We haven’t heard much about Philip Broberg since draft weekend, but the information is filtering through via summer tournaments and good reporting. Corey Pronman of The Athletic caught up with Sweden world junior coach Tomas Monten, who was very positive about Broberg and his skills: “I don’t know why anyone would be skeptical. He’s a young kid, he needs to grow. His skating is awesome.” Complete article is here.
We haven’t talked much about the scouting staff and changes after the draft, so with August dawning it’s probably a good time to have a look under the hood.
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: Kailer Yamamoto has the talent to win a job with the Oilers on merit, if he’s healthy.
- Jonathan Willis: Jesse Puljujarvi still has upside and the Oilers’ patient approach is the right one
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Q&A: Dave Tippett on rounding out his coaching staff, fixing Oilers’ special teams and using Connor McDavid
- Lowetide: Handicapping the Oilers’ young defencemen and their chances of replacing Andrej Sekera
- Lowetide: Is Kirill Maksimov progressing as the Edmonton Oilers’ next great hope for a true homegrown sniper?
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers ease pressure on crowded defensive pipeline by trading John Marino to the Penguins
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: What the 2021-22 Oilers might look like after their steady build toward contender status
- 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.
If I woke you up at midnight, could you give a complete history of Oilers drafting? You’d need to make coffee, but yes. I think drafting well, and developing properly, is the most important element in an organization’s success. Example: Oilers draft record 1979 through 1983. In selecting Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Andy Moog, Grant Fuhr, Steve Smith, Jeff Beukeboom and Esa Tikkanen, Barry Fraser provided a cluster so bright they won Stanley five times in seven years.
Give me the list of scouting directors and years they were in charge. Okay, well, this is a bit of a moving target but here goes: Fraser (1979-2000, he was here during some of the WHA era, too); Kevin Prendergast (2001-2007); Stu MacGregor (2008-2014); Bob Green (2015-2019 and possibly beyond). Keith Gretzky came in during the Green era and had a positive (imo) impact on procurement.
They hired Tyler Wright, where does he fit? Based on the Oilers site, it looks like Keith Gretzky is assistant general manager, with Bob Green in Gretzky’s old job and Wright in Green’s scouting director chair. That’s a guess, though.
How did Green do? If we use “two actual NHL players per year” as a line in the sand for success, Green’s 2015 looks like it could pass the threshold (McDavid, Caleb Jones, Ethan Bear). I don’t believe in giving credit for McDavid, but the next pick was No. 117, if the Oilers get a player that late I think we can call it a pass. Calgary got defensemen Rasmus Andersson (No. 53), Oliver Kylington (No. 60) and forward Andrew Mangiapane (No. 166). Oilers would need both Jones and Bear to cash in order to match Andersson and Kylington.
What about 2016? Yeah, that’s the nut for sure. Jesse Puljujarvi and Tyler Benson need to cash, as Dylan Wells is the only other signed player from that draft. Calgary drafted Tkachuk and Dube, but Tyler Parsons is off the pace among the earlier picks. Adam Fox and Eetu Tuulola look like excellent picks, while the Oilers don’t have any player in the back half of the 2016 draft with that kind of resume.
Who will they sign from that 2016 draft? At this point, it’s difficult to point to a specific player. The Oilers still have signing rights to Markus Niemelainen, Filip Berglund, Matt Cairns, Graham McPhee and Aapeli Rasanen. I like Berglund but he isn’t a lock to be signed.
Who is the best unsigned prospect from the 2014-2018 drafts? Tough question. I think Michael Kesselring has the most potential, but he’s a raw talent with miles to go. It was John Marino but he was traded, and it might be Hayden Hawkey but the Oilers control his rights for only two more weeks. All of that understood, I’ll say Phil Kemp.
Did Ken Holland impact the 2019 draft? Yes, I believe so. Philip Broberg is more a Holland pick imo than an Oilers selection. We didn’t hear about Broberg until after Holland arrived, that’s kind of anecdotal but is also true. Edmonton chose no players from the WHL or OHL, in all previous drafts the Oilers chose at least one player from the WHL or OHL in every previous draft.
You haven’t talked much about the 2019 draft? I’ve given my opinion on each man, and ranked three of them inside the top 20 (with one honorable mention) here.
Among the group chosen No. 100 overall and later, who do you project as the best prospect? Matej Blumel. Although he was drafted in his second year of eligibility, Blumel is a speed merchant who can score goals. I like him plenty.
How many rookies do you have on your RE? I have Gaetan Haas, Joakim Nygard and Joel Persson in my RE model, I believe none of them count as rookies. Among ‘traditional’ rookies, I have nine players getting at least a game.
NINE? Yes. This season should see a lot of turnover, for several reasons. As defencemen like Evan Bouchard get recalled, it’s likely we’ll see veterans sent away. It might not happen until the deadline, but you could see Jones, Bouchard and Lagesson (as an example) in the starting lineup in March. Same thing up front, Benson, Marody, Yamamoto, Gambardella, Currie and Russell are all pushing, plus I have Nygard in Bakersfield to start the year.
Some of those defensemen will get pushed down when the Oilers sign Kevin Shattenkirk. I don’t think the player will sign in Edmonton, and frankly the organization is wise to find out about Joel Persson this winter. Edmonton has put itself in a position where the management doesn’t know about a ton of players, so a one-year freeze on adding veteran blue (as they appear to be doing) is wise.
Give me your RE 23-man roster! No.
When will you publish? In August sometime.
Why wouldn’t you have started already? I did. The first official piece came out July 12. You missed it. My RE on Tyler Benson is here and includes discussion about where he might land (and when) on the Oilers roster.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
A busy Thursday morning gets kick started at 10, TSN1260. We’ll talk to Darrin Bauming from TSN1290 in Winnipeg about the Blue Bombers-Argos game that kicks off tonight’s doubleheader. Daniel Gallen from Penn Live will pop in to give an update on Philadelphia Eagles camp and we might have a Cowboys and mlb guest when the mics go on. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio!
Shattenkirk isn’t the answer to any question, not any more.
People forget that a couple of years ago, when both were healthy, Klefbom/Larsson was one of the best D pairings in the NHL. A legit first pair.
Now that Nurse has taken a step — and Benning, too — I think a return to the Nurse/Benning pairing is in the cards.
Russell – Persson is your 3rd pairing, with Jones being rotated in.
Thinking of your family, Jethro. I’m sure we all wish we could do something to help too!
The problem with your plan is that Shattenkirk doesn’t provide much in the way of insurance for Larsson though. He’d be behind Benning on the depth chart no matter what. He’s been below replacement level each of the past two seasons while Benning has been well above.
Shattenkirk GAR
2017-18: -2.7
2018-19: -0.9
Benning GAR
2017-18: +4.6
2018-19: +10.3
Also, Benning and Klefbom have played together in the past and have decent results together.
JimmyV1965,
If Adam Larssen gets hurt then Benning or Russell is our #1RD. We are not that exposed at any other position. Shattenkirk is not option A (or even option b) but if would sign a 1 year deal then I would buy the insurance no question.
Thanks everyone. I know nearly everyone in those pics. That pub was my local. I just feel pretty useless here, that’s all.
Talked with Mrs. Tull about going back. She, as ever, was the voice of reason. “Where would you stay? Nobody has a home. Who’d pick you up? No one has a car (the flood picked up the coal bunker and totaled my parents). People would put you up and pick you up, but they have bigger problems.”
Still, there’s worse that happens at sea as they say.
Man, that’s devastating. Heart goes out to those folks.
I promise not to complain about the mosquitoes anymore.
Best wishes for your Fam, Jethro.
So you want McDavid and Drai to centres their own lines, yet you want to spend $4 to $5 mill on Shattenkirk instead of a winger. Hmm. Not sure how that would work.
Jethro Tull,
best wishes to the family
that looks like quite a mess
In no other field that I can think of, do ’employees’ enjoy the benefits of both collective bargaining and individual negotiations to the extent that professional athletes do.
defmn,
Just out of curiosity what is it that you think rfas with arbitration rights use to come to there conclusion with regards to their salairies between team and player?
Nope
I’m pretty sure that is considered negotiating within the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement.
Sorry to hear about that. All the best to them.
Eakins was the worst coach in Oilers history he derailed many a career. There’s sometimes one coaches suckhole ( spy) was it Captain Ference saying warm and fuzzy things about pretty boy Eakins.
Sure Leon has made progress but McDavid/Drai GF/GA numbers apart were not pretty. Not sure about the 2nd half split for Leon but yes he did improve under Hitch. I know it’s heresy to critique McDavid, but he’s got to up his defensive game to match his offensive brilliance. A goal prevented = a goal scored.
Agree you go with Benning at 2RD if there are no other options and maybe 2nd toughs with Klef in an offensive role is the strategy. Maybe even the best one under the circumstances. But I’d be a heck of a lot more comfortable with a more proven 2RD as we are totally fracked if Larsson gets hurt.
So thought I’d leave this until bedtime, didn’t want to derail the thread. Some pure gold today. Cheered me up.
My Mum, Dad and my Sister and her family have lost everything.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/31/inside-homes-ruined-horrific-flooding-north-yorkshire-10495206/
Love it…
Me, too. The entire LT, Ricki, Pescador thread is gold.
Love you too Padre!
I wish no ill will, bad things on competitors.
But I couldn’t care less if they aren’t as good as the Oilers and fail miserably. Might actually make happy.
I’m glad Treliving and Benning have followed up good decisions with meathead decisions. I hope Holland doesn’t. I hope every team in the league is stupid except the Oilers for a change.
I care about 100% zero what the other teams do. I just want to beat them and no team currently has the book on right.
It has to be an organic rise to the top, the Oilers have everything they need to do that.
?
I suppose you’ve all encountered the piece with the former NHL defenensman talking about how the Oilers have been using man on man D while after the last lockout, nobody does because you can’t obstruct enough.
Eakins swarm which is a layered D, McL, Hitch who may not have wanted to change the system but may have also liked it, all used man on man.
We should expect and HOPE Tippet puts in a user friendly system that sees goalies hit career norms, skaters hit them. And overall morale and consistent team play.
Taxing a young team with advanced tactics was clearly an ill conceived plan.
I expect much better things. If it’s the same shit show, yikes.
pretty much spit out my beer with that comment.
Ha ha. Im trying.
I know where you stand with Eakins and I was not a fan of his time as Oiler coach.
But with that said, I have heard nothing but good things about him as the Gulls coach. This is coming from a player.
32
A good comparable in terms of age, size and cap hit would be the Flames Derek Ryan.
He scored 38 points but also was a very effective third line centre.
If Gagner could duplicate that he would be worth his cap hit.
I don’t see many oppressed coal miners and abused workers in their ranks.
In my neck of the woods I see guys that have done pretty well for themselves, even those not playing in the NHL.
This isn’t the Eagleson, old school era of hijacked players. People that want to be pro athletes are gambling, rolling the dice, let them fall where they may.
‘Shatty’ doesn’t move the dial forward for the Oilers.
Another defensive suspect is the opposite of what they need.
A better Benning, a player that can simply retrieve and move the puck forward, making solid reads and allowing the forwards to move the puck to the O zone and help keep it there.
Disruption, entry, keeping possession and having enough skill to capitalize is the game in a nutshell, and that sounds dirty. Dirty good hockey.
Unless you take on insured contracts on purpose, reach the cap floor and pay your players nothing, not caring if you ice a competitive team or not.
I’m not sure if other GMs hate Dorien, but Melnyk is getting the Wiserhood clap at the next owners junket.
Woodguy v2.0,
Precisely. On all points.
defmn,
I’m just getting caught up on the thread, and personally, I would like to thank you for your posts today.
I’m not sure how much effect it is having on the actual market–some to be sure–but definitely not as much as the actual CBA and it’s structure (and both parties collude to negotiate their side anyhoo). And probably not as much as say actual monetary inflation.
The funny thing about the PA is the majority of their membership earns at the lower end of the pay scale, yet these are the members they seem least interested in caring for.
Oh, don’t stop. This is the fun stuff.
Also,
Salaries *can’t* push the cap higher.
In an open market it would escalate all salaries.
In a closed cartel like the NHL where minimum total salary paid is mandated it will just re-distribute that money.
Older marginal guys get less.
Young high end players with their best years in front of them get more.
There is no indication that that is happening and, if it is, unless its happening with the express consent of their clients, those agent’s are risking losing their licences and criminal prosecution.
The closed market does impose limits for sure. The extent to which this practice pushes the cap higher is a longer discussion that I suspect is of more interest to me than anybody else so I will just drop it. 😉
…and fattening.
And then the Oilers kick their butts big time beaucoup in the playoffs. And Yama hits Getzlaf and discontinues his series.
Think Tyler will sue you for mentioning OTF shifts?
I get that, but arguing about collusion in a North American sports league is minutia in regards to what collusion can mean to open markets.
Their market is closed with the total amount spent on players being pre-determined.
He means from the gov’t
Are you being watched?
Ha ha, nope. We just sent them another $5.25M in dead cap space.
The Romans ?!? What ‘av they ever given us????
Yeh, but what have the Romans ever done for us?
hahaha!
Like it centurion! Like it, like it!
uh, Gagner score 13 pts in how many games ? TROLL
Yes sir!
His 8.00+ PPGF/60 makes him a PP1 unit option with
Draisaitl 16 ppg
Mcdavid 9 ppg
RNH 8 ppg
Chaisson 8ppg
Neal 16-17 & 17-18avg 7 ppg
With Tippett talking Mcd & Drai playing full pp
Acswitch of RNH & Chaisson to Neal, Gagner May not be much worse.
Unlike other teams PP1 versus PP2
Healthy full player Gagner has been
14-15 ARZ 81gm 9 evg 20 Eva 29 evp -28
16-17 CBJ 81gm 10 evg 22eva 32 Evp +10
17-18 VCR 79gm 7 evg 13 Eva 20 Evp -18
18-19 EDM 25gm 5 evg 5 Eva 10 Evp -3
In 3.3125 seasons he averaged
9.9 evg 18.1Eva 28 evp -11.8
Holland wants double digit goal scorers.
Our PP seems pretty clear
Mcd
Drai
RNH
Chai
Neal
Gag
Holland wants double digit from forwards at even
Neal avg 15 evg last 3 seasons
Gagner avg 9.9 evg last 4 healthy seasons of games
18-19
Kassian 14
Chiasson 13
Archibald 12
Granlund 10
17-18
Khaira 10 evg
Puljujarvi 10 evg
Jurco 29gm 6 evg 10 Evp
That is 12 forwards to have shown double digit season production in last 2 seasons.
Marvelous race, the Romans.
I think some here should remember the difference between immoral and illegal.
hahaha!
Like it centurion! Like it, like it!
No that is not collusion. Point’s agent contacting Marner’s agent and them discussing numbers and timing etc. is collusion and as far as I know that is perfectly legal. Unlike if it were Toronto’s management phoning Florida’s management.
What am I missing because as I said I never thought I was stating anything other than common knowledge. This is what agents do and the PA most definitely advises players when and when not to go to arbitration based upon what they see as beneficial for their membership. I don’t think there is any question about that.
That is not descriptive of the “acts” you attributed to collusion.
Point’s agent advising his client to hold off on signing to see what Marner signs for as the high market set is not collusion among agents – they are not acting in concert.
What?
As others have stated the site shows a need to re log in after a comment on post.
I get that too.
Instead of relogging in.
I click home which takes me to your daily list of posts.
Then re- enter that days post and it shows me logged in again and ready for comment.
Quite strange!