a 5th or similar
No back breaking deals. Nothing expensive.
Most that went out was a 2nd for TVR and that’s because he’s RFA (tradeable asset)
I wasn’t specifically talking about getting a RHD replacement, but a NHLer on a short term who could help cover RD (assumed Larsson and Russell were going to play 1/2 RHD) once Sekera is healthy that you don’t mind waiving/trading or sitting.
Live in NYC with Zappa – what an album! Bozzio was great on that, especially on T&B and Punky’s Whips.
He’s a little fond of chiffon
In a wrist array…
I don’t think you read closely enough.
OriginalPouzar,
The guy had speed, but not much other ability to go with it.
*puts away “In Chia we trust” sign*
*regrabs the pitchfork and lights hair back on fire*
All I can do is provide recipes and moral support. Pouzar’s house is outside the LCBO’s home delivery zone.
OriginalPouzar,
Not such a smart move if they hadn’t been able to unload him on waivers.
I emphatically disagree.
Also, is there a best drummer ever convo going and no mention of Stuart Copeland ??!? For shame….
That’s fine and dandy but somebody needs to stop at the liquor store on their way to Pouzars.
The guy is out of everything.
Oil win two in a row finally and I see the kool-aid has been spiked this morning.
97 points. Team has got to put a big streak together. 6-4 over next 10 won’t cut it anymore.
Man that’s sounds delicious..
Pouzar… I think you may have found your second wife !!
Sorry what? You think, Sean Couturier and Jonathan Huberdeau are better than RNH? By what metric?
Couturier – GP: 449, G: 85, A: 136, Total Points: 221
Huberdeau – GP: 337, G: 77, A: 153, Total Points: 230
RNH – GP: 429, G: 109, A: 181, Total Points: 290 (all with the Decade of Darkness Oilers)
The Trolling of the Drums. Best troll of the year, already!
vinotintazo,
I would have rather had Demers with money retained than Russell.
Pouzar,
Ok, first things first – is this a bone-in or boneless prime rib? That’s going to impact the cook time but not the technique.
Lately I’ve been doing a dry rub. I use Kosher salt, black (or mixed) peppercorn, dry mustard powder (or seeds hand ground if you really want to go hardcore), smoked paprika and then a mixture of fresh rosemary and thyme.
I usually cook in a cast iron pan rather than a roasting pan, but that’s just me.
Prep steps. Take the roast out from the fridge and let it rest for at least 30-45 minutes before seasoning and really doing much of anything.
Preheat the oven to 450 while the meat is resting.
Season and then place in oven (either in a cast iron or roasting pan) bone side down, since the bones act as a natural rack of sorts, plus it lets the marrow drain out more easily.
After 15 minutes at 450, drop the heat down to 325 and then cook for 15 minutes per pound. Once the roast hits an internal temp of 120, that’s the magic point to pull it from the oven.
Pat down the roast gently with a paper towel and then sear for 1-2 minutes per side in a cast iron. Pull the meat from the pan and rest it for 10-15 minutes. it should get up to 128-130 on its own while resting, but feel free to tent it under foil. Don’t cut into it until you’ve sufficiently rested it, so that it doesn’t bleed out on your cutting board and make you sad.
add the pan drippings from the roasting pan to the cast iron, reduce to low heat and add flour to drippings, whisk until it forms a delicious pan gravy and then you’ve won at prime rib.
If you feel like it, you can add a splash of red wine, ruby port, sherry or bourbon to the pan drippings before you add the flour, but not too much, since you want the alcohol to compliment rather than overpower the sauce.
Eat.
Save leftover meat for sandwiches
It’s time time of the year so I’m checking in to say:
I was right about Couturier,Huberdeau>Nuge, right about Seguin>Hall but I gotta admit I was super wrong about JT Miller<Joel Armia.
Not to mention, “team speed” was a catch phrase being thrown around as an issue at the time of the claim, including by the coach. Since then, the team has started to play better as a group – more structured, better passing, etc. – they “seem faster” when they are moving the puck and playing with purpose.
Man, lots of great drummers mentioned today. A few others I’ve seen that really impressed me along the way.
Simon Phillips
Keith Carlock
Terry Bozzio
Vinnie Colaiuta
Ryan,
The Oilers decided to sign Kris Russell who was their #4 D a year before, liked by the GM, Coach and players. Gave him a 30% Raise x4.
Demers is making that coin in ARI (Some retained). x4 (ie not a stop gap)
I think Chia should have gotten a better stop gap for Sek, Gryba/Auvitu were not great bets to replace those minutes. So far seems like Davidson has been great, but he’s a LHD.
Some guys were not available form VGK, includes Miller, Theodore, schmidt etc.
Yup, ability to move the puck has never been a question with Osterle.
With that said, he’s still been a healthy scratch for most of the year and just recently got back in to the Hawks’ lineup. I would posit that he’s on the “top pairing” the same way Kris Russell has been on the Oilers “top pairing” recently and Brandon Davidson will be tomorrow – just the way the pairings are structured to create depth through the 3 pairs.
Osterle would have battled with Gryba/Auvitu for playing time with the injuries, that is about it.
RyMosh4
Demers was the main one with a low acquisition cost. Florida is as actively trying to dump the contract.
Vegas had loaded up on d (though mostly left shot d) and we’re open for business.
Colin Miller may have been available.
Seasoning Kosher salt and maybe some spicy pepper medley….nothing too fancy.
Cook at 200F to medium rare (128F)
But is he correct?
The bet Chiarelli made in not spending assets to acquire Sekera injury insurance is that Nurse would take a step forward this year, which he has.
What Chiarelli did not bet on, and almost no one was prognosticating, was Klefbom to a larger extent and Larsson to a smaller extent playing more poorly than they did last season. A Benning regression could be anticipated, but no one was forecasting Oscar being a bad as he was early this season.
Chiarelli made the right call on Nurse however.
I knew you would have the goods!
Thx SS
Padre is still in my kitchen and he’s no help at all.
On Walker, I made this point in the linked Athletic piece: I’m pretty sure he was an insurance policy.
Go back to when he was claimed on Dec. 1. The Oilers had a bunch of question marks, including two really important ones:
– Cammalleri sitting at two points in seven games and ugly chance totals. He has four points in seven games since, so they feel more confident in him now.
– Puljujarvi sitting at two points in nine games and maybe he’s able to play up there and maybe he isn’t. He has six points in eight games since, and has secured his spot.
If either of those guys slips, I think Walker gets a longer run. But because they’ve shown their value, it’s a lot harder to give Walker the longer run that you’d really want to make certain of his value. Plus the D is getting healthy, so you have a roster crunch.
Some of it’s probably move-for-move’s sake, and some of it’s probably the GM throwing the coach some skating since the coach is worried about team speed. But most of it IMO was taking advantage of an opportunity to grab a fallback option if the other guys slipped; now it turns out there’s no need.
Re-listening to Woodguy’s segment on today’s show and wanted to crowdsource a question (rather than researching myself): he correctly called out not plugging the RHD hole this summer and mentioned a bunch of RHD going for next-to-nothing in the offseason. He gave the Demers example (which is the one that really sticks out to me), but what other RHD moved that would have been useful? I’ve become okay with not getting Hamonic, but who else did we miss out on?
Who’s this Oesterle kid playing on the Hawks top pairing? Nice stretch pass to Kane here.
https://theathletic.com/188682/2017/12/18/systems-analyst-breaking-down-sundays-game-winners-by-chicago-winnipeg-and-calgary/
And we are back to the Oilers… nicely done!
I just hope that frjohnk has found his pants.
Pouzar,
Cook then sear. Always.
What were you thinking in terms of temp and seasoning? I’m a slow and low kind of guy, magnified by the sous vide my roommate owns.
Sear THE cook!
Prime Rib roast.
Sear then cook?
Cook then sear?
I am leaning towards the latter for the first time.
That’s so the exact thing you’d think about
And yes, Victory Lap is definitely on the list, inside the top 20 but not quite in the top 10.
…
And now that my grades are entered, I’m going to have a beer, and then maybe another one and start writing.
OK Klefbm seldom wins battles. For a third pairing guy he does OK and good on PK.
I slip in occasionally. Of consciousness.
If Gryba gets traded I wonder if he will cough up his deer stand locations ?
square_wheels,
I was just seeing if you were paying attention
And on the day of a major music distraction on the blog.
bendelson,
Oilers warm up intro is the title track off the new Prop album(Victory Lap), which I may add is awesome and better make Sheps list……
Larsson, Klefbom, Nurse and Davidson can all do this.
stephen sheps,
Ummmm hello was someone talking about how great Jord’s drumming is ? Lombardo with Suicidal sounds as good as ever, Danny is brilliant as is Peart.
My favourite drummer is Bill Ward though, this video gives me great joy : https://youtu.be/K3b6SGoN6dA
IMHO Gryba likely gets waived. They haven’t played him in 3 weeks so the writing is on the wall. He gets shit on by many of the “puck mover lovers” but in the playoffs I want him playing the big teams. He can at least win battles on the wall and make a good first pass.
bendelson,
Ha! That’s a bit of a surprise. I figured Propagandhi would be known to at least a few people around these parts, being the Prairie punk band that they are (Chris Hannah, the singer, is originally from AB, and they’re Winnipeg based).
I saw Grizzly Bear at Massey last month. Holy crap are they ever incredible live. That room was the perfect spot for them.
… and thanks! I’m glad someone might actually care. It’s my favourite thing to write, more than any of the academic stuff I’ve done (or am working on), and far more than any of my old hockey blog posts, despite the fact that the only place for me to put the damn thing (other than maybe facebook) is on the old blog. One post a year, just to keep the site from getting mothballed I suppose 🙂
F^ck this organization.
And Bailey for Gone-yah was a nice note.
Elliotte Friedman 31 thoughts has an item on Slepy:
7. Fresh Start Number Three: Have to think Edmonton moves Anton Slepyshev, too.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/31-thoughts-arena-deal-massive-victory-islanders/
Kinger_Oil.redux,
It’s almost like…something…came in and changed everything for Edmonton’s offense. Was there someone important who showed up around 3 years ago? Can’t put my finger on it.
This is great but a) I don’t aim for 5th place, neither should you
b) This team has still been #bad most of the year. There are a variety of reasons for this, special teams and goaltending leap out, admittedly.
c) This team can be better, and SHOULD be aiming for cup favorite status. Not contender, not pretty good, and this roster sure as shit is not good enough yet. Fixing that includes upgrading on the wing if possible and practical.
But he will be next season barring an acquisition.
Anaheim for one has three strong C, and skilled wings, and defence, and a goalie. Columbus would be another. Dallas might be another. NYI.Tampa. Washington. Pittsburgh may only have two C, but they have at least a couple W that can account for Nuge.
stephen sheps,
I look forward to reading your review…
I agree completely – RAA is a great live band and I appreciated your Grizzly Bear reference.
Full disclosure: I had to look Propagandhi up on the old Al Gore.
Save for the shows he played on horse tranquilizer.
Maybe Melvis knows of a good fit, but I don’t think horse tranquilizer goes with anything.
I agree on the whole ‘best’ thing – I almost put ‘most pleasing to your ear and soul’ instead. But somehow ‘best’ seems shorter to type.
Porcaro was great, no doubt. I love myself a bit of Steve Gadd while I’m at it. Trilok Gurtu is my outside pick for sheer fun.
Animal, as Slushy points out, is probably technically better than all of them, but must be docked some points for letting sheer power occasionally override good taste.
IMO, Marco Minnemann is the pick of the newest crop, although his choice of projects isn’t always as good as his ability on the drums.
Edit: some of my favourite Minnemann playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBjD8QFtleM
Edit edit: Free Slepy!
Was an absolute shame when Townshend starting slaving Moon to a click track live so they could play alongside some of the sequenced stuff like Baba O’Reilly and Won’t Get Fooled Again.
Those are undoubtedly massive hits for the band, but the band was at its best when Moon and Townshend were free form riffing off each other.
Live at Leeds is drum and rhythm guitar syncopation at its finest.
Was there a more memorable ‘rock star’ than Keith Moon? What a character.
There’s a great segment on the classic album episode of Steely Dan’s Aja featuring Purdie.
Great feel for the pocket. Perfect meter. Very impressive drummer.
https://youtu.be/_ldtieSEyQM
– 3 years ago, they were 20th in the league 5×5 scoring
– The year after the traded hall they finished 9th in 5×5 scoring
– After trading Ebs, hey are currently tied for 5th, and 1 goal from Washington at 4th in 5×5 scoring
– They might miss Ebs and Hall for their scoring: but the team has improved their overall scoring
– They went for 20th place team 5×5 scoring with Ebs and Hall, to top-5 scoring without.
In terms of rudiments, these are the most adept drummers I’ve seen live:
Billy Cobham
Neil Peart
Danny Carey
Mike Portnoy
Matt Cameron
is an unbelievably talented drummer. And his tiny kit makes his skills doubly impressive. A lot of noise from a small setup.
They’re a great live band, but I am not super into their newest record. I wanted to love it, and the good songs are real good, but the spark from the first two albums seems to be fading a bit.
Apropos of new records and shows seen this year, once I’m done entering my grades for the term, I’ll get on my annual music year in review. Hoping for it to go live on Friday and will post it here again in case anyone cares to read it.
stephen sheps,
That’s a solid list Sheps… undoubtably, you’ve been seeing some great shows as of late.
The most impressive drummer I have seen recently would have to be Paul Banwatt of RAA.
Tiny kit.
No shoes.
Big sound.
JimmyV1965,
“Frickin Vegas continues to defy my predictions for a coming collapse. They pull out the win with three seconds left in the game.”
There won’t be a collaspe. they may Slow down a bit But they are almost a Lock for Playoffs. even if they go Fake .500 the rest of the way, they will get in. So get used to VGS!
Art Blakey
Bernard Purdie
We are drum opinion doppelgangers.
I would add Keith Moon to the “Raw Power” section, but his power was in the chaos, whereas Bonham was in the thunder.
Also, I would add Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine) alongside Brian Chase.
Kinger_Oil.redux,
In my head and reading, the model isn’t just “3 Centres”, it’s 3 centres paired with one impactful winger. The 2nd winger on each line is a cheap whoever, guys like Drake. They don’t matter a ton, are replaceable, cheap, and usually can be more offensive focused than defensive. So in this way, you still have a top-6, it’s just 3C-3W vs 2C-4W and you spread them out.
In any case, Edmonton is still short one of those wingers pending your opinion of who we have, but for next year, I’d want Puj, Lucic, and an improvement of Maroon (Hoffman-esque) as those 3 guys. The other 3 are not tricky.
EDIT: Further to this, this is what trading both Eberle AND Hall did to the roster. Puj might evolve into an Eberle (or better), but until then, we need a guy who would traditionally be described as a legit 1W and need it soon.
since you only placed the ‘pick one’ constraint on Melvis, I’ll give you my top 4 current drummers in “rock” (loosely defined)
Pat Mahoney – LCD Soundsystem
Christopher Bear – Grizzly Bear
Jord Samolesky – Propagandhi
Glenn Kotche – Wilco
Having seen each of these bands recently and despite each having wildly different styles, I am very confident in my choices.
Edit: If Stewart Copeland was still active, he’d be my number 1 no questions asked.
Lars Ulrich from Metallica is a high-quality drummer.
Currently active: Ian Paice of Deep Purple (released new album back in April).
Really though, if your last name begins with a bilabial stop, you’re probably a damn fine drummer:
Neil Peart
Ian Paice
Carl Palmer
John Bonham
Ginger Baker
If I HAD to pick one, it would be Carl Palmer. Wicked hand speed but so much control too. Rock’s version of Buddy Rich:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBNpDUdxmMk
Definitely rates way up there, but the guy from Toto was better.
I watched that game too. That’s exactly how the Oil play when they’re on their game. Except of course our guys are much bigger and can make life miserable for dmen along the boards.
Frickin Vegas continues to defy my predictions for a coming collapse. They pull out the win with three seconds left in the game.
Not sure what the point was claiming Walker to just give him two games. So now instead of Slepyshev playing top minutes in Bakersfield, a team that could use him, he’ll probably be spending more time sitting on the bench in Edmonton, a team that could also use him.
As for the draft, I take the best RHD at the time of our selection. If none, then RHF, preferably a RHC.
Big game tomorrow. A win and I think I might have a reason to stop being pessimistic about this team. If they’re gonna lose, at least lose with giving a good effort. Maintain the effort and the Ws will eventually start coming.
– Wasn’t a ranking, just a listing of the top-9 wingers, to pick 6: If I were to rank them:
1) Lucic
2) Pool
3) Maroon (or replacement)
4) Cami (or replacement)
5) Strome
6) JJ
7) One of Caggs/Sleppy
8) One of Kailer/Benson
– When your top-3 C are McD-Drai-RNH (best 3 C combo in league, perhaps?), you can’t have equally elite 6 wingers, as rest of roster has to be completed
– Strome or better for $3MM as a middle-winger is more than acceptable
– LT’s right: Hoffman (for non-1st round picks and maroon), would be awesome, if it fits under the cap next year
Sekera taking Klef’s spot on PP1.
It helps if you drank a lil bit of moonshine and have a picture of a naked Bea Arthur as a screen saver.
Not saying I have either of those but I will say Ryan Strome might be best winger in the league.
I don’t know how you can look at RYAN Strome as the third best winger on the team and think things are hunky dory.
– If your right re” Vegas” the path to 100 points is more likely I’d say than Tylers 85-90 points….
– 3 wins vs Vegas, and same pace as last year with healthy Sek, we are in
– I wonder if there was a “difference of opinion” re the 3 C’s:
“We were scrambling to find wingers when we went to the three centre model,” said McLellan. “Both JJ and (Ryan) Strome were challenged to take their games up. Leon was a good complement to those two.
– Chia appears to be right, and if all 3 of Strome, JJ and Pool are W who produce with skill going forward, for less than $6MM combined: man that’s a very positive thing for this team.
– It is also less to solve for next year. You’ve got a lot of wingers internally who have emerged, and just need to figure out whether Maroon fits in (I’d prefer a replacement)
2018 Top 9 wingers (6 required, from 10 below):
1) Lucic
2) Pool
3) Strome
4) JJ
5) Maroon (or replacement?)
6) Cami (or new vet?)
7) One of Cags/Sleppy
8) Maybe 1 of Kailer/Benson?
– Looking good, looking like a plan….
There was no risk – they took the player, had a look and let him go.
I don’t understand why there is even anything to complain about – no risk, no harm.
Is this just an excuse to say something negative about management?
This year, I think the Oilers will have Vegas’ number. The first Vegas game gave me that inkling
As per Stauffeer:
Lucic-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Maroon-RNH-Caggiula
Khaira-Draisaitl-Strome
Slepyshev/Cammalleri-Letestu-Kassian
Davidson-Larsson
Nurse-Russell
Sekera-Benning
Auvitu-Gryba
OriginalPouzar,
It would explain his seldom used slap shot.
Pouzar,
If he pulls his groin I’ll scream! Good news.
Oscar’s play has been one of the biggest disappointments for me this season.
Actually relieved to hear that injury is a contributing cause and getting healthy might right the ship. That’s more encouraging than a backward step in development.
For me it’s definitely Animal.
Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) · Twitter
https://twitter.com/TSNRyanRishaug
Sekera leading stretch, and got a cheer from the team. Looks like he’s a go. pic.twitter.com/Ca4JdfD…
bendelson,
Ha!
I saw Emerson, Lake and Palmer once. Oddly enough, Carl Palmer was stationary behind about a hundred drums. Emerson and his grand piano went round and round on a ferris wheel contraption.
Never saw the upside in grading musicians like they were commodities in a Consumers Report. And I just saw that Melvis beat me to this! : )
It’s all subjective and chances are if you’ve established yourself as a musician with name brand recognition, you’re invariably extremely talented.
Same goes for me with genre subdivision. I’m sure death metal extreme grindcore is probably a thing, and for some hearing that level of categorization is helpful.
For me, there’s two genres of music: good and bad.
I have a source within the org that says he has a sore shoulder.
Rob T
https://www.google.ca/amp/edmontonsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-notes-klefbom-on-injured-reserve-three-headed-monster-has-bite/amp
You forget the third part. Piss and moan like hell when that trade for need turns out to be Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson.
Yeti,
First of all, I don’t believe in a best, so I tend to avoid those debates. There are only personal preferences and personal taste. It’s like comparing Crosby and McDavid, plus another hundred guys like them.
From among all the drummers I’ve listened to closely for more than fifty years; and of all the great drummers I’ve seen in live performances , and of all the session cats I I knew in LA….
The one guy I’d choose to backbone any artist or musical act in the world, regardless of genre – for style, grooves, taste, solidity, sound, and technical ability – I’d pick Jeff Porcaro.
Thing is, he was a friend of mine before his heart quit him at the age of 38 in ’92…so there’s that.
Up until his untimely death, he was one of most recorded drummers in history – for the reasons I’ve mentioned. We’re about the same age, so all things being equal, he’d be top five in that regard today.
And I’m willing to bet if Charlie Wattsis passed away, and Jeff was around, the Stones would invite him to sit in.
OriginalPouzar,
From accounts, Walker has game and they took the opportunity to take a look at the player for free
************************************************************************************************************
You mean taking a player and plunking him on the 4th line with new linemates and a new system- for 2 games.
We could have scouted Nathan in the AHL.
It is almost like it was a move for the sake of making a move.
That’s more inside info than Dreger has given in 2 years.
Pouzar,
i dont have rumours I only have some somewhat accurate injury news on two oiler defensemen
LOL
That’s the waiver game. Give a guy a shot, see how he fits, if not he goes somewhere else and the most you’re out is $120K
Don’t understand why this organization was so gunshy about using waivers in the past.
36 percent body fat,
You are Speedyturtle!
Admit it! Admit it!
I want rumors now!!!!!!
36 percent body fat,
Fair enough – thanks.
Current drummer: Brian Chase, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Listen to those Fever to Tell demos with the drum machine to see what a huge difference he makes.
Past:
Technically proficient: easily Neil Peart
Raw power: John Bonham
Best touch: Ringo Starr. Charlie Watts is in the ballpark too, but Ringo is incredible on those last 5 Beatles albums.
Vegas has 6 forwards with 20 points or more.
We have 4.
Their D have more points than our D.
And 14 of the 33 games Vegas has played was with their number 4 goalie who is an AHL goalie.
Amazing what Vegas has done so far. I keep believing that they will falter but they are only leading the Western Conference today. Im starting to believe they will not only make the playoffs but have home ice advantage.
OriginalPouzar,
wont name the source out of privacy for them, but is about as close as you can get to the player without it being family.
source is credible as there have been past injuries they told me about long before the news broke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZd_YyFzPD0
I guess he had some sort of reputation as a penalty killer. When you have a historically awful PK I guess you’re willing to try anything but then I never remember Walker spending a single second on the PK so what the hell am I even talking about.
I used to check the fancies with regularity, but with less personal time and watching my favourite team get shitkicked by PDO in its most anticipated season in a quarter century I find I do it less and less these days.
I’m off work until January though, so I had to do some googling to find which ones are still active, I remember using Natural Stat Trick and trusting it so that’s where I headed.
I checked in on Vegas prior to Edmontons first game against them, and I don’t believe I posted the numbers, but I found that their score adjusted possession metrics (the numbers weren’t just a result of playing with the lead constantly) and scoring chance %’s where horrid. Like bottom 5 in the league.
Of course Edmonton put the boots to them and I felt better. These numbers I’d been learning about at the feet of LT and company for the past 10 years still made some sense to me so I had a beer and then I had another.
As of today Vegas sits at 13th in Score and venue adjusted CF% and 11th in FF%. More impressively they’re 6th in Scoring Chances For % and again 11th in High Danger Chances for %. Their team PDO places them at 14th compared to the rest of the league (1.003) so they’re not really getting a boost.
They’re obviously not the best team in the league, but they’re far better than they should be for an expansion team. Tylers tweet yesterday about their success being an indictment of the rest of the leagues ability to evaluate talent makes a lot more sense now that the numbers I value tell me that their record isn’t all smoke and mirrors.
I hope they are overly cautious with this. Given the state of the season, it would be unwise to risk anything that could become a career limiting thing at his age and given how deep they are on the left side. Let him heal fully or get him surgery or whatever.
From accounts, Walker has game and they took the opportunity to take a look at the player for free.
He came at a time when the lineup started to play much better and started to win games without him – it limited his opportunities and, when he did get the opportunity, he wasn’t able to run with it.
Now with bodies coming off the IR, we need to roster spot so he was waived.
There was no risk to this.
jtblack,
I’m definitely not smarter than you, but I don’t think the Oilers would have claimed him if they new Davidson would be available a few days later. It’s all about the number of contracts IMO.
Test drive, roll the dice. I didn’t really get why Chia claimed him, he pretty much was what his resume said, marginal at best NHLer.
* the smart people will give a smart answer, just tossing my 2 cents in.
Thanks for the info.
May I ask where you got this from? This is the first I’ve heard any actual info other than “banged up” – first I’ve heard of it being a shoulder and shots needed.
Also, Maybe TMac shouldhave watched the TB – VGS game to see what Playing with Pace is all about. Both teams are puck hounds and are constantly skating and pressuring.
Best game of the year that I have seen. I wish the Oil would play that way. VGS pinches their D men all game long. Creates sustained pressure in the O zone and many odd man rushes coming out of their D zone.
Dustylegnd,
Ok so Klef is true, however (broken clock twice a day)
Benning is a good number 5 or 6. Championship teams dont have him in the top 4, so signing a home town kid is nothing to brag about
And Caggulia, LOL most overrated player in NHL, and he isnt even rated thats the funny thing
Yamo looks good, but he is now struggling, way to early to call the pick a success.
For sure. The thing is outside of the top picks (the elites, how many there are is different each year) BPA is pretty much a guess, it’s far from clear who is better than who in a range around the number you’re choosing at.
If you’re drafting at 15 take the BPA for what you need, or the more valuable played position. If no player fits a need take a centre over a winger, or a RHD over a LHD all day, because they are more valuable to trade, because they are more rare and harder to get. Everyone is looking for them.
It was tough for the Oilers in a way having so many first overalls because if there is a clear consensus player you pretty much have to take them. They didn’t exactly get great return on trading the two they did, partly because when you pick so high you’re going to hold them for years and they can play their draft position value away.
Imagine trading Hall in the first two or three years? Yak might have brought a decent return closer to his draft before he proved he’s not elite in the NHL. But it doesn’t happen very often.
texmex,
“Elliotte FriedmanVerified account
@FriedgeHNIC
9m9 minutes ago
More
WASH re-claims Walker.”
Can somebody smarter than me explain why we would claim Walker, only to waive him a week later? What am i missing.
Nice to be down to 47 contract but I don’t think these moves in any ways signal any sort of 3 for 1.
Melvis,
JD_Sigh,
So… it’s not this dude?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QfMHmmJhNqg
Imagine my profound disappointment when I saw Whitehorse at the Myer Horowitz Theatre a couple of years back…
Good.
47 contracts now I believe.
Is that why they drafted Yamo and Bear, brought in Caggs and Benning and have Kleff locked up for $4 mill/year?
Gret99zky,
True Dat!!!
Elliotte FriedmanVerified account
@FriedgeHNIC
9m9 minutes ago
More
WASH re-claims Walker.
– My guess for points for Hunter was that they would play .500 untill Sek gets back, then average the same 1.266 PPG as last year after, plus 4 easy wins against expansion team Vegas
– So forget about Vegas being easy..
– Lets say they get to 18-18-2 when Sek gets back (3-1 next 4 games): 38 points
– 44 games left @ 1.266 points/game = 56 points. Total 94 points.
– The 6 “easy” points vs Vegas gets us close to 100: let’s hope Vegas starts sh$tting the bed
– I was optimistic, thinking Sek got back after 30 games. After some early struggles, they are pretty close to the .500 I thought, but no easy games vs. Vegas.
– Being .500 at the New Year would be fantastic team goal
– Its going to be tight, but fun… Just win baby
Thanks for your draft ranking LT. Surprised by Akil Thomas, I personally expect him to be late first round pick… Also Woo is on your list higher than i expect. No doubt, Dahlin is no.1 overall this year, but also that top 4 is fantastic group of players. Maybe it could be good idea in this draft to trade down for player + lower pick with 5th (and higher) overall. Could you pls in the future make 2 lists for comparision: top 15 overall and top 15 based on oilers needs? May look completely different…
Finally, draft talk.
Given our C’s:
McDavid
Drai
RNH
Our D’s – Klefbom, Sek Nurse.
We *just* drafted back to back wingers in JP and Kailer.
It is time …..we need a high end RHD.
11 NHL teams have fewer than 45 contracts.
Greg Chase trade to a team with 41 NHL contracts is a good reminder, that if your owner can afford it having 49-50 contracts is not a huge issue … in the scheme of things.
Gret99zky,
It should be. 3 problems though
1. oilers dont ever seem to know who the best players are past the top 10
2. oilers dont know what they need (they seem to think size is the only thing needed to play hockey)
3. oilers cant get proper value when it comes to trading top players or signing them to cap friendly contracts
OriginalPouzar,
it is suppose to be a 3 game rest. He needs some form of shot in his shoulder, and apparently will need one again in a few months.
hopefully the rest in the off season takes care of this.
Curious that they knew they were going to put him on IR, yet they still had him out taking bombs on the PP. Wonder if this did more damage.
Melvis,
So, who’s your pick for best currently active (and by that, I mean recording new music) drummer? Many to choose from, of course, but if you were forced to pick one…
Draft the Best Player Available.
Then trade him for need.
It’s just that easy!
CAN NOT HAVE TOO MANY NHL D OR CENTERS
LT,
Considering the spot Edmonton is likely to draft, that means blue on blue. Not ideal based on Edmonton’s established needs.
I do not see this as problem, and perhaps it even saves them from themselves and drafting for perceived need
Based on the price we paid for Larsen and Columbus paid for Jones, stacking the roster with D gives management the flexibility to trade for bonafide NHL talent to fill roster needs rather than forcing the issue and drafting for need….this approach truly is risk management, bird in hand rather than 2 in the bush
Should things go wrong and the Oil draft top 5 and say trade Maroon for another 1st rounder, the Oil can stack up the talent and either dangle a Klefbomb or a collection of prospects to find their true one shot sniper
With a fan base that sells out every game and buys beer like the world runs out tomorrow and is willing to pay $80 to wander the concourse during playoffs, management truly can be patient
This team when healthy and playing the system, is a very good team, no need to sell the farm for Mike Hoffman, there are other players that can score in this league, and we are seeing JJ and Puljujarvi emerge before our very eyes,
I really do believe we can not make decisions based the outcome of the 1st 30 games, but rather need to make small savey tweaks, and deal from a position of power further down the road
Holiday Roster Freeze wording in the CBA if anyone is interested:
(d) Holiday Roster Freeze.
(i) For all Players on an NHL Active Roster, Injured Reserve, or Players with
Non-Roster and Injured Non-Roster status as of 11:59 p.m. local time on
December 19, a roster freeze shall apply through 12:01 a.m. local time
December 28, with respect to Waivers, Trades and Loans; provided,
however, that Players may be Recalled to NHL Clubs during this period
and, provided further, that if a Player is placed on Regular Waivers prior
to the roster freeze period and is claimed during such roster freeze period,
the roster freeze period shall not apply and the Player shall immediately
report to the claiming Club. However, during the roster freeze period a
Club can make any Player transactions necessary for the Club to come into
compliance with Article 50 as a result of a Player being removed from the
Bona-Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception.
(ii) Notwithstanding Section 16.5(d)(i), a Player on emergency Recall may be
Loaned during the roster freeze period and a Player who was Recalled
after December 11 may be Loaned through 11:59 p.m. local time on
December 23, provided such Player is not required to be placed on
Waivers during the roster freeze period in order to effectuate such Loan.
(iii) No later than ten (10) days before the holiday roster freeze, the League
shall provide the NHLPA with a holiday roster freeze and restricted day
memorandum.
LT,
There won’t be another slump this year and there will be no need for draft talk. This team makes it to the playoffs.
JD_Sigh,
Dude actually does troll his own blog.
Fuck. Everybody knows it’s Karen Carpenter.
I think its to clear some room in anticipation of another veteran coming (Gryba).
They’ve already got Stanton and Lowe and will likely get another (although Lowe doesn’t quite fit in to the “veteran” definition for the AHL rules, not there yet).
“Considering the spot Edmonton is likely to draft, that means blue on blue. Not ideal based on Edmonton’s established needs.” — LT
Do we have a good read yet on wether Greener tends to lean towards drafting for need over BPA in the 1st round yet? Or is the book still out on that? I would assume should the BPA be a Forward or a RHD they should ba happy with either. RHD will always be needed to be upgraded or replenished, cant have enough of them. And at worst a RHD’s value on the NHL market is well established.
Everyone knows that it’s Ginger Baker.
Not gonna happen.
I bet we see Russell with Sekera as McClellan really liked that pairing last year and McClellan likes to go to what he knows has worked in the past.
When our D are all healthy, Russell is probably 5th on McCellans depth chart with Davidson and Benning after him.
My Hali Mooseheads sure spit out the elite forward talent…Voracek, MacKinnon, Ehlers, now this kid?
WC standings this AM:
NSH 13
VGK 13
STL 11
LAK 11
WPG 10
SJS 6 – 3rd in Pacific
CHI 6
MIN 5 – 2nd Wildcard spot
—————————————
DAL 4
CGY 3
COL 1
ANA 1
VAN -1
EDM -2
ARI -17
EDM is 7 back (again, was 6 yesterday, but MIN won) of the last wildcard spot and remains 8 back of 3rd in the Pacific.
Only game of note tonight is STL @ CGY.
That means EDM gets STL on the 2nd of B2B, but that hasn’t mattered much this year.
Best case is CGY beats the hell out of STL physically and loses in reg.
Also,
LT said: Yesterday, the Edmonton Oilers made a flurry of moves and there may be one more today. Let’s review all of them before we get to the new 50-man list:
The roster freeze is in effect as of last night.
Pretty sure activating players off of LTIR isn’t a part of the freeze (just player movement from team to team) so is that what you are assuming?
The Fayne loan is interesting. Clearly preparing for someone to be sent down, this shows the org does in fact want to maintain playing time for the prospect blue.
I just listened to yesterdays interview with Willis on soundcloud.
Somebody who was listening actually believed that you two guys scripted your time on the radio?
Ha.
I love how you grind Willis about living way up North, and he does well responding.
I was laughing pretty much the whole time I was listening while enjoying the hockey talk which was informative as always. Well done.
That is a good top-end to the draft write up, LT.
With that said, I have absolutely zero idea where we will be picking this year so I’m not really ready to discuss these high end prospects yet.
This post will be bookmarked though for future perusing.
I think we will have a “sail on Mr. Walker” a bit later this morning.
He’s likely claimed if the reports re: multiple claims on his initial exposure are true.
I don’t imagine that Oscar will miss any more than two games.
I think, as of now, that the body out of the lineup is between Davidson and Benning and, unfortunately, it might be Davidson due to handedness.
With that said, Russell did play the least minutes among the D last game (I think) – would coach actually healthy scratch Kris?
The Davidson insertion in to the lineup – Its been more of a solidifying move than anything but I think its have a more substantial impact on d-group as a whole. I’m remiss to have him taken out of the lineup but its a definite possibility.
Team Canada vs. Czech in an exhibition game on TSN at 5 mountain today – a good chance to see Ostap Safin if anyone is interested.
4. Charlie Watts is the best rock and roll drummer in history?????
@#@*%&WTF????&%(!!!!!?????grrrrr…settle your tits Melvis;-)
Comments are closed.