August is a time for hockey news to drift, or at least slide, as fans and the industry do something resembling a day of rest from the constant stream of news. The Edmonton Oilers have done some big business in August’s past, but those moments are rare and have not come at all for over a decade:
August 9, 1979: Oilers acquired the rights to Dave Semenko and a draft pick in exchange for selection No. 42 (Neal Broten) and No. 63 (Kevin Maxwell). That would have been a steal for the North Stars, but Edmonton used the pick (No. 48) on Mark Messier.
August 19, 1982: Oilers acquired Ken Linseman and Don Nachbaur from the Hartford Whalers for Risto Siltanen and the rights to Brent Loney.
August 9, 1988: Oilers acquired Cash, Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, and the draft picks that became Martin Rucinsky, Jason Miller and Nick Stadjuhar for Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley.
August 4, 1995: Oilers acquired Curtis Joseph and Mike Grier for first-round picks in 1996 and 1997.
August 2, 2005: Oilers acquired Chris Pronger for Eric Brewer, Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch.
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 Offer!
- New Lowetide: Finding the best candidates for the final two spots on the Oilers skill lines in 2019-20.
- New Jonathan Willis: Projecting the Oilers’ opening night lineup, line combinations and more.
- Lowetide: Does the James Neal acquisition impact Oilers’ prospects in 2019-20?
- Lowetide: Oilers’ acquisition of James Neal could add badly needed scoring to the top two lines.
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Ken Holland puts his stamp on the Oilers with first big move in Lucic-Neal trade
- Jonathan Willis: Ken Holland ends an ugly situation for the Oilers by trading Milan Lucic for James Neal
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Potential free-agent options for the Oilers in 2020
- Jonathan Willis: Which Oilers defencemen can make an outlet pass?
- Kent Wilson and Lowetide: Why the Flames and Oilers would (and wouldn’t) trade Sam Bennett for Jesse Puljujarvi
- Lowetide: Looking ahead to Oilers training camp: 35 players for 23 jobs
- New Jonathan Willis: What the Oilers’ 2020 cap situation suggests about Ken Holland’s master plan.
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: With free agency all but over, Oilers’ Ken Holland has tough work ahead on the trade front
- Jonathan Willis: Josh Archibald won’t fix the Oilers’ biggest problems, but he’ll help with some key issues.
- Lowetide: Will the 2019-20 Bakersfield Condors be the Oilers’ best minor-league team ever?
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: The Oilers have a new amateur scouting director. What can we learn from Tyler Wright’s track record at the draft?
- Lowetide: Projecting Darnell Nurse’s next contract and possible trades
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: A missing mom, aching feet and looking for Kevin Lowe: A week in the life of Oilers prospect Raphael Lavoie
- Lowetide: What to do when Connor McDavid rests: The Oilers’ ideal No. 2 line for 2019-20
- Jonathan Willis: How often do goalies like the Oilers’ Mike Smith rebound?
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: ‘He comes as advertised’: Philip Broberg’s skating makes him development camp standout for Oilers
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Oilers plan to skew younger on defence could open the door for Evan Bouchard, Dmitri Samorukov
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects summer 2019.
THE CERTAIN OILERS, 2019-20
Dave Tippett will no doubt shuffle like a demon and you’ll see all manner of lines and pairs, this depth chart is not meant to represent lines, merely depth chart. I have 10 forwards, five defensemen and two goalies as ‘certain’ Oilers, that’s about 75 percent of the roster in stone. There are two defensive spots open and four forwards to be decided on. That’s a lot of competition in training camp.
UNCERTAIN OILERS 2019
Six names from this list will make the roster, I think Caleb Jones, Joakim Nygard and Colby Cave are the strongest candidates. Biggest wildcards? Joel Persson and Gaetan Haas. I think Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody are the two forwards who can force this issue with a strong training camp and preseason.
In the ‘Long Train Running’ category we have Gambardella, Currie and Russell. Any one of them could reach out and grab a job this season, possibly in training camp. The battle to watch is LHD third pairing, and I do believe Caleb Jones will have first lash, beginning opening night.
DISTANT BELLS 2019
There is one name here (Jesse Puljujarvi) who could make the team, but my bet is JP will be on another team before training camp. More on that in a moment. McLeod, Maksimov, Day and the goalies will be looking to hang around longer than anticipated, this giving them some traction. In some cases, their time will come, but it is unlikely to happen this fall.
AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER
Will we see a deal we’ll remember for decades during August 2019? The possibility exists. Not every memorable trade involves a Gretzky or a Pronger. On the day the Oilers acquired Joseph and Grier, the goalie was part of a cost-cutting movement and the winger hadn’t played in a single NHL game.
Names in play? No idea, but Eeli Tolvanen, Jordan Kyrou, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Anders Bjork and Sam Bennett are interesting to me as potential targets.
We’re in the final week of July. In my opinion, Josh Archibald’s signing snapped the chain and now we’re waiting for the whip and the trade. Will it happen in August? That’s my guess.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
At 10 this morning, TSN1260. My first guest will be gentleman Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal. We’ll chat James Neal trade and the roster as it sits idling in the driveway. Kris Abbott from OddsShark will pop in to chat the coming college football and NFL seasons. Hart from Puckpedia will chat about the Leafs-Vegas trade yesterday and what it may mean, and we’ll talk a little about Jesse Puljujarvi. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. Talk soon!
Material Elvis,
Every single one of our defensemen reset behind the net, it’s systemic, not focused on one player.
I do hate when he drops to the ice too much, I hope Tippett can coach that out of him in less advantageous situations. He should still try to block shots from the point, but it only gives the opposition an advantage down low in odd man situations – usually where our forward blew coverage.
I’d average 65% of the disdain against Russell to be analyics-based. His shot metrics are poor, he doesn’t trap at the blue line – and instead pulls back into coverage and gets in a good position to block shots. He doesn’t make a ton of clean stretch passes to spring the rush– but his passing is decent considering he’s on his off hand. He’s made plenty of good exit passes, but not the sexy cross ice ones that Klefbom can make.
He’s still a useful defenseman and a good team player and coaches in general love him, which is why we’ll find takers when the young players pass him.
The Main Thing from Avalon is one of my go to tracks. Love it, the production is superb.
I get the impression that Holland and Tippett are already more aligned in thinking for developing the team than Chia ever was with TMac or Hitch.
YES!
RNH!!!
Good question!
Interesting, thanks for that insight. I’m so removed from playing coached hockey that I have zero idea what systems teams use and I can’t see these systems playing out in games like I’m sure some of you can easily.
I’d love to sit with someone who has that knowledge, watch a game and have them pick it apart. Tactics and systems are not part of my viewing experience…but maybe that’s been for the best the last 10 years!!!
Much more confident in Holland and Tippett getting it all right than PC and TMac. I know the GM isn’t coaching or setting up all of the systems, but I thought PC was arrogant, had a chip on his shoulder and thought he was smarter than he was from day one. And that sets the tone.
Holland seems far more patient, collaborative and just an all round better operator.
I feel positive. And excited.
He’s a shooter like Neal – if he makes the NHL, he may have the best forward shot on the Oilers since Arnott – OK, maybe Stoll.
He’s a better 2-way player though – responsible and a PK buy (in junior at least) – he’s got a temper and is aggresive.
He isn’t a fluid skater.
Maksimov may be the highest potential of the existing forward prospects as it comes to goal scoring – that shot is NHL ready and elite. He does have a 2-way game, a high work ethic and was a plus PK guy in the OHL this past year. He needs to work on his skating, his decision making, his “temper”, etc. – standard stuff for a junior guy. There is always a non-zero chance but I put the chance at minscule. He may even start in the middle 6 in the Bake as a rookie pro.
Jaxon,
Is Maksimov a James Neal type?
Alex Novet
@AlexNovet
With tracking data coming next year, I’m not sure many teams appreciate the mountain of work it will take to turn that kind of data into something valuable. Data scientists are great (I’m one!), but the next year is going to be all about data engineers
Alex Novet
@AlexNovet
·
8h
If I was a team preparing for tracking data, my hiring priorities would be:
1. Multiple data engineers
2. Someone experienced with tracking data in soccer/basketball/baseball
3. Someone to translate between hockey analytics and coaching tactics (basically
@RK_Stimp
)
Better get on it Oil. Time’s a wasting.
While Benson may be the closest to making it among forward prospects, I think I’m most excited about seeing how Maksimov doors. I think there is a decent (non zero?) chance he makes the team. The Oilers need goal scorers. Check. He’s big at 6’3″, 207lbs. Check. He’s physical and tough 3rd in OHL PIM with 118 minutes, and 2 fights. Check. He’s defensively responsible with a plus/minutes of +38 that ranks 9th among OHL forwards. The verbal I’ve read indicates he really worked on the defensive side of his game. Check. He’s fast. Check.
From Dobber;
“We know he can score goals but his overall game and compete level has improved this season. He has been more physical and more willing to help out defensively than in the past.”-Jameson Ewasiuk
The Oil Knight had a great review of his game here:
http://theoilknight.ca/2019/03/13/kirill-maksimov-prospect-review/
I think Maksimov checks of a lot of boxes and is fairly unique in the Oilers’ system. He might warrant a longer look by the end of camp.
The Oilers could use a big, tough, fast sniper on the wing who is defensively responsible and works hard. His set of tools might be unique enough to catapult him right to the NHL. We’ll see.
Read the piece and it portrays the exact issues the Oilers have had for seasons and the results are bang on.
Losses, system chaos, zero puck support, floundering goalies, team confidence collapse.
Cheers. I’m hoping for more team sanity as the biggest win for next season.
Avalon although Ferry’s pet as opposed to a Roxy album is for me sublime. Some fantastic musicianship on that baby, the balance between Brittany the height of their game and having the maturity for subtle beauty and space in the production.
Edit: I don’t know who the phone thinks Brittany is, I typed ‘being at’ ?
Im in! Detroit sounds appropriate with our New Old Brah Club
Great thoughts.
Yeah, some refer to it as Nurse hearing dog whistles.
Agreed, part of Nurse’s d-zone problems are the man on man d system. He does have a tendency to chase the puck carrier everywhere in the dzone.
The Blues apparently had problems playing man on man d with Mike Yeo.
https://theathletic.com/590419/2018/10/16/whats-ailing-the-blues-defense-an-ex-nhl-defenseman-identifies-the-flaws/
“What’s obvious to me now is that the Blues have gone back to a man-on-man, defensive-zone coverage, and that’s extinct. When the rules changed in 2004-05, nobody went back to man on man because you couldn’t hook and hold your guy anymore. So everything turned into what I call a ‘bump and run,’ where you can make contact, but you’ve got to stay within your zone. The Blues have defensemen now that are chasing players up to the blueline and centerman and wingers that are chasing their players back down below the goal line. This version that they’re playing right now is almost like ‘attack at all costs.’”
This quote sounds like how the Oilers played last year especially with a Nurse chasing puck carriers to the blue line.
You quoted a portion of the post. That’s why most of your comments don’t apply. Maybe try keeping the context intact next time.
Best way to think about LTIR is this quote from the article:
“If you’re in LTIR, you might as well go all-in because the penalties involved are there whether you use $1 of it or $30 million of it by the end of the season.”
Try to avoid LTIR. If you’re stuck there eat all the LTIR you can get.
Of course not – someone posited that the JP situation could be like the Duchene situation and a few disagree including myself who suggested it was more like the Drouin situation – hence the Provorov reference (akin to Sergachev, kind of).
I think some of this comes down to coaching. Does the coach want to stand up the blue line, or does he value disrupting a clean entry and clean possession more than playing physical as the first priority?
One is far easier than the other and less risky. Teams with good sticks – knocking down dumps to the corner, knocking down passes especially cross ice passes – are really hard to attack. This is what Lidstrom was so good at.
You couldn’t get by him, you couldn’t put the puck between his legs, he took the puck off your stick or batted it away opening up a possession change, rarely with contact.
The OBC was obsessed with beating down the opponent regardless of who was on the team – skill not suited, or bangers and giants not skilled enough to be in the league. See the results!
This is what Tippet said his system is in effect. Take good ice, let them have bad ice.
I think we’ll see Nurse benefit a lot because man on man caters to his run around natural instincts instead of using that speed,wingspan and snarl to keep play in low percentage areas (how the Blues hampered the Bruins), caters to Russell’s game as it is, should help Benning, and all young D because the concept is simple.
He also mentioned forward support which has been really poor for years. Much of the glass and out is that the average D didn’t have a target. Or made a poor pass.
Options, 5 man system, like good teams do.
McLellan and Hitch teams played the same way and looked the same after the dust settled. I don’t have time to figure out the reason, maybe some of you know the reason. But the reason is there. So much player and coaching changes suggests to me they kept hiring or demanding the same concepts and systems and blaming the players for the failure.
Holland is doing different things, hopefully Tippet will. There is a nice base to build on. Well run they are a mid pack team easily. Which I of course don’t endorse as an outcome for more than one season – get it right and drive to the top, or be terrible and collect top talent draft picks.
In between is meh and creates it’s own vortex the late 90s to mid 00s got stuck in, not enough to win the Cup, not enough to draft quality to be better – be the best at what you do, winning or losing.
🙁
I imagine that JP doesn’t even get the conversation started on Provorov.
Gagner is a 3 million dollar ghost everyone forgets he’s on the roster. He has absolutely zero pressure very few expect much out of him. Could he surprise and shock the masses and find a niche like he had in Columbus a few years back. Gagner does have the slap pass play down pat if Tippett can find a partner for Gagner that can work the slap pass on PP 2 or on his line it would go along way to us making the playoffs.
GordieHoweHatTrick,
– cool. Let’s meet up How do I get in touch with you. That’s three now. You woodgie and I
So 30 or 40 games. You mean in 2 to 3 years.?
Of course not – it was a play on the Drouin for Sergachev trade.
Would Columbus consider Caleb Jones,Puljujarvi and a 2nd for Josh Anderson?
Me too. Road trip to celebrate the 50th. Going to see Oil vs. Islanders, Devils and Rangers.
Agree re: Gravel v Benning, but not your take on Manning v Gravel. Although I’m only an armchair GM, so there’s that…
Did I miss something? I assume you mean Provorov… is there a rumour involving Edmonton?
Are we still doing phrasing?
It’s interesting that Gravel will likely be battling with Marincin for NHL ice time in Toronto. Who comes out on top?
People on here care, they go out of their way to wish good health, to offer help, etc.
In return, almost every post, some passive aggressive, or just aggressive, insult.
So disappointing, every single day.
I like Gravel – a serviceable 3LD but I cannot agree that he’s better than Benning today or “in the long run” – While Benning is no “raw prospect” he’s still got room to grow a bit and Gravel is 27.
I do bet most GMs would take Manning over Gravel if he was $750K – could be wrong on that.
Aberg may be better than Spooner but he’s not better than Gagner.
As bad as Strome for Spooner was, Spooner for Gagner was a pretty big win.
I don’t see how Rieder is in the post – he cost zero assets, he was a fairly cheap reasonable bet that didn’t pan out and they moved on from him.
I don’t see the Puljujarvi situation as comparable to the Duchene satiation but more of a Drouin situation – I think that’s a better comparable.
With Proporov on board, trading Nurse becomes more palatable.
I missed Gagner – oops.
No, he’s definitely in the lineup and that would be fairly easy by moving out Marody but I’ve on this kick about him being 3C – not that anything he did in his 6:50 seconds/game with Brodziak and P. Russell last year indicates he’s ready for center, let alone up a line, but still.
Yes, I am unconvinced Hass is an NHL player but Holland has been after him for a while so there has to be more to him than a regular above-average player from a 4th tier European league…..
I think it will increase their LTIR relief cushion as they will manage their cap to get right up to the limit on day 1, then place all those guys (Horton, Hyman, Clarkson, etc.) on LTIR and get $10M plus or room – sign Marner.
– Road trip to Detroit (haven’t been to new arena), for the game on Tuesday, October 29th. Are you in? Anyone in GTA/Detroit/Windsor in: drive down, watch game, come back next day
– For NYR, I’m going to the game Saturday, October 12th, as part of weekend getaway. There is Woodgie who says he’s trying to go, but no one else from NYC area (and I don’t have his email)
Thanks for the tip. Kinger did anyone take you up on that offer for NYC game? I might.
Isn’t the spirit molecule that trips the lucidity wire?
And everyone else in world, except for a few lucky enough like you, are left trippin’ on oxy-gin
I posted top 45 90 ( 3 fwd PP), 125 ( 4 fwd PP), 160 (5 fwd PP) PPG & PPA results for forward & Dmen.
The numbers clearly say running a 4 fwd with 1 Dmen who hopefully is one of the top 90 fwd 8 ppa standard (38) & Top 125 fwd ppg standard (33) in the game.
Combined is their even 25 dmen of that standard.
You sacrifice ppg production to have a better ppa dman in the 5th role.
I do not give one hoot about PP2 unless the 2 wingers, (who will play with Draisaitl & Mcdavid playing the whole PP), have similiar PPG and PPGF/60 rates.
Rested wingers is a nice interchange on a PP line.
Thanks. That’s the third explanation i’ve read, & the clearest. Still trying to get my head around it.
New Improved Darkness,
It’s turtles all the way down, bud.
But tribalism vs. barbarism has long fascinated me. I see a lot here.
Ah Allegory!
Some people’s musings is trying to advance society.
Others are
a Self indulgent Acid trip!
I wish no one locks themselves in a debt life, unable to find a decent job to pay back the philosophical education received that a single hit of acid and hours of tea writing in a journal could have provided for almost no cost.
A personal value that has no world value unless someone publishes the journal musings.
To each their own!
The mind is an evolutionary chemical driven mass developed in the womb.
I like the clip created were ET comes to us and says we have not advanced enough not to be exterminated.
Planet has 24 hours to prove we can be more advanced.
In the end the whole world comes to a peace agreement.
ET says that is the human Flaw the need for peace.
Clinical Evolutionary biological Phsycologists have proven the more group identities the more tribal and violent we become.
But history has shown the more like we try to create people the higher the mass death rate.
Nazi German exterminated 6 million Jews, slavic gypsies, and homosexuals.
Communist Russia & China exterminated 100’s of millions of people.
Extreme right tribalism and a Marxist unitarism is 2 human disasters we should never repeat.
Unless ET wants us 2!
New Improved Darkness,
deardylan,
– To be safe: I recommend the following: very timely:
https://www.ibtimes.com/florida-company-selling-alien-abduction-insurance-offers-10-million-payout-2808377
Yes, that is my second line (well, if they won’t go with the 3 centers which I have some time for).
Nuge and Neal should be on PP2 – well, Nuge for sure – one of his top skills is half-boards on the PP and I feel he’s underutilized on PP1 with McDavid.
Lots of talk about matchup, on the road and at home, and line deployments – here is hoping that Tippett is able to use some on-the-fly, post-faceoff, changes to get certain match-ups – new age stuff man!
Wait until Samorukov is NHL ready (if ever) – man that guy is aggressive at the blue line – love the way he defends the zone entry.