Years ago, I had this boss who did things in order. No exceptions. Back then radio broadcasters had contracts and Albert (his name was not Albert) would bring up the subject of a new contract one month before the old one expired. Not 35 days, not 25 days. One month. He used to take his right hand, push his glasses straight back with his thumb and middle finger (touching only the hinges) and say “get your mind around this” and we would begin to negotiate.
Albert was a tough negotiator, he hammered me senseless the first two times and then I won after it (went above him to right a wrong, it was not his fault, but I had to quit, wait two years and then negotiate a better deal with his boss). He never wavered, we did the same dance every time. Albert made his to-do list, prioritized it, and proceeded to go about his business. You have to respect that kind of consistency. I know I did.
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 Jonathan Willis: Oilers ease pressure on crowded defensive pipeline by trading John Marino to the Penguins
- New Daniel Nugent-Bowman: What the 2021-22 Oilers might look like after their steady build toward contender status
- New Lowetide: Joel Persson is ideally situated to win an opening night roster spot with the Oilers
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: What the 2019-20 Oilers might look like without trade missteps.
- Lowetide: Finding the best candidates for the final two spots on the Oilers skill lines in 2019-20.
- 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?
- Lowetide: Looking ahead to Oilers training camp: 35 players for 23 jobs
- 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?
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects summer 2019.
Ken Holland traded John Marino yesterday, it’s the kind of trade a manager makes when he’s clearing off his desk and preparing to head to the cottage for a few weeks over summer. Trade Marino, tell the milkman no deliveries until September long, take the propane tank off the barbecue and tell the neighbour he’s welcome to pick the apples while you’re gone. Ken Holland is heading to the lake, with one file folder left on his desk: A blue and white one with a small Finnish flag in the right corner. No one went over Holland’s head, but someone tried to do an end-around. I don’t think it will change Holland’s plan. He’s focused on getting value for the Oilers. It might not be out there this summer.
JOHN MARINO
Players are attached to organizations but over the years I’ve found they are most especially attached to the men who drafted them. So, John Marino was drafted by Peter Chiarelli and Bob Green, and whomever the eastern scout was in 2014-15 (Scott Harlow? I think it’s Harlow) and the player’s relationship with the Oilers may have walked out the door with Chiarelli. Holland may have chatted with Harlow, or maybe the team attempted to sign him this spring but it didn’t happen. My guess is the Oilers knew he wouldn’t sign here and are hoping the Penguins can get him under contract right away.
How good is Marino? I have a friend who scouts the USHL and feeder leagues, who also sees a lot of ECAC hockey. I reached out and he told me “Marino will play in the NHL” so this is a deal that could look poor five years from now. That’s the nature of those USHL kids from the USA. It’s a tough sell for Edmonton, just as getting Matt Benning was an easy one. John Marino is going home, these things rarely change.
JESSE PULJUJARVI
I remain convinced the best thing to do is keep him, but Ken Holland has to decide if he wants to divide Dave Tippett’s priorities (win and develop) with JP. One hopes Tippett saw the video and loved what he saw, and is convinced there’s a player there. It’s possible.
Or, Puljujarvi might spend the season in Europe.
Edmonton does need a RH center but the names available are flawed. Riley Nash is in Columbus with a $2.75 million cap hit (times two) and not a lot to recommend him. Nash does have a solid Puck IQ player card versus elites (27.4 percent of his overall time versus elites, 50.40 DFF percentage and DFF% RC of 1.50). You wouldn’t trade JP for him, and Nash is coming off a poor offensive season, but could help and shouldn’t cost a lot. He’s more No. 4 line than No. 3 line based on that TOI percentage against elites, anyway.
I wonder if there’s a deal involving one of the teams trying to sign their RFA’s. Edmonton’s cap room ($2.4 million remaining with the team at the 23-man limit) suggests a narrow window of opportunity. Vladislav Namestnikov? He’s pretty spendy.
LOWETIDE LIST: 2010 DRAFT
This is my list and year one is pretty much a tie. I’m not sure Pickard is more or less valuable than Marincin, and the first two picks are identical. I think people often view Pitlick as a reach pick, but he was a first-round selection on my list.
2011 DRAFT
My list saw more NHL games, but Klefbom>Beaulieau by a large margin, so Edmonton wins it despite the GP edge. The 2011 draft had a tremendous number of promising prospects who never got untracked, I think that is reflected by both lists here.
2012 DRAFT
One of the reasons I wanted to do the original list is to show that the Khaira reach selection worked well. Khaira was valued by Red Line but wasn’t a famous prospect. I give the slight edge to Edmonton here because of the Khaira pick.
2013 DRAFT
Edmonton drafted the better player in round one, but Buchnevich and Bjorkstrand give my list the edge. Slepyshev not developing really hurt the Oilers. I have no idea why they passed on Bjorkstrand.
2014 DRAFT
I valued Bennett because he scored a lot of points at even strength, but Draisaitl made this an unfair fight Halloween night 2015. Lagesson is the third best player on this list, meaning a clear win for the Oilers. In looking at this decade of drafting, one of the main positives for the Oilers came in choosing Draisaitl. It’s an Everest selection and they had compelling alternatives.
2015 DRAFT
Clearly McDavid made the draft but I’ve always been impressed by Edmonton’s scouts getting two good defensive (actually three) in the middle of the draft. My list grabbed Mangiapane late, credit goes to math. I’ll give the edge to the Oilers, because of the extra player.
2016 DRAFT
My list gets DeBrincat and that’s the biggest positive math delivered in this decade. Oilers did a poor work in the third round, too. A massive win for my list.
2017 DRAFT
I like both lists, but Samorukov is a very promising player and gives Edmonton the edge. Too soon to know. Yamamoto’s wrist worries may impact the long range look of the Oilers’ draft.
2018 DRAFT
This promises to be a fantastic set of picks to follow. I’ll tell you that five of these six names are progressing well to very well.
2019 DRAFT
Either math has identified Kaliyev as another home run ala DeBrincat or this draft will look silly five years from now. I like my combination of forward-defense drafting more than Edmonton’s because the forward came first, but credit where due the Lavoie pick is exceptional at No. 38. Broberg, despite being a first-round pick, is vague enough as a player for us to be truly curious about his season to come. Look for TOI usage, even strength goal differential and point totals in all disciplines.
SUMMARY
The major hits for the Lowetide list are DeBrincat (a monster), Bjorkstand, Buchnevich, eventually Mangiapane. My evaluation of math led me to Bennett over Draisaitl, don’t blame math, blame the bus driver. Over the decade, I like my lists and believe the process is stronger now than it was in 2010.
The Oilers biggest hit was the Draisaitl pick while surrounded by noise. That decision impacted the organization in a major way. Oscar Klefbom (over Beaulieu), Nurse (over Nichushkin), Khaira over pedestrians, Jones and Bear deep were also astute selections.
Which list do you prefer? Did math make a big enough difference to employ? Note: Much of the decade is to be determined, we’ll have to revisit a year from now.
Does recent NHL history? The way the game has changed in all aspects I’m not certain draft history is relevant past 20 years. In fact the cutoff might be closer to 10.
I am as surprised as anyone that the Oilers drafting looks as good as it does. Thanks for the insight.
I think we could have had even more complementary players from the later rounds if every manager had not been in such a rush to stop the losing. Building from the back and not giving away the players that worked out would have been a good start.
oilersfan,
Didn’t we just go through this with Puljujarvi? There is still plenty to learn at the pro level in Sweden. Pettersson and Karlsson both stayed for their draft+1 seasons. Broberg hasn’t even cracked the top men’s club I’m Sweden. Let him continue to work on his game there then playing against 17, 18 and 19 year old’s.
Maybe he has goals he wants to accomplish there instead of playing for a team he never heard of in the Toronto suburbs.
I don’t normally bang the same drum day in and day out, so likely no one will remember this, but I’ve said since Rebuild 1.0 that not beginning by building from the back out was a huge mistake. And principally because Dmen take so long to develop. So if you prioritize them second or rather after the Forwards…
For that reason when they drafted Hall I said they wouldn’t be good till Hall was valedictorian of the senior class, ie. the veteran player… likely with some new young magician at Forward capturing imaginations.
I have no idea how that all turned out. I’ve blocked the memory.
The Oil spent a ton of assets over that Hall generation, the cluster, trying to find Kevin Lowe… struck out on Musil, Marincin, and Reinhart… and paid an even more inconceivable price to get Larsson…. whew, mission accomplished. Thank fucking Gord.
They never did find Coffey either, but KBomb + Nurse is at least a depth facsimile. Still Darnell is only coming on now. Sekera’s injuries were killer. Al
I don’t normally bang the same drum day in and day out, so likely no one will remember this, but I’ve said since Rebuild 1.0 that not beginning by building from the back out was a huge mistake. And principally because Dmen take so long to develop. So if you prioritize them second or rather after the Forwards…
For that reason when they drafted Hall I said they wouldn’t be good till Hall was valedictorian of the senior class, ie. the veteran player… likely with some new young magician at Forward capturing imaginations. I have no idea how that all turned out. I’ve blocked the memory.
They spent a ton of assets over the Hall generation trying to find Kevin Lowe… struck out on Musil, Marincin, and Reinhart among others… and paid an even more inconceivable price to get Larsson…. whew, mission accomplished. Thank fucking Gord.
They never did find Coffey either, but KBomb + Nurse is at least a depth facsimile… still Darnell is only coming on now. The Sekera injuries were killer. Almost as debilitating as the performance in net (a good part of which rests on coaching).
Thankfully, the prospect defense is now so chock, it will hit. Guaranteed. Especially if Samo can get there with some authority. No lock but the arrows are good. If B + B can eventually handle 1st comp, Samo 2nd, well the Oil are set
All we need is for McDavid to have the patience of the Gords… some reasonable goaltending coupled with decent coaching… and there will be a future coming, like a train.
I love the 3rd round bet this year on possible show-stopping goalie too. Holland really has a sense of this team.
rickithebear,
LT has used and discussed Age with NHLe.
The hope is that through the course of the year, he will earn the trust of his coaches and increase his ice time and responsibility. Learning to play defence and battle against big and strong me in a very good league has significant value.
Playing against his peer group where he has a skill that is so superior to most (skating in this case) can also lead to development issues where one relies on the dominant skill and does not focus on the fundamentals.
pts2pndr,
He will likely play 15 minutes a night on the third pairing with no power play time, on the big euro ice surface.
How will this develop his offense, improve his confidence or give him needed experience playing Canadian hockey like he will in the nhl?
It is allways fun to look at were our forwards rank ( fwd/D) offensively in the dgame after they were picked
2005 #25 Cogliano #8 162G #10 385P
2007 #6 Gagner #9 158G #8 446P; #21 Nash #24 56G #26 151P
2008 #22 Eberle #2 209G #3 478P
2009 #10 pujarvi #27 62G #33 124P
2010 #1 Hall #4 202G #2 511P seguin is #1& #1
2011 #1 RNH #5 147G #4 382P
2012 #1 Yakupov #8 62G #13 136P
2013 #88 Slepyshev #40 10G #41 23P
2014 #3 Draisaitl #2 125G #1 312P
2015 #1 Mcdavid #1 128G #1 372P; #16 M. Barzal #12 40G #6 147P
2016 #3 Puljujarvi #9 17G #13 37P
2017 #22 Yamamoto #13 1G #13 5P
2018 #10 Bouchard ( rover – combo fwd/d) #6 1G #8 1P
Alrx DeBrincat
Age NHLE
I ignore draft -1 with Mcdavid push.
Draft age NHLE 39G 78P
Draft +1 age NHLE 36G 72 P
Draft +3 ( NHL) 41G 76P
Bob Mackenzie #33
LT: #15
Age NHLE says take him top 5.
Till The Cancer I have made a list of N.A based competative junior league players.
Driven by what LT preaches.
Listed by total goal/ pt and even goals/ points.
multiplying Goals by 1.25 (more pocession efficient) and adding assists.
Then dividing by 2.25 to get a more pocession efficiency based age NHLE value.
The age NHLE I present on here is not pocession modified.
Check to see if Draft-1 matches the age NHLE of draft.
Age NHLE said take Jason Robertson (6’2” 201Lb) @#22.
Draft -1 ( .963) 27G 48P
Draft (.713) 36G 70 P
Draft +1 (.485) 24G 50P
Draft +2 (.393) 26G 61P #1 point getter in OHL
Suggests 28G 59P player.
Clear choice for #22 by age NHLE.
Bob Mackenzie #30
LT: Robertson #55
Scouting said
30 more points than second best teammate on OHL team.
elite scorer and in tight shooter.
Great play making ability.
Great skater with top end speed and exceleration.
Big weakness first step acceleration.
Good Shot at Dallas roster with his shot.
Age NHLE is an important scouting tool.
It allows you to apply a real production translation to NHL play.
You can check to see if it is consistent year to year.
Or if you see a distressing year to year regression in the case of Yamamoto.
Once again my approach.
Age NHLE and scouting identifying mechanics that may prevent translation to NHL.
This process since about 2010.
The Hall draft year.
As LT said factors may cause them not to meet full potential.
Hall fails to play at a steady 78gm per season pace.
Causing him to average #2 forward season totals thru his career.
He is a Top 10 production fwd once every 4 years.
People who say he has allways played a risky game had predicted this.
Looking at Eberle.
Draft -1 (.917) 32G 63P
Draft (.667) 33G 59P
Draft +1 (.467) 22g 47P
Draft +2 (.383) 23G 59 P
From one of 15 most consistent Goal and point getters in the game since 2010.
Not great overall speed.
Great first step and in tight shooter.
Look for the word great intight shooter from scouts.
LT: educated most of us on scouting process and were to look for their words.
Now if he would just look at age NHLE numbers for
Draft-1 and draft,
Then follow forward age NHLE progression in draft +1, draft +2
Till we find out what we have in league equivalency draft +4 or +5.
In Sweden he will be playing against and with men in a professional league. He will also get more time developing his skills. The only disadvantage to us as Oiler fans is to be able to watch his progress. There is no harm to his career as I see it and gives him more time to mature in familiar surroundings.
This may be the most coherent post you have ever written.
Lavoie will be the steal of the draft. We finally caught a break can’t wait to watch him drive the net and get some garbage goals. It’s been along time coming since we’ve had a forward with that skill.
USHDP is a program roster that does not play as a team in a league competing for championship.
It plays a series of exhibition games against various league teams, plays in international exhibition games, and roster players compete in IIHF events.
USHDP had 9 players selected in first round of 2019 NHL draft
Hockey Canada is a program roster that does the same thing.
13 hockey Canada players were selected in first round of 2019 NHL draft.
Zegras competed at IIHF U18 WJC
He was #11 in points failing to generate a single goal.
Recieving all his points from players who generated a goal.
Raphael Lavoie ( 2019, #38) was 3rd in generating Goals @ 2018 u18 WJC tied with Jack Hughes (2019, #1), j. Berggreen (2018, #33). Lavoie and Hughes were 2 of the younger players in 17-18 tournament.
For players on the USDTP their USHL production has not fully translated to NHL.
Might be an issue of the quality of 2nd, 3rd line talent that 2nd, 3 rd lines of USHDP face in USHL.
Players in USHL who do not play on USHDP have their age NHLE translate much more accurately.
Like Kyle Connor.
It is much harder to get an accurate age NHLE for players like Zegras.
I am nervous of players like Zegras until the deeper roster affect can get a mathematical % to be removed from production to get an accurate age NHLE.
But taking a Zegras is no bigger risk than taking lesser known age NHLE players in 1st round.
Lavoie draft -1 and draft playoff season suggest 28g 60P age NHLE.
His 3rd in goals at 2018 u18’s is further support.
His inconsistent draft reg season age NHLE suggests 22G 50P player.
Not bad age NHLE at #38.
Lowetide,
Agreed…
Dwayne Roloson and Mike Smith would have been the same age in metrics on this team.
I know some of you are going to look it up and say that’s not true.
That’s cuz you looked it up in a book.
Next time look it up in your gut.
Really wanted Zegras now we get to see him for years with the Ducks.Broberg is Raw and fast he could turn out to be a clear 1-2 that we’ve been so desperate to have since Pronger broke my heart.
I said I preferred my list, not that Holland made a mistake. I do think the Oilers got lucky with the forward at No. 38.
Further, if the argument is the Broberg pick was a mistake because he wasn’t the BPA at that slot. What does that say about the analysis earlier this week where the Oilers outperformed BPA rankings as exemplified by the MacKenzie list?
McAvoy 14OV
Dahlin 10V Ristolainen 8OV
Kronwall 29OV Green 29OV
Ekblad 1OV
Chabot 18OV
Hedman 2OV
Rielly 5OV
Hamilton 9OV
Jones 4OV Werenski 8OV
Leddy 16OV
Staal 12OV Trouba 9OV
Provorov 7OV
Maata 22OV
Carlson 27OV
Seabrook 14OV
Johnson 1OV Zadorov 16OV
Heiskenen 3OV
Suter 7OV Dumba 7OV Brodin 10OV
Ellis 11OV
Pietrangelo 4OV Bouwmeester 3OV
Morrissey 13OV
Lindholm 6OV Fowler 12OV
OEL 6OV
Hanifin 5OV
Nurse 7OV Klefbom 19OV Larsson 4OV
Doughty 2OV
Karlsson 15OV
Myers 12OV Gudbranson 3OV
That’s a fairly extensive list of D, many of whom are the best on their team, that wouldn’t have been available in the 2nd round.
Given the run on D in this year’s draft, I think Holland played his board perfectly getting a blue chip D and then a quality F with Lavoie.
The Oilers followed this meme that you should only pick Fs in the top 10 by picking 3 straight OVs at F. Not drafting D worked out so well that they ended up trading the best of the 3 for one of the D they passed over.
Saying Holland made a mistake drafting a D this year with his first rounder is being too smart by half. Jmo.
If the Oilers don’t make the playoffs this season, I doubt he signs an extension. He sounded very frustrated with the chronic losing on his ‘19 exit interview. Trading him next summer will have decreased value because of the one year contract. The only way he increases his value is if they make the playoffs and he goes on a heater.
Those kinds of gentlemen’s agreement deals usually involve someone closer to the end of their career. Nuge and Larsson have at least one major contract left imo. Doubt there’ll be a handshake beyond plans to talk after July 1 midnight.
Have to be a winning team with cap in order for that to be of any interest to the players imo.
Lowetide,
What do you think are the chances Kenny strikes a gentleman’s agreement with Nuge and Larsson to expose them in the expansion draft as free agents and signs them to extensions shortly thereafter?
Nuge and Larsson are fascinating players to watch now through trade deadline 2021. We have our own way to viewing this team and what it needs, Ken Holland doesn’t necessarily share it.
What are you talking about? Lucic had 55 points his year in LA. In the 5 preceding seasons he’d averaged… 55 points (pro rating the lockout). He performed EXACTLY as he always had. And yes, he got paid.
The UFA season effect is interesting though. I don’t disagree there may be some effect, thought there are clear counter examples too like Eberle this year.
It would be interesting to see if someone has done the leg work of looking into it in any systematic way.
juuso valimaki would be my choice.
Remember how much fun it was making fun of the Flames for taking a guy who was too weak to do a single pullup?
Turns out, it was a bum shoulder that cost Bennett pretty much his entire draft+1 season.
I think that lost year had a huge impact on Bennett’s long term development (as you’d expect it to) and _that_ much more than the environment is what makes him what he is today.
Disagree. He’s 23 and 300+ games into his NHL career. Occasional flashes of skill and hot streaks that taunt the Flames fanbase aside, I expect that he has now asserted strongly who he’s going to be.
(statistical aside: my first/so far only article for the The Athletic was on Bennett – traitor! – using Bayesian statistics to make a prediction as to what Bennett’s scoring would look like going forward. He has come in well within but near the bottom of the predicted range since then).
Defensive clusters
Klefbom-Larsson-Nurse-Benning
Jones-Bear-Lagesson
Bouchard-Samorukov
Broberg-Berglund
Conveyor belt appears to be working
After the GM and other organizational changes Jesse’s agent beaked off and went public that his client in question does not want to play for the Edmonton Oilers. Holland is nobody’s fool he will do what’s best for the team and not let a 4 goal scorer dictate the next move.
I believe he meant Filip Forsberg. He’s talking about the depth at defence over the last couple of years.
Great post. The last thing we want to do is take the $6 mill cap from RNH and spend it on a free agent. That rarely works out. If RNH is leaving, trade him for assets. If you suspect toddy that he is leaving in two years, trade him today.
Hey now, Forsberg was on 0 ankles and Kariya was unfortunately addled by concussions and PCS (although still great players even on Nashville). They weren’t that bad! Plus they had Arnott.
Right…this is why the Eberle trade worked out so well.
Not sure how this dissonance has become so prevalent here, but having the capacity to potentially acquire an asset is not as valuable as having an asset. It just isn’t.
Particularly with cap space: either you’re handing out bad term/$ on a UFA deal, or having to send out additional assets in trade. Even if you’re leveraging cap constraints in a trading partner, it’s really doubtful that returns better value than trading a Nuge straight up now (if he won’t sign at a manageable number) would.
Love RNH, hope they sign him forever. But they have to stop losing value on transactions until they’re pushing for a cup.
I’m of the belief that if a lottery pick is ruined by some mismanagement on what is really a relatively minor level they have issues.
Many players don’t have it perfect. Many have it great and can’t do it right away like Patrick.
To me with Yak and JP the problems are from the neck up, not neck down. They don’t want to play an NHL style game or can’t, JPs injury of course is a factor.
I truly hope they can salvage JP because he could be a dominant winger. Or two way centre like O Reilly which would be brilliant.
I’d say he’s gone though.
I don’t think it’s obvious. Playing 17 minutes against men in a top league can be more beneficial than 25 against his peer group which he has already shown (small sample) to dominate.
The key is progression through the year and to earn the trust of his coach and top 4 minutes through the year.
I think Boumeester is a much more suitable comp than Niedermeyer.
“growing in confidence” and “dominating”.
Nothing shatters confidence more quickly than “dominating” an inferior league, where you can make up for your mistakes through physical ability, and than getting crushed when playing in a more difficult league like the AHL or NHL and realizing you still have a lot to learn. Stuff which you probably wouldn’t have learned as quickly playing in the OHL.
Why not have Broberg play another year in Europe where he can play against tougher competition, work on his skills and reads, and then come over to NA for another year where he learn culture, language, etc.
Broberg is only 18 years old.. he has plenty of time to learn a lot of the stuff you touch on while building confidence along the way.
Most importantly, Broberg would be more comfortable playing in the league for another year. Unless you want another Puljujarvi situation on your hands.
Isn’t it obvious that Broberg would have been much better off developing this year in the OHL ?
In one move he would be playing 25-30 minutes a night in all situations, PP, PK , against the other teams best players, getting used to North American culture and North American hockey, while likely dominating , likely getting a point per game, and growing in confidence!?
By staying in Sweden he will likely play 15 minutes a night, he the 6/7 dman, no power play time , no chance to develop offensive skills, no huge improvement in confidence, no learning the Canadian game or improving his offi ice social skills…
Seems to me that was an obvious choice. Holland said as much the day Broberg was drafted.
I understand the oilers wanted to let him decide and if he were my son I would probably want one more year for him to live nearby before moving to a different continent, but selfishly as an oilers fan I would have much preferred for him to come to Hamilton and play for Staois.
Just wanted to comment on the Calgary arena. Flames only make 11mil a year and based on that number would never be able to afford a new arena (at least no sane businessman would make that deal). The NHLPA is making the league unprofitable to the point where taxpayers have to keep it afloat. I hope they have their salaries cut in half or more next lockout.
OP with the more timely material disposition of this point.
If RNH opts for free agency, the asset hasn’t evaporated, it’s just reformatted to six million dollars of cap space.
If you have to ask the question…
As per Matheson, Silkanen is playing center. Hope he has a good showcase.
Broberg not in the lineup today against USA – will play tomorrow.
JP on a line with Neal and Nuge would be great.
Neal says he wants to play RW, but he’s already defensively challenged and playing on his off-side will make defensive zone board plays more difficult.
One thing with Draisaitl is that he is easily a top 5 passer in the NHL amongst forwards. I don’t think that skill or its development had anything to do with being stapled to McDavid or Hall.
Not too many guys can dish it the way he can, particularly on the backhand.
Then there’s his one-timer.
Jay Boumester will suffice as well.
Of course, asset management is huge but lets not forget that $6M (or $7M-8M if speaking re-sign cost) is an asset in itself.
Wait a second – this may be the first post ever citing a player as developing better on the Oilers than if off the Oilers.
Who knows what the roster construction will look like in a few years – if Nurse is trade for a forward, for example, things look different.
Also, the NSH example doesn’t ring true to me as the Oilers have McDavid and Drai for the better part of the next decade – that is some elite forward power that NSH has never had to build around – no offence to Forsberg.