Draft Week Post No. 1: 10 Items or Less

by Lowetide

In past summers, the Oilers have telegraphed exits. We knew in 2016 Hall was in play, certainly by the time the name Milan Lucic leaked. In 2017, this blog ran Strome’s numbers against Eberle’s 10 days before the deal was done. This year? Ken Holland has been dropping some hints but we’ve yet to discover his delivery, his cadence, and we don’t know if he’s going counter trey with the verbal.

THE ATHLETIC!

The Athletic Edmonton features a fabulous cluster of stories (some linked below, some on the site). Great perspective from a ridiculous group of writers and analysts. Proud to be part of the group, here’s an incredible Father’s Day Offer!

  • New Jonathan Willis: How are the Oilers affected by early offseason trades and buyouts to Dion Phaneuf, Andrew MacDonald?
  • New Lowetide: Falling talent and other fun facts that could benefit the Oilers in the NHL Draft
  • New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Evaluating the pros and cons of potential Oilers buyout candidates
  • New Lowetide: Oilers GM Ken Holland is shopping for 20-goal scorers on a budget. What will he find?
  • New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Jay Woodcroft returning to coach AHL Condors and be reunited with Ken Holland
  • Lowetide: Looking at the Oilers’ options for the No. 8 pick at the 2019 NHL Draft.
  • Jonathan Willis: How many of Sam Gagner, Zack Kassian and Jujhar Khaira can play top-nine minutes for the Oilers?
  • Daniel Nugent-BowmanQ&A with Ken Holland: On the draft, buyouts, free agency and how to have a successful offseason
  • Lowetide: Trading for Loui Eriksson: What makes sense for the Oilers?
  • Jonathan Willis: Differing needs of Oilers, Jets could create a trade fit
  • Lowetide: How will Ken Holland build around Connor McDavid?
  • Daniel Nugent-Bowman: The top five players the Oilers could lose in the expansion draft
  • Jonathan Willis: What a trade involving Edmonton’s No. 8 pick might look like given Ken Holland’s history
  • LowetideHard Target Search: Finding the Oilers a centre who can penalty kill, help shape a useful third line, and serve in a mentor role
  • Daniel Nugent-Bowman: How a third-line grinder launched the star-filled Oilers to their first Stanley Cup and a hockey dynasty.
  • Lowetide: Is Zack Kassian the answer for the McDavid-Draisaitl line?

QUESTIONS

Who is a lock to be traded? It depends on how much Holland wants to get done in one summer. What deals that can be made? How many conversations can Edmonton get themselves involved in? Holland’s career as a trader is a lot about a pick for a player and vice versa.

Who do you think is in play? I’ll say Milan Lucic, Jujhar Khaira, Jesse Puljujarvi and Matt Benning, plus maybe the second rounder are in play. But that’s a guess. Lucic is the only name on Frank Seravalli’s latest trade board.

What are the Oilers looking for? We have to take Holland at his word. He wants a goalie, in free agency, he is not of a mind to chase a defenseman, but has said he wants to change the bottom six forwards. Maybe Nik Ehlers enters the conversation but it’s likely to be small moves.

When will these trades go down? It could be any time, but the deals discussed (Benning for Brown, Lucic for Eriksson) can be done later on. These aren’t blockbusters.

What about Nurse for Ehlers? A new general manager means a new set of eyes on the roster. I don’t know that Nurse has the same status as he did under MacT and Chiarelli. If you look at things logically, a LHD being dealt is drawing from a roster strength. I don’t know that it’s Nurse, maybe it’s Klefbom or Larsson. I wouldn’t trade any of them until one of Jones, Bouchard, Samorukov or other has proven they can play inside the top-4 successfully.

And the draft pick? I think the Oilers will use No. 8 overall, not as certain about No. 38. This remains a building organization, imagine Holland recognizes it.

What about trading Kris Russell or Andrej Sekera? Ideal scenario has Russell being dealt for little or no money, or a scoring forward. Jonathan Willis wrote on this subject and others this morning (here). Sekera’s injury history reduces potential return, but Russell should have value.

I’m impatient for this party to get started. If you look at Holland’s previous summers, he makes moves when it arrives. Last June, he made one small move (June 24, traded Robbie Russo for a pick). The previous offseason, they re-acquired goalie Thomas McCollum. The last major summer deal was the Datsyuk trade on the draft floor (offloading money).

Last major June acquisition? June 30, 2001. Holland traded Slava Kozlov and a first-round pick to Buffalo for Dominik Hasek. Helluva trade. Hasek won all 16 games in the 2002 Stanley run.

What are your expectations of this team in 2019-20? If the Oilers want to make the playoffs, the team should buy out Sekera and Gagner, trade the No. 8 overall pick and bring in names like Gustav Nyquist. That’s sort of what Peter Chiarelli attempted in 2015, and it’s possible or even likely Holland would do a better job of it. I don’t believe that’s the route the organization should or will take.

Can they make the playoffs? Yes, I think they can but it won’t be pretty. Choosing wisely on the second goalie, finding a second scoring line from Nuge and remnants/roll ends, and reworking the bottom six forwards to add some penalty killers and secondary scoring. There are two jobs, next year and then every year after. Holland can’t rob Peter to pay Paul.

Who is the biggest name they’ll pursue? Jacob Trouba. They won’t land him (Trouba won’t sign here) but he’s a Holland-type player.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

Father’s Day began with my walking downstairs and being greeted by my son sitting in the rocking chair. A house with young people should have a flashing ‘open all hours’ sign, it’s a living thing. NO idea when these people sleep. My son is going to NAIT in the fall or next year, taking the Radio and Televsion program. I’ve seen hundreds of kids benefit from their experience, thrilled he’s going to give the industry a try. He’s very creative (writes his own songs for the video games he and his friends create) so maybe there’s a job out there for a producer who can wield a keyboard.

My daughter is looking for work and upgrading with an eye to teaching. She’ll be great at it, very caring person with a mountain of empathy. She doesn’t like me telling you about her, so I’ll just say the funniest lines in this house come from her. She’s a hoot.

We’re all fine, the family is progressing as it should. Mom and I are painting the deck this week, getting the cars in for checkups, maybe doing a dump run, following trades and the draft. I’m a lucky father and husband, we’re all so fortunate to work for Ziggy.

Enjoy your day, men. And if you’re lucky enough to have a living, breathing Father (even if he isn’t your biological Dad, you know who your Father is) then you hug the stuffing out of him today and I mean it

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rickithebear

Russell sucks?
A look:

Zone entry:

Binary analytics.
X zone entries occurred when he was on the ice
Conclusion: he is bad.

Multi variable analytics:
1. Did the forwards run a NZ trap?
A. Yes!
i. He pressed the blue w/ d partner in a 2-1
Wow Russel has real low zone entry rates.
ii. He is stuck in a 1-1 Def structure cause of his stupid rover.
Has to collapse to edge of HD area. The true def zone!
Nice def move by Russell. Shitty Rover

B. No
i. Forwards failed a NZ trap with 2-1 structure. Bad fwds.
ii. A rover occupying fwd space causing Fwd NZ trap failure. Bad rover
Wow Russell’s entry rates are high cause of the 4-1-1 structure.
At least he collapsed to edge of HD area.

Corsi:
Binary Anslytics:
He has a high Corsi yield rate.
He is bad.

Multi variable analytics
1. Must exclude all corsi from Inside our blue as a result of no fwd NZ trap. Look at it separately.
Then look at his Corsi yield per league Avg.
A. 2-1 structure
B. 1-1 structure – bad def disgrace rover

2. all corsi yeilded after Fwd NZ trap
A. 2-1 structure:
Wow partnered with a top HD d partner he establishes top 5 in the league expected Save% for the two comps he plays the most. 1st & 2nd.
He has the lowest open shot per corsi rate for dmen in the league. Sure makes the goalies job easy!

1-1 structure:
What a shit show!
An uncovered side with opposition overlap allowing deep HD area penetration and high open shot%.
Poor Russell and goalie screwed by his rover partner again.

3. GA:
Binary analytics:
A. The goalie had a save% above or below league average.

Multivariable:
A. 2-1 structure
1. Expected save% from open HD sh chart/ per corsi with no Fwd NZ trap.
Wow he is elite with top HD dmen
2. Expected save% from open HD sh chart per corsi with NZ trap.
Wow he is elite with HD dmen

B. 1-1 structure
1. Expected save % from open HD sh chart per corsi.
His elite ability to generate open shot reduction is limited. – shitty rover.

4. Transition passing:
Binary analytics:
He #2 transition passing dmen

Multi variable analytics:
A. Have def set up fwd NZ trap……………………………..

There is a very specific multi result success map once you start to ask levels of questions for each event.

This kind of questioning got us to the moon!

jp

Pouzar:
jp,

Simon Boisvert (@simonsnake70) · Twitter
https://twitter.com/simonsnake70

In 2024-25, the Sharks will be paying $41M to five players, all aged between 34 and 39: Kane, Couture, Karlsson, Vlasic, Burns. Even if the cap reaches $100M, that’s a big chunk for an aging core.
23 mins ago

Yeah, the Sharks have had great contributions from 30 something’s, but that’s not going to be pretty.

Pouzar

jp,

Simon Boisvert (@simonsnake70) · Twitter
https://twitter.com/simonsnake70

In 2024-25, the Sharks will be paying $41M to five players, all aged between 34 and 39: Kane, Couture, Karlsson, Vlasic, Burns. Even if the cap reaches $100M, that’s a big chunk for an aging core.
23 mins ago

jp

Pouzar,

Holy crap!

Jaxon

Pouzar:
Woodguy v2.0,

Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) · Twitter
https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun

Further to @TSNBobMcKenzie’s report on Erik Karlsson, I’m told the deal is indeed done: 8 years max deal, north of $11 million per season… the Sharks with a huge move in keeping the superstar D from hitting the market.
3 mins ago

Yikes. 11 x 8. Elite talent, but the aging curve on an oft-injured 29 year old has to be a little concerning. This contract takes him to 37. Wow.

Pouzar

Woodguy v2.0,

Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) · Twitter
https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun

Further to @TSNBobMcKenzie’s report on Erik Karlsson, I’m told the deal is indeed done: 8 years max deal, north of $11 million per season… the Sharks with a huge move in keeping the superstar D from hitting the market.
3 mins ago

Reja

Toronto is pretty hungry for a winner glad it wasn’t the Leafs. TSN propaganda machine would be running 7-24 how great the city and the people of Ontario are.

jp

Alpine:
Not sure why people think Huberdeau is attainable. How many guys get traded after a career year with multiple years left on a good contract? I know Tallon is supposed to be not very bright, but if there’s a time when veteran GMs overvalue their own players it’s definitely after they’ve had a 90 point season.

Now someone like Trocheck, who’s coming off an injury? That’s someone who might be undervalued and attainable.

+1

Professor Q

godot10,

I didn’t say otherwise. Just wondered how Koskinen felt, is all.

godot10

Eakins had no clue that Petry was his best defensemen. The game when he sat him in LA was a priceless humiliation.

He thought Will Acton was an NHL hockey player. (Which is why he had no centres).

And of course Belov’s “Not for that coach”.

Wasting away in Dementorville. Searching for my last tube of hair gel.

godot10

Professor Q:
I wonder how Koskinen feels after that Season Ticket Holder Q&A? Holland was frequently stressing that he needs to attain another goalie to share the starting job.

Binnington played half a season. Rask had a reduced workload because of Halak. Last year Holtby was 1A 1B with Grubauer. Prior to that Murray and Fleury split time in PIttsburgh. In Chicago’s last Cup Darling had a lot of games during the regular season.

No goalie who has not split time in the regular season has won a cup in five years now.

Even Quick’s last Cup, I think he had a reduced regular season workload because of injury.

McLellan was about the last dinosaur running his goaltender out every game.

YKOil

godot10: Tampa liked other guys better than Connolly.Boston liked other guys better than Connolly.And now Washington likes other guys better than Connolly.I sense a pattern here.

#TheNewBenoitPouliot

Not really my viewpoint. I think Connolly won’t be signed there because they only have $10m in space left and:

– Vrana to sign ($4m+)
– four $850,000 guys (so $3.0m to $3.8m)
– a Burakovsky QO deal (and then pay the guy they trade him for imo)
– Backstrom and Gudas to sign next year

They won’t let Connolly move on because he sucks, they will let him go because they can’t commit both cash AND term. Washington has done a great job of getting value in talent for value in cash but they are running out of runway now; the only question now is what they do with Burakovsky.

Edit to add: myself, if the fancy stats lined up, would try to lock Vrana in for 6+ years at $5.25m a year or so; would make for a nice value contract going forward.

Bag of Pucks

Dee Dee:
Pescador,

So (Hypothetically) the owner/upper management goes to the GM and declares Player X as being Cancer and to dump them immediately for whatever they can get, and the GM is now forced to wear that forever and the owner/upper management gets off scot free.

Or …. The GM is an idiot lets just blame him. Even though the entire committee signed off on the deal, and not one of them said “DON’T DO IT!!!!!”

Owner pulls rank and forces the team to draft his own personal #1 pick of say, Yakupov, let’s hang that one on the GM too.

It’s possible that Hall was dealt over lockerroom issues, but I always leaned to Occam’s Razor on that. They were desperate to get a top pairing D in Larsson and thought Lucic would suffice as partial Hall replacement. They never got the offensive upside they were projecting from Larsson and we all know how Looch crashed and burned. Year 1 it didn’t look like the worst idea ever. But it certainly hasn’t aged well particularly when Taylor’s winning the Hart while Milan was hitting the ditch.

Dee Dee

Pescador,

Pescador: PESCADOR says:
June 16, 2019 at 11:16 am
Bag of Pucks:
For some reason, found myself revisiting the Taylor vs Tyler debate this morning.

Now that we have a few miles on the odometer, I wonder who Oiler fans see as the clear choice?

For me, it’s interesting how closely their actual careers have tracked to the pre draft chatter.

When he’s on, Taylor has the higher ceiling but durability has been an issue. Seguin is the more consistent producer but he’s a bit of a flake.

I still like the credo of building down the middle so the RHC seems in hindsight the better pick, especially as it would’ve setup the Oil to draft Larsson or Landeskog instead of RNH. But then Taylor goes and becomes one of my all time favourite Oilers.

Still difficult to choose between the two.

Still haven’t figured out which one is worse in the dressing room
Both traded by PC, I hope he chokes on his pretentious scrambled eggs

So (Hypothetically) the owner/upper management goes to the GM and declares Player X as being Cancer and to dump them immediately for whatever they can get, and the GM is now forced to wear that forever and the owner/upper management gets off scot free.

Or …. The GM is an idiot lets just blame him. Even though the entire committee signed off on the deal, and not one of them said “DON’T DO IT!!!!!”

Owner pulls rank and forces the team to draft his own personal #1 pick of say, Yakupov, let’s hang that one on the GM too.

defmn

pts2pndr: A good man doesn’t sit a first round draft choice to make a point of whose in charge. What he did is classic first world bullying. When things go bad a good man doesn’t throw his assistants under the bus “ I didn’t know they didn’t know how to play defence.” We obviously have a a very different definitionofa good man.

With all due respect I haven’t noticed Tychkowski to be the kind of kind who offers personal endorsements gratuitously.

It didn’t work for Eakins or the Oilers here and he owns a lot of that. I’m not sure that requires him to be a bad person.

jmo

Psyche

pts2pndr,

“A good man doesn’t sit a first round draft choice to make a point of whose in charge. What he did is classic first world bullying.”

I’m not sure which NHL coach you’re referring to here. Many have sat a 1st round draft choice.

Without knowing the full story, and both sides of it, I think we should hold off on the slander.

I was bullied when I was growing up. What you describe isn’t in the ballpark.

Reja

Kinger_Oil.redux:
defmn,

– yeah I agree with your posts on this.

– head coach that failed. Did an awesome job with ahl team he deserves the opportunity

– by far that was my biggest beef with the OBC – they could fire renney Kruger Nelson coach no probs but they had no business still in hockey ops themselves.

– good for Dallas for earning an opportunity. He has way more skills than Lowe or MacT in the coaching.

Didn’t think Dallas chop water carry wood had any Groupies in this part of the world must be the hair. Fuck the Ducks and double fuck pretty boy.

Kinger_Oil.redux

defmn,

– yeah I agree with your posts on this.

– head coach that failed. Did an awesome job with ahl team he deserves the opportunity

– by far that was my biggest beef with the OBC – they could fire renney Kruger Nelson coach no probs but they had no business still in hockey ops themselves.

– good for Dallas for earning an opportunity. He has way more skills than Lowe or MacT in the coaching.

pts2pndr

defmn:
Bob Stauffer
‏Verified account @Bob_Stauffer
11m11 minutes ago

The Dallas Eakins “experience” in Edmonton has long since passed.
Eakins has continued to work on his craft and has coached many of Anaheim’s prospects who will be a big part of the Ducks future.
IMO he will make the most of his 2nd NHL Head Coaching opportunity

Rob Tychkowski
‏Verified account @Rob_Tychkowski
3h3 hours ago

Rob Tychkowski Retweeted The Athletic

He’s a good guy who I’m sure has learned from his experiences the first time around. I look forward to seeing what he does with a second chance.

A good man doesn’t sit a first round draft choice to make a point of whose in charge. What he did is classic first world bullying. When things go bad a good man doesn’t throw his assistants under the bus “ I didn’t know they didn’t know how to play defence.” We obviously have a a very different definition of a good man.

Buddy

Professor Q:
I wonder how Koskinen feels after that Season Ticket Holder Q&A? Holland was frequently stressing that he needs to attain another goalie to share the starting job.

If you have to ask the question…

Hopefully his wife isn’t due in September, the League doesn’t shorten paddle length, and Tippett doesn’t use the swarm.

pts2pndr

npanciroli:
OriginalPouzar,

Thanks OP!

Very intrigued to see what Holland does with Russell and if he is traded what his value ends up being.

The value to Edmonton is the cap space. He will be eminently valuable at the trade deadline when teams are looking for insurance D with experience. A draft choice 2nd or 3rd round should be attainable. This will also be the time that Lucic’s value will be greatest. Because of contract should be shopped to a contender for late round draft choice. Doing things this way allows the incoming coach and GM some time to better asses their team and needs moving forward.

Glovjuice

jtblack:
HAPPY FATHERS DAY ALL !!

I am blessed to have my Father still around.
My Father in Law as well.

I am a Father to 2 healthy pre teens.

Our Fathers Day Tradition is we all meet my Dad at the Horse Races.
We soak up some Sun, sip on a cold brew and lay down some Big Bets ($2 per race). The kids pick a horse and I bet $2 for them also.This is year 4 of our Tradition!!

Whatever you Lowetiders are up to, Have a Great Day!

We have been doing this for decades. One of the best afternoon outs in Edmonton. Although, The Northlands track is a much grander space.

Reja

leadfarmer: ?????
He played 24 min a night for them in regular season and was 4th in playoffs for TOI on the whole team ahead of Demers
He left that team with the exodus of defensemen in the offseason to come back to Alberta
Picking him up that offseason was a good safe bet for one season
The problem was signing him to that contract afterwards when the NHL was moving away from these player types and giving a NTC when were negotiating with ourselves (don’t think Calgary was that interested and he really wanted to come back to Alberta)

What I remember he had a real rough playoff and the Stars wished him the best somewhere else.

leadfarmer

Reja: After what Dallas payed for him and looking terrible in his short stint they couldn’t get rid of him fast enough don’t think there were to many clubs interested. I should have said Gentlemen’s PTO

?????
He played 24 min a night for them in regular season and was 4th in playoffs for TOI on the whole team ahead of Demers
He left that team with the exodus of defensemen in the offseason to come back to Alberta
Picking him up that offseason was a good safe bet for one season
The problem was signing him to that contract afterwards when the NHL was moving away from these player types and giving a NTC when were negotiating with ourselves (don’t think Calgary was that interested and he really wanted to come back to Alberta)

defmn

Bob Stauffer
‏Verified account @Bob_Stauffer
11m11 minutes ago

The Dallas Eakins “experience” in Edmonton has long since passed.
Eakins has continued to work on his craft and has coached many of Anaheim’s prospects who will be a big part of the Ducks future.
IMO he will make the most of his 2nd NHL Head Coaching opportunity

Rob Tychkowski
‏Verified account @Rob_Tychkowski
3h3 hours ago

Rob Tychkowski Retweeted The Athletic

He’s a good guy who I’m sure has learned from his experiences the first time around. I look forward to seeing what he does with a second chance.

Reja

OriginalPouzar: To be factually correct, Russell wasn’t a PTO – just a late summer signing.

After what Dallas payed for him and looking terrible in his short stint they couldn’t get rid of him fast enough don’t think there were to many clubs interested. I should have said Gentlemen’s PTO

OriginalPouzar

jtblack:
LT:

Have you ever thought of doing a Lowetide Convention?

You set a date in the Summer and we all get together and meet each other and talk hockey and ……… whatever else.

I believe The Athletic did some sort of meet and greet a while back in most of their Canadian cities.

OriginalPouzar

Reja: Would be nice. What sober person not only gives a juicy contract but also a selected NMC to a PTO. Pete sure made some Bizarre decisions. Question just to piss me off on Fathers Day where would this team be if we had gotten Holland instead of Pete? Whatever anyone thinks of MacT he did set up Pete for a decade in my opinion.

To be factually correct, Russell wasn’t a PTO – just a late summer signing.

Reja

Professor Q:
I wonder how Koskinen feels after that Season Ticket Holder Q&A? Holland was frequently stressing that he needs to attain another goalie to share the starting job.

He’s probably still doing the jiggy dance.

Professor Q

I wonder how Koskinen feels after that Season Ticket Holder Q&A? Holland was frequently stressing that he needs to attain another goalie to share the starting job.

npanciroli

OriginalPouzar,

Thanks OP!

Very intrigued to see what Holland does with Russell and if he is traded what his value ends up being.

Alpine

Not sure why people think Huberdeau is attainable. How many guys get traded after a career year with multiple years left on a good contract? I know Tallon is supposed to be not very bright, but if there’s a time when veteran GMs overvalue their own players it’s definitely after they’ve had a 90 point season.

Now someone like Trocheck, who’s coming off an injury? That’s someone who might be undervalued and attainable.

jake70

Lucic, Russell, Koskinen, Manning and whoever else. Cap and roster gummed up like the carburator on my generator out in garage. Unless someone really wants any of them, I don’t see any shortcuts to unloading them and improving roster to any great degree. No one feels sorry for Edmonton. Time and patience, with no playoffs this season will most likely be the pain. No unforced errors Ken!

pts2pndr

OriginalPouzar: I just don’t see how a buyout of Sekera makes the team better. Firstly, don’t buy out NHL players that can contribute.

Secondly, definitely don’t buy out good NHL players.

How can a couple of million of cap savings be used to acquire a player that is an upgrade over Sekera?

As far as finding roles for the players, the coach did profess that one of his skills is creating an environment that allows players to maximize their skills – here is hoping he can walk the walk.

Buyouts are the hockey equivalent of reverse mortgages. The winners are the player and the team that picks up a useful player on a cheap contract.

godot10

YKOil:
Capitals are putting on a clinic this off-season (well, starting with the Jensen trade/signing actually).

Tampa liked other guys better than Connolly. Boston liked other guys better than Connolly. And now Washington likes other guys better than Connolly. I sense a pattern here.

#TheNewBenoitPouliot

YKOil

Capitals are putting on a clinic this off-season (well, starting with the Jensen trade/signing actually).

OriginalPouzar

Woogie63:
Buy out Sekera, trade Benning for a winger, seems crazy to me –We need 8 good dman, 6 of which have played +3300 NHL games to have a chance of winning the SC.

Lots of Lucic awful contract – get him out of town – This is part of what is in the water in Edmonton.The ROT (Run out of Town) Club.Is brutal and a thing in Edmonton (and other cities).We have two bad contracts and some overpays on three others (19, 4, 89).We want perfection but, every team has this ratio.Katz freely spending to the cap and a cap that seem to consistently move up is a huge advantage for the Oilers, .

Keep drafting great, and the coach has to find roles for the players so they contribute.

I just don’t see how a buyout of Sekera makes the team better. Firstly, don’t buy out NHL players that can contribute.

Secondly, definitely don’t buy out good NHL players.

How can a couple of million of cap savings be used to acquire a player that is an upgrade over Sekera?

As far as finding roles for the players, the coach did profess that one of his skills is creating an environment that allows players to maximize their skills – here is hoping he can walk the walk.

OriginalPouzar

npanciroli:
Happy Father’s Day everyone! Today will be my first with my 8 month old. Still feels surreal after years of trying.

I do wonder if Russell is more likely to go and Benning more likely to stay with Tippett and Holland at the helm.

Congrats, that’s awesome, hope you are having a great day.

When Tippett spoke about how he likes teams to play, as five man units, responded to the analytics question with a story about a d-man that spends 25% of the time defending vs. 75%, well, that didn’t sound like an endorsement for Kris Russell.

Reja

YKOil: Not sure if Tippett wants Richard Panik here – they actually have no history together whatsoever as Tippet was fired June 2017 and Panik was traded for January 2018.

That said, I think Panik is a great Day 2 or later UFA play.Good chance, imo, he gets less than expected.

Duchene will get $8m+; will let someone else take that hit for sure.Nice early work by Pittsburgh and Washington but it is Florida that I am looking at, I have a feeling that they will generate the most churn this off-season and there will be a LOT of opportunity there.

Speaking of Florida, starting to like the idea of picking up Reimer as a post-buy-out opportunity or as a trade opportunity (Manning for Reimer makes a lot of sense).

Also, regarding Ryan O’Reilly, I liked that move by St. Louis.Solid performer year-to-year, not at all at fault for the teams performance when you dug into the numbers, tough player, hard on the puck, good defensively and signed for a long, long time.

— have said it before and will say it again, I would consider the 1st in a package for Huberdeau, that’s the O’Reilly move for the Oilers this off-season.

Still, hoping for Dach/Cozens.

Interesting idea re: Kapanen; what if part of the trade is for Benning with 50% salary retained?

Man… any big moves depend on moving Russell w/ either little to no salary coming back or the ‘wing’ problem being addressed.

If we get to many Oiler fans that want Reimer you just know the Flames will swoop in and grab him. Huberdeau all day everyday he figured it out and turned on the beast mode just like Leon Draisaitl did last year.

GordieHoweHatTrick

Scungilli Slushy:
Happy Father’s Day all!

I think playoffs are possible for any team. We’ve seen big turnarounds, those guys often become darlings here.

If we look at the latest champs, a long history of being a good team that couldn’t get over. This season was bizarre for them. I think the lesson to take is the importance of a disciplined coach that the players ‘will’ follow.

They won because of good decision making on players, their prospects developing to take on the tough assignments, such as Parayko freeing up Pietrangelo. They have depth, a balance of players which LT tells us out team needs.

I don’t think the Blues have any elite players, but they have a range of second tier players that are suited to playoffs. And they have O’ Reilly, long a fav of mine, the type like Bergeron that makes teams win without blowing the lights out offensively. I suppose Ryan is elite in an overall way.

After Parayko and Piet, the D is big and rangy but not stacked. It was their buy in, humility as they said, and everyone doing their job that won it for them. Seeing the Bruins stuck on the perimeter when it counted was a feat, it also made Binnington’s job easier, he might not be as good as he looked, contract alert.

To me the playoffs for the Oilers comes down to Tippet getting the OIlers to consistently play a disciplined, more patient game. One thing about having elite players is they will often try to force things because they can make things happen, but it doesn’t always work. Patience to play a safer more boring game when needed is the next step.

If Tippet can get everyone on board and Holland brings in better players I think they can play with anyone, I’m not saying Cup, yet.

Happy Father’s Day Al and All!
Watching game 7 again with our 5 yr old son also while he does his ministick thing here in “the cave”.
I agree with much of this. However I think Binnington is the goods. Technically he Reminds me of Vasilevsky. Time will tell. D structure and commitment from the whole team helps all goalies. ?

I hope Holly ain’t lying with his plans. I think his plan sounds reasonable to me.

Reja

Buddy: I’m not sure he did own up to his mistakes. He did put all the blame on himself, said he tried to change the culture too fast. Which is of course meaningless nonsense—who could have won with that roster?

What he didn’t say was anything specific, like, I don’t know, “Boy, I sure screwed up Yakupov and Schultz, didn’t I?”

Dubnyk Perron Petry Hall etc he derailed a lot of Careers. Worst coach in our history period. Poor Burnett was just in over his head like Eakins both took their hair quite seriously but George was not a sleaze ball.

godot10

The key to St. Louis’s victory, which I have not really seen mentioned, is the freeing of PIeterangelo from the toughest matchups because Parayko was able to take on the shutdown role (with Bouwmeester).

Armstrong waiting too long to bail on Shattenkirk, which meant Hitchcock never had the option to free Pieterangelo from the shutdown rule to the knockout punch role.

YKOil

Scungilli Slushy: I’d rather have Nuge than Duchene, and that would be the choice. Duchene has more bat but no glove.

I may be wrong, as my thoughts are based solely on a ‘to-my-eye’ basis, but I see Duchene as a risky play. I don’t see him as someone who can drive play, saw-off at evens or carry a line – and I’m not paying $8m+ for that.

YKOil

Henry: I wonder if Tippett wants Richard Panik in the fold.I don’t know much about his numbers, but skates and plays well and is a pain in the rear each of the 5-6 times I see him in a year.

Not sure if Tippett wants Richard Panik here – they actually have no history together whatsoever as Tippet was fired June 2017 and Panik was traded for January 2018.

That said, I think Panik is a great Day 2 or later UFA play. Good chance, imo, he gets less than expected.

Duchene will get $8m+; will let someone else take that hit for sure. Nice early work by Pittsburgh and Washington but it is Florida that I am looking at, I have a feeling that they will generate the most churn this off-season and there will be a LOT of opportunity there.

Speaking of Florida, starting to like the idea of picking up Reimer as a post-buy-out opportunity or as a trade opportunity (Manning for Reimer makes a lot of sense).

Also, regarding Ryan O’Reilly, I liked that move by St. Louis. Solid performer year-to-year, not at all at fault for the teams performance when you dug into the numbers, tough player, hard on the puck, good defensively and signed for a long, long time.

— have said it before and will say it again, I would consider the 1st in a package for Huberdeau, that’s the O’Reilly move for the Oilers this off-season.

Still, hoping for Dach/Cozens.

Interesting idea re: Kapanen; what if part of the trade is for Benning with 50% salary retained?

Man… any big moves depend on moving Russell w/ either little to no salary coming back or the ‘wing’ problem being addressed.

Scungilli Slushy

godot10: Duchense has multiple suitors…so he is like to get a minimum of $8 million with term.

I’d rather have Nuge than Duchene, and that would be the choice. Duchene has more bat but no glove.

The players after the dynamic duo have to be able to support defensively or the Oilers will become a reg season force with no finish imo.

Eh Team

russ99: If Holland retains $1-2M on Gagner’s contract and asks for a high 2nd or low 3rd from a high cap team, do thy say no?
These are the kinds of creative deals we need to clear cap and add.

Wow are you ever the optimist. Gagner spent most of last year in the AHL and now we are getting a decent draft pick for him? Sign me up for that.

Kinger_Oil.redux

– Happy Fathers Day Allan. And to all the Fathers and sons in this community

– It’s a special Fathers Day at the Kinger household. Wife expecting any day (going to Dr on Monday to see). Worked on Baby room today. Future older Brother and Sister excited. Going for a monster steak dinner at best steak place in Toronto. Sitting on Deck smoking a Monte # 4 with single malt

– I see good things happening for the blog and the Oil this season.

Buddy

HT Joe: I can’t remember where, but I read an excellent interview with Eakins, and he owned up to his mistakes in Edmonton, and it sounded like the Ducks are going to get an Eakins 2.0.I bet he knocks it out of the park.(I also bet he doesn’t take away media donuts)

I’m not sure he did own up to his mistakes. He did put all the blame on himself, said he tried to change the culture too fast. Which is of course meaningless nonsense—who could have won with that roster?

What he didn’t say was anything specific, like, I don’t know, “Boy, I sure screwed up Yakupov and Schultz, didn’t I?”